Staff Blog
Bike lane discussion gets heated
Last night, the city held a public meeting on its scheduled pilot program that would have two bike lanes, one going in each direction, stretching across Center City and connecting the Schuylkill and Delaware River bike paths.
Giving the presentation was Stephen Buckley, Director of Policy and Planning for the Mayor's Office of Transportation.
Just a few months ago, when I wrote about Philadelphia as a potential "Biketopia," the idea of two robust bike lanes connecting the rivers through Center City – probably the most-biked neighborhood in the city, and which currently has almost no lanes – seemed like a long shot.
Amazingly, their installation — albeit for a "pilot" program that will be re-evaluated when the streets are repaved this spring — is a virtual certainty.
Even among bike commuters, there are those who find the issue of bike lanes a snoozer. But I think that anyone even thinking about getting around town on a bike should check this plan out. On Pine and Spruce, an entire lane of traffic will be given over to bikes, with a two-foot painted buffer between the two. It's by far the most ambitious bike facility the city will have installed in years.
Not everyone — surprise, surprise — is crazy about it. Supporters of the project outnumbered opponents by probably about 3 to 1 last night, but the opponent contingent, which seemed to consist mostly of members of the Society Hill Civic Association, were vocal enough to hold their own.
Society members voiced concerns on a range of issues: congestion, double-parking, safety, and — what I think we can all agree from the disputes that have erupted on this blog alone — bikers' relationship with traffic laws.
Bicyclists, who overwhelmingly supported the lanes, had their own questions about how the lanes would work.
The meeting was, at times, heated. But it wasn't as heated as it could have been. In fact, it got me thinking about all the yelling we've heard from "town hall" meetings on health care. Last night's began in the same mold — people with opposite stances, taking punches at each other via the public official standing in front of everyone.
The truth is that once the official question-and-answer session ended, and the convenient target of Buckley was no longer available for yelling at, I saw bicyclists and Society Hill residents actually talking to each other.
I spoke myself with Society Hill resident Martha Levine, who seemed during the meeting to be dead-set against the lanes. But after listing her concerns to me, I asked her whether she was really so dead-set against the lanes — whether she was really convinced they would be bad. "No," she admitted. "It's not the idea of bike lanes. Most people here are not against bikers' rights."
Instead, she said, she and her neighbors simply felt like they hadn't had sufficient say in something that is happening, after all, right in front of their houses. "We're still sort of on the point that this is a big deal to us, and we don't have an option."
It's a point that anyone can understand, and it's an old tension: Neighborhoods belong to their residents, but they also belong (their streets especially) to all taxpaying residents of the city.
But supporters of the lanes argue that neighborhood residents, even non-bikers, might actually love them. Chuck Aronson, an avid biker who was sitting near Levine during the presentation, put it this way: "People miss the point that there's going to be less traffic, less cars, less pollution on their streets — it's just fear of change."
(You should also read the Inky reporter Roman Deininger's article on the meeting. Deininger, it turns out, just got here from Germany as kind of a foreign-exchange reporter. When I commented to Deininger that this was a great topic to cover, he said, "especially coming from Germany.")
I’d hate to see Pine St., the one good street for driving East in the city, become a one-lane road.
Here’s my idea: Make Sansom St. the biker’s street. It’s already the bastard street of center city since it’s one lane, no major businesses are on it and it’s filled with parking garage entrances/exits. Clear out the lane of parking and make one half for Eastbound bikers, the other half for Westbound bikers. It’s even closer to Market St. too.
Why kill two useful streets (Spruce and Pine) when you can actually make Sansom St. worthwhile?
These lanes will not change what bikers do all over the city: ignore red lights, ignore stop signs, ride on sidewalks, ignore cops. If I had $50 (the current fine) for every sidewalk cyclist I encounter on the 12 blocks I walk to work each day, I wouldn’t have to work.
And if I had the city had $75 moving violation fine for every car running stops signs, gridlocking, parking on corners of ramp sidewalks, they wouldn’t have a budget shortfall.
You have no idea what new bike lanes will do, but yes, until people start confronting bike riders on the sidewalks, instead of online, and the city actaully takes bike rider safety seriously, by convicting hit and run drivers of cyclists and enforcing bike lane parking, there will always be riders on the sidewalks. Deal with it.
But not all bikers ride on sidewalks, just like not all drivers are reckless. Keep the generalizations to yourself next time.
And if Yoo had the English language textbook Yoo could make sense of the first sentence of last commentary.
Yoo hopes bicyclist does not drive in front of his Isuzu when he uses bike-lane as Pine shortcut.
Deal with it.
Yoo forgot to mention the spelling error.
Come off it “soon to be dead…”, the way you post shows everyone you’ll be dead from anger, if nothing else. I will bet anyone right now that, at the most, 5% of bikers actually do not do the things I mentioned. That is not generalizing, that is from seeing this for myself for over 20 years in this city. And for you to suggest confronting bikers on sidewalks or anywhere else; that is why we have police. Any suggestion otherwise makes you a candidate for anger management therapy. Go get another tattoo and piercing!
On Satten’s comment: What I heard a couple of months ago was that Sansom was in the mix for a while, but was rejected because it doesn’t continue through.
The reason Pine and Spruce streets were chosen had to do, I think, with three main factors: continuity, space, and parking. Basically, this plan lets the city put in bike lanes without removing parking.
I’ve got to ask.
I understand concerns about traffic congestion, parking, safety, all that.
The red light and stop sign thing — not so much.
It comes up over and over again in these discussions, yet it seems to be based in a fairly abstract sense of injustice.
If I’m coming into an intersection on my bike, I’m going slow - about the speed of someone walking briskly. I look both ways, I never get in anyone’s way, especially a car. I’m a helluva nice guy on a bike.
But no, I don’t stop at every stop sign. And I don’t think there’s much reason to: I think they were really installed to stop cars.
It seems to me that some of the fuss is based in . . . well, jealousy – dressed up as safety concerns.
Why - and this isn’t a rhetorical question – are you, Chrisoconner, so worried about whether police are busy ticketing bikers?
I’d suggest one reason they don’t do it, is that - in terms of public safety - it just isn’t realistically a big deal.
Thanks for the comments.
I really could care what the police do or not do with respect to bikers, not sure I put it out that way either. The police triage their assets the way any other organization does. I have a problem with knuckleheads like “soon to be dead…” encouraging people to confront each other. When I drive my car I stop at stop signs and redlights, tickets are expensive. If bikers are governed by those same laws, then I find it amusing to read viewpoints like yours. Thanks for the engagement.
I know it’s asking a lot for those who regard bicyclists with disdain but take some time to understand something. This explains the Idaho Stop-as-yield law as is an example to why bikers do what they do at stop signs.
http://vimeo.com/4140910
It’s becoming the example for changes in the law in several states now. These laws that were written for motor vehicles, which are much more dangerous than bicycles.
The thing I’ve noticed about this proposed bike lane is that car drivers and residents come from the selfish perspective in how it will affect them (I won’t be able to get across town) (I won’t be able to park). Bikers view it as a bonus for the city as a whole.
The police in this city do NOTHING to deter bicyclists from riding on the sidewalks, going the wrong flow of traffic, disregarding pedestrians who have the right-of-way, etc. Generally, in my short seven months here, my experience has been to fear those on bicycles more than the car drivers (who are really not a whole lot more considerate). Go ahead, install the bike lanes ANYWHERE, and wait to see the outcry from owners of cars parked along them as the ‘courteous’ and ‘green’ bicyclists slam into them. LOL
Life’s short have a ball, matter fact have two
Yo,the government don’t care, here’s a big fuck you
Cuz gas is four bucks but they still drive trucks
Dumb & Dumber in your Hummer, yo I bet that sucks
Spend a milli at the pump, in the city you don’t need that
Buy a fucking bike maybe you wouldn’t be fat
Hopefully, most cities will be car free in the future…
Philthy Blog - Leave your crap rap up in North Philly and leave decent people alone. You know that Nutter is impotent (if you even know what that means) so if you stay where he is going to let you people decimate each other and let law (and tax) abiding citizens to try and clean up this once-historic city, let’s put bike lanes up there - LOL!
Can we agree that police have better things to do than tickets bicyclists? Are they really that much of threat to the safety of society?
The question then becomes how much are you willing to do to stop this “crimespree” that seems to be going unabated through the city? My guess is nothing, as it really doesn’t matter to you.
@A Cunningham: More to the point, in West Philly the police (well the UPenn public safety) and the University City District bike patrol all bike on the sidewalk, as well as biking the wrong way down one-way streets and crossing streets against the light. Way to set a good example, guys. At least they don’t hassle me when I do the same thing
Regarding West Philly University District, from what I understand the “Sidewalk Ordinance” excluded the West Philadelphia area. Early drafts had it excluded so it might have been signed into law that way.
Riding on sidewalk on the Penn campus is officially prohibited, whatever that is worth. Discussion of bicyclists endangering pedestrians by riding on sidewalks and walkways has been going on at Penn for at least ten years.
Several people have been injured when hit by bicycles in the area of Walnut between 34th and 36th. Bicyclists especially love to ride eastbound on the sidewalk on the south wide of Walnut because it slopes downward and they can really rip. Nathan is right about police and security personnel riding on the sidewalk; one of them was responsible for the most recent of several frightening close calls I’ve personally had along there.
In April 2009 the Committee on Facilities Report stated: “Bicyclists have not found a reasonable coexistence, either with motorists or with pedestrians. Bicyclists are manaced by motorists and bicyclists in turn menace pedestrians.”
The report’s recommendations included: “Improve behavior of bicyclists on campus . . .[they] should not be allowed to ride on crowded sidewalks, they should be forbidden from riding on campus during peak pedestrian hours and they should be cited for ignoring traffic signals.”
The Committee on Facilities can only make recommendations. I suspect that really the administration does not want to do anything that would offend the coddled student population–or their parents.
If one of those brats ever actually hits me, I already know what personal injury lawyer I’m calling.
With regards to that “cyclists don’t stop at red lights/stop signs” mythology….
I’ve got to say that I, and my dear friends with whom I ride, and my dear fellow cyclists with whom I share our streets, DO in fact tend (for the most part! let’s not let those cyclist who whiz through taint this discussion, just as the autos who speed through reds, don’t use turning signals, and throw their doors open without a backward glance) TO SLOW DOWN AT STOP SIGNS/RED SIGNALS.
At any rate, what I am saying, is that all of those fokls on bikes who “don’t stop” at stop signs, basically do. We slow down, we look both ways, and we ride through those stop signs at a much slower rate than EVERY SINGLE CAR that “rolls” through a stop sign, each and every time. Sure, sure. We don’t come to a full stop, but who has since driver’s ed? When bikes slow down to peak left and right and then ride through a stop sign they are dropping down to less than 10 mph, which is way way lower than every other asshole in this city rolling through a stop sign at 15 or 20.
An example of the respect the city is giving bicycles today. They were removing parking meters at Broad and Walnut this morning leaving more than a few bicycles ripe to be stolen. They removed the head from the pipes the bikes are locked onto and now any bikes locked to these former meters can be lifted right over the headless pipes.
Warnings could have been easily place on these meters beforehand, much like the notice they give drivers for parking.
Classy move by the city. Removing places bikes can be secured and giving theifs free reign.
I used to bike to traverse the city. I am not so sure that I would now considering how many people are behind the wheel on the phone and/or prescription drugs.
A dedicated bike lane with a buffer lane might take my car off the street .. most days.
It will only work if bikers are held to the rules of the road .. if you blow through a light or stop sign and a car with right of way hits you … who is at fault?
And .. this MUST apply to the large groups that hit the streets.
@A Cunningham “Leave your crap rap up in North Philly and leave decent people alone.”
How are you decent people? Your lifestyle is completely environmentally unsustainable. And you live in a city where most things are at best a few miles apart. Grow up, get less lazy, and take some responsibility for being a human living on a planet that does not just have some magical endless renew cycle.
… And that crappy North Philly rap is Asher Roth, who is probably kind of a crappy guy, but is from the suburbs…
@Philthy Blog: I see mapquest has offered you the drivers-as-environmental-meanies route. You are to be completely celebrated for mental laziness. Grow up, get less lazy, and take some responsibility for being a human living on a planet that is not run by bikers.
The (often antagonistic) back and forth discussion about bicyclists following the rules of the road always comes up in these discussions, so I wanted to mention that the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia urges all bicyclists to follow the rules of the road, and all motorists to respect bicyclists. We feel that the best way for bicyclists to be respected and treated as legal vehicles is to respect the rules of the road. It allows bikes, cars, and pedestrians to better predict your movements, and therefore makes everyone safer. And it’s a common courtesy to those who you are sharing the road with.
In order to show how many of the city’s bicyclists already behave in this way, and encourage more to think about it, the Bicycle Coalition has created the I Bike PHL pledge. If you are interested in helping usher in a new era of safer and saner travel, please read and sign the pledge at http://www.bikePHL.org!
The (often antagonistic) back and forth comments about bicyclists following the rules of the road always comes up in these discussions, so I wanted to mention that the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia urges all bicyclists to follow the rules of the road, and all motorists to respect bicyclists. We feel that the best way for bicyclists to be respected and treated as legal vehicles is to respect the rules of the road. It allows bikes, cars, and pedestrians to better predict your movements, and therefore makes everyone safer. And it’s a common courtesy to those who you are sharing the road with.
In order to show how many of the city’s bicyclists already behave in this way, and encourage more to think about it, the Bicycle Coalition has created the I Bike PHL pledge. If you are interested in helping usher in a new era of safer and saner travel, please read and sign the pledge at http://www.bikePHL.org!
But no, I don’t stop at every stop sign. And I don’t think there’s much reason to: I think they were really installed to stop cars.
It seems to me that some of the fuss is based in . . . well, jealousy – dressed up as safety concerns.
AGREED. As much as I hate some of these newly empowered lanehogs-on-bikes, I biked a South Philly to Center City to Mt. Airy for years and did so safely. One of the reasons I did so was because I was able to stay in front of traffic. There is no reason for a bicyclist to have to come to a complete stop at a light or a stop sign when they can see that nothing is coming. That’s asinine. However, when there IS something coming there’s no reason that they should NOT stop.
And if you sidewalk-riding pussies are too scared to ride the streets, take a bus. I’ve already shoulder checked one of you twits when you thought I’d yield the sidewalk to you. Crotch the the crossbar, OUCH!
re: Pine and Spruce streets, as a driver I have to say I think it’s a terrible idea. As a former and sometimes still cyclist, I think it’s a great idea. A small compromise for drivers that will have a great positive impact on many city cyclists.
With regard to cyclists not stopping at stop signs and potentially endangering pedestrians, you really have to keep in mind that people in this city constantly cross the street when they have a red light. Every biker is different, based on my own experience riding with people, as is every driver and pedestrian. If you want to start ticketing bikers for rolling through stop signs then you should similarly ticket pedestrians who cross in front of bikes when the bikes have the right of way.
As for the Bike Coalition encouraging bikes to follow the laws to encourage respect, I really don’t think that that has anything to do with cars respecting bikes. Cars will never respect bikes in this city because it is the antithesis of the City of Brotherly Love. The only thing that might help is actually having bike lanes to keep cyclists out of the ways of angry drivers.
I have great trepidation about the lanes. Drivers feel in inalienable right to park wherever they want and will defend that right to indefensible lengths.
Whenever I currently encounter cars parked in the bike lane with the owners in their vicinity I remind then, as politely as possible, while riding past they are parked illegally. The venom, swearing and physical threats that have resulted from a “please don’t park in the bike lane” have been incredible. There’s never been a “Sorry, in a hurry.”
I’m on a bike. I must be the one doing something wrong.
Another future winner of the Darwin Award: 8/26/09, 4:25PM, 23rd & Spring Garden & Pennsylvania Avenue. Track bicyclist eastbound on Pa. Ave. running a redlight at the intersection. You were almost hit twice, first by a westbound car and then an eastbound car who had the green lights on Spring Garden St. You then came within inches of mother pushing a stroller in the crosswalk, all while doing at least 20 mph. What is with you track bikers and your refusal to stop? Hate to say it, but you need to be hit by a car for that behavior.
@soon to be a dead bicyclist: Pls amp the whiney factor up.
I was going to Toshi Station to pick up some power converters.
I’ve been riding a bike in philly for the past five years–it is simply more practical in a city this small and lacking of decent public transportation i ride almost three miles each way to and from work, and nearly every week some douche in a car almost hits me because they are not paying attention to what’s around them.
There are bikers who piss me off as much as anyone–the ones who ride on the sidewalk or the wrong way down the street, or the ones (usually messengers) who are super aggressive and speed through the city with no regard for the flow of traffic. Those fuckers basically taint the image of all cyclists in the city.
With regards to practicality and the physical laws of objects in motion, no, i don’t always stop at stop signs or red lights, but i sure as hell stay vigilant to my surroundings–i *have* to. When a cyclist get hit by a car, whom do you think comes off worse for the wear (and i speak from experience)?
Not that i think painting half the street will suddenly make this city a bicycle-utopia–cars ignore the bike lanes we already have, and have honked and yelled at me for riding in my designated area. Is this magic fairytale paint that instills goodwill and camaraderie in all who drive upon it, taking them to a special place where they can see the other person’s point of view? Doubtful.
People who act like dicks while driving or cycling in such cramped streets as philadelphia’s will eventually find themselves in an accident–the biker is just the one who will be racking up hospital costs, if not funerary ones. My opinion is that *both* sides need to just shut the fuck up and look where they’re going.
chrisoconnor… haha. I’ve seen your whiny ass posts on other bike threads, you troll. Using stupid aliases to attack bikers and complain about the police not ticketing them enough. You’re such a loser. I get sooo much satisfaction out of knowing that I and my fellow bikers are ruining your 12 block commute to work by running reds, hopping curbs, flying down sidewalks. You should be SUPED that there’s gonna be new lanes for us to ride in, to get us out of your way, but instead you just whine in blog comments.
These new lanes are going to work and are going to be awesome not only for the bikers, but for the city and PPA workers who will get to issue new jacked up “bike lane” parking tickets.
Ha ha haaa.
I don’t think that bicyclists need their own lane. I’ve used my bicycle on the street with cars (without having my own lane) and I believe that everyone can have a peaceful coexistence on the road regardless of whether you are driving a car or riding a bike. This is a supreme waste of space. Anyone who thinks this is going to cut down on traffic is kidding themselves.
MT, the lanes have already cut down on car traffic on Spruce and Pine. The right side of the streets (where the bike lanes are) are in such bad repair the streets were functionally one-way anyhow.
If you’ve been riding in the city without bike lanes effectively, good on you. I have, too. Bike lanes provide a safe traveling space for cyclists who may not be as experienced as we are riding in the cramped urban environment. The lanes encourage people to start riding and leave cars out of their commute.
How come drivers never thank us cyclists for NOT driving and increasing congestion and single-occupancy car traffic? The more people cycle, the fewer are in your way driving.