Comments on: The Big Green Stripe (BGS)

By: Green Zones promote urban biking : Green Resouces

Green Zones promote urban biking : Green Resouces — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 15:18:04 +0000

[...] are clearly visible to motorists, since they are in front of them. On getting the go signal, the green stripe reminds both the cyclists and the motorists to be more [...]

By: Guy

Guy — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 17:25:05 +0000

I like it. Would make sense here in San Francisco where there are people complaining that bike lanes take up the real estate for cars. If we share the roads, then there isn’t a problem. Personally, I like to keep to the side streets when possible. The roads on the side tend to be in better repair and drivers can’t or shouldn’t be going too fast. Just gotta watch for the guy pulling out of the driveway.

By: Fitness Blogger » Blog Archive » The Big Green Stripe (BGS) | Bike Commuters

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 17:06:00 +0000

[...] Russ Roca wrote an interesting post today onThe Big Green Stripe (BGS) | Bike CommutersHere’s a quick excerpt [...]

By: Cycle_ed

Cycle_ed — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 21:49:20 +0000

I think there needs to be a little clarification for the out-o-towners on this area:
1) Belmont Shores is a very liberal city in Long Beach area and is very close to the beach and is very, VERY congested with beach traffic almost all the time. which means they spend much of their time and money controlling and/or catering to the beach traffic.
2) This section is heavily used by not only bike commuters, but beach goers, rec cyclists and towners that live within a few blocks of all the shops on this stretch of road.
3) on Weekends cyclist traffic kicks up because this a clean way for roadies to get in longer miles without getting run over on PCH. Also due to beach parking congestion this will help beach goers park farther away get to and from the beach much safer.

I think that this type of statement is very bold but will be well supported by this community because it will deter excess motor vehicle traffic and promote more multi-vehicle uses. Many of the residents in this community would not even slightly consider themselves “cyclists” but a large majority of this community “rides” bikes because it is faster to go get coffee and what not… hence the old curmudgeon was walking not driving.

The paint is not expensive compared to the revenue lost from potential visitors that won’t go there due unfriendly driving and/or biking conditions. this is a major shopping area and BGS will add to the ambiance of this hip area.

Oh and to you guys that are worried about how slippery it will be when it rains… We only got 8 inches of rain this year (down from average of 12″) it won’t be a problem

Oh and on a lighter note; I know why that old fart was such a curmudgeon… he is just pissed because all the “Gays” have taken over Belmont Shores! I here that crap all the time from old farts like him and he is right, many of my friends that live there are Gay (actually all my friends that live there are) but can you blame them… it’s a nice, safe, convenient area to live that is right on the beach and has awesome old craftsmen homes everywhere. That is about the only place in LA county I would live if I had to…

By: Alexis

Alexis — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 19:50:11 +0000

It’s beautiful! So it’s like a bike boulevard?
(In Portland we have some streets designated as bike-boulevards, which are low-traffic and not good for cars to use because there’s higher capacity streets where they can go faster next door. The nice thing about bike boulevards is that you can choose to use them (unlike a bike lane, which here you legally have to use when they’re available on that street). It’s nice because on bike boulevards cars aren’t trying to rush past you all the time and it’s much less stressful. Our signage is sub-par (a little bicycle symbol about the size of a salad plate on the road) but they’re working on getting bike, car-lane wide painted bicycles on new roads. It’s frustrating that sometimes motorists expect you to use the sidewalk and get out of their way… especially when downtown (where most people bike) it’s illegal to bike on the sidewalk. /Sigh

By: Iron Man

Iron Man — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 19:08:25 +0000

I finally got to see the video. YouTube is loading content pretty slow for me. Shame goes to the old timer for his rude launch into a discussion with the city rep. I swear everyone’s becoming a troll these days. “Are you the genius that came up with this?” Kudos to Mr. Gandy for keeping it civil. The old man does have some valid concerns in regard to cost in this current economy. However clearly this is a man that sees cycling as recreation. His only grasp of the activity is enjoyment or youthful fun (note his points centered on his grandchildren), so why on Earth would someone ride a bike on that street is so foreign to him. He cannot grasp the notion that cyclists are using this street to get to work, get to businesses, etc. He thinks it’s a recreational trail getting tossed onto a street. I don’t know how you educate folks with that mindset.

By: Apertome

Apertome — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 18:54:40 +0000

I love sharrows — my hometown put some in (sans green stripe) a couple of years ago, and they’re great.

However, like some other readers, the green stripe concerns me. It does seem wasteful and it does seem to indicate that that space is for bikes only, not that it is shared space. This undermines the whole point of sharrows.

And, I share the safety concerns. Whenever it rains or snows, I avoid painted lines like the plague. How do you do that when the whole lane is painted? I hope they used paint that won’t be as slick as most.

By: Kagi

Kagi — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 17:42:29 +0000

Umm…hoodie with no shirt? That’s something I’d like to see prohibited on public thoroughfares.

By: Kermit

Kermit — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 17:19:31 +0000

The green stripe is a mistake. If they spent that money on more white paint they could have sharrows in a lot more areas and on different streets this would get even more attention. Although I think this will get attention for all the wrong reasons.

As was mentioned I would think that much paint on the road would pose a safety risk when it is wet.

By: Quinn

Quinn — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 16:45:35 +0000

In my area Reno, NV, we need that big and bold of a statement, just so we can feel safe. I do think there would be back-lash If we got a lane like that, but we have enough of a bike culture I think it would be accepted quickly