That's clearly NOT a solution to any problem.
kyber07.8.08 - 10:11 am
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This will set a bad precident (however it's spelled).
Where there are no marked bike lanes, sharrows are the solution. How much can it take to paint the main streets in a 2 square mile city?
Creative Thing07.8.08 - 10:15 am
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whaaaat bikes on sidewalks now we cant ride anywhere we got cars saying "get off the road" we got peeps saying "get off the sidewalk" so why dont they just ban biking all togeather this is crap we need to fight for bike lanes/highways instead of biking on sidewalks. ahhhhh im loosing my mind.
theshues07.8.08 - 10:20 am
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riding on the sidewalk is stupid...all you need is one jerk off with the head phones on coming out the the gym or whatever and not be looking around....or a dog like mine that bites at bike tires as they go by...or a little old lady in a walker...or or or... it is just stupid: bikes on the sidewalk
MOM_RIDAZ42007.8.08 - 10:21 am
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@ mom
i tottally agree... heres something else that grinds my gears..
PEOPLE STANDING on the BIKEPATH.. wft is this shit this is for bikes dont stand on it and be like
"oh hey john ya il wait right here for you on this dotted yellow line"
hey get the fuck out of my way im riding a bike its like a car i will hit you.. not really but i may look like i will suckaaaaaz..
theshues07.8.08 - 10:29 am
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That's a bike lane? Not just a good place to park the garbage cans? Huh.
frumble07.8.08 - 10:33 am
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We have had run-ins with the West Hollywood sheriffs. So any provision that gives bicyclists more rights, is good.
The West Hollywood City Council wants to do the right thing, they want to make the city more enviornmentally-friendly. Their contracted law enforcement soldiers are not on the same page. The city of West Hollywood needs to reign in it's brown shirts and create more bike lanes as well as allowing bicycles to use the sidewalks.
skd07.8.08 - 10:33 am
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Take into consideration this has worked for years in Los Angeles.
I
sexy07.8.08 - 10:35 am
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"How much can it take to paint the main streets in a 2 square mile city?"
i don't know. lets find out. i'll supply the paint.
indigis07.8.08 - 10:37 am
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I ride through west hollywood everyday to get home from work. Melrose.. La Cienga.. San Vicente.. None of these roads are safe. I ride in the center of the far right lane -- I pray I don't get hit every day!
I'll paint -- LET'S PAINT THE STREETS!!!!
bondink07.8.08 - 10:42 am
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riding on a sidewalk with pedestrians is, simply put, dangerous and shows a complete misunderstanding of bicycle riding by the person who put this idea forward. I think it is also a bad precedent. Now when cars yell at you, "get out of the road and onto the sidewalk where you belong" they will have some legal argument for that absurdity. It is not good, does not move our position forward, and does not ease our car/bike transportation conflicts.
indigis07.8.08 - 10:44 am
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im always up for a good paint...
i have more rollers then you see in your favorite home de POT
theshues07.8.08 - 10:45 am
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I have a friend who works at one of the bar/restaurants up on Sunset. She rides her bike to work and home. She claims the streets are too dangerous, drunk drivers weaving on Sunset. So she rides the sidewalks slowly but safely all the way home to Los Feliz. She still gets home quicker than if she used a car.
The sidewalk option should remain available.
skd07.8.08 - 10:46 am
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STUPID COMPUTER, TIME FOR A NEW ONE
I have posted ad nauseam about this on this website about riding on the sidewalk. Some people may be just starting to ride and bike and may have fear of car traffic. This is a perfect stepping stone for those people. I see people ride on the sidewalk all the time. They usually ride much slower then you would consider acceptable. 4-*mph. Although this is faster then walking 3-4mph, it usually doesn't cause problems.
When i just want to cruise at a real slow pace, I may ride on the sidewalk.
I wrote on here about the guy who was hit on the street, and has a fear of getting hit again so he feels safer on the sidewalk. He looks out for pedestrians, and any other dangers such as cars entering and exiting drive ways. Should he be ticketed for doing what he feel is safest for his means of travel. The guy also is a day glo light show as he passes by.
I found that most people who ride on the sidewalk, do so as pedestrians. Looking out for cars coming out of driveways, not barellling out into intersect, but proceeding into them with caution.
If we can share the road with consideration and safety, why can't people do so with bikes and pedestrians on the sidewalk.
If somebody is standing in the bike lane then you ride around them. Why get your panty in a bunch over something so minor.
from Ontario Ministry of Transportation website for bicycles;
TROUBLE!
Sidewalks
Solution: go slow. Share the sidewalk. Let pedestrians go first and let them know you are coming. Check driveways for cars turning in, or backing out.
sexy07.8.08 - 10:48 am
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Allowing cyclists to use the sidewalks just reinforces the ignorant stance that bikes belong on the sidewalk.
Sidewalks are slow, more dangerous than the street, and are not fun to ride at all. This measure is crap. For a city as progressive as West Hollywood is, I'm surprised that this was the best that "solution" that they could come up with in trying to make Weho more bike friendly.
kyber07.8.08 - 10:49 am
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If we able to completely implement what Amsterdam and Copenhagen does with their streets, bike lanes, and sidewalks, then perhaps it would work. Otherwise, forget it. No Way!
Like someone just mentioned - Let's not set a precedent for getting us pushed up onto the sidewalk.
Joe Borfo07.8.08 - 11:01 am
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as a pedestrian i DON'T want a bicyclist on a sidewalk... especially a newby bicyclist. And I find of all riding situations the most dangerous zone is riding on a sidewalk and crossing an intersection. Cars making a right turn are NOT looking for a moving vehicle and bikers rarely look and anticipate a car turning right as they cross. That is a very common situation and new bike riders (and experienced too) totally misread this move.
indigis07.8.08 - 11:01 am
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In Hamburg, there are two sidewalks; one for pedestrians, one for bikes.
indigis07.8.08 - 11:03 am
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Water-balloons and lever-action pumps are the perfect way to clear a path on bike trail!!!
"MAKE A HOLE, SPLAT!!!"
bentstrider07.8.08 - 11:05 am
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Make sure to stop and ask somebody why they are riding there bike on a sidewalk next time you see it. You will be surprised with the conversation, you have.
sexy07.8.08 - 11:07 am
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Kyber is right-on. This is pure laziness on the part of WeHo.
Riding on the sidewalk is DANGEROUS, and will only reinforce motorist's ignorance (thinking we don't belong on the street).
Cyclists and pedestrians both lose when it comes to this "solution".
bananaphone07.8.08 - 11:08 am
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Most of the sidewalks in Los Angeles are too narrow to be shared by cyclists and pedestrians. Several times I've almost been mowed down by bicycles while I was walking on the sidewalk (oh, the irony!). While I don't like the idea of anything being "taken away" from cyclists, I actually like the idea of bicycles being banned from most, if not all sidewalks in Los Angeles. The more bicycles we can put on the streets the better it will be for all of us.
How about this: "bikes on the streets, pedestrian on the sidewalk, cars on the freeway!" Or do bicycles belong on the freeway, too . . . ?
mr rollers07.8.08 - 11:09 am
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PS: It's also legal to ride on the sidewalks in Burbank. Local government are all a bunch of morons, apparently.
bananaphone07.8.08 - 11:10 am
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i will sexy, but i expect their naive answer to be "it's safer". but don't get me wrong, better on the sidewalk than not at all.
indigis07.8.08 - 11:11 am
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if you've ridden your bike on the beach bike path then you know how annoying it is to deal with legs walking.. it sucks -- they are terrible with their children and never pay attention when on a cell phone (why should they, they aren't in their car)
if we allow WeHo to get away with just pushing the "bike problem" aside (and onto the sidewalks) then everything Critical Mass has been trying to push all over LA will become null and void.
I SAY WE PAINT..
I would love to ride down Melrose and La Cienga in a right lane that is painted blue or green. It would be just a bit safer (at least from all the road rage)
PAINT PAINT PAINT !!!
bondink07.8.08 - 11:12 am
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Lets' face facts. As bicyclists we have about the same amount of political power that the Gypsies had in 1936 Germany
.
Why? Because we can raise our voice in furry here on the forum, but when it comes to organizing, boycotting, and protesting.....we suffer from erectile dysfunction.
I agree, the city should spend the money to designate and paint more bike lanes....they will not though. It's too expensive and the car drivers have more political power....and prefer that we Any rights, even sidewalk rights are better than no rights.bicyclists be exterminated.
We will never get respect, and the bike lanes, we need until we have the type of political power that drivers have. We have to show them we spend money, that we vote and we can round up 500 bicyclists for a viable protest or showing at a City Council meeting. Until that time, all the wind and furry here is a lot of hot air.
skd07.8.08 - 11:23 am
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Remember everybody experience and knowledge in and about life is open to there interpretations. You think it is always right to ride bikes on the streets. My experience and knowledge disagrees. Maybe in your neighborhood Rollerz it is not a great idea to ride on the sidewalk. In my neighborhood it is done all the time and done safely. We both live in LA although people would claim the areas are two different worlds.
Venice beach bike path is a big tourist destination. As host to these visitors, I think it is best to be gracious and realize that the bike path is is what it is on the beach. I always get a chuckle out of roadies who think they can train on that path on the weekend. Yes it does happen, and they get all worked up.
You can all be righteous and pure about where bikes should be ridden, but is not always practical for everyone. I always think tolerances and understanding to other peoples situation and ability should be the rule. As someone who has chosen to ride the sidewalks in West Hollywood, I applaud this move.
sexy07.8.08 - 11:25 am
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In Amsterdam and Berlin, aside from the great bike lanes, at every street signal is also a bicycle signal which gives the cyclist enough time to cross the lane before cars turn right. I also remember seeing it in Paris. It can't be all that expensive and complicated to implement.
After seeing that, my wish has been very strong to see it happen here.
Joe Borfo07.8.08 - 11:27 am
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I still disagree with riding on sidewalks.. and, again, I reiterate, by giving in one portion of LA -- others are sure to follow.
Also, I don't believe a giant protest is needed.. it's supply and demand. Instead of negatively pushing our opinions (no matter how solid the fscts) on people, we should show how much fun it is to ride a bike. How rewarding it is to ride a bike. How much money you save. yada yada.. I could go on, point is, the more bikes on the road, the better -- then they will paint the roads.
Supply and demand.
But I still want to paint. Let's paint it anyway, it won't cost the city a thing -- we bring the paint, we bring the labor.
We could hook rollers onto our bikes and PAINT THE TOWN!
bondink07.8.08 - 11:32 am
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I understand sexy's point about how many commuters are too chicken shit to ride on the street. However, I believe we need to discourage that behavior. Get those bikes ON THE STREET!
The only reason why we should sometimes be able to ride on the sidewalk is because the streets are not yet designed safe enough for us to share them. If we were to make more of an effort to practice our right to share the road, then perhaps things will progress for cyclists safety and infrastructure.
Capishe?
Joe Borfo07.8.08 - 11:42 am
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Bike lanes don't work...
Let us ride on the sidewalks...
Let us ride on the streets...
Sharrows and signage are easy and cheap...
I <3 Sexy (how you healin' up?)
420LaHaRR07.8.08 - 11:43 am
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I think I'll just stick to riding on the street. Sidewalks can be very dangerous places to ride on. I believe the elder tho, should be able to ride there, as chances are they won't be partaking in any "willful careless bike riding" and could get seriously injured should they fall on the street.
people need to learn to be mindful of other people. that's all. it works the same way in everything in life. it should definitely not be this big of a deal.
July07.8.08 - 11:49 am
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I understand sexy's point about how many commuters are too chicken shit to ride on the street. However, I believe we need to discourage that behavior. Get those bikes ON THE STREET!
Once we get even more people on the street, things will change. Most drivers see a cyclist on the sidewalk and just assume that that is where they are supposed to be. If everyone rode on the street the numbskulls in cars would think "hey, I guess I was wrong!"
kyber07.8.08 - 11:50 am
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okay, as much as I try to stay out of the politics of cycling, even I have to admit that this is really bad.
Riding on the sidewalk is very unsafe. Just look at what happened to Eddie at the last crank mob. All it takes is an asshole getting fed up with having to step aside for one of us to pass and it could result in serious injury.
This devalues the bicycle to the same status as a pair of shoes. We are simply not pedestrians and should not be trying to ride where they walk. I, for one, can keep up with traffic just fine in WeHo and I don't need some motorist trying to push me onto the sidewalk at 35mph because he thinks that's where I belong.
What's next? Will they start opening crowded bicycle lanes to motorcycles? Doesn't that seem like a pretty bad idea?
Undercover Bob07.8.08 - 11:55 am
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As soon as people realize that walking is also viable method of transportation we will see a lot more people walking on sidewalks in Los Angeles.
People often forget that other cities have a ton of foot traffic. What happens when when the pedestrian population explodes and we have bikes and peds fighting for turf in weho?
They're not planning for the future. Weho is very walkable. A lot of places in Los Angeles are walkable once you actually get out and do it. I walk down to my local market sometimes instead of biking it, and guess what? I get really annoyed when I have some cyclist come careening through with no regard for my safety. Getting passed from behind me with inches to spare and absolutely no warning is dangerous to everyone.
kyber07.8.08 - 12:01 pm
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"Once we get even more people (bikes) on the street, things will change."
yes. agreed. supply and demand -- push, push, push people to ride their bikes more often then never.. and as long as gas prices keep going up, the more bikes on the road.
take the lane. hold your lane. be safe.
but can't we paint the lane anyway? PAINT!!! PAINT!!! PAINT!!!
bondink07.8.08 - 12:07 pm
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This like most things in life is not a black and white issue.I think this is a total copout on woho's part,avoiding taking the time to resolve a problem in the right manner by just sweeping it up to the crub.I think there are some people who should have a right to bike safely on the sidewalk,like the older asian man I see in old hood biking to the store or the not so fit working class guy just trying to get to work.On the other hand I do see how bikes on the sidewalk would make motorist think we belong up there instead of in the street.
blackout_blacklung07.8.08 - 12:30 pm
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Huh? What's this walking thing you speak of?
Joe Borfo07.8.08 - 12:32 pm
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People actually walk on the sidewalk in LA?
I thought there was a song...."No one walks in LA.."
skd07.8.08 - 12:37 pm
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I dunno.
I'm from NY, people walk everywhere. Once LA starts embracing the idea of community you will see more people using their legs to get places. Walking can be fun, you get to see your environment from a new perspective.
kyber07.8.08 - 12:40 pm
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i agree.
sidewalks are not siderides.
bikes don't belong there. cyclist tax money goes to road improvements and painting lanes (installing lights too) is a simple fix (if done in phases that correlate to bike congestion) to, as i see it, a public safety issue more so than an environment, economic, or even traffic problems (although these issues are solved as lagniappe).
jchungerford07.8.08 - 12:46 pm
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I do believe in sharrows. They're even cheaper.
MORE SHARROWS!
Joe Borfo07.8.08 - 12:54 pm
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I suspect it's a temporary problem that will fix itself.
Riffing off what kyber said, as more and more people begin to explore walking as a means of transportation, we're gonna see a higher density of sidewalk foot traffic, cyclists amidst these droves will be lucky to reach walking speeds, this will force sidewalk cyclists onto the street as they seek a faster pace.
Eric Hair07.8.08 - 1:02 pm
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It's an assault from two sides, pedestrians and motorists ganging up on cyclists from two fronts!!!
And ammo is like candy at a playground, if you didn't bring enough for everyone, you're SOL!!!
bentstrider07.8.08 - 1:06 pm
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ISN'T THAT WHERE I CRASHED LAST TIME, NEED I SAY MORE?
eddieboyinla07.8.08 - 1:10 pm
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AWESOME! so when are we having a sidewalk bike ride????
Kakihara07.8.08 - 1:13 pm
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I don't like riding on sidewalks but I'll do it for a block here or there if conditions make it necessary. In those rare cases I like to know it's not an illegal thing to do. Remember Alphabet Soup? Didn't the cops block the street and write tickets to those who went around on the sidewalk?
As far as I can tell nothing about this says bikes should be on the sidewalk. Just that they are legal there. I don't see anything wrong with that and I don't think your average motorist is closely following this issue so they can shout at us from their cars with impunity.
My 1.5 cents
Bikes everywhere!
frumble07.8.08 - 1:15 pm
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As gas prices, density and congestion increase there will be more & more people out walking and taking advantage what their neighborhoods have to offer and finding ways to leave their cars at home.
I would also posit that riding on the sidewalk isn't as safe as most of the misinformed cyclists believe it is.
mr rollers07.8.08 - 1:22 pm
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i guess im guilty of riding on the sidewalk.....i do ride on the ROAD part of the way on my commute to work. its just baby steps for me, riding alone to work in rush hour traffic its hairy out there especially if you just started riding. I am riding on the road for LONGER periods of time everyday, so in defence of "some" of those who do ride on sidewalks, it may be "baby steps" in getting ON THE ROAD which is my Goal!!! please dont hate me=-( if you see me....
irma07.8.08 - 1:44 pm
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I don't hate you at all.
I admit there are certain street where I have to do it too.
I think some of us are just against the idea of only relying on the sidewalk as being not only dangerous but begins to set a precedent that we belong there.
Joe Borfo07.8.08 - 1:47 pm
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For the past, couple of years, I've effectively weakened my pipes by repeatedly screaming at people to ride on the road and not on the sidewalk.
Sadly, most of those I see doing so do not understand a word of English, or are too afraid of being turned into a road-waffle.
Now all I can do is roll by and shake my dome in frustration.
bentstrider07.8.08 - 1:52 pm
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I don't think your average motorist is closely following this issue so they can shout at us from their cars with impunity.
Neither do I, but that's the problem. They are ignorant of the subject, and when they see a majority of cyclists on the sidewalk they draw their own conclusions about where
they think bicycles belong.
kyber07.8.08 - 1:58 pm
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Well the only way i really see to effectively edjumecte the public (that will make an immediate impact) is to petition the DMV to include bicycle laws/safety/rules of the road in their training Videos & Manuals. Also, as a supplement, would be to include the above in their traffic schooling for vehicular offenders.
Any1 want to get together with me to write up a draft? I'd be willing to help out with something like this.
jchungerford07.8.08 - 4:23 pm
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i would but it sounds boring.
indigis07.8.08 - 4:27 pm
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lol
dum duh da dum . . . . .
THE IMMACULATE SHARRO
jchungerford07.8.08 - 6:31 pm
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