BIKEPGH MESSAGE BOARD ARCHIVE

I love graphs!

I think the DOTs must be having a really hard time understanding what is happening now, with declining numbers of motorists. Always in the past, you would build a road, ridership would steadily increase, the road would get clogged up, and then you'd have justification for another road. If fewer people are driving, that messes up every assumption built into their lifeblood. Banks won't buy bonds for turnpikes if they don't think they're going to be paid back, states and the Feds won't allocate funds for new roads if they aren't needed. What are the DOTs going to do now? Fix existing infrastructure? Boring! OTOH, our own PennDOT sometimes gets things right: the new issue of SpokesPeople: ftp://ftp.dot.state.pa.us/public/Bureaus/press/SpokesPeople/Spokes-People_Fall2013.pdf

The new text in the PA Driver's Manual (chapter 5, page 90), as cited in SpokesPeople, seems to resolve some ambiguities or unclear sections in favor of the cyclist, though it echoes the law's sloppy logic in others. Some highlights: 2. Unless making a left turn, bicyclists traveling more slowly than passing vehicles must keep to the right side of the roadway and must travel in the same direction as the rest of traffic. However, this requirement is waived on roads with a single lane in each direction. 3. When there is only one travel lane, bicyclists may use any portion of the lane to avoid hazards on the roadway, including keeping a safe distance from stopped and parked cars. .... 6. Bicyclists are considered to be vehicle operators and are expected to obey all traffic laws; however, they may travel at less than the posted minimum speed and may not be cited for impeding traffic.

Has anyone ever seen a 'posted minimum speed', other than on freeways where bikes are prohibited anyway? (speed limit signs treated by most drivers as minimum-speed postings don't count...)