DC people- What’s the deal with riding in bike lanes against traffic

[on your left]

Hello all,

So last night I was riding home on 5th Street NW in the bike lane with the flow of traffic, as I make myself down the road I notice a woman coming towards me (against traffic) in the bike lane not paying attention that we are about to collide. After a few choice words she got out of the way but was indignant at the fact that I screamed at her for riding the wrong way against traffic. Am I wrong that cyclist have to obey the laws of traffic and not go against the flow of traffic. I have been noticing this more and more especially on one way streets. Did I miss something is this okay? Have other folks encountered this issue, if cyclist are allowed to go against traffic in bike lanes what is the protocol?

Topic

[americancyclo]

I’d chalk this one up to the growing numbers of people getting on bikes without really knowing the rules and etiquette of the road. er, lane.

[RideTheWomble]

Hit BikeSnobNYC for a detailed examination of this creature, the Bike Salmon.

“More irritating though are the factors they almost certainly didn’t account for when they designed these lanes, such as bike salmon. I have noticed a significant uptick in the number of bike salmon in these lanes, and it’s clearly because they feel much more comfortable salmoning without the presence of cars.”

“Hey Salmon: Go Film Yourself!”

He can ridicule these dum-dums so much more skillfully than I can.

[Brendan von Buckingham]

Either she’s violating the traffic code or she’s trying to kill you. Maybe both.

[OneEighth]

You see quite a bit of salmoning on the one-way section of the Hains Point loop, too. There I suspect it has something to do with people not wanting to get passed because reality tends to spoil an otherwise Fredtastic morning.
Everywhere else I figure it’s either laziness or stupidity.

[Dirt]

In the District, traffic laws are suggestions for tourists and the weak of mind. (That goes for the Virginia and Maryland suburbs too.)

Love,

Pete

[creadinger]

I thought it had more to do with people being trained to walk along highways with no sidewalk against the flow of traffic so you can see hazards (cars coming at you) more easily. The distinction between walking and cycling to these people isn’t that great, so then they use that training on the bike.

Maybe it’s because they don’t know any different or it’s what they’re comfortable with. It is a real problem though that cycling advocates and the education folks are going to have to address sooner than later because like the OP said, I’m seeing it more and more too. I’ve come across more than one while in a car and it’s freaky to have some riding toward you. Even having direction arrows painted in the bike lanes don’t seem to help.

[jrenaut]

I almost hit someone riding the wrong way on 15th NW – I was driving (unfortunately, I know), turning right onto 15th, and she was coming from my right on the left side of the road. There are bike lanes on both sides of 15th there, though for whatever reason they are both signed northbound. One would think that someone choosing to ride the wrong way would at least keep on the right, but I guess she disagreed.

[Usern Ame]

Was she riding one of those rental bikes by any chance?

[jrenaut]

Nope, she had her own bike, and even a helmet. I think she was just dumb.

[eminva]

@OneEighth 7222 wrote:

Everywhere else I figure it’s either laziness or stupidity.

I tend to agree — my office overlooks L Street NW, which is one way eastbound. M Street is one block north and is one way the other direction. I see people salmoning down the street all day long, and there’s not even a bike lane. Why don’t they just ride a block up and go with traffic? Oh well.

Liz

[on your left]

Aha so there is even a term for these miscreants! But unlike salmon these people don’t have the valiant mission to procreate (well maybe a few). I would love for WABA or the city itself roll out a campaign against “Salmoning”, definitely need to raise awareness and discussion about this, thanks!

[nicegirl]

This is so frustrating, particularly in the Q/R St. bike lanes. I mean, the bike lane going your direction is one block over!

I live on 5th and only go the right way in the lane, but I will say for the salmon that while 5th is a great way to go north, there is no great way to go south in that vicinity. 7th has a bike lane for a little while, but it is completely dangerous with all the commuters weaving in and out of it and it peters out pretty quickly. I generally take 7th down from Florida, go across on Q, and take 1st down. No bike lane on 1st but there is a parking lane southbound (no parking lane northbound). Am I missing an obvious solution?

[SteveTheTech]

@on your left 7408 wrote:

Aha so there is even a term for these miscreants! But unlike salmon these people don’t have the valiant mission to procreate (well maybe a few). I would love for WABA or the city itself roll out a campaign against “Salmoning”, definitely need to raise awareness and discussion about this, thanks!

lol, I saw this sign in Boston (Harvard Sq area.)
[img]https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-PyXV2yBiCzI/TlMCvbcV0dI/AAAAAAAAilI/1MnizyHrkdg/s512/IMG_2970.JPG[/img]

Signage might be one option.

[Author]

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