Outside magazine hates on Houston

[Subdude]

Before you add up of those miles-and-miles of Houston bike lanes you need to subtract the ones that are unridable. Like this one on Morningside...

The sub-roadbed's actually collapsed in numerous spots between Main and Rice Village. Looks like the city got tired of doing maintenance on it, so they gave up and turned it into a bike lane. The bike lane on Weslyan also comes to mind as dangerously narrow and too rough to ride with any rapidity. That isn't to say that HOUTX doesnt' have some nicely constructed and executed bike lanes. The ones on 12th that link up to Post Oak then Memorial are excellent. Unforutnately it's illegal to ride on Memorial just a few miles west of the tie-in, so I'm not quite sure their purpose. To be fair, just about all of the goofiest lanes pre-date the current bikeways coordinator who's working very hard to secure improvements. This one actually *gasp* rides a bike.

What makes HOUTX so unbikable are the lack of complete routes. For example, there is no thru-route from Downtown to the Energy Corridor via bike lanes. That would be a reasonable commute, but there's no good way to do it without taking a very tortuous route, or being forced to navigate over-crowded streets. Again this isn't entirely the City of Houston's fault, as the Memorial Villages forbid bikes on the road.

Works great on Heights Blvd.

A lot of the designated bike paths in Houston were effectively unrideable due to road conditions like this or, as along Westpark, the amount of trash and broken glass. And I always thought the idea of putting up a "share the road" sign and then designating the road as a bike route was ludicrous. All that said, just because there may not be great dedicated infrastructure doesn't mean that Houston is a bad city to bike in. Quite the contrary. It's flat, and there are almost always good low-traffic alternatives to the main streets.

[august948]

Before you add up of those miles-and-miles of Houston bike lanes you need to subtract the ones that are unridable. Like this one on Morningside...

The sub-roadbed's actually collapsed in numerous spots between Main and Rice Village. Looks like the city got tired of doing maintenance on it, so they gave up and turned it into a bike lane. The bike lane on Weslyan also comes to mind as dangerously narrow and too rough to ride with any rapidity. That isn't to say that HOUTX doesnt' have some nicely constructed and executed bike lanes. The ones on 12th that link up to Post Oak then Memorial are excellent. Unforutnately it's illegal to ride on Memorial just a few miles west of the tie-in, so I'm not quite sure their purpose. To be fair, just about all of the goofiest lanes pre-date the current bikeways coordinator who's working very hard to secure improvements. This one actually *gasp* rides a bike.

What makes HOUTX so unbikable are the lack of complete routes. For example, there is no thru-route from Downtown to the Energy Corridor via bike lanes. That would be a reasonable commute, but there's no good way to do it without taking a very tortuous route, or being forced to navigate over-crowded streets. Again this isn't entirely the City of Houston's fault, as the Memorial Villages forbid bikes on the road.

Works great on Heights Blvd.

I wouldn't mark this one unbikable, but then I ride a mountain bike with some add-on's for convenient errand running and shopping. I've found that you need to be able to go off-road to deal with some of the challenges of biking (like poorly maintained roads and sidewalks that end abrubtly). Personally, I think that just adds to the fun.

[musicman]

A lot of the designated bike paths in Houston were effectively unrideable due to road conditions like this or, as along Westpark, the amount of trash and broken glass.

ok what kind of amounts are you talking about? i've gone from kirby out to the beltway on skates with no problem.

[august948]

That Outside Magazine idiocy takes the cake.

They factor in cost of living, economy in their rankings and yet Houston somehow is on their hate list in the big picture.

Stupid, stupid. They condescend to remark about our nice barbecue...when actually it's our ethnic food that shines out more than anything these days. Shows how much they know about Houston.

When it's "flat", Houston gets singled out but not Chicago or NY or Miami.

When it's "bad weather", Houston gets singled out but not those MISERABLE Chicago winters (which I grew up with). And those incessant gloomy Seattle overcasts. And the lack of thunderstorms of any sort in San Diego...I considered that "bad weather" during my time there!

Living in Westchase, there are numerous opportunities for biking. I have a bicycle and ride on some occasions. Those sidewalks along the business parks, the driveways and such actually make for an excellent cycling endeavor.

Ranchester, Briarpark, Westheimer, Meadowglen, Gessner...it is SOOOO EASY to create a bike route.

Do these anal types have to have these lanes marked "BIKE PATH?" Do these Outdoor Idiots need nature ways lined with grapevines in all directions that lead to a Whole Foods Store?

I could easily bike along the sidewalks returning my movies to the Blockbuster at Gessner/Bellaire if I wanted.

If you haven't already, bike a little farther to the north and you run into the Terry Hershey hike and bike trail which runs from the beltway to highway 6 where it joins the George Bush Park bike paths. You can go from the eastern edge of Cinco Ranch to the beltway without having to deal with any auto traffic, though the GB Park trail is circuitous. I frequently use that as an east-west route to traverse the area. I think they are also working on a connection under I-10 so you can go further north. It is too bad that space wasn't reserved for trails along Buffalo Bayou east of the beltway. That would have made for an awesome trail from the hinterlands all the way to downtown.

[kylejack]

One other big problem with our bike lanes is that, unless otherwise designated (and it rarely is), parking in the bike lane is allowed. This is solved on Heights Blvd by having marked street parking spaces and a bike lane, but everywhere else you're SOL. Then you've got businesses like Broken Spoke actually putting a sign up encouraging people to park in the bike lane.

[Subdude]

ok what kind of amounts are you talking about? i've gone from kirby out to the beltway on skates with no problem.

I stand corrected then, that's good to hear. I'll admit it has been some time since I took it.

[tanith27]

Calgary Bike Map

For those wanting to know which cities have a good bike infrastructure I grew up in Calgary and we had bike paths everywhere through every neighborhood. And this was a city that was only about 900k population at the time and can build sprawl with the best of them. But it was easy to bike from the outer edges of the city into downtown without having to be anywhere near a busy (or torn up) road. They did a good job of building a biking infrastructure from the beginning even for a city that only has a few months of decent biking weather per year.

[gto250us]

I used to ride a bike everyday, 10 miles to and from work. I was able to use residential streets for most of the way so it was not too bad. I will say that I experienced most of the Houston A**holes in cars, trucks and SUVs who tried to run me off of the road, Into the ditch. I had one guy stop his car, get out and come after me because I took the lane that I was entitled to at a traffic light. All in all, I would much rather have the entire lane, rather than the stupid bike lanes, unless the the bike lane is dedicated and not part of the street.

[editor]

Around here, where the bike lanes share the street with cars (especially where the bike lane is lane 5 of 6), the city has started raising them on green asphalt humps to make drivers aware that it's a bike lane, not a car lane. I don't know if it works since I neither drive or bike.

[AtticaFlinch]

All this talk of bike paths aside, I lost a friend earlier this year to a major accident. She was crushed while riding her bike. I don't think any grade separation or more clearly designated paths would have prevented the accident, as the fault for it is more clearly in the mentality of Houston's urban assault road warriors who drive everywhere and have zero concern for what occurs outside the shatter-proof glass that insulates them. Most Houston drivers are so unconcerned about who they share the road with it would be laughable if it wasn't so inherently tragic. We can have all the watersports and bike trails and other outdoor activities as cities like San Francisco, but until our drivers begin to pay attention to the giant death machine they're operating and the way it interacts with the rest of the world, we'll continue to have poo flung on us by these second-rate rags. I happen to know a few bike messengers who work downtown, and they routinely have tales of driver misbehavior, some of it reckless and some purely meanspirited. Attitudes have to change before Houston becomes a true outdoors city.

[kylejack]

I used to ride a bike everyday, 10 miles to and from work. I was able to use residential streets for most of the way so it was not too bad. I will say that I experienced most of the Houston A**holes in cars, trucks and SUVs who tried to run me off of the road, Into the ditch. I had one guy stop his car, get out and come after me because I took the lane that I was entitled to at a traffic light. All in all, I would much rather have the entire lane, rather than the stupid bike lanes, unless the the bike lane is dedicated and not part of the street.

I had a guy hanging out his window on Main Street screaming at me to get on the sidewalk (illegal). It was so ridiculous, especially since I was keeping pace with auto traffic, and the same cars were in front of us at the red light every time. I wasn't slowing him down at all and he would have been stuck behind the same car regardless.

All this talk of bike paths aside, I lost a friend earlier this year to a major accident. She was crushed while riding her bike.

Leigh Boone?

[AtticaFlinch]

I had a guy hanging out his window on Main Street screaming at me to get on the sidewalk (illegal). It was so ridiculous, especially since I was keeping pace with auto traffic, and the same cars were in front of us at the red light every time. I wasn't slowing him down at all and he would have been stuck behind the same car regardless.

Leigh Boone?

Yeah. Pretty crappy event. I take it you were friends with her too?

[kylejack]

Yeah. Pretty crappy event. I take it you were friends with her too?

I didn't know her directly, but she rode with us in Critical Mass (a monthly bike ride) every month, so many of us felt a strong connection to what happened to her. A bunch of the Critical Mass riders went to the benefit for her foundation at Houston Center for Photography last month.

It absolutely floors me that after assessing blame for the accident, all they did was issue a traffic citation.

[totheskies]

All this talk of bike paths aside, I lost a friend earlier this year to a major accident. She was crushed while riding her bike. I don't think any grade separation or more clearly designated paths would have prevented the accident, as the fault for it is more clearly in the mentality of Houston's urban assault road warriors who drive everywhere and have zero concern for what occurs outside the shatter-proof glass that insulates them. Most Houston drivers are so unconcerned about who they share the road with it would be laughable if it wasn't so inherently tragic. We can have all the watersports and bike trails and other outdoor activities as cities like San Francisco, but until our drivers begin to pay attention to the giant death machine they're operating and the way it interacts with the rest of the world, we'll continue to have poo flung on us by these second-rate rags. I happen to know a few bike messengers who work downtown, and they routinely have tales of driver misbehavior, some of it reckless and some purely meanspirited. Attitudes have to change before Houston becomes a true outdoors city.

Yes... this is Houston's biggest problem in regards to biking. Our drivers have "owned" the road for so long that they don't even think to pay attention to anything else around them. At least being educated to drive in Arkansas, I got exposed to lots of narrow two-lane roads in wooded areas, which meant that I was constantly on the lookout for deer and other wildlife to be running out in front of me. I feel that it made me a more conscious driver and I keep that in mind as I drive around Houston as well. As a biker, I still say that there's nof better way to experience this city... all the little things that you catch on a bike that if you were just whizzing past in a car you'd never see. But it's kinda hard to enjoy it when you're constantly watching for bad drivers. They're looking down, talking on cell phones, texting, eating in the car, reaching behind the seats, all while their vehicle is going at least 10 miles over the speed limit. That little badly-painted strip on the side of some roads (and this is of course assuming that you can even ride on it with all of the nails, broken glass, slippery fluids that have been pushed into the lane) just doesn't offer very much protection. Hate to say it, but I often finding myself riding with my flashing lights on during the day just in the hopes that a driver will see me. So it's great that the city is in a massive expansion of it's bike network, but we need to be educating (and punishing) our drivers so that accidents like what happened to Leigh won't happen again.

[samagon]

Around here, where the bike lanes share the street with cars (especially where the bike lane is lane 5 of 6), the city has started raising them on green asphalt humps to make drivers aware that it's a bike lane, not a car lane. I don't know if it works since I neither drive or bike.

Where abouts are these new improved bike lanes? Can you possibly snap some shots when you get a chance?

Extra markings are always welcome and a big benefit to both riders and drivers, I think some sort of barrier would be huge, either those big white balls like as are on main street around the rail, or a full curb.

The biggest problem for me in the bike lanes is that they are skinny, really skinny when a bus whizzes past, and they are dirty, all the rocks and debris that cars toss around go right into the bike lanes, and a bike tire is a lot more prone to puncture.

Neither of those problems are going to go away until roads are designed from the ground up with bicycles in mind, but a small barrier would be a great benefit.

[kylejack]

Where abouts are these new improved bike lanes? Can you possibly snap some shots when you get a chance?

Extra markings are always welcome and a big benefit to both riders and drivers, I think some sort of barrier would be huge, either those big white balls like as are on main street around the rail, or a full curb.

The biggest problem for me in the bike lanes is that they are skinny, really skinny when a bus whizzes past, and they are dirty, all the rocks and debris that cars toss around go right into the bike lanes, and a bike tire is a lot more prone to puncture.

Neither of those problems are going to go away until roads are designed from the ground up with bicycles in mind, but a small barrier would be a great benefit.

Yeah I'll ride in a bike lane when possible, but when there's an obstruction (debris, or cars [which are allowed to park in the bike lane in this city]) I hold out my arm and point at the ground to my left to let the traffic know that I'm merging in to get around the obstruction. This seems to work pretty well and then I move back over when I have the chance.

Also, keep in mind that on a one-way street the cyclist is permitted to ride on the right OR left side of the road. Sometimes the left side is better for downtown streets.

[keepitlow]

Outside Magazine...I used to subscribe but tired of articles like this. Anything to sell a copy? Listing is lame.

There are plenty of outdoor activities to do in and around Houston. Why complain about our summer? How about our winters? Uh, not so bad, huh? How are those bike lanes up in Chicago along Lake Michigan in late January or early February? Oof. Who's staying indoors now, smart guy?

[keepitlow]

Regarding the thread hijack to bicyclers / bikelanes / motorists, I've seen both motorists and bicyclers act like total idiots. Don't get all high and mighty.

Stop signs mean stop. They don't mean motorists stop and bicyclers pedal out in front of traffic with the right of way and then act suprised that the motorist is actually coming through the intersection and you are suddenly glad that your have a bedpan on your head.

I don't ride a bike. I drive one of those nasty diesel Ford trucks. I really try to watch out for bikers and give them plenty of room (along with driving texters, last-minute-cut-over-to-exit dude and I'm Totally Clueless dude). I know what a bike lane is and that they, too, have to turn and it can get hairy for them. I would be scared to ride a bike in Houston traffic, especially if I saw a 4 wheel drive, diesel powered death machine coming at me. But some aggressive bicyclers must realize that they are just as bad as the motorists that they can't stand.

Keep on pedaling and I'll keep looking out for you and give you some room. Return the favor at stop signs.

[kylejack]

I never roll a stop sign if there's cross-traffic, but if there's not I'm definitely going to roll it. This is the law in Idaho, but its not yet made it to Texas so I guess I'll have to be a rebel for a while longer.

[gto250us]

I never roll a stop sign if there's cross-traffic, but if there's not I'm definitely going to roll it. This is the law in Idaho, but its not yet made it to Texas so I guess I'll have to be a rebel for a while longer.

It is my understanding that the law in Texas says that bike riders need to obey the same laws as drivers. i.e. stop at all red lights and stop signs.

Stipulations in the Texas Traffic Laws that bicyclists should be familiar with include:

Cyclists have all the rights and the duties that apply to drivers of vehicles. This statement includes stopping at signs and signals, yielding the right of way and obeying posted speed limits and one-way street signs.

No bicycle shall carry more persons at one time than the number for which it is designed.

A bicyclist moving below the speed of other traffic shall ride as near as practicable to the right curb or edge of the roadway, except when:

* The person is overtaking and passing another vehicle going in the same direction;

* The person is preparing to turn left at an intersection or onto a private road or driveway;

* Conditions of the roadway, including fixed or moving objects or vehicles, pedestrians, animals, surface hazards or substandard lanes, make it unsafe to ride next to the right curb or edge of the roadway.

* The person is operating a bicycle in an outside lane that is less than 14 feet in width and does not have a designated bicycle lane adjacent to that lane, or it is too narrow for a bicycle and a motor vehicle to safely travel side by side.

For night use, a bicycle shall have a lamp on the front with a white light visible from a stance of at least 500 feet to the front and with a red reflector on the rear that is of a type approved by the Department of Public Safety, and visible when directly in front of lawful upper beams of motor vehicle headlamps from all distances from 50 - 300 feet to the rear of the bicycle, or a lamp that emits a red light visible from a distance of 500 feet to the rear of the bicycle.

Violation of the law is a misdemeanor offense and could result in a Justice of the Peace Citation.

[august948]

Where abouts are these new improved bike lanes? Can you possibly snap some shots when you get a chance?

Extra markings are always welcome and a big benefit to both riders and drivers, I think some sort of barrier would be huge, either those big white balls like as are on main street around the rail, or a full curb.

The biggest problem for me in the bike lanes is that they are skinny, really skinny when a bus whizzes past, and they are dirty, all the rocks and debris that cars toss around go right into the bike lanes, and a bike tire is a lot more prone to puncture.

Neither of those problems are going to go away until roads are designed from the ground up with bicycles in mind, but a small barrier would be a great benefit.

I think Editor is actually in Chicago and is talking about there, not here. That is a good idea, though. I wonder how that's working out and if it's something we should lobby for here.

[kylejack]

It is my understanding that the law in Texas says that bike riders need to obey the same laws as drivers. i.e. stop at all red lights and stop signs.

Stipulations in the Texas Traffic Laws that bicyclists should be familiar with include:

Cyclists have all the rights and the duties that apply to drivers of vehicles. This statement includes stopping at signs and signals, yielding the right of way and obeying posted speed limits and one-way street signs.

No bicycle shall carry more persons at one time than the number for which it is designed.

A bicyclist moving below the speed of other traffic shall ride as near as practicable to the right curb or edge of the roadway, except when:

* The person is overtaking and passing another vehicle going in the same direction;

* The person is preparing to turn left at an intersection or onto a private road or driveway;

* Conditions of the roadway, including fixed or moving objects or vehicles, pedestrians, animals, surface hazards or substandard lanes, make it unsafe to ride next to the right curb or edge of the roadway.

* The person is operating a bicycle in an outside lane that is less than 14 feet in width and does not have a designated bicycle lane adjacent to that lane, or it is too narrow for a bicycle and a motor vehicle to safely travel side by side.

For night use, a bicycle shall have a lamp on the front with a white light visible from a stance of at least 500 feet to the front and with a red reflector on the rear that is of a type approved by the Department of Public Safety, and visible when directly in front of lawful upper beams of motor vehicle headlamps from all distances from 50 - 300 feet to the rear of the bicycle, or a lamp that emits a red light visible from a distance of 500 feet to the rear of the bicycle.

Violation of the law is a misdemeanor offense and could result in a Justice of the Peace Citation.

Yes, yet it never does result in a citation even with police viewing the intersection. Like I said, I know its against the letter of the law, but if there is no cross-traffic I am going to go ahead do it. Stepping down from my bike at every neighborhood stop sign is just not practical.

Texas code allows operation on the left side of a one-way with 2+ lanes. City code prohibits sidewalk riding in most inner loop areas (based on distance from businesses).

[samagon]

It is my understanding that the law in Texas says that bike riders need to obey the same laws as drivers. i.e. stop at all red lights and stop signs.

do you come to a complete 2 second stop behind a stop sign and look both ways before proceeding?

do you use your signal when changing lanes?

do you not speed?

do you not cross the big white line and end up in the crosswalk at an intersection?

do you come to a complete 2 second stop behind the big white line before you turn left at a red light, using your signal?

do you slow down to admit other drivers?

do you not tailgate?

I mean, we can go back and forth and talk about how cyclists disobey the law, or how motorists disobey the law, but the point is, no one is infallible, we are all bound as users of the roadway to obey the same laws, we just have to learn to accept that it is the job of our understaffed police department to enforce the law, and move on without killing each other.

unfortunately, on a bike, it is really easy to die if someone gets pissed off and decides to do something stupid. which gives us an added personal preservation responsibility to follow the laws of the road, but at the same time, if I see that no one is at an intersection, I'm not going to stop.

That is not to say that there aren't others out there who will blow a stopsign, or stoplight with oncoming traffic, and that is just really stupid.

[kylejack]

Another cyclist killed last night, this time she was six years old and riding her bike in her apartment complex parking lot. Hit and run, a silver PT cruiser with black bumpers.

Police are searching for a hit-and-run driver who allegedly killed a 6year-old girl riding a bicycle in a southwest Houston parking lotSunday evening, authorities said. Investigators say Leslie Roman was riding a bicycle in aparking lot in the 3600 block of Woodchase around 6 p.m. when she washit by a silver PT Cruiser traveling south through the lot. The unidentified driver then fled the scene. The child died later in the evening, authorities said. No further information was immediately available. Anyone with information about this case is urged to contact the Houston Police Department Hit and Run Division at 713-247-4065 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.

http://www.chron.com...an/6617361.html

[august948]

do you come to a complete 2 second stop behind a stop sign and look both ways before proceeding?

do you use your signal when changing lanes?

do you not speed?

do you not cross the big white line and end up in the crosswalk at an intersection?

do you come to a complete 2 second stop behind the big white line before you turn left at a red light, using your signal?

do you slow down to admit other drivers?

do you not tailgate?

I mean, we can go back and forth and talk about how cyclists disobey the law, or how motorists disobey the law, but the point is, no one is infallible, we are all bound as users of the roadway to obey the same laws, we just have to learn to accept that it is the job of our understaffed police department to enforce the law, and move on without killing each other.

unfortunately, on a bike, it is really easy to die if someone gets pissed off and decides to do something stupid. which gives us an added personal preservation responsibility to follow the laws of the road, but at the same time, if I see that no one is at an intersection, I'm not going to stop.

That is not to say that there aren't others out there who will blow a stopsign, or stoplight with oncoming traffic, and that is just really stupid.

It may not be quite legal in all circumstances but I use the personal preservation responsibility as a justification to ride on the sidewalks regardless of the city code. As for stop signs, I'll go through those if there is no traffic anywhere near, but otherwise follow the normal rules of the road. For stoplights, I use the crosswalk and pedestrian signals unless they don't exist at that intersection.