Arlington County Bike Lane Blocker Tumbler

[DismalScientist]

If you know of any particular instance of church shuttles driving recklessly around cyclists, it is fine, but adding it as only a potential issue seems counterproductive.

[dasgeh]

@KLizotte 49927 wrote:

Great letter but a couple of niggling remarks:

– I don’t think most readers will know what PAL stands for (I can’t even think of what it stands for off the top of my head).
– “streets near churches are dangerous for pedestrians” Is that really what you mean? Or is it more along the lines of “streets near churches are dangerous to cyclists due to the influx of pedestrians around the itmes that church services…”
– I’d add the word “bike” before ride in “those of us in cars adn those of us out for a walk or a [bike] ride.”

Thanks for the catches. FWIW, I did mean that the streets near churches are unsafe for pedestrians around church start/end times. I have almost been hit while walking in Clarendon by a number of cars clearly trying not to be late for church (mostly by right-on-red-without-looking-for-peds). A couple times by people I go to church with. That made passing the peace fun.

[DaveK]

@dasgeh 49934 wrote:

Thanks for the catches. FWIW, I did mean that the streets near churches are unsafe for pedestrians around church start/end times. I have almost been hit while walking in Clarendon by a number of cars clearly trying not to be late for church (mostly by right-on-red-without-looking-for-peds). A couple times by people I go to church with. That made passing the peace fun.

My favorite road rage ever was out in MoCo on a Sunday – the driver buzzed me then yelled “YOU’RE MAKING ME LATE FOR G-D CHURCH!!!”

…only he didn’t say G-D. Two words. I can’t figure out how filthy I can be on this board so I’m keeping it G-rated.

[dbb]

If everybody will indulge me for offering a contrary position.

Let us no get our bib shorts in a knot over a business vehicle parked in a bike lane too much. I have at least one jersey in my closet that says “Share the Road” and when I am driving have had to share “my” traffic lane with service vehicles stopping to provide some essential service (last Friday on the way to FCCII it was a ArCo trash truck emptying a street can), a piece of construction equipment or a taxi doing a pickup/drop off. When downtown, we often see double parking that pretty effectively screws up traffic. We don’t approach driving expecting a clear lane with no obstructions.

If we want motorists to share the road with us, we should reciprocate.

While I think that commercial vehicles should strive to not use the marked bike lanes, I recognize the fact that some days it might not be possible for a truck to get a clean curb space long enough to get the truck to the curb. I don’t think that a truck should use the bike lane if the curb lane is available but there are all kinds of competing users for the curb lanes. Taking a deep breath and accepting the need for commercial vehicles to unload might be a good strategy.

I suggest we could demonstrate we are good (rationale/reasonable) road users by holding our fire on some of the folks that park in bike lanes for commercial loading/unloading.

I will try to take my own advice and channel Dirt’s philosophy.

Just say’n.

Dana

[TwoWheelsDC]

@dbb 49955 wrote:

If everybody will indulge me for offering a contrary position.

Let us no get our bib shorts in a knot over a business vehicle parked in a bike lane too much. I have at least one jersey in my closet that says “Share the Road” and when I am driving have had to share “my” traffic lane with service vehicles stopping to provide some essential service (last Friday on the way to FCCII it was a ArCo trash truck emptying a street can), a piece of construction equipment or a taxi doing a pickup/drop off. When downtown, we often see double parking that pretty effectively screws up traffic. We don’t approach driving expecting a clear lane with no obstructions.

If we want motorists to share the road with us, we should reciprocate.

While I think that commercial vehicles should strive to not use the marked bike lanes, I recognize the fact that some days it might not be possible for a truck to get a clean curb space long enough to get the truck to the curb. I don’t think that a truck should use the bike lane if the curb lane is available but there are all kinds of competing users for the curb lanes. Taking a deep breath and accepting the need for commercial vehicles to unload might be a good strategy.

I suggest we could demonstrate we are good (rationale/reasonable) road users by holding our fire on some of the folks that park in bike lanes for commercial loading/unloading.

I will try to take my own advice and channel Dirt’s philosophy.

Just say’n.

Dana

I tend to feel the same way…delivery drivers have a tough job trying to park and unload in this area, and having them parked in bike lanes is part of living in a relatively dense urban area. I tend to be less sympathetic to regular drivers, however, but my level of annoyance is usually based on my answer to the question “if I was in that car, what would I have done?” Some things are completely stupid, but others I totally get that blocking the bike lane may be the least problematic solution for the greatest amount of road users. But even at my most annoyed, about the most drastic action I take is a dirty look…I may whine about it on the forums because that can be fun and cathartic, but overall I try to just roll with it and keep my focus on the road in front of me.

[Mark Blacknell]

@DaveK 49948 wrote:

My favorite road rage ever was out in MoCo on a Sunday – the driver buzzed me then yelled “YOU’RE MAKING ME LATE FOR G-D CHURCH!!!”

…only he didn’t say G-D. Two words. I can’t figure out how filthy I can be on this board so I’m keeping it G-rated.

When in reality, it was G-D Rated?

Goddammit, Dave.

~

While I’m generally sympathetic to Dana’s sympathy for commercial drivers, I’d point out that there are loading docks attached to nearly every building where this occurs. I’d also point out that FedEx and UPS trucks almost always have the option of pulling just around the corner onto a less-heavily traveled side street – but almost never do. Arlington County could change this behavior if it wanted to.

[dasgeh]

I’m with Mark here: there are times when, yes, we should be sharing the bike lane. But there are many other times when others are inappropriately blocking/using the bike lane, and the powers that be thus far have done NOTHING about that. So those times increase. Sigh.

[dasgeh]

@DismalScientist 49933 wrote:

If you know of any particular instance of church shuttles driving recklessly around cyclists, it is fine, but adding it as only a potential issue seems counterproductive.

Oh, I know of two shuttles that are routinely dangerous.

[dbb]

Mark and Dasgeh have clarified and amplfied my point. Thanks to them for that. Common sense should rule. We shouldn’t pass an opportunity to address/highlight/enforce a driver doing a really boneheaded or insensitive thing when viable alternatives exist but some times those drivers are forced to choose from a number of crappy alternatives and they pick the one that is least bad. I’d like to think we often find ourselves working that calculus as part of our bike rides (Idaho stops, passing peds, etc).

[bobco85]

@Mark Blacknell 49989 wrote:

I’d also point out that FedEx and UPS trucks almost always have the option of pulling just around the corner onto a less-heavily traveled side street – but almost never do. Arlington County could change this behavior if it wanted to.

I never actually thought of this. I think it would be a very useful thing for us to communicate to drivers when encountering a bike lane blocker. We could say, “It’s safer for you, your passengers, and us cyclists if you went to that side street,” instead of, “You’re blocking the bike lane. You need to move.” My interpretation of the Arlington County part would be to tell drivers to go off the main streets if they need to load/unload/pick-up/drop-off people/goods. I think with that kind of communication and more police enforcement, the behavior will change.

[donkeybike]

10:20 am this morning on Clarendon Blvd in front of Courthouse complex, Arlington police cruiser parked in bike lane–on Bike to Work day!

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