Bike lanes and sidewalks

Life is... well, it's likely taking some turns in the coming months. I'm not at liberty at the moment to discuss any of it, nor do I really have many details, but my mind is having a field day with all of the potential outcomes. As a person who likes open options, I find myself playing out scenarios and possibilities, but in the interim, there is so much that must be done, and my body is exhausted. I wish I could say that it is from riding so much, but as I pointed out to Sam just days ago, my cycling miles from January 2021 to January 2022 dropped off. 

Significantly. 

Like, by ninety percent. Ugh. 

It's funny how life upheaval can change so much of the usual routine. I'm also amused that as someone who likes open options and change, I do have parts of life for which I appreciate having a schedule or routine to depend on. When those things get disrupted, destroyed, or completely obliterated, I find the rest of life feels more chaotic than it normally would. I mentally struggle, which quickly turns into physical stress... and then, well, it depends on how quickly I come to that realization as to how it all gets handled. 

Last week I rode more than I have in a very long time (and it wasn't even close to as much as it would've been just a short three-quarters of a year ago) but it felt -- fantastically normal (except for perhaps a bit more saddle soreness than I'd normally experience). And yet, I am still struggling with finding balance between fixing our project house and the rest of life. I have not made art since, oh, around March of 2021 (although Sam keeps reminding me that the house is an art project all its own), and I haven't even bothered to try and find any sort of part-time gig (to replace or continue on with substitute teaching).

Last week, I pretty much opted out of the project house and focused on riding and other activities. We had a warm winter week in central Oregon, finding temperatures close to and right at the 70ºF mark and I wanted to take full advantage of the weather. Yet, somehow I still felt guilty spending several days during the week going for relatively short rides and ignoring the work that I know needs to get done. But, I know both my body and brain needed a break, so am trying to cut myself a little slack.

On the subject of cycling, one thing I've noticed here when riding is, as I pointed out early on, there seem to be quite a number of cycling lanes. Although I see bike-specific lanes in cities more frequently in the last decade or so, I still wish for more protected cycling lanes/areas.  When I find them, they are such a joy -- even as someone who doesn't necessarily mind riding in motorized traffic. Just being able to relax the body and mind a little in traffic is always welcomed.

This path (above) that B-dog and I walk regularly doesn't have a protected bike lane, but I do appreciate that thought was given to various forms of transportation. There is a sidewalk for walking/running, a raised bike lane for riding, and a lane for motorized traffic, and it runs on both sides of the road. It works seemingly well here, particularly as it's a lower speed limit spot, but more than once I've witnessed SUVs, trucks, 16-wheelers and other vehicles that have driven up onto the bike lane, making it one of those spots that I'm always a little leery to ride through without having full focus on motorized traffic. I would think that adding a protective barrier would make this more ideal, but because (as with most of the US) focus is on the convenience of drivers, I don't think that will happen any time soon. Adding a barrier would encourage drivers to actually drive the speed limit, whereas now, they are able to whip through, often 10-15+mph over the posted speed limit.

As can be seen in the same photo, cropped in a bit (below), people also like to use this area to park their vehicles, or use it when they break down (or hit one of the roundabout barriers, as I've personally witnessed). I am aware that the trucks parked here are doing city work, but there are literally parking spaces on the other side of the road at a public park, as well as plenty of residential street parking one to two hundred feet away that could be used if they were willing to take a few steps to the work area.

It may not seem like a big deal, but when the few spaces that are put in place for more vulnerable road users aren't respected as such, it does make people less likely to use the space. Plus, if I (or another walker, runner or cyclist) had been traveling on that side of the road, the only way to pass would be to enter the motorized traffic lane.

Not unlike this Twitter thread from last week.

As stated in my comment on Twitter, this is not a problem exclusive to Columbus. It seems to happen anywhere and everywhere, and yes, if this same closure were to happen where people drive, there would be an instantaneous uproar and solutions would be found immediately.

Sadly, as a cyclist and pedestrian, these are very common encounters when trying to navigate most cities. Bike lanes are used as a staging area for road closure signs, delivery drivers use bike lanes and narrow shoulders as their parking area, sidewalks are fenced off, forcing pedestrians or those riding on sidewalks into traffic lanes, and then people start to give up and instead get in their cars to drive because it becomes too much of a risk and too difficult to deal with not to be in a metal box. 

Although I didn't take a photo, I did recently encounter a fenced off sidewalk which had large, directed signs, pointing cyclists and pedestrians to a workaround path for the construction zone. I was honestly a little surprised to find this, but it made navigating around the area much, much easier, and I couldn't help but think that this is how every blocked bike lane or fenced off sidewalk should be dealt with on a regular basis. 

It seems as though the answer is pretty simple to this problem, but my presumption is that closures don't inconvenience enough people to make it worth the time and effort to put in a safe passage area during the length of construction or work projects. Yet, it almost feels more like a chicken or egg argument. Not enough people are cycling or walking, so no one bothers to put in alternative passing areas, but people don't feel safe on passageways because they've encountered the scenes above too frequently.  

Perhaps as fuel becomes more costly and the climate crisis is becoming unavoidable, changes will start to be seen? Unfortunately, it saddens me to say that it is more likely that things will continue on in the same manner, but I do hold on to hope that as more people use alternative forms of transportation, safety for all travelers will come to the forefront and change will take place.