The wrath of Gunderson hits Atlanta
Oh boy – looks like the person who runs the humor/bike-advocacy Twitter account “Bob Gunderson” recently visited Atlanta. We’re getting hammered. Top: Bob slams an unprotected bike lane on a big road; bottom: the city does have a flag and this isn’t it, but I understand how one could assume otherwise given the number of surface parking lots.
Regarding that top tweet, I’ve sarcastically called unprotected bike lanes on busy roads “courtesy curbs” in the past. But “F U bike lanes” works too. An unprotected lane on a multi-lane, one-way street is something that can feel very dangerous for cyclists. These large “car sewers” promote speeding by basically making drivers feel like they’re on the highway. What a terrible environment for cycling through. There’s not even a buffer zone to help distance bikes from speeding cars.
And the danger is not only a matter of perception.
A study from earlier this year showed that one-way streets like these are a safety risk for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians alike (and they apparently also decrease property values -- so they’re basically the Satan of road design):
The risk of collision or injury doubles when driving through a neighborhood of one-way streets...Moreover, if you are riding a bike or walking, you are also more likely to be injured on a one-way street.
Barriers and buffers and bikes
Conversion of these large one-way streets to two-way ones is a solid plan for the future, but a good short-term goal would be to at least make the speed limits lower and the bike infrastructure safer with a buffer or barrier. A Canadian study found that cyclists are at greater risk of serious injury when they are mixed in with pedestrians and/or cars — more so than when they ride in tricky weather or without helmets. Barrier-protected lanes are the best thing we can do for the sake of safe riding.
Below is an example of a better way to build a bike lane. This is the new cycle track on Peachtree Center Avenue in Downtown Atlanta. At least one lane was removed here to install a two-way track, with a combination of buffers and barriers running alongside. (This opens with an inaugural ride on July 17.)
Let’s make Bob Gunderson less grumpy and build some more like this. Cycling should be welcoming to all Atlantans -- not only the bravest and boldest. Safer streets will help draw in a wider range of people to the fold.
