Sunday, April 26, 2020

Yet another serious bicycle crash at Blakespear's Cardiff bike obstacles

From the Inbox:
Mayor Blakespear,

I understand another cyclist was injured on the new Cardiff bikeway this morning, this time northbound, and taken away by ambulance.

I’m sorry but this facility, though well-intentioned, is far more dangerous than even those of us who recognized the inherent dangers anticipated. It’s the wheel stops. And this has nothing to do with the project being incomplete. The wheel stops need to be removed immediately. Before someone is killed. Seriously.
That's the second serious injury this week.

UPDATE (in response to the first comment below)The original issue was that the new path is far too narrow and full of pedestrians for cyclists to use, so cyclists have to go out into the 45-mph car lane.

The new issue is that the asphalt barriers are far more dangerous than even the bike people imagined.

"Wheel stops" is probably not the term preferred by city traffic engineers, but it accurately describes both the appearance and the function.

I don't think a solid barrier would alleviate the problem. You'd still have bicyclists crashing into the solid barrier as they dodged pedestrians.

It's much like the pedestrian zone at Swami's, except there's a bike lane at Swami's so cyclists aren't forced to choose between the pedestrian zone and the car lane. Blakespear took away the bike lane in Cardiff.

18 comments:

  1. I don't understand what a wheel stop is. I am genuinely trying to understand the issue. Is the issue that there is an asphalt barrier between the bike path and the road? Or is the issue that there are large gaps in the asphalt barrier? Or is the issue something else?

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  2. The wheel stops are the asphalt barriers. Wouldn't you wait to do this project until the beaches re-open and there aren't hordes of people walking in those lanes?

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  3. I am wondering how long it will be before a cyclist hits a "wheel stop" only to go over the bars into the lane of traffic.

    I run on that stretch of 101 a few times per week, sometimes with groups. At some point pedestrians will also get hit by bicycles.

    What a disaster...

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  4. Total disaster and more big time lawsuits will be dropping. The Roberta Walker one will cost the City $10 to $15 Million alone which I'm guessing will be hitting soon. Blakespear is expensive for the taxpayers. There is a right way to do it, and the bike and ped community tried to tell the City. Blakespear would not listen.

    She always knows what is best for you.

    ABC

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  5. Thanks City!!

    A lot of happy healthy people in the water today. Great job of opening up the Coast line. Its great for public health!!!

    I can not wait for the State beaches to follow.

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    Replies
    1. But the parking lots are closed - the city streets are a cluster f**k!

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  6. The Roberta Walker lawsuit never hit. They filed a claim, the city didn't cave/settle, and that was over a year ago.

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  7. I hope fakespear lays awake at night wondering why people hate her guts. A complete FAILURE.

    Meanwhile El Camino is being torn apart as I write this and why?? Why do it during day light hours?? A complete FAILURE.

    The govt of Encinitas is a failure. FAILURE.
    But make sure you tell them they are failures at city hall so the can monitor you, track you and give you a social credit score of zero....

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    Replies
    1. El Camino work is now during the day because there are fewer cars on the road. People who work construction get paid more to work the graveyard, and construction at night is more dangerous. So they are taking advantage of the reduced traffic and working in the daytime as a cost savings and safety measure. I know this because I work in construction, and we are doing exactly this on my projects elsewhere in the county for exactly this reason.

      Not that it matters to people on this blog, the commentators on here would find a way to complain about literally anything. The mayor could write you each a check for a billion dollars and then personally shoot every homeless person who sets foot in this town and you keyboard warriors would probably whine about how you didn't get two billion dollars and complain about the cost of the bullets.

      Delete
  8. 8:54 either you're not keeping up or you're lying by omission. Walker suit settlement was discussed in last week's closed session. "Nothing to report," of course.

    Blakespear helping her galpal into a nice, fat paycheck courtesy of the voters. Surely you have not forgotten Catherine's remarks to the press condemning that stretch of the 101 as a known issue? As a lawyer she definitely should have known not to make such statements.

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  9. Serge Isakov wrote the letter above.

    He’s become like a Trumper on this issue. He’s put so much into it that it would cause too much psychic damage for him to change his mind. So he just has to keep doubling down.

    Everyone knows that construction zones have additional risk. Nothing has been painted to create visual contrast, and there’s lots of distraction from construction equipment, temporary signage, cones, etc.

    It will be fine.

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  10. OT-
    This Lori Greene character has stated that there were ero-zilch-none Sheriff presence at the aptly named freedom rally a few weeks back. This a a total and complete lie. Not only was there Sheriff presence but they were out in full force and were respected by all in attendance. In fact some may have have shown support as did the Enc fire dept. So this Greene character is straight up lying or misinformed due to the fact she appears to enjoy the lockdown and closure of public parks and beaches and seems to have the idea that it should continue until there are zero active cases anywhere. This Greene character goes against any logic and reason as well as math. Maybe due hysteria or fear or something a little more nefarious related to NIMBY-ism?

    Further - while I disagree with folks being arrested over the weekend I will state that bonehead behavior often results in karmic reality.

    Got that Ms. Greene?

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    Replies
    1. 11:37AM Lorrie doesn't hold a candle to your very own "Joan of Bark" whose whimpering about not getting her manis and pedis have classified her as a bona fide lunatic, and then directing her clones to seek out the Mayor's home and protest on the street, terrifying her young kids. No, Lorrie doesn't hold a candle to your "leader". You are the one who is lying. Lorrie never said there were no cops at the temper tantrum gathering at Swamis. BTW, please explain why your cabal had to yell the F Bomb at the Moonlight beach diaper fest. That's on video.

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    2. What the actual fu k are you talking about 11:37am.

      You are unstable in all your ways. One sincerely hopes you don't have children. Folks like you should be ratted out....not to the grossial distance overlords but to thd IRS . You know why.

      Delete
    3. 2:28 meant What the actual F are you talking abut 1:21

      I'm sure most with a brain know, but it's obvious 1:21 while having a brain only uses it to prove it's squishy and soft. Maybe too much netflix and Maddow?

      Delete
  11. 8:54, I'm not keeping up. Have they gone final with the settlement, or is it still under discussion?

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    Replies
    1. See 11:12. Still in negotiations. And still no sheriff's report.

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  12. the big question being, did they run the stop sign at the post office....

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