Bike lane improvement

[piermontcyclist]

I'm not sure if this bothers anyone else but the way that the way that
the bridge path is divided into one lane for pedestrians and one lane
for cyclists is ok going in one direction but feels backwards going in
the other. Everywhere else that I ride I always abide by the ride
right, pass left rule. I feel like it's more natural and less
confusing. A lot of the actual path markings have worn off and the
signs which show whose lane is whose are few and far between. I have
definitely run into stubborn pedestrians who claim their lane and
won't budge and I guess that's fine since this is what the rule
currently is but maybe it'd be less confusing for everyone if the ride
right, pass left rule (which is in place most everywhere else) applied
to the bridge path as well.

[piermontcyclist]

I'm going to reply to my own message here to issue a correction!
I was riding over the bridge this morning and looking at all the signs
noticed that I was wrong about my initial post.
The signs clearly say bikes RIGHT, pedestrians LEFT.
I hope this clears it all up for anyone like me who was confused. I
think the path was marked with symbols but since they're half worn off
and hard to see I'm going with the signs and staying to the right.

[bridgerunner]

I think that the idea of keeping us peds on the "inside" is that they
can better see if someone is lottering or up to know good. I think the
inside for feet and the ourside for bikes makes perfect sense. I feel
as though its' some right-brain/left-brain thing that some people have
a lot of trouble with. I had real fights with cyclists telling me I'm
on the wrong side - one even made contact with my jogging stroller.
That said, the peds are just as likely to not understand the inside
lane/ outside lane thing which makes it dangerous for all of us.

On Jun 18, 9:57 am, "Julie Adams" <juliekad...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I was on the correct side for pedestrians one day (traffic side), and
> a guy coming right at me on a bike was pointing toward the water
> implying that I was on the wrong side.  I wasn't, according to the
> signs, but I personally WOULD prefer to walk on the water side rather
> than the traffic side.  That would make the most sense.  Pedestrians
> usually want to take photos (and they DO despite the signs to the
> contrary), so you don't want bikes whizzing through your shots or have
> to cut into the bike lane to take them.
> And my comment on the last message about getting locked on the bridge.
> The tower guards are always on their cellphones.  You would think they
> could call the other guard and say, "I just let the last person
> through and locked the gate down here. You've got one more coming on
> your end."
>
> On Wed, Jun 18, 2008 at 10:47 AM, piermontcyclist

> > to the bridge path as well.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

[Rivky]

Maybe we should request that once the other side of the bridge is
opened again one side should be for peds and the other for wheels.

[Ron Wechsler]

Good idea, as long as the wheels lane is the south side w/o all the stairs.

[Rafael Rozas]

I wish they would open both sides but I believe Julie is right that they
will never open both sides. If the north side were open it would be
easier to get to the Green way than maneuver through Ft. Washington Ave.
under the Port Authority. That left turn is very dangerous at Ft.
Washington on 178th Street is dangerous.

-----Original Message-----
From: GWBr...@googlegroups.com [mailto:GWBr...@googlegroups.com] On
Behalf Of Julie Adams
Sent: Monday, July 07, 2008 11:26 AM
To: GWBr...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: Bike lane improvement

Do they ever open both sides? This would require paying more guards, so
I assumed they only ever keep one side open.

On Mon, Jul 7, 2008 at 11:20 AM, Rivky <rivk...@gmail.com> wrote:
>

[arevesz]

there are guards on the North side regardless
please PLEASE don't jinx this, south side ftw

On Jul 8, 9:12 am, "Rafael Rozas" <rr2...@columbia.edu> wrote:
> I wish they would open both sides but I believe Julie is right that they
> will never open both sides. If the north side were open it would be
> easier to get to the Green way than maneuver through Ft. Washington Ave.
> under the Port Authority. That left turn is very dangerous at Ft.
> Washington on 178th Street is dangerous.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: GWBr...@googlegroups.com [mailto:GWBr...@googlegroups.com] On
>
> Behalf Of Julie Adams
> Sent: Monday, July 07, 2008 11:26 AM
> To: GWBr...@googlegroups.com
> Subject: Re: Bike lane improvement
>
> Do they ever open both sides? This would require paying more guards, so
> I assumed they only ever keep one side open.
>

[piermontcyclist]

yeah, no kidding.
It really sucked having to haul my bike up and down those stairs twice
a day, especially after super long rides---no fun, felt like
punishment, and added at least 5 minutes to an already tightly timed
commute.
The pedestrians can have the North side if they want but I'm sure the
PA will balk because the stairs negate any sort of handicapped access.
I'd personally rather share the south side then ever have to deal with
those stairs again.