River Road

[bobco85]

Where on River Road are they doing the painting? I’ve always found parts of that road to be a bit tight on roadspace with the fast traffic.

@Crickey7 144655 wrote:

MDOT has started painting bike lanes … does not appear to be a “bike lane” as defined by state law, which means that cyclists are not required to ride in it.

I’m confused. They’re painting bike lanes, but they’re not painting bike lanes as defined by state law? Is it like painting a bicycle symbol on shoulders (which are informal bike lanes IME), or are they actually sectioning off a portion of the roadway that used to be part of a travel lane?

Schrodinger’s bike lane?

[Crickey7]

They are putting down striping and a bike symbol within the striping. By state law, it’s not a “bike lane” unless it has directional signage. It’s not a “bike path” because it’s not separated. It’s a “bikeway”, because it has signage. To be more confusing, a bike lane or bike path is a bikeway, but a bikeway isn’t necessarily a bike lane or bike path.

It starts at Goldsboro Road. I suspect it runs most of the way to Bradley, though have not confirmed.

[bobco85]

Even though I’m tired from the week, I still had enough curiosity to try to find what all these definitions mean, so here goes.

First, these are the definitions according to Maryland law (I tried to put this in a more readable format and removed non-bicycle text):

21-101 Definitions
…

• (c) Bicycle Path – “Bicycle Path” means any travelway designed and designated by signing or signing and marking for bicycle use, located within its own right-of-way or in a shared right-of-way and physically separated from motor vehicle traffic by berm,shoulder, curb or other similar device.
• (d) Bicycle Way –
  • (1) “Bicycle Way” means:
    • (i) Any trail, path, part of a highway, surfaced or smooth shoulder, or sidewalk; or
    • (ii) Any other travelway specifically signed, marked, or otherwise designated for bicycle travel.
  • (2) “Bicycle Way” includes:
    • (i) Bicycle Path; and
    • (ii) Bike Lane.
• (e) Bike Lane – “Bike Lane” means any portion of a roadway or shoulder designated for single (corrected from “signal”) directional bicycle flow.

Second, this is the law requiring cyclists to ride in bike lanes in Maryland:

21-1205.1 Bicycles, motor scooters, and EPAMD’s prohibited on certain roadways and highways; speed limit.

• (a) In general – Notwithstanding any other provision of this title, a person may not ride a bicycle or motor scooter;
  • (1) On any roadway where the posted maximum speed limit is more than 50 miles per hour [Cyclists may operate on the shoulder of a roadway where the posted speed limit exceeds 50 mph unless otherwise prohibited.]; or
  • (2) On any expressway, except on an adjacent bicycle path or way approved by theState Highway Administration, or on any other controlled access highway signed in accordance with 21-313 of this title.
• (b) Roadway with bike lane or shoulder paved to a smooth surface.
  • (1) Where there is a bike lane paved to a smooth surface or a shoulder paved to a smooth surface [COMAR October 29, 1979 defines smooth surface as a surface that has a texture equal to or better than the adjacent roadway and if the surface contains undulations which are no longer than the adjacent roadway.], a person operating a bicycle or a motor scooter shall use the bike lane or shoulder and may not ride on the roadway, except in the following situations:
    • (i) When overtaking and passing another bicycle, motor scooter, pedestrian, or other vehicle within the bike lane or shoulder
    • (ii) When preparing for a left turn at an intersection or into an alley, private road, or driveway;
    • (iii) When reasonably necessary to leave the bike lane or shoulder to avoid debris or other hazardous condition; or
    • (iv) When reasonably necessary to leave the bike lane or shoulder because the bike lane or shoulder is overlaid with a right turn lane, merge lane, or other marking that breaks the continuity of the bike lane or shoulder.
  • (2) A person operating a bicycle or a motor scooter may not leave a bike lane or shoulder until the movement can be made with reasonable safety and the only after giving an appropriate signal.

I feel somewhat less confused (this was the last my brain could take for the week), but in the meantime, could you get some pics of this?

[hozn]

It’s probably good from a general driver awareness perspective. I enjoy riding on River Rd. It seems quite spacious out at least to Seneca Rd, at least compared to some of the other roads in that area.

[scoot]

Totally confused. These lanes are not single-directional?

[Crickey7]

It’s typical MDOT half-assedness. Some portions now have directional arrows, some do not. The “lanes” start and stop randomly. One portion has a road sign, the rest do not. The lanes do not extend North past the Cabin John Trail (nice single track there).

The principal issue I have is that it literally does nothing for cyclists. The bike lanes, if they are such, are legally dual-use, as shoulder and for bikes (same as before). There are no prohibitions against parking or driving on them that do not generally apply to shoulder use. In fact, since it is now probably mandatory to use them, it’s arguably slightly worse for cyclists. Even as a visual guide, they are misplaced as directly adjacent to the travel lane.

Sometimes I hate Maryland.

[mstone]

The director of Maryland SHA safety engineering (or some such) was on the radio the other day. It was pretty depressing listening to all the reasons cyclists shouldn’t expect anything except to be told they’re on their own.

[huskerdont]

@Crickey7 144678 wrote:

It’s typical MDOT half-assedness. …
Sometimes I hate Maryland.

MDSHA, VDOT, and DDOT are each frustrating in their own different ways when it comes to pedestrian and cyclist safety. Hard to believe there are so many different ways to be half-assed and dysfunctional, but there you go. The girl would love to bike from Arlington to Gaithersburg for work sometimes, but we can’t figure out how it could safely be accomplished. Most motorists don’t have the analyze and map out a route that won’t get them killed before they leave the house, taking into account the vagaries of each state and county they are going to travel through. Multi-jurisdictional joy.

[Steve O]

@bobco85 144664 wrote:

Second, this is the law requiring cyclists to ride in bike lanes in Maryland:

defines smooth surface as a surface that has a texture equal to or better than the adjacent roadway

Interesting. I have been on lots of roads where the shoulder is paved, but is not as well maintained as the roadway itself. I wonder if one could legally ride in the road under those circumstances.

[Author]

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