Category: Musings

How slow is slow?

Richard MasonerAugust 19, 20133 Comments on How slow is slow?

The Slow Bicycle Movement folks are all linking to this Wall Street Journal article about slow cycling by Jennifer Levitz.

Average cycling speeds are hard to figure since bikes differ widely. But Ms. Peterson’s group in Alabama says its riders mosey along at the low end of a range of 8 to 10 miles an hour. Over in Huntsville, Ala., the Spring City Cycling Club’s “steady-pace fat-burning ride” touts an average pace of 15-17 mph. For comparison: British cyclist Bradley Wiggins won 2012 Olympic gold by covering the 27-mile men’s time trial course at an average speed of 32.4 miles per hour.

(more…)

Posted In Musings

Pedestrian access, safety and the American Automobile Association

Richard MasonerAugust 16, 20133 Comments on Pedestrian access, safety and the American Automobile Association

As part of their deliberate effort to redefine roadways for the exclusive use of automobiles at the expense of access and safety for anybody else, the American Automobile Association from their founding days recast pedestrians as the scofflaw other, while motorists are almost universally law abiding citizens.

From the February 9, 1922 issue of Michigan Roads and Forests Weekly: “Light percentage of blame for accidents attached to drivers.” You’ve got to love the clearly hyperbolic closing sentence, which claims “The jay-walker is the most serious menace to traffic safety today.”


The jay-walker is the most serious menace to traffic safety today

Be very afraid of the deadly pedestrian menace! Punish! Kill! Exterminate!

Or if that seems to messy and extreme, then socialize them to behave better around cars. Even today, California Senators Noreen Evans (Santa Rosa) and Mark DeSaulnier (Concord) believe pedestrians are the problem when it comes to traffic safety, if their Senate Resolution 12 17 is any evidence.

Posted In advocacy | history | Musings
Tagged

What are the operational costs of freeways?

Richard MasonerAugust 15, 201310 Comments on What are the operational costs of freeways?

People have long drawn attention to the mismatch between “user fees” — i.e. the Federal and state gas excises — versus the construction and maintenance expenses of our national system of highways and bridges. Has anybody analyzed the operational costs of public roads?


Beach traffic

In yesterday’s discussion about the purpose of empty buses, I mentioned that I’d someday like to shoot photos of empty Bay Area freeways, airports and publicly operated parking garages during off-peak hours as examples of government overspending.

Somebody responded that “comparing empty (or nearly empty) buses with empty freeways or parking lots is not at exact comparison: Highways and parking lots ‘just sit there’, while the bus has a driver collecting a paycheck and fuel that is being consumed.”

(more…)

Posted In Musings | transportation | Uncategorized

I can’t tune a piano but I can tuna bike

Richard MasonerAugust 2, 2013Leave a Comment

After an afternoon spent tuning bikes and pianos for a community bike share program run by enthusiastic volunteer bike hippies, I was just riding along with traffic on a two lane road through a busy city park when I pulled up behind a boy on a bike.

This Latino kid was maybe seven years old but performing amazing flatland moves on his Walgoose bike as he rolled along with the slow traffic.

He had some kind of mechanical and slowed to a stop. I was already in the center of the lane and signaled a stop when the maniac behind me in his 90s black Mercedes 300E decided he needed to jump the queue by a single person, roared around me, swerved back into the lane and flattened the poor boy.

The driver, who had a wife and two kids in the car with him, started to run but saw I already took a photo of his license plate with my phone.

Several bystanders called 911 and an off-duty nurse ran over to perform whatever first aid he could, but the little boy was gone by the time paramedics arrived 🙁

I woke up confused and shaken and it took me a moment to realize I really didn’t just witness a death in what turns out to be a vividly real dream.

Posted In Musings
Tagged

Road rager on a Raleigh in Sunnyvale

Richard MasonerJune 12, 2013Leave a Comment

Wrong way rider takes umbrage at suggestion to ride on the right side of the road.

I was asked to not reveal identities, so I’ll just share this Just Riding Along story without names to protect the identity of the innocent (and the guilty).

Friday before last I was commuting home the slightly-scenic route, and took the Moffett bay trail to Borregas Ave. On Borregas between 237 and 101 I yelled “Ride on the right please!” at a cyclist coming north in the middle of the southbound lane (no bike lanes on this quiet residential stretch).

I got to the stop sign at Weddell Dr (alongside 101) and heard the guy yelling at me, having turned around and started biking back my way. Me being me, I waited for him to see what he was going on about. However this guy wasn’t up for a civilized conversation — he jumped off his bike and punched me in the ear!

Fortunately a bystander/witness showed up and distracted the guy who continued yelling profanities and threats while I took his picture and dialed 911, at which point the perp rode off.

Road rage in Sunnyvale

Sunnyvale PD took 20 minutes to show up and naturally didn’t find the guy in the neighborhood / local greenway.

If you see this [guy] on a too-small Raleigh, don’t yell at him but please do call 911 regarding case CR13-4422. I’d love to see charges pressed against him. But meanwhile I can’t help myself and still yell at cyclists and drivers doing dumb stuff. The “please” has gotta help right?

Does anybody know if Sunnyvale’s anti-harassment law applies if the harasser is riding a bike?

Posted In Musings
Tagged