Last month Gov. Jerry Brown signed Assembly Bill 819, a bill intended to encourage more communities to implement modern protected bike facilities. The current system actively discourages cities from implementing protected bike lanes and other cycling innovations commonly used in Europe because they are not legally covered by Caltrans’s outdated bike lane standards. The new bill is a step forward since it streamlines a process by which cities and municipalities can apply to implement more innovative designs.

And now the bill is getting support from a Canadian study which compares the various different environments in which people ride their bikes. In many ways, their findings reflect common sense. For example, they found that streets with bike lanes are safer than streets without bike lanes. Not to sound rude but, duh. The suprising news is in the numbers. A bike lane (even the most basic and flawed as many in California are) will reduce the risk of injury to cyclists by 50% as compared to a similar street without a bike lane. And the same style street with a protected bike lane (meaning barriers between cars and cyclists) drop risk of injury 90%. Those statistics are astoudning. Numbers like these are hard to argue with.

Imagine, if cities invested in protected bike lanes, it is likely that injuries to cyclists would drop approximately 90%. That means more cyclists on the road and we have posted numerous articles about what more cyclists means for cities; safer streets, better public transportation, less traffic and congestion, more tourism, and the list goes on.

Basically, the Canadian study put numbers to something that San Francisco cyclists have known all along. You have to invest in safety. It may be a lot up front, but the returns are astronomical.

If you ever need a bicycle accident attorney in San Francisco, Paso Robles, or the surrounding Central California Coast area, contact us for a free consultation.

Source:

http://calbike.org/californias-new-protected-bikeways-law-could-get-a-boost-from-new-research/#more-4316

http://calbike.org/advocacy/better-bikeways/

http://www.theatlanticcities.com/commute/2012/10/dedicated-bike-lanes-can-cut-cycling-injuries-half/3654/

Photo Source:

SF Gets First Protected Bike Lane! Drivers Already Violating It

The tragic death of Hailey Ratliff, the 12 year old Novato girl struck and killed while riding her bicycle in October, has local police pleading Bay Area residents to educate themselves on the rules of the road. Here are some basic precautions that EVERY cyclist needs to take:

1. All cyclists, minors included, must learn and follow the rules of the road. For those riders without a driver’s license (and subsequently without the mandatory training) this means familiarizing yourself with California and local laws.
2. It may seem counterintuitive, but it is safer to bike on the street than on the sidewalk. Streets are generally flatter, the visibility is better and there is less risk of a collision with cars exiting their driveways.
3. Stay at least 3 feet from parked cars. The distance will allow for more reaction time if a car begins to pull onto the street.
4. Wear a helmet.
5. Use bike lights and reflectors, especially at night and during the winter when cloud cover can lower visibility.
6. Always signal your moves and make your intentions obvious. If you are going to turn, make sure all the cars around you know you are going to turn.
7. Drunk cycling is drunk driving.

It’s not fair, but it is true that it lands on cyclists to take extra precautions when sharing the road with cars. Winter in San Francisco and the Bay Area means heavy fog and wet roads. Please be safe!

If you ever need a bicycle accident attorney in San Francisco, Paso Robles, or the surrounding Central California Coast area, contact us for a free consultation.

Source:

http://www.californiabeat.org/2012/11/13/after-fatal-biking-accident-tips-for-a-safer-ride-in-the-bay-area

Half-hidden tracks belonging to the historic San Francisco Belt Railroad create a dangerous obstacle for cyclists along the waterway near Ghiradelli Square . The line, built in 1889, was used to transport cargo from the piers to various locations along the waterfront. In addition, since the line ran from  a tunnel under Fort Mason to the Presidio it was perfect for transporting troops during World War II. Since the line was officially shut down in 1993 this rich history has been at odds with the safety and ease of the roadway. The San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, which has jurisdiction over the tracks, says that the problem is that the tracks can’t merely be pulled up.

The Maritime National Park is looking for a compromise solution. Their original solution was to fill in the tracks in areas where people cycle most often and leave them alone in other places. However, the pavement cracks every time the sand under the tracks  shifts.

Park officials will hold an open house to gather public comment on possible solutions for the old tracks on Dec. 6, from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Maritime Museum at 900 Beach St.

If you ever need a bicycle accident attorney in San Francisco, Paso Robles, or the surrounding Central California Coast area, contact us for a free consultation.

Sources:

http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Hidden-danger-lurks-under-pavement-4018405.php

Even the most well-intentioned acts can have negative consequences.  Case in point, Octavia Boulevard in Hayes Valley. Prior to 2005 Hayes Valley was, in the words of Bay Citizen reporter Zusha Elinson, “a hooker haven beneath the Central Freeway”.  This all changed when the city replaced the overpass with Octavia Boulevard. With trees and a park the area became positively residential. Except that its not. It is a busy on-ramp for the near by freeway.

This combination, a residential spin on a congested, fast-moving, freeway onramp, has turned out to be dangerous. The intersection has the (dis)honor of being San Francisco’s most dangerous with 30 injury collisions in the last three years. In the last year alone the intersection was the site of 13 collisions involving injuries.

The real kicker is that 9 of those 13 crashes involved cyclists. With approximately 63,000 vehicles using the intersection each day, the danger to pedestrians and cyclists can be very real. Cars idle in the cross-walks, make illegal turns, get frustrated with the congestion and drive recklessly or simply treat it like the freeway it used to be. Rahman Law PC has successfully handled cases in which bicyclists haven been injured by vehicles on Octavia Boulevard. The majority of such injuries occur when drivers make an illegal right turn onto Market from Octavia.

A study by the SF County Transportation Authority recommends “improving bikeways and crosswalks and reducing car traffic by updating public transit and using congestion pricing, a system of electronic tolls for crowded streets.” It has also been suggested that the city install a camera to catch those vehicles that make an illegal right turn on Market. Whatever the solutions turn out to be, most people would agree that Octavia boulevard is an improvement to the overpass. Few would argue that it has not improved and rejuvenated the area. However, the city now needs to protect its cyclists and pedestrians and take measures to make Octavia safer.

If you ever need a bicycle accident attorney in San Francisco, Paso Robles, or the surrounding Central California Coast area, contact us for a free consultation.

Source:

http://www.baycitizen.org/transportation/story/good-intentions-lead-highest-sf-crash/

Three blocks of Fell and Oak streets between Scott and Baker streets are getting a much needed complete streets style makeover. SFMTA has approved a plan to implement separated bike lanes, to install bulb-outs to 12 corners, and to slow  traffic signal lights.

The renovations will mean that the streets will lose a total of 50 parking spaces, a negative consequence that had many local business owners up in arms. At the same time, however, cyclists and pedestrians praise the changes, saying that they are a long time coming. “[The changes] will help people of all ages walking to and from some of the most beloved parks in San Francisco,” said Elizabeth Stampe, executive director of Walk SF, a pedestrian advocacy organization. “For too long, the Panhandle and Golden Gate Park have been like islands in the middle of these freewaylike streets.”

 

Source:

http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/transportation/2012/10/revamp-fell-and-oak-streets-bike-lanes-unanimously-approved#ixzz29afQbhVU