I've yet to see this bike parking demo yet, but are there any measures in place to protect the bikes from car traffic?

I would be hard pressed to park my bike anywhere near a moving vehicle, esp. in U City where half the drivers have no clue how to drive or park in an urban area.

I would also like to see the enforcement of automobile laws.
There's just as many jackasses in cars as there are on bikes.
Cyclists are more likely to hurt themselves, while drivers are more likely to hurt others.

__________________
My restlessness is my nemesis.

I have not owned a car in over 10 years. I drive maybe 6-10 per yr. My primary mode of transportation is walking and public transportation. I commute to work every day by walking. And every day I have to dodge bicyclist on the sidewalk. This weekend on one of my trips I actually used a car, I encountered a number of bikers going the wrong way on one way streets and another one dodged right in front of the car to make a left hand turn from the right side of the street (maybe the couldn't hear the prius???).

So as a person who primarily walks and encounters bicyclist on the sidewalk & as an occasional driver that encounters reckless behavior of cyclist on the roadways, I am fully aware it is not a one-dimensional world cause those suckers are coming RIGHT AT ME!

i apologize for making that assumption...i retract my statement.

__________________
My restlessness is my nemesis.

there were parking cones around the bike rack. i actually ended up using it, purely by coincidence.

Heh. I don't know that I need on-street parking, I'm thinking we need armed guards watching our bikes, so some crackhead doesn't try to steal part of them.
Or perhaps something like this -
http://www.josta.de/english/bstat.htm

Speaking as someone who bikes regularly, I'd like to see bikers ticketed for all these things, as they put me at risk, too.

The last one is kind of a difficult issue, as bike lanes are all on the right side of the streets, which means it can be a huge PITA to make a left turn. I've also had several arseholes in cars attempt to make right turns into me, as they simply don't pay attention to the bike lanes.

I completely understand that bikers primarily stay to the right, but will occasionally need to turn left and that is why when I am coming up on a biker I keep my eye on them to see if they signal that they are moving over... No signal and I will assume I can safely pass you. The problem was that she actually cut me off. There was no indication in either a hand signal or her body language (look back over her should to see if it was safe to move over) and as I came up on her left, she jetted across the street maybe a foot or 2 in front of the car I was driving. Not to mention, I had been aware of her position for the 20ft I was coming up on her. She had plenty of time to safely move to the left before I was on top of her (had she bothered to look).

I think a lot of the folks on bikes are pretty uncoordinated and out-of-shape, such that turning their head to look over their shoulder is a big issue for them. Too many people here are out of shape, across every spectrum of the community. I've seen so many people riding bikes that look like retards without ever looking up or looking around them.

This from someone who rides to work a few times a week and has been an active volunteer for biking advocacy groups.

as an avid cyclist myself I also cannot stand other cyclists who don't follow general courtesy rules such as not riding on the sidewalks and not going the wrong way down one way streets. but drivers should be held just as accountable of knowing the rules, for instance the next time someone in a car yells "get off the road!" at me even though I'm actually going faster than them on my bike I'm going to blow a gasket! oh and car doors. I really don't understand this. I have pretty good vision. I can see up the road well over a block. I'm looking uproad as I cycle and I don't see anyone getting in or out of any cars, then as soon as I'm about to pass a particular car, the door swings open! it's like they're trying to door us! LOOK FIRST! there were actually a few articles in today's City Paper about bike/car aggression and getting doored.

also, these parking things for bikes aren't so much needed in west philly, but boy are they needed in center city! I can't believe how difficult it is to find an unused meter, pole or bike rack to lock up against.

__________________
"There is no flag large enough to cover the shame of killing innocent people."
— Howard Zinn

Agreed, cyclists who break the rules are a danger for motorists, pedestrians and other cyclists. Motorists who break the rules are also a danger to pedestrians, cyclists and other motorists. Both motorists and cyclists have a bad habit of breaking the rules in Philly. Pedestrians aren't too far behind.

__________________
Your representatives on Philadelphia's City Council are at odds with our new mayor over whether many reforms he has proposed should become law. Please write to them and tell them what your priorities are.

Indict State Senator Vince Fumo into The Crooked Pol Hall of Fame.