DIY sharrows instead of DIY lanes!
we already have the right to take the lane, we just need to remind drivers.
spiraldemon07.23.08 - 9:41 am
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Nice work.
Sitting back and waiting for the city to do this will take us a few decades.
kyber07.23.08 - 9:57 am
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Anyone know the right paint so it looks better.
This was a good job, but id like to see the better paint that does no bleed next time.
thanks
thegodofthor07.23.08 - 10:03 am
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you still have a chance to sign the letter to the metro board if you would like to see the metro fund bike projects.....
***NEW ****LA Streetsblog asks you to get your signatures in....
metroletter@live.com
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Our application to the department of DIY is still pending.....
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and on related news...the East Hollywood city council voted with great verve and gusto the other night to give $5000 towards the SHARROWS program that will be implemented on Fountain.
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WOOO!!!!
ingipet07.23.08 - 10:05 am
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That's awesome! That's right by my house too. That section is dangerous since there is a slight right to a the 2 freeway on the right.
web77707.23.08 - 10:26 am
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sadly...it looks as though the signs might have come down already....
will need to reapply to the department of DIY....
ingipet07.23.08 - 1:15 pm
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This is a job for...
CAPTAIN SHARROW!
Joe Borfo07.23.08 - 1:53 pm
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A few well placed sharrows would do wonders in that area. Anyone here know anything about DIY?
bike punk07.23.08 - 3:08 pm
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Hahaha! On LA curbed, one of the comments:
"Why all the hate for cyclists? Even the annoying Midnight Rydazzzz have never bothered me (besides their hipstery headbands and douchey demeanor).
Comment #10, left at 07/22/08 10:52 AM.
DrivingSideways's stats."
imachynna07.23.08 - 3:16 pm
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If you want to make the lanes/sharrows more durable and also visible at night, it might be worthwhile to invest in some retroreflective traffic paint (funny-named local company
here). Not necessarily cheap, but certainly more effective.
I know I would feel terrible if someone got hit because they were riding in a poorly marked lane, but of course that's a risk even in the "official" lanes around here. If the DIY lanes don't get buffed immediately, it'll be interesting to see how well they hold up over time.
nathansnider07.23.08 - 5:28 pm
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Capt'n Sharrow's guerilla infrastructure in Highland Park got covered in black paint soon after they were painted.
spiraldemon07.23.08 - 5:32 pm
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I wonder if using "real" traffic paint would just be a waste of money, or if it would actually avoid the buff for longer by appearing more legit.
Might be worth a bucket of paint to find out...
nathansnider07.23.08 - 5:39 pm
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Haha, thats great. I'm from Santa Cruz and about 9 months ago, someone started doing the sharrows up there. There's a few that are done in normal white spray paint, but you could tell they quickly got upgraded to the nice reflective weatherproof paint as soon as the spray paint started to fade.
I think its a great idea, the ones in SC are a bit smaller than the real ones, so you can tell they're fake. but sure enough, no one painted over them. So good luck down in LA guys
TallPaul07.23.08 - 5:48 pm
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Yes, in Highland park, but Captn Sharrows on Echo park Blvd. are still there, there just so faded you can't really tell there there without looking.
Time to "reapply" I suppose.
Mook07.23.08 - 7:20 pm
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I was thinking of just that on the streets that cross Broadway in Santa Monica. They freshly paved 10th to 17th (maybe more blocks than that), and it would be beautiful to have a big ass sharrow in the middle of each lane (Berkeley-sized sharrows, not the weak UCLA ones).
I watched them buff out the crosswalk before repaving, looked like a pain in the ass, took way too much effort and energy. If we were to go a good job and use real paint, they may leave it alone, at least for a while.
jericho1ne07.23.08 - 7:37 pm
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How fast does the traffic paint dry?
Roadblock07.23.08 - 8:49 pm
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I think drying times for traffic paint are usually like an hour or so, but the stuff from that company I linked to earlier
allegedly dries much faster:
"PERVOSTRIPE dries to no pick up from 20 seconds to 4 minutes, depending on the weather conditions."
Still, that name just amuses me to no end...
nathansnider07.24.08 - 12:01 am
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Hmm, reflective beads could be useful for all kinds of things, but I think they only come in a 50lb bag. Anybody else want some?
maxtheheathen07.24.08 - 1:30 am
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I'd chip in for 10lb worth. I've been holding on to a couple cans of
this stuff with plans to paint a bike frame whenever I get the space and time to put together a second bike. It's fun stuff. Ungodly expensive, though... I think a 55lb bag of beads runs something like $50. Much cheaper.
nathansnider07.24.08 - 2:05 am
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Yeah, I have the krylon reflective spray, and it really doesn't work. The beads end up way too deep in the coating, the optics get all screwed up. Is that stuff at least effective? $30 a can is way steep though
maxtheheathen07.24.08 - 2:17 am
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Yeah, I've used the Krylon stuff before, and it was horrible. The only "advantage" it had was being semi-transparent so it would kinda maintain the color of whatever was underneath in ambient light. Just from eyeballing it, I'd say the Spherebrite paint is probably about four times as bright as the Krylon, which isn't exactly amazing, but still enough to be visible in headlights from a distance. Neither one comes close to a regular prism reflector, or even 3M reflective tape unfortunately, which is why I'm interested in playing around with the beads to see what they can do.
nathansnider07.24.08 - 3:30 am
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I say just put the damned things up and leave them be!!!
What's the city going to do, use funds to remove something they claim there was no funding for?
bentstrider07.24.08 - 4:02 am
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That would be irony, bentstrider, and I wouldn't be surprised. "Different budget," probably, as in a budget for removing graffiti.
But still. Finding money to REMOVE bike lanes when they can't find money to MAKE bike lanes. Insane. Let's hope it doesn't happen.
katiepoche07.24.08 - 4:44 am
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http://www.newstripe.com/result.php?catid=9&page=Industrial_Stencils
This company not only sells the paint, they also sell the real stencils.
here is a link to the White Aerosol Paint
http://www.newstripe.com/product.php?proid=5233&catid=5&sub_catid=34
thegodofthor07.24.08 - 9:36 am
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Someone should find out just what budget the removal is coming from, because if they get wise and take it from the sharrow budget, we'll just be shooting ourselves in the foot. Granted, that'd be really f'ing stupid, but never put it past city government to get vindictive about things like that. These are bureaucrats, remember, not real people.
That said, if the only thing stopping real bicycle infrastructure from happening is budget for paint and labour, then I'm all for volunteering both if it will get us bike lanes.
Back when mountain bikers were at war with the equestrians and hikers in Santa Barbara county (mid 90s), we earned unbelievable amounts of good will by organizing and turning out for monthly trail maintenance efforts and having two cyclists with maps, first aid kits, and dog poo bags riding the trails every weekend being helpful. In the end, every trail in SB remained open to cyclists except one, which we voluntarily gave up to be pedestrian only. If the city would accept our help in painting (flagging, filling holes, stenciling, driving the damn paint striper, whatever), then I'd be all for organizing a regular effort to contribute in that way, just as we helped the forest service maintain and extend the offroad trails in SB.
--sam
ideasculptor07.24.08 - 10:41 am
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We just have to do it well. And do it correctly. (Distance between each sharrow, size, and quality of paint/plaster).
Worst case scenario - How much trouble could we get in for this? It can't be that big a deal. Anyone know?
Joe Borfo07.24.08 - 11:19 am
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It probably will be a big deal, but maybe not so much if you have a clean record.
The reason why bike lanes cost millions of dollars is not because of the paint and time to install them, but the research that goes into making sure bike lanes and streets are of regulation size. The first time someone crashes there car or bike because the lanes are too narrow, guess what? The city gets sued.
Sharrows are so much better than a bike lane for smaller roads. Because your sharing infrastructure that has already been in place for many years... Just reminding motorists not do be douche bags.
Mook07.24.08 - 3:23 pm
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We should start stenciling "Don't be a Douche!" in the streets.
kyber07.24.08 - 3:31 pm
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the lane has already been removed.
scraped off.
got time to scrape them, but no time to MAKE them....
hmmmm....
ingipet07.24.08 - 3:45 pm
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I like the idea of keep putting the marking on the streets DIY style. If the city continues to spend the time and money to remove them, then it makes for an interesting and embarrassing story to be told in the papers.
User107.24.08 - 5:55 pm
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Wow, scraped off already, that one on melrose years ago they just let fade away. We just gotta paint sharrows everywhere in the city, and some districts will surely be too lazy to remove them.
Some ideas i have
Spray the traffic paint from a pump garden sprayer, nice and thick, then beads.
spray black paint on the underside of the stencil at the edges, then flip it down on the pavement, making it stick a bit, and minimizing bleed.
Getting some "(Bike) MAY USE FULL LANE" signs made, and putting them under bike route signs, share the road signs etc.
maxtheheathen07.24.08 - 6:18 pm
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a HUGE bravo to whomever did this I dont mind that the bike icon was done semi-sloppy paint brush style. it still gets the point across. Count me in for $50 on supplies and free labor. would love to see real traffic paint used.
Roadblock07.24.08 - 6:22 pm
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you could also just "borrow" road cones, and by the time they get moved off the street, the paint will be dry..
Joe Borfo07.24.08 - 6:49 pm
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Now I like that idea Borfie!!!!
I'm down for helping out where needed.
I think it would be ultra cool to do it all on bikes too.
User107.24.08 - 7:09 pm
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Rest In Peace DIY Bike Lane. Your time with us was limited to only a short ten days, but your memory and inspiration live on.
bike punk07.25.08 - 9:26 am
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Ridazz Roulette!
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