Are Bike Lanes on Both Sides of a Street Needed?

[royce]

I don't have a problem if the street is wide enough where there's still parking available. However, on some streets, putting in two bike lanes eliminates parking on both sides of the street. Therefore, I don't think it should be a given that if you put in a bike lane that there has to be two. For example, if Gratiot was to get bike lanes, I would rather see it only get one two-way bike lane. It would be on the side of the street with a parking lane. What do you think?

[Zacha341]

Gratiot is narrow enough. Bike lanes would be a problem on that street. Yet when they are present the lanes must be on both sides so the cyclist can ride with traffic, both ways accordingly.

[mwilbert]

Gratiot is narrow enough. Bike lanes would be a problem on that street. Yet when they are present the lanes must be on both sides so the cyclist can ride with traffic, both ways accordingly.

This is correct. Having people going the wrong way relative to traffic makes it impossible for them to behave in a predictable way, because all the intersections are set up incorrectly for them. In most cases in Detroit, you could have opposite-direction bike lanes on parallel streets, but obviously that isn't going to work on Gratiot.

[313WX]

I don't understand the comments about Gratiot.

It's wide enough to accomodate 4 driving / parking lanes in each direction. So there's no reason why it can't accomodate a parking lane and a bike lane.

Instead, what would happen is that Gratiot would simply be reduced to 2 driving lanes in each direction [[just like the main avenues in other cities).

[preserve]

Even on streets wide enough to have parking and bike lanes on both sides like Michigan -riders still ride on the wrong side, against traffic and cause many problems. One such rider nearly bought the farm yesterday on Michigan and Eighth, good thing the driver had good reflexes because it appeared the rider was totally oblivious to the fact that he was crossing Eighth without paying any attention.

[313WX]

Even on streets wide enough to have parking and bike lanes on both sides like Michigan -riders still ride on the wrong side, against traffic and cause many problems. One such rider nearly bought the farm yesterday on Michigan and Eighth, good thing the driver had good reflexes because it appeared the rider was totally oblivious to the fact that he was crossing Eighth without paying any attention.

That's a cultural problem we've allowed to develop after 40+ years of apathy to social norms [[just like people around here who run through red lights or walk in the middle of the street).

That doesn't mean we shouldn't start to correct things.

[Zacha341]

Gratiot right about a mile from the 75 or 375 whatever entrance by Eastern Market seems to get narrow in the right land. For car parking if a bus is coming you best not open your door almost. Like something about how the lines are drawn ala the far right lane?

Middle lane seems wide enough. Maybe they can just give that right lane on over to become a bike lane... it'd be right-sized for that!

[O3H]

Both direction are needed for cyclists - are they supposed to walk home.

[Király]

I cycle daily here in Vancouver where have tons and tons of bike lanes of all types, and I hate the 2-way ones the most. Bikes riding in the same direction as the rest of traffic works best for all road users.

Gratiot is massively wide and has hardly any traffic. There's plenty of room for a bike lane on either side.

[313WX]

Gratiot is massively wide and has hardly any traffic. There's plenty of room for a bike lane on either side.

I will say, Gratiot tends to be fairly busy and well utilized during rush hour [[with it being an alternatively fast route in/out of the city aside from I-94), but that's about it.

Any other time of the day or on the weekend, you could probably nap in the middle of Gratiot and not get hit.

[gumby]

This is correct. Having people going the wrong way relative to traffic makes it impossible for them to behave in a predictable way, because all the intersections are set up incorrectly for them. In most cases in Detroit, you could have opposite-direction bike lanes on parallel streets, but obviously that isn't going to work on Gratiot.

It's not like bicyclists follow the rules of the road anyways.

[O3H]

Many car drivers could use a refresher on "right-of-way" and other common everyday items they so woefully forget, choose to disobey, or just never learned. Tit for tat

[Jason]

I don't know how to do it, but it would be great if Detroit could adopt bicycling as a standard means of transit like in some Asian cities. Because of Detroit's problems it would particularly benefit from it. I have no idea how to do this though. Obviously having bike lanes would be a good thing to do and there's way more road in the city than there needs to be so there's plenty of space for them.

[Zacha341]

^^^ Michigan's hard winter season is a deterrent for year around cycling.

[Meddle]

Yeah, they need'em on both sides, maybe even two lanes wide to accommodate the thousands of cycles all trying to cram in at once. Oh ... wait .... are there ever more than 3 cycles in the same half-mile of road at one time?

I remember when Grand River had a switch lane in the center; inbound in the morning, outbound in the evening and left turn the rest of each day. No parking on the same schedule. And I remember ALL five lanes being busy during Rush Hours.

[Honky Tonk]

Yeah, they need'em on both sides, maybe even two lanes wide to accommodate the thousands of cycles all trying to cram in at once. Oh ... wait .... are there ever more than 3 cycles in the same half-mile of road at one time?

I remember when Grand River had a switch lane in the center; inbound in the morning, outbound in the evening and left turn the rest of each day. No parking on the same schedule. And I remember ALL five lanes being busy during Rush Hours.

That's when Detroit had jobs, people that worked AND paid COD taxes.

[warsaw7]

^^^ Michigan's hard winter season is a deterrent for year around cycling.

You're right. Copenhagen, New York and Chicago [[to name a few) don't have hard winters with an abundance of bike riders.