More on those cool bike boxes that have popped up in Portland, Oregon and NYC. Just another reason why Portland gets it. So when are these things going to start appearing in our area?
Chris Hamilton is the Commuter Services Chief for Arlington County, manager of CommuterPageBlog and a Metro/biking commuter from Rosemont in Alexandria.
Bike Boxes are an awful idea that Arlington should ignore.
Portland is installing them in a misguided response to several recent bicyclist fatalities in their poorly designed bike lanes. In Portland, bike lanes have been improperly striped solid at intersection approaches to the right of travel lanes where motor vehicles can turn right, and Oregon law requires bicyclists to use bike lanes and prohibits motorists from merging right across bike lanes before turning right. These conditions resulted in two prominent bicyclist fatalities in Portland in October 2007.
Arlington would be wise to not install any "bike boxes" (aka advanced stop lines), at least until the FHWA's Manual of Uniform Traffic Controls and Devices approves of their use. In addition, installing such devices *requires* prohibiting all right turns on red at the intersection approach. This would often annoy many motorists without providing other safety or air pollution benefits.
It is well established that bicyclists fare best when they act and are treated as drivers of vehicles. Rather than advocate for misguided special treatments for bicyclists, Arlington should do much more to increase sound bicyclist education and to encourage safe integrated traffic cycling behavior.
Posted by: Allen Muchnick | June 30, 2008 at 05:19 PM