Greater City ProvidenceStreetfilms: NYC DOT explains Bike Lanes in the Big Apple
Streetfilms takes a look at the different bike lane types in New York City.
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Great clip! New York has had left hand bike lanes for years, though fewer and less evolved as they are today. The dimensions to prevent “dooring” make a lot of sense. Another feature that they don’t mention is that when the bike lane is on the left, the visibility for the driver is superior. It’s easier for drivers to gage where the cyclists are. As an example, in Newport where there are a lot of cyclists and no formal bike lanes other than on Americas Cup, drivers tend to over compensate when on one-way streets pulling to the extreme left, because it’s difficult to judge where the cyclist is. Also, the cyclist is in danger of possibly being doored due to people getting out of their parked cars.
Another point about Newport bike lanes that could also apply in part to the Henderson Bridge, currently the bike lane is adjacent to the sidewalk. On weekends and particularly in the summer when there are a large number of tourists, pedestrians will “spill-over” the curb into the bike lane, which often will create a dangerous condition squeezing cyclists between cars and pedestrians. Also, cars will tend to use the bike lane as a drop-off/breakdown lane.
What America’s Cup has in common with the Henderson Bridge is that it has a central median that effectively converts a two-way road into two one-way streets traveling in opposite directions. The left bike lane will slow traffic and if it has a buffer will add extra protection for cyclists.
I’d like to see this implemented in Providence. I can think of numerous roadways like Westminster, Broadway et al that could be converted to at minimum class 2.