Today's picture: A trailer recently parked for more than a week on Market Street with two wheels in the bike lane. Shouldn't the bike lane be a tow-away zone?
My bike's new rear wheel has a dent in the rim. Why? Because there are obstacles on our city streets that can ruin your car's alignment — or swallow a bike whole.
There's a stretch of pavement on Melwood Ave., on my bike commute home, that's strictly third-world. The entire right lane is such a mess that my bike's wheels can't withstand the pounding without frequent repairs. That short piece of roadway owes me at least half a dozen bicycle spokes. No kidding.
Sadly, my complaints and those of my bicycle-commuting friends aren't enough to get the road paved. That's just one more reason why we need more bicyclists on the streets to become a more vocal constituency. Meanwhile, a few of us will keep calling MetroCall 311.
Motorists, you're going to love it when we finally get the roads around here in better shape. When we do, be sure to thank a bicyclist. Remember, we brought you the first paved roads – way before we let cars and trucks take over.
When you're on a bicycle, you get a much better feel for the condition of the roadways. You see the junk near the curb. You see the sloppy patchwork that leaves "tire grabbers." Bicycle lanes with their curbside locations pose extra hazards like sinking sewer grates, tipped garbage cans, delivery trucks parked illegally for weeks on end, accumulated debris and crumbling potholes.
Heavy trucks weaken the asphalt and create dips and cracks, especially around utility holes and grates. Contractors laying cable or pipes scar the pavement with hastily-patched strips. The list goes on.
I'm not just concerned about the road surface because it tears up my bike and costs me money. There's a safety issue here. Every time I have to pay special attention to the roadway, it takes my attention away from the larger and more powerful vehicles around me. Try it sometime.
Just something to think about the next time you pass a cyclist who's negotiating an obstacle course of pavement breaks, sunken water caps and assorted junk.
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PS: Remember, every lane is a bike lane. Share the road.
freewheelin
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Enjoy the ride home.
I don't personally bike around town. Because I'm not that brave, but I do try to be patient with those that are. But something like that should be an instant ticket / tow. You can bet if he was blocking the normal roadway that someone would do something about it. In my opinion preventing the usage of bike lanes should be enforced better. If you can't use the lane, you run the risk of riding in traffic and raising the risk of accidents.
Today's picture: A trailer recently parked for more than a week on Market Street with two wheels in the bike lane. Shouldn't the bike lane be a tow-away zone?
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bikecommuter