Bike lanes coming to Hains Point.

Our Community Forums General Discussion Bike lanes coming to Hains Point.

Viewing 9 posts - 1 through 9 (of 9 total)
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  • #922914
    ImaCynic
    Participant
    #1126757
    warmjets
    Participant

    This is really happening huh? what a shitshow.

    #1126680
    lordofthemark
    Participant

    Technically they aren’t bike lanes, right? They are a road level shared use path – providing a place for pedestrians, because most of the nominal ped path is underwater. Which is why sharrows are painted in the general travel lanes. I rode it the other day and cyclists were using either the path or the general travel as needed, it seemed fine. Of course this was a weekday afternoon in August, not a weekend during cherry blossom time.

    #1126873
    Starduster
    Participant

    I came. I saw. I rode. It was not bad at all. Granted, this was not during peak volume for this park. There will *still* be times when “full time trial mode” is not possible. But if it helps us cyclists co-exist better with the locals who picnic and fish here…

    [ATTACH=CONFIG]30881[/ATTACH]

    #1126874
    arlrider
    Participant

    I too have used this new setup a couple times and it has been more pleasant than I expected.

    As a cyclist, I found it to basically be the status quo – cyclists capable of sufficient speed will just be in the main lane and “everyone else” will be using the bi-directional track. I think that it was a net positive because it encouraged the runners to all be in one area rather than everyone choosing their own line.

    As a runner, I found it to be a big positive. Having a conceptually dedicated space and some sense of belonging was quite welcome. One just has to have faith that the cyclists riding in the opposite direction spread out across the road will move over when you meet head-on, but that has always been the case, previously without the presence of lanes to remind them to do so.

    I too would give the caveat that my experiences were in early mornings where all of the traffic was non-motorized. So the fishing and big-party crowd were not present. Still, to the above, I don’t think that the new infrastructure would cause any *more* issues than what was inherently present in the previous design and use of the space.

    #1126885
    Steve O
    Participant

    I am curious to hear from someone who has ridden in the counter-clockwise direction. During any sort of busy time, I would think this would feel uncomfortable, riding between opposing traffic on both sides.
    Anyone?

    #1126886
    arlrider
    Participant

    @Steve O 226198 wrote:

    I am curious to hear from someone who has ridden in the counter-clockwise direction. During any sort of busy time, I would think this would feel uncomfortable, riding between opposing traffic on both sides.
    Anyone?

    Well, as someone riding in the clockwise direction, the presence of a few people riding in the counter-clockwise direction seemed uncomfortable to me. Does that count? It was just one of those things…like, I know you’re now allowed to, but…why? Just for a change of scenery? A huge aversion to being passed from behind? As a runner it makes a ton of sense because pedestrians traditionally go against traffic, but as a cyclist it just seems…odd.

    #1126888
    ImaCynic
    Participant

    @Steve O 226198 wrote:

    I am curious to hear from someone who has ridden in the counter-clockwise direction. During any sort of busy time, I would think this would feel uncomfortable, riding between opposing traffic on both sides.
    Anyone?

    I rode it CCW during the BikeDC ride. Granted that it was packed with non-regular cyclists being non-linear, so it may not accurately depict a typical day. There were also walkers and joggers all occupying the same bi-directional lanes that snaked around various parking layouts plus having on-coming traffic has made the experience much less pleasant.

    #1135344
    lordofthemark
    Participant

    I had the opportunity to discuss this with a non cyclist who likes to walk in Hains Point a few weeks ago, and she said its MUCH better now.

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