Author Topic: Biking in Houston  (Read 10696 times)

NewPerspective

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 136
Biking in Houston
« on: June 01, 2015, 11:06:22 AM »

I thought this article might be interesting for some of you to read.  I know that, generally speaking, biking is safer than driving but Houston can be a scary place for biking.

http://www.houstonpress.com/news/hundreds-of-cyclists-are-hit-on-houston-streets-every-year-7472548

The article offers a different perspective from smaller or more bike friendly cities.

Apologies if this was already posted!

GuitarStv

  • Senior Mustachian
  • ********
  • Posts: 23130
  • Age: 42
  • Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Re: Biking in Houston
« Reply #1 on: June 01, 2015, 11:20:27 AM »
It's a good example of how poor city design, coupled with a very car-centric and entitled culture, coupled with police not interested in enforcing the law makes things very dangerous.

jrmrjnck

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 14
Re: Biking in Houston
« Reply #2 on: June 01, 2015, 01:40:56 PM »
Spot on, GuitarStv. I tried biking to work when I moved to Houston, and within two months I had twice come within inches of being killed by drivers who blew through a stop sign. It was only a two mile commute on a 35 mph road, but Houston drivers have so little regard for safety (and the law) that I had to give up biking. So glad to be leaving soon...

EricP

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 477
Re: Biking in Houston
« Reply #3 on: June 01, 2015, 01:52:32 PM »
I know that, generally speaking, biking is safer than driving but Houston can be a scary place for biking.

It's not actually.  MMM's article uses a lot of favorable assumptions to swing it in biking's favor and also puts it in terms of "per hour" instead of "per mile."

If everyone biked it would be safer, but we're a long way from that.

Eric

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 4057
  • Location: On my bike
Re: Biking in Houston
« Reply #4 on: June 01, 2015, 02:05:58 PM »
I know that, generally speaking, biking is safer than driving but Houston can be a scary place for biking.

It's not actually.  MMM's article uses a lot of favorable assumptions to swing it in biking's favor

By including the health benefits of getting exercise instead of sitting on your ass in a car?  Of course that's a favorable assumption!  It's one of the best parts about biking!

EricP

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 477
Re: Biking in Houston
« Reply #5 on: June 01, 2015, 02:09:42 PM »
I know that, generally speaking, biking is safer than driving but Houston can be a scary place for biking.

It's not actually.  MMM's article uses a lot of favorable assumptions to swing it in biking's favor

By including the health benefits of getting exercise instead of sitting on your ass in a car?  Of course that's a favorable assumption!  It's one of the best parts about biking!

The assumption is that one is doing no other physical activity.  If you're already doing an hour in the gym a day, then you will be getting a fraction of those benefits.  And again, even with that assumption, if you framed it in "per mile" instead of "per hour" then biking still loses.

Eric

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 4057
  • Location: On my bike
Re: Biking in Houston
« Reply #6 on: June 01, 2015, 02:20:10 PM »
I know that, generally speaking, biking is safer than driving but Houston can be a scary place for biking.

It's not actually.  MMM's article uses a lot of favorable assumptions to swing it in biking's favor

By including the health benefits of getting exercise instead of sitting on your ass in a car?  Of course that's a favorable assumption!  It's one of the best parts about biking!

The assumption is that one is doing no other physical activity.  If you're already doing an hour in the gym a day, then you will be getting a fraction of those benefits.  And again, even with that assumption, if you framed it in "per mile" instead of "per hour" then biking still loses.

I'm pretty sure it's not a dichotomy.  If it was, then never traveling faster than walking speed would win every time.  But of course, most of us factor time spent and enjoyment derived as well.  You can claim that biking is less safe, and as you've pointed out, it's easy to claim the opposite as MMM does.  But it hardly matters, as there's risk involved with everything.  The chance of you being critically injured or killed no matter your travel method is very low.  And you can lower it even further by taking proper safety precautions.  If you live in Houston, it appears that some of those safety precautions include getting your local government to take bikers and their rights seriously.

EricP

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 477
Re: Biking in Houston
« Reply #7 on: June 01, 2015, 02:30:03 PM »
I know that, generally speaking, biking is safer than driving but Houston can be a scary place for biking.

It's not actually.  MMM's article uses a lot of favorable assumptions to swing it in biking's favor

By including the health benefits of getting exercise instead of sitting on your ass in a car?  Of course that's a favorable assumption!  It's one of the best parts about biking!

The assumption is that one is doing no other physical activity.  If you're already doing an hour in the gym a day, then you will be getting a fraction of those benefits.  And again, even with that assumption, if you framed it in "per mile" instead of "per hour" then biking still loses.

I'm pretty sure it's not a dichotomy.  If it was, then never traveling faster than walking speed would win every time.  But of course, most of us factor time spent and enjoyment derived as well.  You can claim that biking is less safe, and as you've pointed out, it's easy to claim the opposite as MMM does.  But it hardly matters, as there's risk involved with everything.  The chance of you being critically injured or killed no matter your travel method is very low.  And you can lower it even further by taking proper safety precautions.  If you live in Houston, it appears that some of those safety precautions include getting your local government to take bikers and their rights seriously.

What isn't a dichotomy?  One is either "generally safer" than the other.  And that's what I was refuting, that biking is "generally safer" than driving (for US residents).

Eric

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 4057
  • Location: On my bike
Re: Biking in Houston
« Reply #8 on: June 01, 2015, 02:51:37 PM »
Okay, so then how would you change things to make it so that biking is "generally safer" than driving in your estimation?  If we're not there yet as you're claiming, then how do we get there? 

Bike lanes definitely help.  I can't believe that Houston is just now starting to incorporate those into their infrastructure.  That's just nutzo crazy to me.  One of the videos in the article has a guy that posted a 3 foot flag on the left side of his bike to show drivers how far 3 feet is that they're legally required to give when passing.  That's a brilliant idea!

shotgunwilly

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 548
Re: Biking in Houston
« Reply #9 on: June 01, 2015, 02:57:30 PM »
I live in Houston.  You couldn't pay me enough to bike here.

NewPerspective

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 136
Re: Biking in Houston
« Reply #10 on: June 01, 2015, 03:07:48 PM »
I live here too.  When I first discovered MMM I thought about attempting to bike to work (approx 7 miles) for about five seconds.  I quickly realized I'm just not brave enough.  People drive SO aggressively!

I thought it was a good perspective as I think a lot of people think that biking is an option no matter where you live.  Obviously it is an option here but you really do have to have a certain amount of know how/bravery, something. 

Noodle

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1316
Re: Biking in Houston
« Reply #11 on: June 01, 2015, 04:59:22 PM »
Houston is not a great place to be on/near the roads, whether traveling by car, bike or foot. People always talk about Houston as a car city but a large part of it is a car city designed for the 1960s that has not been updated as the population density inside the city has increased. Between the newcomers in the city/country who are trying to navigate confusing geography at high speeds, the people found everywhere who just have bad driving habits, and the totally insane (like the guy I personally saw drive UP a highway off ramp because he got sick of waiting in a traffic jam), there is a lot of poor driving out there. Add that to a lack of pedestrian/bike infrastructure (there is a lot of the city with no sidewalks, let alone bike lanes), and just general poor traffic management (no signals at intersections that need them; the city lets people park in traffic lanes on fairly busy streets, meaning that drivers are changing lanes suddenly to get around them; high speeds on streets with narrow lanes), ugh. Plus the police are so busy dealing with the truly insane traffic violators that they don't spend enough time on the everyday violations to keep them in check, let alone regulating bicyclists (by whom I have also seen plenty of bad behavior).

Cougar

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 344
Re: Biking in Houston
« Reply #12 on: June 01, 2015, 05:26:37 PM »
I live in Houston.  You couldn't pay me enough to bike here.

Me too.

Between the traffic and heat and humidity of May thru September and the April monsoon season; it's worth it to drive and air conditioned car and use the miles and miles of pavement that has been pus down.

Ricky

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 842
Re: Biking in Houston
« Reply #13 on: June 01, 2015, 10:28:21 PM »
Okay, so then how would you change things to make it so that biking is "generally safer" than driving in your estimation?  If we're not there yet as you're claiming, then how do we get there? 

My dream world is Amsterdam. 35% commuters by bike. I think what needs to change is for cities to focus on density and create completely separate bike lanes complete with red lights just for bikes. Then have a huge public announcement on how beneficial biking is whether if be through money saved, the fun and exhilaration that can be had, or simply the exercise benefits. They'd have more happy, fitter, productive people in my opinion.

Bike lanes help, but it needs to go much further. Cities need to show they care about bikers (better infrastructure and enforcing laws) to encourage people to bike rather than just simply acknowledging they exist. Ultimately, my point is, the more people that bike, the safer it becomes. Same concept as the more people who drive small cars, the safer it would be for anyone to drive a small car.

Bardo

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 212
Re: Biking in Houston
« Reply #14 on: June 02, 2015, 06:02:01 AM »
Not to be pointlessly contrarian, but I lived in Houston for a long time and much of that time rode a bike to work.  I never really thought it was all that much worse than other cities in which I've lived.  Part of the trick is finding routes that avoid main arteries, which should be easy enough if you're inside the loop.  Plus it's flat and winters are mild.  Sure, there is a large population of yahoos in pick-up trucks, but I wasn't going to let them intimidate me either. 

StashDaddy

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 129
  • Age: 44
  • Location: Sugar Land, TX
Re: Biking in Houston
« Reply #15 on: June 02, 2015, 06:13:32 AM »
Yeah, I live in Houston, and used to be pretty "into" the bicycling scene (back before I had kids...you know...those little dependent people that need you to stay alive and provide for them).  The best riding is in the exurbs, out beyond most of the traffic.  And even then, I'd recommend finding a nice group to ride with.  Safety in numbers and all that...

Houston has actually painted bike lanes on many of the roads in town, but you have to be clinically insane to ride them during commuting times.  First of all, they are pretty narrow, and cars pass pretty close (a large % of them piloted by drivers looking at their cell phone).  Second, they are often filled with rocks/broken-pavement/puddles/debris that force you even closer to traffic.  Almost nobody uses them.  I'm convinced they are there purely for show...to make the city look more "green" in those bike-friendly surveys that groups do.

On top of that, the heat and humidity add to the impracticality of most bike commutes here.  It ain't like it is in a small city in dry, cool/cold Colorado.

Your best plan if you want to avoid driving is to live very close to work (may not be as practical if you have kids).


teacherwithamustache

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 131
Re: Biking in Houston
« Reply #16 on: June 02, 2015, 07:54:02 AM »
Im sorry I live in Houston also and I think bikes are the root of all evil.  These entitled hippy Northeners are a plague on our streets.  I live in a suburb and do you know what I hate...bike riders.  Cyclist are people that can travel pretty fast and pretty much move at the speed of traffic.  These people are not bad.  Bike riders are the idiot adults that ride 10 MPH in the middle of the road when there is a perfectly good sidewalk right next to them.  Ride on the damn side walk people.  If you can not go 30mph get off of the road. 

Also how hard is it to post or leave signs or something for road closures during marathons and triathalons?  Just post alternate routes somewhere that I can read while driving to an intersection.

I am sorry if there is no infra structure for you to ride your bike.  That does not give you the right to slow down everyone else's commute by you go 10mph down the middle of the road.

GuitarStv

  • Senior Mustachian
  • ********
  • Posts: 23130
  • Age: 42
  • Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Re: Biking in Houston
« Reply #17 on: June 02, 2015, 08:18:37 AM »
Im sorry I live in Houston also and I think bikes are the root of all evil.  These entitled hippy Northeners are a plague on our streets.  I live in a suburb and do you know what I hate...bike riders.  Cyclist are people that can travel pretty fast and pretty much move at the speed of traffic.  These people are not bad.  Bike riders are the idiot adults that ride 10 MPH in the middle of the road when there is a perfectly good sidewalk right next to them.  Ride on the damn side walk people.  If you can not go 30mph get off of the road. 

Also how hard is it to post or leave signs or something for road closures during marathons and triathalons?  Just post alternate routes somewhere that I can read while driving to an intersection.

I am sorry if there is no infra structure for you to ride your bike.  That does not give you the right to slow down everyone else's commute by you go 10mph down the middle of the road.

A cyclist has the right to ride down the middle of the road if it's unsafe to stay too close to the side, regardless of the speed they are traveling at.  If there are occasional potholes and cracks at the edge of the road, you need to cycle several feet from the curb so that you have space to avoid these hazards . . . staying close to the edge and pulling into traffic is far too dangerous.

Study after study has shown that cycling on the sidewalk is significantly more dangerous than cycling on the road because of the heightened risk of being hit by a car at intersections.  Every driveway that crosses the sidewalk is a danger because cars don't typically expect a fast moving bicycle to be there, so they don't look far enough up when making turns.  On the road vehicles can see the cyclist and avoid him or her.

I don't know what marathons have to do with cycling at all.

Lack of infrastructure forces cyclists on to the road where you're driving.  A cyclist on the road needs to cycle in a way that is safe.  That sometimes means taking the whole lane (which they're legally allowed to do).  If you don't like this, you should be lobbying for more bike lanes, not giving out foolish advice like 'ride on the sidewalk'.

cerebus

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 509
  • Age: 46
  • Location: South Africa
Re: Biking in Houston
« Reply #18 on: June 02, 2015, 08:22:35 AM »
Well, I'm considering a move to Johannesburg and still cycle commuting, so I have to be certifiable. I lived in Houston for 5 years and I'd bike there - the only problem with Houston to me is the distances between everything are so far.

Eric

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 4057
  • Location: On my bike
Re: Biking in Houston
« Reply #19 on: June 02, 2015, 08:35:30 AM »
Im sorry I live in Houston also and I think bikes are the root of all evil.  These entitled hippy Northeners are a plague on our streets.  I live in a suburb and do you know what I hate...bike riders.  Cyclist are people that can travel pretty fast and pretty much move at the speed of traffic.  These people are not bad.  Bike riders are the idiot adults that ride 10 MPH in the middle of the road when there is a perfectly good sidewalk right next to them.  Ride on the damn side walk people.  If you can not go 30mph get off of the road. 

Also how hard is it to post or leave signs or something for road closures during marathons and triathalons?  Just post alternate routes somewhere that I can read while driving to an intersection.

I am sorry if there is no infra structure for you to ride your bike.  That does not give you the right to slow down everyone else's commute by you go 10mph down the middle of the road.

Sometimes while driving, you have to adjust your speed for other traffic.  Change your attitude.  You're the problem here, not someone on a bike.  A 4 second delay while you change lanes is not going to affect your travel time.

cerebus

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 509
  • Age: 46
  • Location: South Africa
Re: Biking in Houston
« Reply #20 on: June 02, 2015, 08:49:06 AM »
Im sorry I live in Houston also and I think bikes are the root of all evil.  These entitled hippy Northeners are a plague on our streets.  I live in a suburb and do you know what I hate...bike riders.  Cyclist are people that can travel pretty fast and pretty much move at the speed of traffic.  These people are not bad.  Bike riders are the idiot adults that ride 10 MPH in the middle of the road when there is a perfectly good sidewalk right next to them.  Ride on the damn side walk people.  If you can not go 30mph get off of the road. 

Also how hard is it to post or leave signs or something for road closures during marathons and triathalons?  Just post alternate routes somewhere that I can read while driving to an intersection.

I am sorry if there is no infra structure for you to ride your bike.  That does not give you the right to slow down everyone else's commute by you go 10mph down the middle of the road.

Sometimes while driving, you have to adjust your speed for other traffic.  Change your attitude.  You're the problem here, not someone on a bike.  A 4 second delay while you change lanes is not going to affect your travel time.

It's also incredibly dangerous to drive on the sidewalk. That's where people are walking. If you're too irritated by the slowdown caused by a cyclist in your motorized throne that you're willing to endanger pedestrians with no protection from a hurtling bicycle, you need to quit your commute because it's killing you. Just you know, IMO.

EricP

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 477
Re: Biking in Houston
« Reply #21 on: June 02, 2015, 09:11:01 AM »
Okay, so then how would you change things to make it so that biking is "generally safer" than driving in your estimation?  If we're not there yet as you're claiming, then how do we get there? 

Bike lanes definitely help.  I can't believe that Houston is just now starting to incorporate those into their infrastructure.  That's just nutzo crazy to me.  One of the videos in the article has a guy that posted a 3 foot flag on the left side of his bike to show drivers how far 3 feet is that they're legally required to give when passing.  That's a brilliant idea!

Honestly, any infrastructure/societal changes will likely be too slow and self-driving cars will be here and those will probably be much safer than biking even under ideal situations for biking.  By no means is this not a reason to do these changes anyways and sure biking is more fun for a lot and definitely cheaper.

StashDaddy

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 129
  • Age: 44
  • Location: Sugar Land, TX
Re: Biking in Houston
« Reply #22 on: June 02, 2015, 09:30:05 AM »
Quote
Bike lanes definitely help.  I can't believe that Houston is just now starting to incorporate those into their infrastructure.  That's just nutzo crazy to me. 

Altho Houston has had bike lanes for many years now, as I said they are fairly worthless, and virtually nobody uses them.  That said, Houston has some nice dedicated pathways along the bayous that cross the city that are highly used by cyclists and pedestrians.  They have done lots of nice improvements for dedicated paths such as this lately.  I am a big fan of these as they are much safer.  However, they only provide a limited amount of connectivity, and it may be difficult to use them to get to a particular end-destination.

KCM5

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 881
Re: Biking in Houston
« Reply #23 on: June 02, 2015, 09:37:47 AM »
Well, I'm considering a move to Johannesburg and still cycle commuting, so I have to be certifiable. I lived in Houston for 5 years and I'd bike there - the only problem with Houston to me is the distances between everything are so far.

Frankly, I think anyone that bikes in South Africa is certifiable. Even my cautious, careful husband turns into a homicidal maniac when driving South African roads. It's like some sort of self preservation that causes you to drive without the safety of other road users in mind. Last time we were there he came up fast of on a biker, tailgated him for a bit, and squeezed by him leaving very little room. He doesn't drive like that in the US! When I asked him why he thought that was a reasonable way to drive when sharing the road with a bike, he said he was afraid of getting rear ended so needed to get by the bike as quickly as possible. Nevermind that if being rear ended is such a problem the biker probably wouldn't still be riding in the first place...

In general car friendly places are not bike friendly places, bike lane or no bike lane. Clearly we've prioritized cars for the most part and Houston one of those places. But up in the midwest in my small city, bike friendly routes can be found and I rarely have encounters that would make me think biking is unsafe. It helps that the city was built on a grid system and has bike lanes on many of the through routes with quieter routes that make sense to bike but less sense to drive as they have more stop signs. That said, I am not interested in riding in the suburbs (4 lanes at 45 mph seem to be the only option. I'm not into that).

teacherwithamustache

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 131
Re: Biking in Houston
« Reply #24 on: June 02, 2015, 10:20:57 AM »
Im sorry I live in Houston also and I think bikes are the root of all evil.  These entitled hippy Northeners are a plague on our streets.  I live in a suburb and do you know what I hate...bike riders.  Cyclist are people that can travel pretty fast and pretty much move at the speed of traffic.  These people are not bad.  Bike riders are the idiot adults that ride 10 MPH in the middle of the road when there is a perfectly good sidewalk right next to them.  Ride on the damn side walk people.  If you can not go 30mph get off of the road. 

Also how hard is it to post or leave signs or something for road closures during marathons and triathalons?  Just post alternate routes somewhere that I can read while driving to an intersection.

I am sorry if there is no infra structure for you to ride your bike.  That does not give you the right to slow down everyone else's commute by you go 10mph down the middle of the road.

Sometimes while driving, you have to adjust your speed for other traffic.  Change your attitude.  You're the problem here, not someone on a bike.  A 4 second delay while you change lanes is not going to affect your travel time.

You really can not change lanes on a 2 lane street with traffic going in both directions.  I just wish the bike people would ride on the shoulder or the sidewalk.  That request seems very logical.  The cylclist on the highways are fine they move at a reasonable speed.  It is the suburb bike people that drive me nuts.  Im the problem here???  I guess me and the 99% of other motorist on the roads are the problem.  Yeah that is logical.

teacherwithamustache

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 131
Re: Biking in Houston
« Reply #25 on: June 02, 2015, 10:24:47 AM »
Im sorry I live in Houston also and I think bikes are the root of all evil.  These entitled hippy Northeners are a plague on our streets.  I live in a suburb and do you know what I hate...bike riders.  Cyclist are people that can travel pretty fast and pretty much move at the speed of traffic.  These people are not bad.  Bike riders are the idiot adults that ride 10 MPH in the middle of the road when there is a perfectly good sidewalk right next to them.  Ride on the damn side walk people.  If you can not go 30mph get off of the road. 

Also how hard is it to post or leave signs or something for road closures during marathons and triathalons?  Just post alternate routes somewhere that I can read while driving to an intersection.

I am sorry if there is no infra structure for you to ride your bike.  That does not give you the right to slow down everyone else's commute by you go 10mph down the middle of the road.

Sometimes while driving, you have to adjust your speed for other traffic.  Change your attitude.  You're the problem here, not someone on a bike.  A 4 second delay while you change lanes is not going to affect your travel time.

It's also incredibly dangerous to drive on the sidewalk. That's where people are walking. If you're too irritated by the slowdown caused by a cyclist in your motorized throne that you're willing to endanger pedestrians with no protection from a hurtling bicycle, you need to quit your commute because it's killing you. Just you know, IMO.

I am not talking about downtown Houston.  I am talking about the suburbs.  I ride my bike on the sidewalk all of the time.  My commute is not the problem it is the weekend and evening bikers that are the slowest.  Thanks for asking.

Eric

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 4057
  • Location: On my bike
Re: Biking in Houston
« Reply #26 on: June 02, 2015, 10:32:48 AM »
Im sorry I live in Houston also and I think bikes are the root of all evil.  These entitled hippy Northeners are a plague on our streets.  I live in a suburb and do you know what I hate...bike riders.  Cyclist are people that can travel pretty fast and pretty much move at the speed of traffic.  These people are not bad.  Bike riders are the idiot adults that ride 10 MPH in the middle of the road when there is a perfectly good sidewalk right next to them.  Ride on the damn side walk people.  If you can not go 30mph get off of the road. 

Also how hard is it to post or leave signs or something for road closures during marathons and triathalons?  Just post alternate routes somewhere that I can read while driving to an intersection.

I am sorry if there is no infra structure for you to ride your bike.  That does not give you the right to slow down everyone else's commute by you go 10mph down the middle of the road.

Sometimes while driving, you have to adjust your speed for other traffic.  Change your attitude.  You're the problem here, not someone on a bike.  A 4 second delay while you change lanes is not going to affect your travel time.

You really can not change lanes on a 2 lane street with traffic going in both directions.  I just wish the bike people would ride on the shoulder or the sidewalk.  That request seems very logical.  The cylclist on the highways are fine they move at a reasonable speed.  It is the suburb bike people that drive me nuts.  Im the problem here???  I guess me and the 99% of other motorist on the roads are the problem.  Yeah that is logical.

No, not the other 99%.  Just you.  If your road rage is so encompassing that you'd describe bikes as the root of all evil, then maybe it's time to seek out a competent therapist to work on your issues.  Most people are aware of their surroundings enough to realize that having to slightly slow down for other traffic is not a big deal.

And no, biking on the sidewalk is not a reasonable request.  Bikes are a vehicle with the same rights as a car.  The sidewalk is more dangerous.  The reasonable thing to do is drive like a human being with respect for other human beings.

GuitarStv

  • Senior Mustachian
  • ********
  • Posts: 23130
  • Age: 42
  • Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Re: Biking in Houston
« Reply #27 on: June 02, 2015, 11:07:59 AM »
You really can not change lanes on a 2 lane street with traffic going in both directions.  I just wish the bike people would ride on the shoulder or the sidewalk.  That request seems very logical.  The cylclist on the highways are fine they move at a reasonable speed.  It is the suburb bike people that drive me nuts.  Im the problem here???  I guess me and the 99% of other motorist on the roads are the problem.  Yeah that is logical.

It's not safe to cycle on the sidewalk.

Quote from: [url=http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/els/00224375/1996/00000027/00000003/art82242
http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/els/00224375/1996/00000027/00000003/art82242[/url]]The average cyclist in this study incurs a risk on the sidewalk 1.8 times as great as on the roadway, and the result is statistically significant (p<0.01)

Quote from: [url=http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9542542
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9542542[/url]]The relative rate of injury on the sidewalk versus the road is very high (4.0). Similarly, the relative
injury rate on sidewalk versus off-road paths/trails is quite high (2.5).

Quote from: [url=http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0001457599000287
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0001457599000287[/url]]Overall, travel on roads has the lowest injury and fall rates, followed by off-road paths and then sidewalks. Collision rates are lower on sidewalks than on paths. But collision rates are higher on paths and sidewalks compared to roads. The relative rate of injuries and major injuries on the sidewalk versus both roads and paths is very high.


You are asking people to endanger themselves because you want to zoom through a suburb faster.  Do you not see where you're being unreasonable?

teacherwithamustache

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 131
Re: Biking in Houston
« Reply #28 on: June 02, 2015, 11:14:00 AM »
Exactly respect for other human beings and their time!!!  If there are more then 5?6? 10? cars behind you that you are slowing down then you should respect the other human beings and move over.  All I am asking for.  There is no road rage I am very peaceful.  You seem to think I am a road rager?  I have never even honked my horn at someone on a bike.  You are jumping to conclusions.  All I am asking for is a bit of common courtesy.  If you are moving slower then 10 mph then move over when traffic backs up.  Like I said in the original post Cyclist are fine bike riders are the root of all evil.

GuitarStv

  • Senior Mustachian
  • ********
  • Posts: 23130
  • Age: 42
  • Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Re: Biking in Houston
« Reply #29 on: June 02, 2015, 11:31:49 AM »
Quote
Ride on the damn side walk people.

Quote
I just wish the bike people would ride on the shoulder or the sidewalk.

The 'common courtesy' you're continually asking for is unsafe and dangerous behaviour, as has been explained several times.

FWIW, I do my best to allow cars to pass when they build up behind me as soon as it's safe for me to do so.  It's scary where there are a lot of angry people in large steel boxes sitting over your shoulder.  I have never seen a cyclist purposely create the kind of traffic jam that you're talking about.  Is it possible in the case you're talking about that the road was in bad condition and it's not safe for the cyclist to move over?  It's difficult to gauge side of the road conditions from a car.

cerebus

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 509
  • Age: 46
  • Location: South Africa
Re: Biking in Houston
« Reply #30 on: June 02, 2015, 11:47:26 AM »
Well, I'm considering a move to Johannesburg and still cycle commuting, so I have to be certifiable. I lived in Houston for 5 years and I'd bike there - the only problem with Houston to me is the distances between everything are so far.

Frankly, I think anyone that bikes in South Africa is certifiable. Even my cautious, careful husband turns into a homicidal maniac when driving South African roads. It's like some sort of self preservation that causes you to drive without the safety of other road users in mind.

Yeah where I commute I'm quite fortunate, it's just one road in a smallish town, 7kms each way, with very wide shoulders all the way.

jrmrjnck

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 14
Re: Biking in Houston
« Reply #31 on: June 02, 2015, 12:02:52 PM »
Another interesting problem about biking in Houston: poop in the bike lane!

http://www.houstonpress.com/news/hpd-is-really-sorry-about-all-that-poop-on-the-downtown-bike-lane-7480354

Also, the mayor's publicly stated opinion is that on-street bike lanes are not good for Houston, and she prefers development of off-street paths (the kind that's only useful for recreational cycling on the weekend).

cerebus

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 509
  • Age: 46
  • Location: South Africa
Re: Biking in Houston
« Reply #32 on: June 02, 2015, 12:05:34 PM »
Anyway I found an alternative to biking in Houston:


darkadams00

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 419
Re: Biking in Houston
« Reply #33 on: June 03, 2015, 10:18:49 AM »
Exactly respect for other human beings...

Ironic comment, don't you think? From the few hundred drivers I know, their attitude is generally consistent across all forms of driving interactions. Their attitude towards cyclists (positive or negative) is similar to their attitude towards other drivers who drive a bit slower, towards the pedestrian who is slowly pushing a stroller in the crosswalk, towards the red light that stopped them momentarily, towards the tractor pulling the trailer of hay, towards kids taking his time chasing a ball on the neighborhood street. A person might interact differently with others depending on whether that person is driving or not, but when actually driving, their attitude, verbal responses (that no one can hear), driving responses, etc are usually consistent.

So if you're this fussy about bikers, then I suspect you have an apparent attitude issue when you're behind the wheel. Period.

And what makes a person a cyclist and not a biker? 10.49 mph vs 10.50 mph? 15.99 mph vs 16.00 mph? And aren't all of those speeds well under the 35 or 45 mph that you're driving? Maybe it's the carbon. Or the lycra. Or the fancy logos. Or the aero bars. Or the cool wheels. Or the gloves. Or the clip-in shoes. Or the sunglasses. Let me know. I definitely want everyone to put me on their personal list of Cyclists.Who.Deserve.Your.Fandom. 

teacherwithamustache

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 131
Re: Biking in Houston
« Reply #34 on: June 03, 2015, 02:21:10 PM »
I love how all of you assume I am the one to blame here.  I do appreciate the person who suggested that I advocate for more bike lanes to prevent this from happening in the future.  That was actually productive.  The rest of you seem to think that I suffer from some degree of road rage and this is my fault.  I have had 1 ticket in 20 years thanks for asking.  Yall seem to be getting out your frustrations on me for other drivers that may have almost hit you on your bicycle at some point.  FACT:  If you walk, drive, BIKE, roller blade, scooter, hop, or any other former of transportation down a 2 lane street and you back up traffic you should pull over.  Period end of story.

jimbo0987

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 2
Re: Biking in Houston
« Reply #35 on: June 03, 2015, 03:15:50 PM »
Im sorry I live in Houston also and I think bikes are the root of all evil.  These entitled hippy Northeners are a plague on our streets.  I live in a suburb and do you know what I hate...bike riders.  Cyclist are people that can travel pretty fast and pretty much move at the speed of traffic.  These people are not bad.  Bike riders are the idiot adults that ride 10 MPH in the middle of the road when there is a perfectly good sidewalk right next to them.  Ride on the damn side walk people.  If you can not go 30mph get off of the road. 

Also how hard is it to post or leave signs or something for road closures during marathons and triathalons?  Just post alternate routes somewhere that I can read while driving to an intersection.

I am sorry if there is no infra structure for you to ride your bike.  That does not give you the right to slow down everyone else's commute by you go 10mph down the middle of the road.


THIS!! This is why I hate Houston. What a sh&# attitude to have. Be mad at the city planning (or in Houston's case lack there of) that designed an infrastructure to safely allow ONE form of transportation only. Don't be mad at the cyclist that is doing his best to get around in a system not designed well for him or her.

In my city, I remind people that the city's streets were not originally designed for automobiles (I commute on a grid designed in the 1800's) so I have just as much right to be on them as they do. Just because they make up 97% of commuters doesn't mean they're the only ones allowed on the road.

GuitarStv

  • Senior Mustachian
  • ********
  • Posts: 23130
  • Age: 42
  • Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Re: Biking in Houston
« Reply #36 on: June 03, 2015, 05:08:57 PM »
I love how all of you assume I am the one to blame here.  I do appreciate the person who suggested that I advocate for more bike lanes to prevent this from happening in the future.  That was actually productive.  The rest of you seem to think that I suffer from some degree of road rage and this is my fault.  I have had 1 ticket in 20 years thanks for asking.  Yall seem to be getting out your frustrations on me for other drivers that may have almost hit you on your bicycle at some point.  FACT:  If you walk, drive, BIKE, roller blade, scooter, hop, or any other former of transportation down a 2 lane street and you back up traffic you should pull over.  Period end of story.

It's not the end of story according to Texas law:

Quote from: Sec. 551.103
Operation on Roadway.
 
(a) Except as provided by Subsection (b), a person operating a bicycle on a roadway who is moving slower than the other traffic on the roadway shall ride as near as practicable to the right curb or edge of the roadway, unless:
 

(1) the person is passing another vehicle moving in the same direction; [or]
 
(2) the person is preparing to turn left at an intersection or onto a private road or driveway; [or]
 
(3) a condition on or of the roadway, including a fixed or moving object, parked or moving vehicle, pedestrian, animal, or surface hazard prevents the person from safely riding next to the right curb or edge of the roadway; or
     
(4) the person is operating a bicycle in an outside lane that is:
    (A) less than 14 feet in width and does not have a designated bicycle lane adjacent to that lane; or

    (B) too narrow for a bicycle and a motor vehicle to safely travel side by side.

(b) A person operating a bicycle on a one-way roadway with two or more marked traffic lanes may ride as near as practicable to the left curb or edge of the roadway.
 
(c) Persons operating bicycles on a roadway may ride two abreast. Persons riding two abreast on a laned roadway shall ride in a single lane. Persons riding two abreast may not impede the normal and reasonable flow of traffic on the roadway. Persons may not ride more than two abreast unless they are riding on a part of a roadway set aside for the exclusive operation of bicycles.

Please note the highlighted sections of your laws that appear to address your concerns.  You'll notice that no point indicates the cyclist must pull over to the side and stop to allow traffic through . . . so maybe you should be happy that so many cyclists do their best to ensure you can pass out of respect for a fellow road user.
« Last Edit: June 03, 2015, 05:10:33 PM by GuitarStv »

darkadams00

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 419
Re: Biking in Houston
« Reply #37 on: June 03, 2015, 07:48:10 PM »
I love how all of you assume I am the one to blame here. 

No assumption. You have stated it clearly and repeatedly in this thread. Your opinion is self-centered and not in line with your local laws. I'm willing to slide a bit when possible (and from your driver's seat you probably don't see the glass and other various debris on the edge of the road so when I move over to claim my space for safety reasons that you don't see, you just assume I'm an idiot who doesn't respect your right to the road). I have no issue with the presence of cars where I'm biking although for me your presence is matter of my safety. My presence, if I happen to need to take the lane, is just a matter of inconvenience to you. You have an issue with EVERYBODY on a street and not in a car, thus also proving the point I made as well about consistent attitudes. Again, not an assumption on my part. I never said you had road rage, violent tendencies, or a bad driving record. Frustration and extreme dislike do not always show themselves in those manners. But I do posit that you are a frustrated driver who does verbalize that feeling when inconvenient driving situations arise. To have posted this many times as a contentious contrarian on an overtly bike-supporting website either means you are frustrated, stupid, or a troll. I choose to think of you as frustrated because that's the best of those options. Lots of things will help frustration.

Enough said on this thread.

TRBeck

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 152
Re: Biking in Houston
« Reply #38 on: June 04, 2015, 02:36:51 PM »
Exactly respect for other human beings and their time!!!  If there are more then 5?6? 10? cars behind you that you are slowing down then you should respect the other human beings and move over.  All I am asking for.  There is no road rage I am very peaceful.  You seem to think I am a road rager?  I have never even honked my horn at someone on a bike.  You are jumping to conclusions.  All I am asking for is a bit of common courtesy.  If you are moving slower then 10 mph then move over when traffic backs up.  Like I said in the original post Cyclist are fine bike riders are the root of all evil.

I live outside of Austin, and the urban sprawl here is expanding with a disregard for sanity and thought that will likely result in conditions much like those in Houston (and the other urban centers of this tax-hating state). The mentality reflected in your posts does nothing to improve matters and merely positions cyclists and motorists as enemies. Unfortunate, but a very clear and unsurprising depiction of the suburban entitled self-centered Texan mindset. Thanks for reflecting to the rest of the world why cycling in Texas cities is often challenging and sometimes life-threatening.

Glad I'm in a small town for now, but it's about to be just another suburb in yet another car-centric Texas city, full of dudes like you. Oh, joy.