Thursday, January 29, 2015

Grad student's video highlights need for cycle track on Delaware Avenue


From the Newark Post -- Kirsten Jones is no stranger to the perilous Delaware Avenue bicycle lane.

The University of Delaware graduate student uses her bike as her primary means of travel around Newark and estimates she treks down Delaware Avenue at least five times a week.

In her daily travels on the road, she’s learned to be ready for anything: pedestrians stepping out into the street, cars abruptly turning in front of her, buses pulled over in her path and cars parked in the bike lane in front of Newark High School.

“Those are pretty standard experiences,” Jones said, noting that she knows several cyclists who have been in accidents on Delaware Avenue.

Recently, Jones strapped a camera on her bike to create a video documenting the obstacles cyclists face on Newark’s main west-to-east route. It was part of a study Jones did looking at the feasibility of building a two-way cycle track on Delaware Avenue. [Complete article ...]

 Delaware Avenue at the S. Chapel Street intersection in 2010. A brand new "pork chop" (concrete) island was recently installed, nudging bicyclists much closer to the lane of traffic than before.

Poster's note:
A cycle track segregates bicyclists from traffic. How they will safely negotiate intersections and other access points from within, that remains to be seen. Many advocates for education and enforcement oppose such facilities, because they reduce or eliminate the bicyclist's rights as a participant in vehicular traffic.

2 comments:

  1. After watching the video, I would say that your biggest problem isn't a lack of cycle tracks. It's a lack of education on the rules of movements for bicycles.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for your comment, Cherokee. Please read our latest Blog post, and my feelings about the video...

      Delete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.