@chris_s 150766 wrote:
Can we call these “separated”? I want something more substantial than a plastic post before I call it “protection”….something like a parked car or a curb.
Ah, time for another theological discussion?
It obviously depends what you want to protect against, and how.
There are a few different kinds of threats that a conventional striped bike lane does not protect against.
A. Someone with wandering attention due to cell phone usage or other factors. B. Someone maliciously attacking cyclists. C. Someone simply going fast in their lane and inevitably drifting into the bike lane, because they are going to fast for the narrower general travel lane “try to traffic calm ME” D. Someone who just had a heart attack E. Someone who is drunk.
Those flex posts make noise. They should be quite effective for group A. They are also somewhat embarassing, and maybe threaten minor damage to the car paint job (?) so probably somewhat helpful for group C. They are clearly not much help for B, D, and E, though at least the noise will 1. Call attention from any nearby LE and 2. Alert nearby cyclists.
Note, that group B will not be stopped by a curb, and potentially not groups D and E, as evidenced by the occasions of cars going onto sidewalks, into storefronts (forgive me, I live near Bradlee Shopping Center, so that does not seem that rare to me)
I would say keeping the standard usage of “PBL” for this, as for similar in DC and now Alexandria and MoCo, is worthwhile. I think its already hard enough for the general public to distinguish our many terms.
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