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madmoneymcgee t1_iz32uk4 wrote

I'm being completely serious when I say that I can't think of an example across the DMV where bike lanes went in and made the car traffic worse. Like, actually worse measured by real quantitative counts. Lots of people like to complain but rarely even bother to have the data to back it up.

There have been a couple examples where political pressure reversed a change but the numbers never actually backed it up.

Some of it is survivorship bias. DDOT simply isn't going to advance any sort of project where their numbers suggest car traffic would get really bad.

Some of it is that traffic is way more resilient than we realize. Trips start and end far from any one corridor so people who know that a route is no longer no good (not that NJ was ever any good in the first place) will make changes way earlier than right there.

And better yet this cascades as we get more and more people on bikes.

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rjr_2020 t1_iz5rvec wrote

This is because of the "don't spend money on anything that doesn't benefit me" mindset. I would argue that after commuting to DC for decades, we'd all be safer if everyone slowed down a bit. One accident, police car, etc can really upset the apple cart. Just today there was a construction project on N Capital where they closed lanes on each part of the intersection. Buses stopping in the remaining single lane, equipment blocking parts, etc. The workers don't care that it took over 30 mins to traverse that single block. Moving the bikes into their space and keeping them safe reduces incidents and the same complainers won't like them taking a lane in the roadway, despite the fact that they can probably ride 25MPH.

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AwesomeAndy t1_iz6ktnp wrote

If NextDoor is to be believed, if there's anything fewer than three lanes on every residential street, there will be nothing but gridlock everywhere

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Initial_Run1632 t1_iz7qlpk wrote

5th street/park street going south and warder street going north, on the blocks near Wash hospital center. Didn't really improve the bike experience that much, but significant driver wait times at the lights when going south. Same with Irving Street in that area. By(unnecessarily) eliminating the right turn lane to the hospital, traffic backs up at nurse shift change.

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celj1234 t1_iz362vu wrote

K Stret in MVT is a complete mess bc of the new bike lanes. Did not need those on both sides of the street

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madmoneymcgee t1_iz3717u wrote

Is it *actually* a mess? As in are the intersections seeing fewer cars make it through and the levels of service drop?

That road has been 2 lanes as long as I can remember anyway. The only change was parking on one side went away to make more total room for the bike lanes.

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celj1234 t1_iz37t46 wrote

It’s a mess bc now with the bike lanes there is ZERO place for Ubers and Uber eats drivers to pick up. With a number of restaurants and apts units in the area it’s a mess. Also never really even see anyone using those bike lanes. Just don’t see the need for them on both sides of the road there.

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madmoneymcgee t1_iz3bvdo wrote

But that’s always been the case. The roads always been two lanes with a parking lane.

But like you say, it all comes with more places opening up along the road and rise in ride sharing. Those things happened with or without bikes.

But still, we have the data on trip times along the street today and in the past. Bike lanes aren’t leading to longer trips by car in dc. Funny enough there’s evidence that ride share makes congestion worse so if we are gonna restrict something let’s restrict the thjng that is actually making traffic worse.

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invalidmail2000 t1_iz4i339 wrote

Seems like the problem is Ubers and Uber eats drivers acting illegally, nothing to do with cyclists.

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celj1234 t1_iz4putm wrote

They are doing their job. Do you really expect Uber eats drivers to try to find parking? Do you want your Uber picking you up far from your location on a rainy night? Recognize the reality of the situation and don’t live in a fantasy land.

−17

boogabooga08 t1_iz4r8iu wrote

Maybe the corporations responsible should be lobbying the city to convert street parking into delivery/loading zones. It's odd that you put the blame on the bike lanes instead of the business model of Uber and doordash which is ruining the city.

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celj1234 t1_iz4ssql wrote

Ruining the city? Lol

Agree to disagree there as well

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boogabooga08 t1_iz4tzca wrote

You don't think constant double parking and blocking bike lanes is ruining the city? It's extremely dangerous and unfair to everyone else. Again, not blaming the drivers. We need less on street parking and more delivery/loading zones for delivery drivers.

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NoDesinformatziya t1_iz4vljf wrote

> Do you really expect Uber eats drivers to try to find parking?

Yes, I expect people to follow laws of general applicability. "I don't want to follow the law because it's more profitable if I don't" is some libertarian hellscape shit.

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celj1234 t1_iz4vyq6 wrote

You’re not living in reality if you think that. It’s 2022.

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invalidmail2000 t1_iz5228o wrote

Yes I do.

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celj1234 t1_iz52fg7 wrote

You should put that presaved note in all your Ubers.

“Please find the nearest parking spot and I will find you”

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invalidmail2000 t1_iz54st1 wrote

I literally have. Or told them to pull into a specific spot where parking isn't legal but standing is.

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celj1234 t1_iz5880v wrote

That’s what up. Practice what you preach. I respect it

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silpsayz t1_iz3dpl1 wrote

I was recently driving there and there were cars parked with blinkers on without a driver on the east bound side. There was ton of parking available on the west bound side. I think this area should probably be designated as drop off/pickup area which would elevate the issue of non availability of space. Can’t help if if a driver ignores it though.

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celj1234 t1_iz3duxo wrote

Only need bike lanes on 1 side there

−12

boogabooga08 t1_iz4qw3c wrote

That is a main bike route for a ton of people. Both sides are definitely needed and it isn't even good enough since drivers are constantly pulling maneuvers and blocking the lane.

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celj1234 t1_iz4spnu wrote

Agree to disagree there. Never see those being used very much.

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boogabooga08 t1_iz4tud4 wrote

I ride on K St all of the time because it is the main route across the city from NE to NW. It gets a ton of bike traffic so I really don't understand your anecdote about not getting any use.

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celj1234 t1_iz4uzac wrote

Be living in the neighborhood and seeing those empty bike lines all the time.

−2

boogabooga08 t1_iz4vzol wrote

Bike lanes always look empty because bikes don't get stuck in traffic. I'm through a block in 30 seconds. The only time I have ever seen true bicycle traffic was when I used to commute via 15th NW downtown. Even then you could blink and it's gone. That's why we choose to bike. It's faster and it makes more sense at the scale of the city.

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poneil t1_iz4y130 wrote

It gets so busy on 15th St. NW. They really need a similar protected bike lane on the 17th St. side of the White House that extends all the way to Constitution.

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celj1234 t1_iz4yh8l wrote

So when I’m sitting at alta Strada and only or 1 or 2 bikes go by in 90 mins…..

We aren’t going to ever agree here on this topic. But enjoy your day

0

boogabooga08 t1_iz4yr4y wrote

I know we'll never agree. I see you spreading anti bike propaganda on this subreddit all of the time.

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celj1234 t1_iz4yzmt wrote

It’s not propaganda 😂

It’s my opinion. You don’t have to agree or like it that’s okay. Not everyone loves bikers and bike lanes. Sorry.

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ashooner t1_iz385ge wrote

I live a block away from K st. in MVT, and cross it almost daily. I don't know what you're calling a mess, it doesn't seem any more or less a mess than the rest of the neighborhood. 4th southbound approaching 395 is way worse.

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celj1234 t1_iz38ckz wrote

That’s a mess 2 but those bike lanes have not improved traffic flow on K right there. Can’t stand those empty barley used bike lanes.

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Zwillium t1_iz3e4mz wrote

>2 but those bike lanes have not improved traffic flow on K right there

You do realize not all road improvement projects have to make your life, as a driver, more convenient... Right?

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__main__py t1_iz4psi6 wrote

Sounds like you should hop on a bike, plenty of room in the bike lane.

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celj1234 t1_iz4q8om wrote

Nah. No thanks. I’m not a biker. Not for me. Uber, walking, or my car is how I get around the area.

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ashooner t1_iz38jls wrote

Would you consider them better used if they had standstill traffic like 4th street?

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celj1234 t1_iz38tkg wrote

Bike lanes on 1 side and a mix of parking/drop off & pick up zones on the other side. That would be ideal IMO.

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ashooner t1_iz3evk1 wrote

That makes sense, thats what happens anyway. And the north side of K when you cross over to NE is really not great because of backed up westbound car traffic.

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sdjbass t1_iz6nk3h wrote

>K Stret in MVT is a complete mess bc of the new bike lanes. Did not need those on both sides of the street

K Street NW into NE is absolutely worse. 100%.

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celj1234 t1_iz6nyac wrote

At least someone else realize the realizes the reality of that mess that those new bike lanes created

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