On May 9, 9:23=A0pm, "Noddy" wrote:
> I'd argue that cyclists add to congestion woes in certain circumstances.
> Particularly those on multi lane roads where the traffic is flowing at a
> reasonable pace but has to slow and change lanes when a couple of bike
> riders are riding two abreast in one lane at a dawdling pace upsetting all=
> the traffic behind them.
>
firstly, the practice of cyclists blocking entire lanes of traffic is
not cut and dried. when cycling, i do my best to stay out of the way
of drivers. the key reason for this is self preservation. but there is
a strong argument that hugging the kerb, while allowing drivers
through, is more likely to result in your being cleaned up as they
squeeze through. taking up a full lane (two abreast) forces drivers to
move to the next lane, or wait for an appropriate overtaking
opportunity.
secondly, congestion is different from a temporary impediment to
progress. the Monash freeway in peak hour is congestion, waiting 20
seconds to pass a bunch of cyclists usually means 20 seconds less
spent at the next red light. there is an important difference.
furthermore, in part due to negligent transport planning in Melbourne,
single occupant motoring has reduced in its viability. there is little
doubt that cyclists reduce congestion in Melbourne peak hour traffic,
if you're in any doubt attend a presentation by transport planners who
explain the theory of traffic flow and the impact of increased/
decreased vehicle traffic. putting more cyclists on the roads in peak
hour has a material benefit to the same people who tend to dislike
them so much.
> Something tells me that riding a bike in city traffic wouldn't be much cho=
p
> for you.
that's fixable, copenhagen bike lanes have benefits for cyclists and
drivers alike.
> Many roads in Victoria have sections of the road dedicated purely to
> cyclists, and in some cases they've shut down a complete lane and made it
> exclusive to cyclists. Apart from the costs associated with doing this
> (which we all have to pay for whether you ride a bike or not) there is als=
o
> the associated traffic problems that seem completely out of proportion to
> the number of bikes that use these paths.
again, there is more to this than meets the eye. many lanes on our
roads are redundant. the obvious example is the Eastern Fwy into
Collingwood/Fitzroy. you could take 2 lanes out of that and call them
bike or sunbathing lanes - it wouldn't do much to restrict traffic
flow. the reason is of course that the restriction is further on - at
Alexandra Pde and Hoddle St.
this is accounted for when marking out bike lanes.
> Of course, some cyclists should pay a *heavy* annual premium for the right=
> to wear those .ing ridiculous mutil coloured outfits they wear that we
> all have to look at and lose our lunch over.
like loud pipes on motorbikes, loud clothes on cyclists save lives :)
|