OPINION By Bill Sellin
Dear Reader: Y’all know I am opinionated when it comes to vehicular cycling and I wanted to just announce this demonstration event as news, but I clearly have too much of a strong bias, so I will let them out and you can decide to agree, or disagree if you love the idea of Cycle Tracks anywhere/everywhere.
Comments below are open.
Many cycling advocates keep calling for ‘protected bike lanes’ as a way to sell more bikes and save the world. Class IV cycle tracks are not “bike lanes” in California and have very different laws pertaining to them.
• Cycle Tracks are not mandatory use like Bike Lanes are, so we do not HAVE to use them (but imagine the ire of a motorists who finds us in their “car lane”…) Imagine trying to make a left turn when trapped in a Cycle Track. Imagine passing a slower cyclist or tree branch when trapped between curbs.
• E-Mopeds (750 w & more, over 20 mph throttles) are vehicles and are not allowed to use them, but they will, like they do our sidewalks and shared use paths, so imagine having some kid on a Super73 or Ponto Go! fat tire e-motor bike flying up from behind at over 20 mph, pass you, on the left if lucky, with no way to pass in the travel lane because you are trapped between curbs.
• Parking separated Cycle Tracks (as proposed) have the added risk of hiding us from moving traffic when we emerge from behind the parked vehicles. It has all the dangers of sidewalk riding with even more visibility screens to make us inconsequentially invisible when we pop-out of ‘nowhere’ at an intersection or driveway. They set cyclists out of view of regular road traffic making us less visible - so at risk for more right hook and left hook crashes.
• Parking separated Cycle Tracks (as proposed) means all those motorists and passengers will have to walk across the Cycle Track to get to and from their cars.
It is very interesting that the infographic above does not show ANY drive way or intersection. Cycle Tracks may have a place on a long stretch where there are no intersections and no driveways, but that is not even the case on Yale, or most of the roads in Irvine. Frankly - I am happy to ride on a paved shoulder along such a stretch but I am ignored as one of the ‘fit and fearless’ minority of cyclists who rides where I want to go.
Rarely does the critical issue of intersection and drive way risks get mentioned or addressed with any plans for “protected intersections” or even round-a-bout traffic calming, so they just create new hazards for cyclists rejoining traffic. And no one dares suggesting lower vehicle speed than can save lives of pedestrian, cyclists and motorists…
The City of Irvine is responding to their citizen’s demand for ‘protected bike lanes’ and is considering spending funds to add them on Yale between Michelson and University, without considering intersection improvements at University, Royce, Michelson, Vista Verde’s driveway or the shared-use foot/bike bridge over the 405 freeway.
Personally I would rather see more green paint on busier roads and pedestrian lanes on wider shared use paths - all lower cost paint options over concrete and asphalt street reconstruction.
Mile for Mile, Dollar for Dollar, we could spend far less making many more miles of bikeways in Irvine safer for the expense of tearing up a road to add a single block of Cycle Track. It may surprise you that I sound like a fiscal conservative when it comes to spending tax dollars; infrastructure is certainly worth the investment, but the ‘bicycle industrial complex’ that sells their ‘expertise’ and lobbies for the bicycle industry to sell more bikes by thinking we can build a network of bikeways to serve every “8 to 80 year old” are lining their pockets and delivering dangerous options - if they ever get built at all.
On Saturday, August 26th they will be setting up a ‘demonstration’ cycle track between 11 and 2pm to
“Try the New Cycle Track along the South Yale Corridor” and “REENVISION SOUTH YALE AVENUE”.
If the only residents who show up say they love it, it will influence future bike plans. If no one shows up asking hard questions about the manufactured conflicts and risks created, or the cost diverted of tax payer fund from other cycling infrastructure, the proponents will seem to have consensus. After the club ride, ridden on miles of shared roads with and without bike lanes, BCI members should swing by to see it, and to share their reaction to the plans being demonstrated. If you drive over from Deerfield after our club ride, be sure to park in the parking lane near Michelson or Royce to help demonstrate the risks created. If you are in San Diego enjoying the out of town rides, check out the Cycle Tracks addd to the bikeways in San Diego; You will find them on the Bike the Bay loop and can imagine them being proposed all over Irvine.
For more information, view their flier and visit cityofirvine.org/sharestheway.
