nocklebeast

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

SCDG Harbor Hellcats vs ACDG Rocket Queens

some photo highlights

This one in particular amuses me (I'm trying to channel Bob Ayers).

the full flickr set is here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/nocklebeast/sets/72157644346661175/

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

bike boxes and right turns don't mix

In addition to this the California Vehicle Code REQURES motorists to merge into the bike lane before making right turns.

“CVC 21717. Whenever it is necessary for the driver of a motor vehicle to cross a bicycle lane that is adjacent to his lane of travel to make a turn, the driver shall drive the motor vehicle into the bicycle lane prior to making the turn and shall make the turn pursuant to Section 22100.”

A green bike lane leading a bike box that is to the right of a general traffic lane where motorists may make right turns encourages motorist to break the law.

Painting green bike lanes to bike boxes encourages both cyclists and motorist to disobey the rules of the road and will likely lead to injuries to cyclists attempting to pass right-turning motorists on the right at intersections.

These treatments DO NOT and make cyclists safer and more visible on the road, and they SHOULD NOT be funded.

Sincerely,

Mark Nockleby

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

People Power isn't doing Santa Cruz cyclists any favors by promoting bike boxes. They are being irresponsible and unethical.

Dear Mayor Robinson and members of the Santa Cruz City Council,

Please DO NOT fund a pilot program to install green bike boxes and green lanes at intersections. These treatments DO NOT make cyclists safer.

Bike boxes do not prevent right-hook collisions, in fact they entice cyclists to ride to the right of right-turning vehicles as illustrated in this video,

http://www.commuteorlando.com/ontheroad/animations/bikebox/index.html

where they will be injured or killed.

Other cities such as Portland, OR have experimented with bike boxes and they have largely been a failure for cyclists. The evidence so far is that the rate of right-hook collisions are INCREASING (not decreasing) at some Portland green bike box intersections ("Right-hook crashes increasing -- not decreasing -- at some Portland green bike boxes"). And in some cases cyclists have been killed by right-hook collisions at these intersections in Portland ("Bike box at scene of deadly downtown crash").

People Power is promoting a letter writing campaign to promote bike boxes. On their Facebook post they use a photo of a bike box at SE Hawthorne and 11th Ave in Portland, OR, the site of an injury right-hook collision just last summer ("Bicyclist, sedan collide in Southeast Portland; no serious injuries").

Several years ago a cyclist (John Myslin) was killed in a right-hook collision with a truck on Mission Street. The police report found the cyclist at fault, which largely immunized the city from the lawsuit that followed. If the city paints green bike boxes on our streets and a cyclist is killed again in a right-hook collision at one of these intersections, will the city be more liable?

For a bike-friendly Santa Cruz, please do not fund a program to paint green bike boxes on our streets.

Sincerely,
Mark Nockleby