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by towaway1138 2677 days ago
I recently moved to a city with "excellent" bicycle infrastructure. Contrary to what I might have imagined, this seems to make things more dangerous for all. The extra lanes, markings, lights, and signs increase distraction, making it harder to concentrate on what actually matters--people.

In addition, almost no bicyclists actually drive lawfully here. It's typical to see them going the wrong way down streets, blowing stop signs, red lights, and crosswalks. And often when a rather nice bike lane is at hand, they'll choose to ride down the sidewalk instead, endangering pedestrians.

I'm not sure what the answer is, but as a pedestrian, I fear bicyclists more than cars.

1 comments

"It's typical to see them going the wrong way down streets, blowing stop signs, red lights, and crosswalks."

That bothers me too. I ride a bike myself but a lot of bikers ride like complete idiots. My favorite is riding at night without lights and reflective equipment.

I see this too, but I will say that by far the great majority are doing it right. The ones doing it wrong are definitely more memorable, though.
It's so rare here that I actually call it out to my wife when I see a properly lit bicyclist at night.