chaoswhisperer’s Recent Comments

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  Excellent question

  @BlackBear
  â€oeWill one more cyclist slow traffic to the same extent that one less car will speed it up?”

  Excellent question.  Although I think the problem is probably more about rates of utilization than about how well one bicycle compensates for one car.  By my calculations, removing a lane of traffic reduces capacity by about 2,500 drivers and passengers per hour.  A bike lane can probably handle all those people on a bike, but it would be pretty crowded.  The big question is, â€oeIf you build it, will they come?”.  The fact is, it will take a while to get that many people to utilize the new bike lane, and until they do, it will potentially cause increased congestion for the cars on the decreased capacity road and increased pollution for everybody.

  The issue then becomes one of policy.  Do we modify the infrastructure in the hopes that the resultant increase in pollution will be short term and that the long term result will ultimately be less pollution?
  On Anti-bike crusader halts San Francisco's cycle-friendly plans posted 1 year, 3 months ago 13 Responses