For biking?

I'm a pedestrian and mass transit user with an axe to grind.
More bike lanes? A great idea. I'm for it, I'll sign a petition to get it on the ballot and I'll vote to fund it.
Critical Mass? The wrong way to lobby for bicycle-friendly policies. Every driver that gets stuck in traffic, burning off $5/gallon gas, and then shows up late for dinner with his or her family will forever hold a grudge against bicyclists. Dido for the guy (me) who gets stuck in that pointless mess while on a BUS.

All that aside, I wholeheartedly agree that drivers need to learn how to drive more carefully in the presence of bikers and pedestrians. This should be a basic component of any driver training!

Are you up to it?

The sweat and showers thing is a real problem in white-collar jobs.

When I drove a bus, I commuted by bike (25 minutes, six hilly miles each way) for about a year and loved it. I've never been in better shape (even though now I work out 90 minutes a day), and no one on the road has more flexibility than a bicyclist.

But today, working in an office and frequently needing to be presentable, it would be a real problem. I don't often have time for a shower when I get in, and I also don't particularly feel like managing the logistics of having unwrinkled, varied work clothes in the office.

Fortunately it's not an issue for me now as I live less than two blocks from work. (Don't shoot me.)

I swear that is the only explanation for how invisible some drivers treat me when I am on my bike.  Its not enough of a problem to keep me from biking, I just ride like I'm invisible (i.e. very defensively), and it all works out.  My girlfriend complains about the same problem when she is on her motorcycle BTW.  Too many drivers just do not seem to notice anything smaller than the typical gas swilling auto.

I have noticed more and more people biking it now that gas is getting so expensive.  Also, motorized scooters are getting very popular around here.

I work 32 miles from my house. I would have to leave at like 6am to get to work on time.

Besides, ever tried riding a Huffy on the Long Island Expressway?

The biking scene here would be good if it wasn't so damn hot in the summer (I live in Phx, AZ). but I live downtown and work downtown so my drive to work is maybe 10 minutes on a bad day, and whenever I head to sports games, I tend to take public transport. I also don't leave downtown alot, so generally I keep the gas usage low. And we're having a new light rail system running in December, which will be somewhat useful (although more in the future when expanded).

Great diary, thanks for writing it.  I don't own a car anymore, since I'm fortunate to spend most of my time in a pair of cities that both have excellent biking facilities.  Chicago in particular has pretty decent bike lanes on the big streets and encourages cyclists to bring their bikes on the subway (though restrictions apply during the worst of rush hour when cars are packed) and every bus has a rack for two bikes, making the whole city much more easily reachable than on foot, without even requiring a seriously long ride if you don't want to.  

It even goes so far as to stress that car drivers should actually defer to cyclists if need be

The wikipedia article on bike safety is full of interesting tidbits on the issue, including some counterintuitive ones which I've tried to incorporate into my biking style:

The authors of the Drivers' perceptions of cyclists research report[3] concluded that:

   ... it is clear that motorists hold negative views about cyclists and tend to view cycle users as an `out group' with significantly different characteristics from most road users ... the `out group' status of cyclists brings with it a tendency among drivers to impute the poor or incompetent behaviour of some cyclists to all cyclists.

   ...the effect of infrastructure that clearly defines ownership of space, in the case of these experiments the provision of cycle lanes in the virtual reality worlds, appears to increase driver confidence and, hence, potentially risky behaviour, such as higher vehicle speeds and less speed reduction when encountering cyclists..

You should be the most alert when approaching intersections; here it's especially important that you consider staying as far left in the lane as is feasible:

The majority, 73% according to UK data, of car/cyclist collisions occur at junctions or "junction type" locations. Analysis of T-junction [8] and Roundabout[9] collisions has indicated that failure to yield by entering motorists is a significant accident type. Other significant collision types involve turning-motorists failing to yield to oncoming cyclists and so-called "hook" or "overtake and turn" type maneuvers. Expert opinion has it that, having taken due account of the nature and speed of any following traffic, cyclists may best protect themselves from such collisions by adopting a prominent road position approaching junctions.

This has two functions: first, it places the cyclist where drivers are actively looking. This can reduce the likelihood of what is called a SMIDSY, an acronym formed from the motorists' common response of "Sorry mate, I didn't see you". Second, motorists must "overtake" so may be discouraged from simply driving past the cyclist and then turning across them. Similarly, away from junctions, a prominent position correctly communicates the space the cyclist needs and makes passing a matter of overtaking properly, rather than squeezing past. Additionally most minor injuries to cyclists, possibly up to 85%, result from simple falls[10]. Arguably, keeping out from the curb also keeps the cyclist away from potential hazards such as drainage grates, gutters, potholes, roadside debris, loose gravel and glass etc. However, a sense of caution is required, what works in urban conditions for someone like a young adult sports-cyclist may not work for someone else who is less able or experienced. As with all road users, cyclists should try to exercise common sense and use gradual experience to build up to new traffic situations.

John Forrester, a cycling activist, developed a system called Effective Cycling, a form of Vehicular Cycling, in the 70s which focuses on being assertive, obeying all vehicular rules and maintaining visibility.  He opposes segregated cycling facilities like bike paths and bike lanes because these cause motorists to ignore cyclists, which can put them as increased risk.  According to Forrester, segregated facilities also prevent cyclists from being comfortable in traffic, which is important since anyone who's more than extremely casual must be accustomed to safely navigate among cars, as the law in most places prohibits biking on sidewalks so one needs to bike on the street to even reach the facilities.

1. Use the correct half of the road, and not the sidewalk (or pavement).
   
2. Yield to other traffic as required.
   
3. Yield when moving laterally across the road.
   
4. Choose the correct lane and position within the lane at intersections and their approaches, based on your destination. For example, a cyclist planning to go straight through an intersection should avoid getting stuck in a right-turn-only lane, where it is easy to get clobbered by a right-turning car; a cyclist in a through-traffic lane may get a few surprised looks but will probably not get hit. Choosing the correct lane and position often involves taking the lane when the lane is not wide enough for a car and a bike side by side.
   
5. Between intersections move away from the curb based on speed relative to other traffic and effective lane width.

Forester sums up Effective Cycling with what he calls the vehicular cycling (VC) principle: "Cyclists fare best when they act and are treated as drivers of vehicles." This injunction is consistent with the rules of the road, which generally apply to all types of drivers of vehicles. The VC principle is often misunderstood to mean "act like you're a car". At most, it means to act like a driver of a low-powered motorcycle. Forester's injunction speaks not only to cyclist behavior but also to the way cyclists should be treated by motorists, police, and road engineers.

Forester generally opposes facilities (such as bicycle lanes) which he contends encourage behavior that is contrary to the vehicular cycling practices. This contention is challenged by those who believe that such segregated facilities increase cyclist safety (or at least increase the number of bicyclists).

Oh, and wholly separate from any political issues, more empoyers need showers.  Seriously.  I hate coming in to work sweaty.

Mechanically, biking makes nearly 100% efficient use of your muscle output, compared with a dramatically lower figure for walking.  Biking at 10-15 mph, using only the energy required to walk, is the most energy-efficient means of transport generally available.  It's great exercise and requires no fuel except the calories you'd rather burn anyways.  I think that it's going to be much more important to us in the future.  Thanks again for writing this diary.

when my commute afforded a bike-friendly route (from San Francisco to Sausalito and back, over the GG Bridge.) I was also training for a bicycle trip to Ireland.

Now that it's over, and I work in a different locale, I am just too chicken to mix it up with the cars.

But boy it was fun to bike to work. You see the world in whole different way, and biking actually works your upper body because you are balancing.

Reaper what part of the country are you in?

I did a bike/bus into work when I lived in CA - I was lucky that I worked in a clinic, and my boss let me leave a uniform at work.  (I'm military - biking with a pair of combat boots wasn't something I wanted to try!)  So it worked out well there.  On military intallations, bikers are required to wear a reflective vest.  It worked pretty well.  I'm trying to get up to biking in here - no bus route, and it's 18 miles, but I'll still have shower facilities.

Great to see other people who do this, too - it gives me more motivation!

OK I used to commute as part of a training regime. But given what I was training for - ultra distance cycling events, bike lanes never became a concern nor did speed of traffic.

However, I also live in New England which seems to be more bike friendly than some places. I've ridden in LA which was the worst and NYC and Westchester County, NY which wasn't much better.

Personally I wasn't nor am I all that fond of bike lanes because I feel bikes are vehicles too. Play by the rules of cars get used to the traffic, use hand signals and you will survive.

Next if commuting LIGHTS!

ten minutes away by foot--probably five or less if I biked it.  All the jobs I've applied for are further away, but still within easy biking distance.  There's only one problem: thanks to a bad bike accident when I was twelve, I'm terrified of bikes!  I haven't ridden a bike in almost a decade.

Nonetheless, I've vowed that if I get one of the jobs I applied for, I'm going to get back on a bike this summer.  I'm not willing to pay $4.20 a gallon for my phobia.  If I can't have it for free, I don't want it.

I used to ride 30 plus miles a day, until I started in the line of work that I am in.

I am a telecom/comp service and install tech. There is no possible way for me to commute by bike since I often go straight to job sites.

I drive 30,000 to 50,000 miles a year and have been doing so for the last 20 years.

I hope more people start doing what you are doing!

So what are some of the policy views that have changed for you?

Twice in the last 20 years, I have worked in one place in downtown Seattle, so I rode Sound Transit express buses and commuter trains... Loved It!

That experience helped me to notice something strange. On colder and wetter days the car traffic is always worse. I know the weather plays a part in this but I noticed that less people rode the bus and train on these days. I guess they don't want to be cold... or get wet....

BABIES!  :)

Love the diary and the comments on this diary. I have enjoyed all your diaries this week Reaper...it seems you're on a roll!

I lived in Puerto Rico and mostly biked for fun in the mountains or the beaches. People drive like nuts over there so I'd rather pay the high gas prices than get trampled by cars. The last time I tried driving in traffic I got rearended by a car and was sent flying through the air. I landed hard but luckily only escaped with major road rash and some stitches.

Now I have an apartment in Manhattan but work in the Bronx ( I know, it's usually the other way around) so I can't really bike to work. The times I've tried to bike in the city I'll last 3 or 4 blocks before I give up scared and nervous as hell. I don't have a car (subway for me!) so I'm not really complaining about gas prices (nah! nah! nah! nah! nah!). Maybe I'll give the bike thing a shot on the weekends and see how things progress from there. I'll keep you posted!

I do it every day, assuming the weather isn't too nasty, between April and December. Granted, it's only a 6 mile round-trip, so I hardly work up a sweat. Plus, I have the luxury of dressing casually.

Basically, anything I have to do within a 5 mile perimeter I do on bike these days.

I need a good pannier that would double as a shoulder bag. Any ideas?

Sadly, no.

17 miles 1 way & half of route is 6 lanes across with no alternatives.

Pathetically, my commute is on the short for my metro area.

I used to bike, till my 3rd bicycle got stolen.

Senator Tom Harkin (D, IA) and Senator Tom Carper (D, DE) introduced the Complete Streets Act of 2008 earlier this year. More details on this bill and links to information about Complete Streets are here:

http://www.bleedingheartland.com/showDia ry.do?diaryId=1063

Representative Doris Matsui (D, CA) introduced the companion bill in the House:

http://www.bikesbelong.org/node/619186

http://www.bleedingheartland.com/showDia ry.do?diaryId=1431

Call your representatives in Congress and ask them to co-sponsor this bill, especially if they serve on the Transportation Committee.

Bike lanes are not hard to add and make a real difference. I would bike more if there were more streets in my city with bike lanes.

Seriously I would ride a bike everywhere if I could- but too many people around here get run over. bike lanes are super scarce. :(

the peeps around here drive like shit and aren;t very nice to pedestrians.

[thinking about buying a motorized bike when I move; it gets like 150 mpg and has a retro style about it.  i like the idea of it versus buying a car-]

Just a word for all you motorists bothered by bicycles on YOUR
streets during rush hour.
You're in a giant metal box on fire that is spewing filth into the air
propelled by fuel  purchased from oppressive theocracies as well as funding  wahabis in Pakistan. I drive more than i  bicycle these days due to injury, but that's about to change soon.
As i drive, i never lose the perspective  of how detrimental my mode of transport is, and I happily yield to fellow  bicyclists. Every single combustion engine one can take off the streets is a victory on a daily basis.
You should be grateful for  every bicycist you see, even if in front of your bourgie ass in rush hour traffic taking the lane.
He/She has to choke on the fumes from your firebox on wheels.
Doesn't seem a fair tradeoff.

Doesn't matter, your car is going the way of a dodo soon, only the wealthy will drive.

Go vegan, by the way. (flame on)

KMR1964 needs to take that shit back to Redstate.

Seriously. someone squelch this ass.

As a quality of life issue My wife and I have refused to live in a place where we can't bike to work.  I love biking and hate driving.  My wife and I have a car and last time we filled it up was 2 months ago and it still has half a tank.

Every other day.  It takes my commute from 60 minutes each day up to 100 minutes each day.  I think of the extra 40 minutes as exercise time.

Most of my commute is on the Minuteman Path.  But there is a part that is through the streets of Arlington.  Its scary.  More dedicated lanes for bicycles would be great.

My whole family (wife, 4-year-old) got Trek bikes this year; and while most of our joint riding has been for fun (we look like a family of ducks, with the training-wheeled kid in the middle), I've started biking to work, the market -- and love it.

I stopped feeling like sweaty crud after the first couple weeks, now just feel sweaty. The big problem, even trumping lack of bike lanes for me: (and that's a big problem) -- there's few if any places to lock the thing up! Street signs will do, but would a bike rack or two kill the county's budget?

The answer I've gotten so far: yes. Yes it would. Still something worth agitating for.

Bicycling is not feasible for me whatsoever. I do have some people who bike near me. I hate to generalize but overall many of them are very inconsiderate. I don't understand why they insist on bicycling on highways!  It is dangerous & they never seem to look where they are going.  I don't have time to deal with that & worry about getting hit by someone else when I am trapped behind a cyclist who has no shoulder that is bobbing & weaving. It is a serious safety hazard & a car accident waiting to happen. If you want to cycle fine, go someplace with less traffic and/or bike lanes.

Also I understand that I am supposed to yield to pedestrians but cyclists need to look before they cross the street too. I turned into a place one time & had a cyclist come up & start getting violent practically with me b/c I "cut him off" What happened to actually looking before you cross the street??? Of course I didn't ask the lunatic that question but WTF?  I'm just supposed to tie up traffic & wait for him to come down the corner & cross the intersection b/c I anticipate that he is too good to look both ways before crossing?

I pulled my bike out of storage last fall and use it to run errands when I'm home in my small town.

My car is now for highway driving only.

But when I do drive, I hypermile, and I've increased my gas mileage a lot, from 33.4 mpg. to 37.1+, getting 100 more miles on a tank of gas.

My bike is in the shop now getting a tune up since it was in storage for so long, and I know I'm going to be using it a lot more now.

Hypermiling when I have to drive and biking when I don't. Got the saddle bags and everything for groceries.

Good job. =)

Now, how about 2 days a week ?

I have been riding since I have 6....dont imagine I will ever stop !!  Unfortunately, I cannot ferry my daughters around on the bicycle, so I am reduced to 2-3 days/week now!!