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Message

re: Bike lane controversy on Glenmore Ave in BR

Posted on 10/7/15 at 11:32 am to
Posted by member12
Bob's Country Bunker
Member since May 2008
33142 posts
Posted on 10/7/15 at 11:32 am to
quote:

neighborhood street generally don't need bike lanes


Which is why removing these will not inconvenience cyclists very much, if at all. It would be a reasonable solution to a very public problem that is currently setting cycling back in Baton Rouge.

Other than a few childish people, removing these lanes would not be a problem for cyclists and it would mean the world to the residents of that street, who seem willing to be delayed slightly with cyclists mixing with motorists.
This post was edited on 10/7/15 at 11:35 am
Posted by Salmon
I helped draft the email
Member since Feb 2008
86207 posts
Posted on 10/7/15 at 11:35 am to
quote:

Which is why removing these will not inconvenience cyclists very much, if at all.


it just sets a bad precedent in the eyes of cyclists
Posted by member12
Bob's Country Bunker
Member since May 2008
33142 posts
Posted on 10/7/15 at 11:41 am to
So you admit that demanding that the lane stay is based entirely on arrogance and politics and not on the actual need for the lane.

quote:

it just sets a bad precedent in the eyes of a tiny minority of petulant cyclists


FIFY

....giving up the lane would repair their image in the eyes of a city that has already committed to adding bike lanes on major arteries like Government, where they are actually needed. The lack of a lane wouldn't significantly inconvenience cyclists on this street and would make residents happy. I doubt the overwhelming majority of cyclists would even care....just the pissy, foolish minority that are making a fuss about this in the first place.

Demanding the lane stay would be cutting off your nose to spite your face. It's not needed at that location, and removing it would be correcting an earlier infrastructure mistake and it would make this all go away quickly.
This post was edited on 10/7/15 at 11:44 am
Posted by KG6
Member since Aug 2009
10920 posts
Posted on 10/7/15 at 11:43 am to
quote:

willing to be delayed slightly with cyclists mixing with motorists.


I agree the lane is a bad idea. But, I think we paint cyclists as whiners while basically giving anyone else free reign to complain about them. I don't think motorists will all of a sudden not care that bikes are in the road. There will be a willingness for all of about ten minutes until they forget this whole issue. Some people just completely don't want to have to deal with bikes and you won't change that opinion.
Posted by Salmon
I helped draft the email
Member since Feb 2008
86207 posts
Posted on 10/7/15 at 11:43 am to
quote:

So you admit that demanding that the lane stay is based entirely on arrogance and politics and not on the actual need for the lane.


I've stated several times in this thread that the lane was not needed to begin with.

quote:

....giving up the lane would repair their image in the eyes of a city that has already committed to adding bike lanes on major arteries like Government, where they are actually needed. The lack of a lane wouldn't significantly inconvenience cyclists.


giving up the lane would set a bad precedent if other residents or business owners decided to challenge a bike lane later on

so yes, it is certainly political

I don't think it has anything to do with arrogance though
Posted by dewster
Chicago
Member since Aug 2006
26608 posts
Posted on 10/7/15 at 11:47 am to
quote:

iving up the lane would set a bad precedent if other residents or business owners decided to challenge a bike lane later on


I think keeping the lane against the wishes of the residents would definitely set cyclists back in Baton Rouge and severely cripple the city's ability to add lanes in residential areas in the future.

These bad apples in the cycling community already make cyclists look unreasonable and childish. This needs to go away. I know you can't un-explode a bomb but that's kind of what needs to happen.
Posted by dewster
Chicago
Member since Aug 2006
26608 posts
Posted on 10/7/15 at 11:49 am to
quote:

I agree the lane is a bad idea. But, I think we paint cyclists as whiners while basically giving anyone else free reign to complain about them. I don't think motorists will all of a sudden not care that bikes are in the road. There will be a willingness for all of about ten minutes until they forget this whole issue. Some people just completely don't want to have to deal with bikes and you won't change that opinion.


But the reality is that the lane isn't needed and never really was.

The reasonable solution is to remove the lane and make the people who live there happy....with the understanding that cyclists would be sharing a lane with motorists.

They need bike lanes on Government and Perkins, not this street.
Posted by goofball
Member since Mar 2015
17353 posts
Posted on 10/7/15 at 11:54 am to
quote:


giving up the lane would set a bad precedent if other residents or business owners decided to challenge a bike lane later on

so yes, it is certainly political

I don't think it has anything to do with arrogance though


At this point, refusing to give up a lane that isn't needed is going to set the cycling community up for more obstacles moving forward.

Let the little fish go to catch the big one. The ultimate goal is a more bike-friendly city, not forcing bike lanes on a street where no one wants them and where they aren't needed.....and pissing everyone off in the process.
Posted by KG6
Member since Aug 2009
10920 posts
Posted on 10/7/15 at 12:01 pm to
quote:

But the reality is that the lane isn't needed and never really was.


I agree.

But many argued that the cyclists should just be happy to have the lane with cars parked in it and that it's ridiculous that they would think the cars would be a problem. The lane is useless with cars parked in it, so the cyclists were correct on that issue. Everyone is basing their opinion on all cyclists from the actions of what is probably like 3 or 4 people calling cops and handing out fliers and they are using that to discredit them as having a reasonable claim. I agree the issue shouldn't exist, but it does, and the cyclists are technically right.
This post was edited on 10/7/15 at 12:20 pm
Posted by TigerRob20
Baton Rouge
Member since Nov 2008
3733 posts
Posted on 10/7/15 at 12:05 pm to
Should Cyclists Have to Stop at Stop Signs?


LINK


An interesting article about having cyclists stop at stop signs.

Posted by member12
Bob's Country Bunker
Member since May 2008
33142 posts
Posted on 10/7/15 at 12:11 pm to
quote:

But many argued that the cyclists should just be happy to have the lane with cars parked in it and that it's ridiculous that they would think that the cars would be a problem.


That sounds like a poor attempt at reaching a compromise.

The lane needs to be removed. The cyclists would loose very little and the residents would gain tremendously. I agree that the goal should be a bike-friendly city. This is the wrong battle to pick to reach that goal.

The cycling community and the city of Baton Rouge should not allow a few assholes on bikes to ruin it for everyone. Demanding that unnecessary bike lanes stay while the city is considering removing lanes for motorists on Government is a huge mistake.
Posted by LSUBoo
Knoxville, TN
Member since Mar 2006
104045 posts
Posted on 10/7/15 at 12:11 pm to
quote:

Should Cyclists Have to Stop at Stop Signs?


LINK


An interesting article about having cyclists stop at stop signs.


I think most stop signs should be treated that way, by bikes and cars alike.
Posted by gmrkr5
NC
Member since Jul 2009
15143 posts
Posted on 10/7/15 at 12:12 pm to
quote:

it just sets a bad precedent in the eyes of cyclists



they should have thought a bit about perception before they decided to act like children
Posted by Napoleon
Kenna
Member since Dec 2007
74266 posts
Posted on 10/7/15 at 12:14 pm to
why not leave the lane and allow cars to park and just have the bikes go around the cars when they are parked. It can't be that hard.

It would be like driving on some of the smaller two way streets uptown.

Posted by member12
Bob's Country Bunker
Member since May 2008
33142 posts
Posted on 10/7/15 at 12:17 pm to
quote:

they should have thought a bit about perception before they decided to act like children


I agree that the cycling community already suffered a serious blow to their image. They look unreasonable by demanding a bike lane where it isn't necessary, and completely unsympathetic to the concerns of residents and motorists.

It's foolish to risk turning the public against bicycle riders in a city that's only now starting to contemplate real investments in the infrastructure to support cyclists.
Posted by KG6
Member since Aug 2009
10920 posts
Posted on 10/7/15 at 12:18 pm to
quote:

Should Cyclists Have to Stop at Stop Signs?


I think this whole argument is overplayed. I don't think people are affected anymore from cyclists messing up at stop signs than cars. I do think they roll through them at a higher rate, but the speed at which they are moving and the ability to stop faster allows them to evaluate the intersection without having to stop (much like the when a car doesn't come to a complete stop). Now, cyclist who cut off a car as if they are always the right of way are assholes, but that doesn't happen as often as people make it seem. Especially with serious riders.
Posted by LSUZombie
A Cemetery Near You
Member since Apr 2008
29696 posts
Posted on 10/7/15 at 12:18 pm to
Drove next to a hefty fella on his bike huffing and puffing up the little bridge on Essen before you turn onto Jefferson. There's no bike lane so he wobbled back and forth as he stuggled to get up that bridge, causing myself and anyone else who passed him to move over in fear of hitting him.

Of course some moved over too much which caused the other vehicles driving the opposite direction to shift quickly. Basically there were about 5 different scenarios for an accident to happen, all because one person wanted to ride a bike on Essen Ln.
Posted by Napoleon
Kenna
Member since Dec 2007
74266 posts
Posted on 10/7/15 at 12:20 pm to
yeah, you have to pick which roads to bike on. I get upset at the bikers on Magazine. That just grinds my gears, the street is already so narrow and then you have a bike slowing everyone down when they have side streets that parallel.
Posted by dewster
Chicago
Member since Aug 2006
26608 posts
Posted on 10/7/15 at 12:20 pm to
quote:

I think this whole argument is overplayed. I don't think people are affected anymore from cyclists messing up at stop signs than cars


The reality is that stop signs and cross walks are there for a reason. Blowing through them is against the law and may expose pedestrians, motorists, and cyclists to unseen and unnecessary danger.

Blowing a stop sign actually has a higher penalty (if actually enforced) than parking in a bike lane. Cyclists should not downplay the dangers of blowing through a stop sign...which is habitual practice for many.

quote:

Why not leave the lane and allow cars to park and just have the bikes go around the cars when they are parked. It can't be that hard


That might have been a solution before the entire city found out about it in the media. Keeping the lane without parking enforcement would invite people to park in bike lanes all over town.

The only solution now is to remove the unnecessary lane. A minor inconvenience for motorists and cyclists in sharing a lane would mean very happy residents in a city where cyclists are fighting for widespread acceptance and for lanes on routes where they are truly needed.

If you want Baton Rouge citizens to be more bike friendly, then be reasonable about removing unnecessary bike lanes.

quote:

Now, cyclist who cut off a car as if they are always the right of way are assholes, but that doesn't happen as often as people make it seem


It happens to me almost weekly. Given the relatively small amount of bikes on the road, that's pretty bad.

I think the worst cyclists typically bike way more frequently than those who actually know what they are doing. I think it's that type that were unwise in choosing this battle on Glenmore....not the reasonable people who are our there to stay healthy.
This post was edited on 10/7/15 at 12:30 pm
Posted by KG6
Member since Aug 2009
10920 posts
Posted on 10/7/15 at 12:26 pm to
quote:

Demanding that unnecessary bike lanes stay


I don't know for sure, but I thought they just were causing problems asking for cars to be ticketed. Not demanding that they stay. I could be wrong. I'm just saying that if you put the lane there for bikers, they aren't wrong about cars being parked there. It renders the lane useless.
This post was edited on 10/7/15 at 12:33 pm
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