New Haven Independent

Posted by: nfjanette | March 8, 2006 4:21 PM

Traffic light cameras will be fought tooth and nail because in some ways we are a society of petty law breakers that does not want to be caught in the "minor" infractions that many people do every day while driving, bicycling, and yes, even as pedestrians. Remember the outcry at the auto rental company that nailed the person for driving the rented vehicle at high speeds; the issue of the driver's dangerous illegal activity was lost in the uproar over the electronic tracking of the vehicle. Increasing the traffic enforcement (for all vehicles including bikes) would be a great step forward in improving traffic safety.

There is no amount of enforcement, however, than can fix the large number of poorly engineered streets and intersections in this area. The lack of left turn lanes with traffic signal turn arrows is a particular problem; many people are stuck waiting to turn left against oncoming traffic and can't proceed until just after the light turns red. Traffic signal timing continues to be problematic; very short yellow light cycles actually cause more, not fewer run red lights, etc.

Fix the root causes and then let's see how much traffic safety - for all - is improved.

Posted by: Ned | March 9, 2006 8:26 AM

Be careful what you ask for. "Bicycle" lanes usually turn into double parking lanes, or extra travel lanes for cars. Also, bicycle lanes usually just force bicyclists into the the zone where they're going to get "doored," and where all of the broken glass and debris ends up, then car drivers get irritated because the bicyclist won't stay in his or her "lane." In addition, riding a bicycle frees one, somewhat, from the tyranny of the car driving/ownership regime; however, many bicycle advocates seem to want to sacrifice the freedom they currently enjoy, so they can be subject to the same poor traffic planning, by the same poor DOT planners, as car drivers. The demands for more "control" and "order" just end up in heightened enforcement of traffic rules - against bicyclists! Bicycles are not "vehicles" like cars; they're entirely different . I've been commuting, by bicycle, for the past twenty years - without a single "accident." Use your head, don't rely on traffic "management" to keep yourself safe. SUV drivers are generally the rudest (big surprise); no law is ever going to make people polite or considerate of others. Check out the work of the Dutch traffic engineer, Hans Monderman. Forget about the Neanderthal traffic engineers in CT.; their priority is cars first, always, everywhere.

Posted by: Frenchie | March 28, 2006 9:33 PM

I ‘bushwhack’ my way through the mayhem that is New Haven roads on a daily basis, whether it be on the commute to work, picking up groceries or out on a training ride.
As someone who regularly rides between 150-200 miles per week in the New Haven area, I come across many drivers who believe I have no right to be on the road. In particular drivers cut in front of me in order to get to the next intersection that millisecond faster. I try not to give in to the type of bullying where the driver rolls out of a driveway or side-street in front of you when you are virtually on top of them and you have the right of way because you are on the mainroad. Since giving into this kind of bullying slows me down and leaves me feeling miserable and frustrated about the state of the world, I try to out-bluff them. Since with some experience, I found that I could make it perfectly obvious that I do not intend to yield and continue to move forward as a clear indication to the driver that he should wait until I have passed. However, intersections pose more of a problem as too many drivers believe that they can disobey traffic laws by ignoring the ‘no right on red’ law or even worse, running the red light.

I am committed to sport being a major part of my lifestyle and I look forward to a lifetime of fun and fitness. But if there is one downside to being active, it’s the potential for injury. It’s sad but true that in addition to accidents caused by other riders, more often than not, it is the state of the road surface, the likelihood of being doored or the chance of being hit by a motorist that causes anxiety amongst cyclists. Moreover, what is always looming in the back of your mind is that the next wipeout or accident could be the one to put you off the road for weeks, months or years.

In the future, as the number of motorists on the road increases at its current rate we may inherit roads so hostile for cycling that accidents may become a rite of passage for those brave enough to take on the battle.