[*BCM*] Sharing the road vs. taking a lane?

[Paul Schimek]

Vicki said she saw a bicyclist "taking over the entire right lane, slowing
down
Tremont traffic a bit by causing all cars to ride in the left" and added
that she thought "I wish he'd move over to the right of the lane, I'd
totally share it with him."

I assume Vicki has the same thought about slowing traffic on the rare
occasions when she sees a motorist double-parked in the same lane (or when
she sees a motorist blocking the left lane waiting to make a left turn -- if
they were only riding a bike they would not block the whole left lane). 

Tremont St in the South End has a right lane that is 10 to 11 ft wide next
to a parking lane that is 8 feet wide. The only way for a car and bike to
share the right travel lane is for the bicyclist to ride completely in the
door zone.

The City of Boston designs travel lanes to fit the widest single vehicle,
not necessarily to fit two vehicles side by side. On a road with a passing
lane, Boston motorists should assume as a default that bicyclists will take
up the entire right lane, unless there is a shoulder or unusually wide lane.


Yes, it would be nice to convince a recalcitrant City of Boston to add in a
bit of extra width so that right lanes on most major (non-neighborhood)
streets have enough room for side by side lane sharing. But they have not
been convinced, and even if they change their ways, there will still be many
times and places where bicyclists need to take up a whole lane to be safe.

(By the way, New Jersey issues special permits for bicyclists to ride on the
shoulders of some interstates
--http://www.state.nj.us/transportation/commuter/bike/highways.shtm.)

--Paul Schimek
Former Bicycle Program Manager, City of Boston