[Rescue Muni] Re: Digest rescuemuni.v001.n344
RICHARD WINN (seerichardwinn@juno.com)
Mon, 9 Nov 1998 07:56:45 -0800
>
>What say we recommend Newsom as Transportation Committee chair? He
>clearly has a grasp on Muni issues - much more than many of his
>colleagues, particularly one trans comm chair who shall remain
>nameless.
>
>Andrew
>
I say good idea, Andrew.
Richard Winn
-------------- MESSAGE rescuemuni.v001.n344.5 ---------------
>
>From: David Powers <chromo@sirius.com>
>Subject: Bicycle counts from another source
>
>473 cars went through the intersection
>67 bikes went through the intersection
>
>Cars
>- ----
>219 (46%) come to a complete stop
>246 (52%) were rolling 'stops'
>8 (2%) cars did what I call 'slowing down' but would probably be
>better defined
>as 'unsafe behaviour'.
>
>Note: I would bet that most cars that came to a complete stop only did
>so
>because there were other cars at the intersection whose turn it was to
>go.
>In fact, most of the 8 'unsafe' cars were ones that did rolling stops
>when
>there was another stopped car at the intersection whose turn it was to
>go.
>
>I'll probably do this exercise again at a less traffic intersection
>and I
>would bet less than 10% of the cars would come to complete stops.
>
>
>Bicycles
>- --------
>7 (10%) bicycles came to a complete stop
>24 (34%) bicycles were rolling 'stops'
>26 (39%) bicycles did what I call 'slowing down'. I'm not going to
>say that this
>is 'unsafe behaviour'. I'm definitely unsure. This was definitely a
>faster
>speed than how fast cars who did 'rolling stops' were going, but not
>by
>much.
>10 (15%) bicyles made no apparent effort to slow down.
>
>
>I am definitely less sure about my position that bicyclists need to
>stop at
>intersections. I think more bicycles should have stopped at this
>particular
>intersection because the cars get in this mode where they are taking
>turns
>and when they are doing that, they are only watching the car that
>they
>expect to go next and totally miss bicycles that zip through out of
>turn.
>
>I can see, though, that even the 'slowing down' bicycles were at what
>is
>probably a safe speed at an intersection where there are no cars.
>
>Basically, I still totally understand Supervisor Kaufman's statement,
>but I
>think it is not a useful observation. Watching bikes at an
>intersection you
>are struck by what seems to be a completely blase attitute towards the
>law.
>What that statement fails to take into account, though, is the
>relative
>speeds of the different vehicles. You could say that at least 85% of
>the
>bikers were behaving in a safe manner, though compared with 98% of the
>cars,
>that record is nothing to brag about.
>
>All this really speaks to is better education for both parties.
>
David,
this is great! What are you views on the best way to change these
behaviors?
Richard Winn
415-567-7310
fax: 415-474-7788
>
>
>
>--------------- MESSAGE rescuemuni.v001.n344.6 ---------------
>
>From: David Powers <chromo@sirius.com>
>Subject: Re: bikes, signaling and turning
>I passed this comment on and I'm sure that this kind of stuff will be
>a part of whatever bike driver-ed happens in the future.
David,
In what way will future bike drive-ed have the greatest effect?
Richard Winn
>
>
>