I saw a bicycle rider heading downtown on Jefferson Ave. this morning

[Honky Tonk]

Lotsalaffta.

How about’ how about?

I can’t tell if you are on a mission to self-parody or if your archiebunka prescription has dried out. Either way, have you thought about how anally retentive you are about something as benign as cycling.

Maybe next time take potshots at re-cycling. There you go.

When you finally, if ever, sober up, take a good look around you. You not only don't live in Detroit, but not even in the United States, eh, hoser? Internet closed in can-o'-duh Sunday's?

[canuck]

Sop up that apostrophe "s" bubba. Go get rid of that gut, go on, take a hike on a bike.

[ABetterDetroit]

Oakland County seems to be doing the same things over and over, yet they're prosperous, populated, and their roads aren't full of obstructions for the residents trying to get to work.

Macomb, Oakland and Washtenaw counties have been building bike paths all over the place for the last decade and a half even while their roads are crumbling. They are all in on cycling to make their communities more attractive to new residents.

Currently there is a single 5.6 Million dollar bridge for bikes under construction in Oakland County.


http://.www.theoaklandpress.com/general-news/20180117/site-preparation-for-56-million-m-5-pedestrian-bridge-begins-in-late-january

[DetroitSoldier]

I actually enjoy the slower drive down Jefferson right now. It's only been 48 hours or so since the striping was done, but it seems to be a much more comfortable drive. Does it take a little longer to get downtown? Sure. But it is more controlled than the drag strip it used to be.

[GPCharles]

300% increase in ridership!

Today I saw 2 bike riders headed inbound and 1 outbound. What will tomorrow bring?

[DeLemur]

Anyone notice how angry we all drive in Michigan? Its terrible.
When I asked the city how they'd do their outreach and education on bike paths they said a website [[smh) and information sessions. Why they don't buy out the billboards on the roads to communicate to people is beyond me.

5 - 10 extra minutes on your commute won't push any businesses to leave downtown for a suburban office. This is a generational thing. Bicycles are a big part of the 21st century and Detroit is the wild west of driving and roads. BOOM they hit! Hopefully in policy and not reality.

But, why the parking right off the driving lane and then the gap between parking and bike lane? Its foolish to make drivers enter traffic to leave their vehicle. Then put extra space on the passenger side to prevent riders being "doored" while on a bicycle. There just isn't and won't be enough bikes on E. Jefferson to worry about getting "doored" for another 20 years. Let the design evolve a step ahead of the culture. Let parkers exit their vehicle with some distance from traffic.

[Honky Tonk]

Anyone notice how angry we all drive in Michigan? Its terrible.
When I asked the city how they'd do their outreach and education on bike paths they said a website [[smh) and information sessions. Why they don't buy out the billboards on the roads to communicate to people is beyond me.

5 - 10 extra minutes on your commute won't push any businesses to leave downtown for a suburban office. This is a generational thing. Bicycles are a big part of the 21st century and Detroit is the wild west of driving and roads. BOOM they hit! Hopefully in policy and not reality.

But, why the parking right off the driving lane and then the gap between parking and bike lane? Its foolish to make drivers enter traffic to leave their vehicle. Then put extra space on the passenger side to prevent riders being "doored" while on a bicycle. There just isn't and won't be enough bikes on E. Jefferson to worry about getting "doored" for another 20 years. Let the design evolve a step ahead of the culture. Let parkers exit their vehicle with some distance from traffic.

A better idea would be to have the State of Michigan require cyclists to register and license their bicycles, buy annual plates, and carry insurance in case of injury. Proceeds from these venues could then be used to pave bike trails, buy rubber sticks, paint, $5 mil bridges, and whatever else the cyclists need to make them happy. This would alleviate the burden off of motorists who still need to get back and forth to work each day in a timely manner, and maybe divert some of their fees to actually get the roads revamped.

[MikeM]

I saw those lane dividers for the first time yesterday. I give them a month before they are all mowed down, unless the city has a full time position for someone to replace them constantly.

Jefferson is a drag strip because the lights are horribly timed; you either have to drive 15 mph or 50 mph to not have to stop at every light [[to wait for, usually, no crossing traffic). All the jalopies either double parked or cruising 20 mph in the left lane don't help either.

[DeLemur]

A better idea would be to have the State of Michigan require cyclists to register and license their bicycles, buy annual plates, and carry insurance in case of injury. Proceeds from these venues could then be used to pave bike trails, buy rubber sticks, paint, $5 mil bridges, and whatever else the cyclists need to make them happy. This would alleviate the burden off of motorists who still need to get back and forth to work each day in a timely manner, and maybe divert some of their fees to actually get the roads revamped.

"Burden on motorists" This entire region is built for motorists. How can you see any burden on them? The burden has been on communities paved over for highways [[see how the Lodge and 375 were built). In all seriousness how old are you? You are of another age. Today people would rather not sit in a car, struggling for traffic for 2 hours of their day.

[Honky Tonk]

Today people would rather not sit in a car, struggling for traffic for 2 hours of their day.

Of course not, their parents drove them everywhere they wanted to go, plus they gave them money for whatever they wanted. Now, out on their own, they expect this to continue.

[JonWylie]

Of course not, their parents drove them everywhere they wanted to go, plus they gave them money for whatever they wanted. Now, out on their own, they expect this to continue.

People today all got whatever they wanted? Totally man

[DeLemur]

Of course not, their parents drove them everywhere they wanted to go, plus they gave them money for whatever they wanted. Now, out on their own, they expect this to continue.

Haaaa, was that a joke? Damn you sound old. I'm just amazed at all the old people I hear saying "Where is everyone supposed to park?!?"

Being on a bicycle is good for your health, for the environment for seeing and engaging with people. Drawbacks are its not as fast, but if you're close its great.

[bust]

"Burden on motorists" This entire region is built for motorists. How can you see any burden on them? The burden has been on communities paved over for highways [[see how the Lodge and 375 were built). In all seriousness how old are you? You are of another age....

Someone has cranky baby boomer written all over him. Although like someone else here said, he does a great Archie Bunker impersonation too.

Look: LINKS!

The myth of millennial entitlement was created to hide their parents’ mistakes
https://qz.com/720456/the-myth-of-mi...ents-mistakes/

How the baby boomers — not millennials — screwed America
The boomers inherited a rich, dynamic country and have gradually bankrupted it.
https://www.vox.com/2017/12/20/16772...-congress-debt

Baby boomers are what's wrong with America's economy
They chewed up resources, ran up the debt and escaped responsibility.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/poste...ricas-economy/

How the baby boomers destroyed everything
https://www.bostonglobe.com/ideas/20...ZFL/story.html

The Worst Generation
Or, how I learned to stop worrying and hate the Boomers.
https://www.esquire.com/news-politic...neration-0400/

Now do you finally believe baby boomers are the most selfish generation?
http://www.businessinsider.com/budge...selfish-2018-2

From a boomer himself:

Did The Baby Boomers Ruin America?
http://www.wbur.org/cognoscenti/2018...hs-rich-barlow

And a millennial remix of a boomer classic, not really about bike riding [[Boomers don't seem to be so into that)...

Riding With The Wind by The Singularity and Jimi Hendrix
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1wZFiqi7IU

I'm only half kidding.

Now can we just get along?

[swingline]

Someone has cranky baby boomer written all over him. Although like someone else here said, he does a great Archie Bunker impersonation too.

Look: LINKS!

The myth of millennial entitlement was created to hide their parents’ mistakes
https://qz.com/720456/the-myth-of-mi...ents-mistakes/

How the baby boomers — not millennials — screwed America
The boomers inherited a rich, dynamic country and have gradually bankrupted it.
https://www.vox.com/2017/12/20/16772...-congress-debt

Baby boomers are what's wrong with America's economy
They chewed up resources, ran up the debt and escaped responsibility.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/poste...ricas-economy/

How the baby boomers destroyed everything
https://www.bostonglobe.com/ideas/20...ZFL/story.html

The Worst Generation
Or, how I learned to stop worrying and hate the Boomers.
https://www.esquire.com/news-politic...neration-0400/

Now do you finally believe baby boomers are the most selfish generation?
http://www.businessinsider.com/budge...selfish-2018-2

From a boomer himself:

Did The Baby Boomers Ruin America?
http://www.wbur.org/cognoscenti/2018...hs-rich-barlow

And a millennial remix of a boomer classic, not really about bike riding [[Boomers don't seem to be so into that)...

Riding With The Wind by The Singularity and Jimi Hendrix
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1wZFiqi7IU

I'm only half kidding.

Now can we just get along?

Good stuff. The "free parking" generation is pretty blind to the scope of its entitlement lifestyle.

[O3H]

In "other" countries they actually PLOW the streets and sidewalk for PEOPLE who actually use them. Cyclists, baby strollers, handicapped folks, elderly with walkers, etc., etc. - that's what taxes are meant to do - provide services to people. People bike 365, 24/7 around the world, even when it rains, snows, sleets, and is windy.

Too many obese, couch sitting, television watching idiots in USA
"Oh my god, bike to work, it's 10 miles away" which is less than 1 hr [[probably 30 minutes for anyone that actually rides a bike often)

http://www.exped.com/international/e...o-ul-mossgreen

Honkey Tonk - Let's tax those crazy Frisbee Golf hippies who run on the grass, and tear up the parks too. Each disk needs a registration sticker, renewed ever summer - or else - ..........!!!!!!!!

[Towne Cluber]

Lots of ugly ageism in this thread on all sides.

[TKshreve]

Lots of ugly ageism in this thread on all sides.

I remember a time when this thread was debating whether the bike lanes were good or bad on Jefferson. I think that discussion is worthwhile, and completely unrelated to what year our mother's pushed us out of their wombs.

Could/should the bike traffic have been channeled up to Mack or Kercheval? Maybe. Is Jefferson now slower because of this installation? Yes. Should Jefferson have been preserved as a "higher speed" thoroughfare for downtown commuters? I personally think so, as now the timing of the lights is disrupted. Would a rail line have satisfied all parties along this route? That's a good question.

[O3H]

Ageism - hell lots of old folks ride bikes - and some old ones are on trikes

[DetroitSoldier]

At a neighborhood meeting last week, an engineer for the city spoke about the bike patterns being installed on the East side. She said Jefferson and Warren are very much going to be test runs. They put in the paint and plastic barriers. Then after the patterns are studied and analysis is complete, there is money already in place to install more permanent concrete barriers [[think curb height) protecting the bike lanes.

It makes sense to do the analysis to determine how effective this experiment is when the expense is only paint and plastic. If all things work well, then hey, let's put in permanent placements.

By the way the timeline for implementation on Warren was said to be this summer

[GPCharles]

Driving back into downtown last night from a restaurant at Michigan Ave. and Junction [[any guesses which one?) we passed a group of 50+ bicycle riders heading in the same direction on Michigan Ave. Less than 1/2 were in the bike lane. The other 1/2 were in the parking lane and/or the 1st lane of traffic riding 5-6 abreast. I'll start having a little more respect for bicycle riders when they obey the traffic laws. Why build the bike lanes if they are going to go wherever they want anyway?

[O3H]

...........and the 2nd lane of the street was open for you to drive by

[GPCharles]

So bicycle riders can do whatever they want and the automobiles get whatever is left over?

Obey the rules of the road!

[Honky Tonk]

Driving back into downtown last night from a restaurant at Michigan Ave. and Junction [[any guesses which one?) we passed a group of 50+ bicycle riders heading in the same direction on Michigan Ave. Less than 1/2 were in the bike lane. The other 1/2 were in the parking lane and/or the 1st lane of traffic riding 5-6 abreast. I'll start having a little more respect for bicycle riders when they obey the traffic laws. Why build the bike lanes if they are going to go wherever they want anyway?

They were probably late for work.

[O3H]

Some folks want to hate , no matter what, even if they own a bicycle,
and simply let it collect dust in their storage spot.

[jcole]

Have you driven through Ferndale? Lots of bike lanes there

Oakland County seems to be doing the same things over and over, yet they're prosperous, populated, and their roads aren't full of obstructions for the residents trying to get to work.