Bicycles prohibited in the Villages

[Reefmonkey]

3 hours ago, samagon said:

I do believe that the parks board needs to designate specific paths as either bike only, or they need to paint lanes for bike only on the existing paths. as you state, people are going to get hurt because they have an all too selfish attitude. stay safe.

 Yes, please. Most of the parks I visit, there is plenty of space to double the width of the paths and paint lanes to separate the bikers from the pedestrians. It would make things safer and more enjoyable for both groups. Widen, then make 2/3rd of the width for wheeled traffic, 1/3rd for foot traffic. (or, if budget is an issue, give the current paved path over to wheels-only, and cut a stabilized earth path next to it, topped with something like decomposed granite for foot traffic). And with a setup like that, I think it would also be safe to let electric scooters onto the trails at last. I'm sure some walker a-holes will horn in on the wheeled traffic lanes from time to time, but those kinds of people I'd have no sympathy for if they got clipped by a bike or a scooter.

[Boojel]

On 7/28/2020 at 8:26 AM, cspwal said:

Incidentally, this means you're allowed to ride your electric bike in the bike lanes, but not on bike trails in Houston - the lanes are part of the road but the trails are "not open to motor vehicles"

 

You need to read the law again. Both 551.106(a)(2)(A) and (B) has to be met to prohibit electric bicycle on trails. So electric bike can only be prohibited on native soil trails, and cannot be prohibited on paved, gravel, granite, and other man-made trails where regular bicycle is allowed.

[Boojel]

On 7/28/2020 at 1:40 PM, cspwal said:

 

Here's the Hunter's creek ordinance

 

Still don't know how (a) is allowed under state law.

 

(a) used to be specifically allowed by Texas law, but then that provision was repealed sometime in early 2000.

 

The replacement is 551.106 you quoted earlier: neutral/not allowed nor prohibited for bicycle; not allowed for electric bicycle. So in essence you get more protection to use the roadway when riding electric bicycle vs. regular bicycle.

[Boojel]

On 11/4/2020 at 3:45 PM, Reefmonkey said:

So, for instance, bicycles getting passed by cars on Briar Forest would obviously be moving more slowly than the normal speed of other vehicles at that time and place, and thus would have to move as close as practicable to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway. On Briar Forest, which has a designated bicycle lane that was the right-hand most lane available for vehicles like them, which was also as close as practicable to the right-hand curb, that would be the place for them to ride, single file. Riding three or four abreast in the regular traffic lane as the group I saw regularly do was not only discourteous, it was unlawful.

It is lawful to use the main traffic lane even when there is bike lane under certain circumstances per TXDOT:

https://www.txdot.gov/inside-txdot/modes-of-travel/bicycle/know/laws.html

 

Quote

When is it allowable for a cyclist to "take the lane," and when is it not?

A person operating a bicycle on a roadway who is moving slower than the other traffic on the roadway shall ride as near as practicable to the right curb or edge of the roadway. Under the following conditions bicyclists may take the full lane of travel:

...

• When there are unsafe conditions on the roadway, including fixed or moving objects, parked or moving vehicles, pedestrians, animals or surface hazards that prevents the person from safely riding next to the curb or edge of the roadway

...

 

If there is an on-road bike lane, does a cyclist have to use it or can they use the general travel lane?

See the previous answer. Because a bike is required to stay as far to the right as practicable, this could be interpreted to mean if there is bike lane, a cyclist would be required to ride in it, as it would be the far right side of the road. However, if one of the exceptions listed in the previous answer exist, they would be excused from the "far right" requirement.

 

Briar Forest bike lane hardly meet CoH standard of 5 ft minimum width with 4 ft minimum usable lane to begin with. When CoH resurfaced the street, the new asphalt layer stopped about a foot from the curb, and they left the old broken concrete surface next to the curb which then covered by mud/debris, making the usable lane even narrower. On top of that, the steel gutters were not properly resurface and become big potholes. On many spots the usable bike lane is less than 24" wide. So when the bike lane is not safe to use, cyclists can legally use the adjacent traffic lane.

 

When TXDOT did Westheimer resurface on the same extent as Briar Forest (East of Dairy Ashford) earlier this year, the asphalt goes all the way to the curb and the gutters were nicely done. I can drive on Westheimer inches from the curb and do not feel any bump when I pass the gutters.