Should all new roads in a city have bike lanes?

1. 60

   nightwork4posted 12 years ago

   Should all new roads in a city have bike lanes?
   
   i realise that older streets may not have the room but shouldn't new streets have to have a bike lane?

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2. 0

   mikeq107posted 12 years ago

   Sure it would be nice..I,m a biker...portland is pretty good about that :0)

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3. 81

   saltymickposted 12 years ago

   Simple answer - Yes. However, it may not always be practical or even necessary to have a dedicated bike lane on "all new roads". In some cases a bike "path" could run alongside a road, or some roads (as in alternative routes to a particular destination for example) could be given over entirely to bikes. Where I live, some main roads into town have shared bike and bus lanes. The goal should be to encourage more and more people to cycle as it is eco-friendly, cheap and good for you - to acheive this goal, making roads "bike friendly" is one of the means.

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4. 65

   leroy64posted 12 years ago

   The question impllies an absolute requirement.  If you had asked is it a good idea for new streets to have bike lanes, I would have said yes.  The problem with an absolute rule is that there is no flexibility to deal with the different neighborhood building and street patterns that all cities aquire over time.  Where I live we need bike lanes; but, a blanket code requiring all new streets to have bike lanes would be nightmare in terms of design and land acquisition.  Admittedly a brand new town or suburb would be easier to do this in; but, in the long run they will have the same problem as they become established urban centers.

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5. 0

   ctbrown7posted 12 years ago

   As much as it is feasible, I think it is a good idea.  It seems bikers put themselves and drivers and risk by riding on the side of the road when there is no bike lane.

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6. 81

   Wesman Todd Shawposted 12 years ago

   I think so.  I ride a bicycle when I do get out and about in my area - unless, of course, I'm riding in someone else's vehicle.
   
   In Dallas, Texas - a few months ago a cyclist ran into and killed a woman who was jogging.  The cyclist was just like the motorist that he, no doubt, hated for the same reasons. . . .motorist think they own the road, and the cyclist, at home on a park trail, started thinking it was his, and he killed a woman for his high rate of speed and disregard for her right to jog on city park trail that cyclist thought they owned. . . .blah.

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7. 61

   Jonesy0311posted 12 years ago

   I feel that every city should move toward becoming more pedestrian and bicycle friendly, while also offering better public transportation that people will actually want to use. If you just rebuild the same old crap, where is the progress?

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8. 59

   lostdogrwdposted 12 years ago

   yes and in the downtown area, bike only road. might as well do the smart car thing with electric car and bike to clean the air in the big city and for healthier people.street cars, electric cars, and bikes have to be the future for the BIG CITIES. not every where, just the BIG CITIES.

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9. 70

   rob_allenposted 12 years ago

   Of course, that would be great for bikers and for those people who want to try an alternative to the usual mean of transportation.

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10. 72

    Laura in Denverposted 12 years ago

    I think that depends on what the expected usage of it would be and what other non-car options there are. Getting more cars off the road is important for the environment.
    
    I would like to have more bike lanes rather than navigate through residential areas. Fortunately, in Denver there are many bike lanes along with busses equiped with bike carriers.

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