[BikeLongmont] Bicycle safety and multi-use paths

[d.quince]

The thing I did not like is that he would resort to violence when is child
was around, what would that teach his child? I agree that the bike paths in
Longmont and Boulder are downright dangerous, but resorting to violence only
breeds violence. My opinion is that if you want to be safe, do not ride the
paths at peak hours.
Devin

-----Original Message-----
From: bike-bounces at bicyclelongmont.org
[mailto:bike-bounces at bicyclelongmont.org]On Behalf Of Peter Schow
Sent: Friday, July 15, 2005 4:32 PM
To: bike at bicyclelongmont.org
Subject: [BikeLongmont] Bicycle safety and multi-use paths


Interesting commentary from Boulder about the increasing problem of
safety on multi-use paths, such as Boulder Creek or St. Vrain
Greenway, when high speed cycling is involved:

   http://www.newwest.net/index.php/city/article/2242/C94/L94

   (copied below, text only)

and the referenced conclusion that streets are safer!

Will we eventually need speed limit signs on our Greenway?

----

For Cyclists, A Danger Zone By Richard Martin, 7-14-05

To the guy who crashed into me while speeding down the Boulder Creek
Path the other day: it's okay. Really.

He was just doing what plenty of others do every day on the downhill
part of the path, west of town: career down the dirt-and-gravel sections
at top speed with little regard for the oncoming traffic. When he came
around a blind curve and saw me coming uphill, swerving to miss a rock,
he slammed on his brakes, skidded, and then slammed into me. We both went
down but were able, eventually to remount and ride on with a little bit
of blood and a shoulder that I still can't lift above my head. Hey,
no harm, no foul.

Of course, if my son had been riding on the tag-along behind me, I'd
have reacted differently. Like by throwing this guy's piece-o-crap
mountain bike into the creek.

Boulder, which once again had the most participation of any Colorado
city in Bike-to-Work Day this year, now has a problem many towns would
love to have: how to handle the large and growing numbers of bikes on
multi-use paths and city streets. The city recently installed pavement
symbols called "sharrows" -  depicting a cyclist silhouette and
a chevron intended to get motorists to share the road with bikes -
on several downtown streets. The reaction of many drivers has been
puzzlement. (Except for the commenter on this Daily Camera story who
complained that "important business" forces him to talk on his cell
phone while driving and said "I really resent cyclists who make me
change velocity or direction because it makes me worry about spilling
my latte and distracts me from my important business conversations."
I am not making this up.)

Riding on the multi-use paths can be just as hazardous. On a typical
afternoon on the Boulder Creek Path you've got moms with strollers,
often two abreast and taking up the entire path; groups of runners,
also two abreast; bike commuters like me, often listening to tunes on
the headphones; and phalanxes of crazed mountain bikers descending the
path at high speeds and swerving among the pedestrians. It's a recipe
for disasters of the kind I experienced the other day.

An analysis by the Boulder Bike Commuters association a couple of
years ago concluded that riding on the multi-use paths actually is more
dangerous than riding on the street - mostly because of cars turning
into driveways or missing "Walk" signs. The out-of-control fellow
cyclist just adds to the fun of negotiating Boulder's ever-more-crowded
paths.
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