Berkeley bike boulevard. |
Bike boulevards are city streets—usually residential streets with low and slow traffic-- that have been modified to give bicycle travelers priority. Berkeley clearly marks its bike boulevards with large pavement markings and easy-to- spot directional signs, making it pretty easy to navigate my way around town.
streetfilms.org/Sarah Syed |
The real appeal of bike boulevards for me--and I suspect for many other folks--is that they are pleasant places to ride. I traveled all around Berkeley using quiet residential streets and passing through interesting neighborhoods. I visited parks, small business districts, the college campus and the bay following the bike boulevard network.
Cars must turn but bikes can go straight. |
At an arterial intersection, cars were again directed to turn right but I queued up in a bike lane that allowed me to continue forward. A pavement marking shows where to position your bike to ensure that the traffic signal detects you.
Cyclist waits in lane to cross arterial. |
Info on Berkeley's bike boulevard network can be found on the City's website. Check out this StreetFilms video about Berkeley's bike boulevard network.
I like this. Here's a question though, sharrow markings are mainly to educate motorists that bikes may be on the road. Now, as we know, cyclists have a perfect right to be on any road unless it is signed no bikes.
ReplyDeleteOn roads that are designated as bike boulevards, should the current law, as far to the right as is safe, or in the other states, as far to the right as is practicial, be recinded?