This is great. I just wish solving the issues I have to deal with as a cyclist were as ‘easy’ to do. Not a lot I can do when bike lanes just end and the road narrows enough to make it unreasonable to add one beyond pouring more asphalt.
@SuiXi3D @nix@midwest.social Agreed, we can’t solve those bigger problems without city buy-in. I think it’s all part if a cycle tho, guerilla projects get people talking, which gives a chance to convince more people, which hopefully gets those bigger projects done.
Actually bike lanes work best if 1. They are completely separate from the road or 2. The road feels narrow so cars naturally slow down. So go right ahead and spray paint bike lanes on the edges of narrow roads. I am sure that on 99 percent of US roads in town/city centers it will improve safety for cyclists, drivers and pedestrians.
There are plenty of things you can do as a cyclist to force change.
- Ride assertively, taking the lane early and often
- Participate in Critical Mass rides
- Stage a “just a minute” protest when you come across cars parked in the bike lane
- Paint guerilla sharrows, bike lanes, bike boxes, etc.
What is a just a minute protest? asking for a friend
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDboYpYvT2o
(You can do an impromptu protest by yourself, too: when a car stopped in the bike lane blocks your path, simply pull up next to it and block the general-purpose lane while you wait for the obstruction to clear.)
Many cities have community cycling/active transportation coalitions which advocate for bike lanes and other active transport infrastructure.
Nice short article. I love the idea, and it’s got be looking at a bunch of empty lots around where I live… 👀
