Just so you know, there are people who claim to have the “secret” to riding in a bike lane next to parked cars like we have in Orlando in College Park and Baldwin Park.

Here is Gary from California explaining how to do it. Says he has it DOWN.

And here is one from Boston.

Do you see a pattern here? According to these guys, you should only take up about six inches of a five foot lane.

And for heaven’s sake DON”T WOBBLE! because then what ever happens to you is your fault for not staying with the “green zones” these guys have decided are safe.

Just thought I would add some “safety instruction” to the mix in anticipation of HB 971.

Good Luck and you’re welcome!

Story on Growing Bolder

Andy was born with fetal alcohol syndrome 40 years ago. His adoptive and loving parents have always encouraged him to get involved in life and he has. He has a job, a lot of friends and gets all around town on his beloved bicycle. So, imagine his despair when it was stolen. And imagine his surprise when the very people he thought were a nuisance turned out to be some of the best friends he ever had.

(Helmet tip to Danc for posting the video on Yaybikes.)

Recent articles about the MBL law and the Jacksonville stabbing have brought out the anti-cyclist comment trolls. I typically avoid the comments, but even that isn’t working anymore. Now some of these people feel so emboldened by their righteousness, they’ve even taken to joining cyclist groups on Facebook to spew their rants. According to the trolls, all bicyclists are responsible for the ones who don’t follow the rules. Apparently, no bicyclists are worthy of respect or equal treatment since some bicyclists run red lights and stop signs. Yet, somehow the same standards don’t apply to them.

Scofflaw motorists kill over 40,000 people a year in the U.S. because they are inattentive, careless, aggressive or fail to follow the rules. The finger-pointing and claims of how dangerous we are seem awfully absurd in that context.

I’m not done.

Of course, none of this excuses the blatant disrespect for the rules we see exhibited by our fellow bicyclists. Part of what makes the trolls so infuriating is that while their accusations are disingenuous and motivated by pure selfishness (they perceive bicyclists as an inconvenience and don’t want to share the road with us), they cannot be dismissed as fiction. And we know it.

Let’s not let the finger-pointing obscure the truth, this has nothing to do with what vehicle we drive. Ignoring the rules isn’t exclusive to people who ride bikes. It’s an attitude endemic to our entire traffic culture.

This cyclist froggers across an intersection in DC because he can.

Most cyclists are also motorists. When people drive cars, they are mostly constrained by a system of expectations, and by the physical limitations of the car itself, from doing many of the annoying things people do on bicycles. Nonetheless, motorist stop sign compliance is just as bad (albeit less blatant), and people in cars do other illegal things the power and anonymity of the car affords them (like drive 10-15mph over the speed limit, violate pedestrians’ right-of-way, text while driving and harass other road users). When the same people get on bikes they often don’t feel bound by the traffic laws at all. This is because our culture doesn’t respect or treat cyclists as drivers of vehicles. Yes, the very same disrespect that motivates the comment troll comes full-circle! In addition, the bicycle affords the enhanced visibility and maneuverability to circumvent the system. While a person on a bicycle isn’t as likely to kill a fellow citizen while violating the rules, s/he is still contributing to the degradation of a community system.

It comes back to the culture of me.

If it’s all about you, there’s no impetus to be a responsible member of a bigger system. In a system where most of the players are exhibiting self-centered behavior, there’s very little external reinforcement for community-centered behavior. Those of us who follow the rules of the system have a broader view of, and respect for, the system itself and how it relates to the overall civility and livability of our community. That’s not altruism, though. A livable community benefits the individuals supporting it far more than the instant-gratification behaviors that undermine it.

All through my 20s and into my early 30s, I drove my car and my bike like I was the center of the universe. Get out of my way! Learning to drive a motorcycle in my mid thirties was my first introduction how it felt to be vulnerable among aggressive drivers. But when I started using the bicycle a lot more than the motorcycle or car, I became fully infused with a different point of view on the frustration caused by other road users behaving with the same level of self-centeredness I was. I wasn’t in a position to complain about others without cleaning up my own act.

What surprised me was that when I did change my style of cycling (and driving), my stress level went way down. Most of the things I was doing to get ahead and beat the system were causing me a LOT more stress than it was worth. Oddly, my perception of other people’s behavior actually improved—especially from the saddle.

This slowing down, reduction of stress, reordering of priority created an even broader shift in my life. It created a cascade of reordering a lot of other things unrelated to transportation.

Human-scale engagement with people in the traffic system opens a portal to a sense of belonging so many people are missing. The simple, positive interactions are self-reinforcing: exchanging smiles and waves with other drivers at a 4-way stop (nothing makes a motorist smile like a cyclist stopping ); greeting people who are walking their dogs or pushing strollers; kids selling lemonade in the neighborhood; the FEDEX driver who delivers a package to my house and recognizes me from seeing me on my bike and the friendly wave I give him when he passes me.

There is no escaping our interdependence. At their core, the rules of the road are simply a structure for a system of civility. When we slow down and respect a system of civility, we discover we are a part of something life-enhancing and worth nurturing.

Others have recently written good posts on similar topics:

Motorist Frustration, The Poor Dears and The Culture of Impatience on Tulsa Alternative Transportation Examiner

Stop, Collaborate and Listen on Let’s Go Ride a Bike

Traffic Suggestions, Sort Of on Carbon Trace

Reaching Out to Motorists on R A N T W I C K

National Bike-to-Work Day was a grand day of bike buses in Orlando.

Bike Bus # 1 — An Early Morning Ride

My day began at 4:15 AM. I had prepared the bike and video cameras the day before, so I had some time for a smoothie and coffee before setting out to Cady Way to pick up Courtney. At 5:30, we rolled onto a desolate Maguire Blvd and headed for the parking lot at Crystal Lake and Curry Ford, where we met Lisa.

Next pick-up was Rodney, who would meet us along Curry Ford Rd.

Several blocks from Dixie Belle, the silent morning was interrupted by the crack of a loud speaker, “Please get on the sidewalk.” With all the reports I’ve received recently about uninformed deputies, I assumed that was the source. We slowed and slid to the right, hoping whoever it was would think we were complying, go on his way and leave us alone. There wasn’t time for a game of educate-the-officer this morning and we sure as heck weren’t going to ride on the sidewalk. When the vehicle passed in the left lane, I was surprised (but relieved) to see it was a Rural Metro ambulance. That driver had no authority to tell us anything, we quickly moved back to the center of the lane and resumed. He continued on his way. The PA was so loud, Rodney had heard it. It was before he was even in view of us.

With Rodney in the fold we rode 2×2 in a nice little group out Curry Ford Rd. to Chickasaw Tr. I occasionally turned the camera on to see if I could get some useful footage of cars passing in the dark, but there were so few cars, I didn’t get much of a sequence until we were almost at our destination. All cars changed lanes far behind us and moved so far left, they seemed to be giving us 10-12ft of clearance. It was a very comfortable ride.

(I have video of all of Friday’s adventures and will edit them just as soon as I get a new hard drive. I’m maxed out.)

Bike Bus #2 — Colonial Cycling Club

We were first to arrive at the Publix. Within a few minutes kids started rolling in, individually or in little groups, from the nearby neighborhoods. As we neared our departure time, the group swelled to more than 20. It was a wonderfully diverse group.

I know these kids know they’re doing something amazing. They’re not screwing around, they’re very deliberate about being inclusive, keeping the group together and following the rules. But I wonder if they think we adults are a little odd as we fight tears watching them come together. It’s as if they are liberating us from decades of damage done by an adult-constructed world. May you stay forever young.

Before they head out, TJ (in the orange helmet above) gives instructions to ride in 2 columns, buddy up, watch for and use hand signals, anticipate stopping at red lights and stop signs, etc. Then they roll… out onto Curry Ford Rd. to join the early morning traffic.

Dutifully, all motorists file past the group in the left lane. There is no honking, no yelling, no alarm. They simply follow the rules of the road, change lanes and pass the slower traffic (in this case nearly 30 bicycles).

I had the pleasure of riding beside TJ at the lead, I wish I’d been able to mic him. What an articulate young man (as are all the other leaders of the Colonial Cycling Club)! In one incredible soundbite after another, he talked about ways they encourage new kids to join them and feel welcome, the benefits of cycling and why this concept should be promoted by other schools, why he prefers to drive his bike rather than his car and how cold it was on the winter mornings when it would just be 2 or 3 of them. TJ and the other founders enjoy hammering with friends and yet he set the most beautiful controlled pace to ensure that kids of all fitness levels on all types of bikes would be able to keep up easily. I was impressed that he was never distracted from his job as ride leader by our conversation.

We arrived at school to the cheers and support of teachers. Jesse (er, Mr. Ross) was there with his Madsen full of bananas, apples and granola bars for the kids. After a few minutes of socializing the kids dispersed and it was time for us to head to our next gig.

Bike Bus #3 — Bike/Walk Central Florida Bike Bus to Work

We rode from Colonial High to the Fashion Square trail head, where we met up with Brad Kuhn and 4 other bike bus riders.

Our route was down Maguire to Robinson, across town to Rosalind, then north to downtown Winter Park via Orange Ave and Fairbanks. Rodney left us on Maguire to head to work at OIA. As we went through town, enjoying a social bike ride, we dropped off riders at their offices — 3 in Orlando and 2 in Winter Park.

As with the Colonial Bus, all motor vehicle drivers filed past us in the left lane(s) without comment. Motorists are incredibly good at following the rules of the road when necessary. We must have been an amazing sight in our blinding-green T-shirts sporting the BWCF Bike-to-Work Day talking points.

It was an incredibly fun morning, and a demonstration of how nicely a bike bus can work for adults. We will be working with reThink to create an online bike bus program similar to carpool systems. But there’s no reason not to start one now! Make every day bike-to-work day. There are a number of corridors, for example, Altamonte to Downtown or Orlando to the UCF/Research park where groups of 2 or more riders could organize a bike bus for companionship and solidarity on multi-lane roads.

What do you think? Do you have a commute that could be shared?

Maitland Chamber’s 22nd Annual
Spring Festival of the Arts

Lake Lily, Maitland
Saturday, April 17, 2010 to Sunday, April 18, 2010
Saturday 9am-5pm, Sunday 9am-4pm

Avoid the hassles of driving and the cost of parking, go by bike!

Here is a route map. I decided to make this map collaborative since we’re having so much fun with the collaborative permeability map. So, feel free to add your own preferred routes. Please use the description area to add in any advice a person who is new to those roads might need. For descriptions of the routes I added, see this post from the fall Art Festival. If you want assistance planning a route, I’m happy to help. You know how to reach me. Or leave a comment, our readers are a collective brain of Orlando area bike routes.

The following is a notice from Malisa Mccreedy, from Orlando Parks & Rec:

4/7/2010

Greetings All,

I have fantastic news to share…

This morning we received final approval to move forward with the mountain bike park AND yesterday the Winter Park Health Foundation confirmed they will be funding the initial construction of the project with a grant of $25,000 to start and another $25,000 to match additional grant funding I am seeking. We hope to end up with a total $75,000 to create a useful park for the community.

We will be holding a public design meeting on May 1st, 2010 at Area “C” from 9am to 1pm to allow greatest participation in a casual format – you are welcome to come for the whole event or pieces.

9am to 11am project overview and design options set out at several stations for you to comment on and make suggestions.

11am to 12pm site tour to discuss the options and how the design will function.

12pm to 1pm we will circle back to narrow down the choices for a DRAFT plan.

Expect to construct in October 2010.

DIRECTIONS AND DETAILS WILL FOLLOW IN A FEW WEEKS ON FACEBOOK. If you have not already checked out the Facebook page, go to: “Orlando Mtn Bike Park“.

Please sign up as this will be THE means of communicating details about the park as we move forward.

We would like everyone to be a part of this community collaboration.

If you have comments or questions, I can be reached via email; however, we prefer you please use the Facebook page as we are trying to make this a community process with as much input as possible since the trails will be built and maintained by the community on vacant City park land.

Thanks for all your support and interest – we will be calling in all those offers of help to construct in October!!

Malisa Mccreedy, AICP MPA
Planning Manager
Families, Parks & Recreation
City of Orlando

I am doubly stoked about this park because it will be in my back yard! It will also provide a permeability opportunity to connect Audubon Park to Coytown (and the Colonial Plaza shopping center) allowing cyclists an alternative to Maguire or Bumby.

Many thanks to Malisa for working so hard to make this happen!

Connectivity is one of our biggest challenges in Orlando. Between the lakes and the bad land use, it seems like a cyclist can’t go more than a few miles on shady, quiet streets without being channeled onto an arterial road. Likewise, motorists have few options for traveling from point A to point B, so those arterials tend to be congested, sending cut-through motorists onto the few connected residential roads. It’s a double-whammy for cyclists.

This pedestrian structure connects Allison Dr to Discovery Dr. near UCF/Research Park

My explorations have revealed some secret connections and many unused easements or places where little more than a fence stands between networks of quiet streets. The addition of very simple infrastructure could create significantly-improved access to destinations.

We’re gathering this information for Bike/Walk Central Florida, the new local chapter of Florida Bicycle Association. It will be complied and presented to the Metroplan Orlando BPAC. It’s important to have grass roots public input and support to increase permeability and connectivity.

The above map is a collaborative effort to gather your local knowledge and wishes about street network connectivity. Click through to the larger map and edit it yourself. Use green pins and/or lines to indicate existing “secret” connections that allow cyclists (and pedestrians) to connect quiet streets. Use blue pins and/or lines to identify opportunities to create new connections. Please type the city or area into the marker title.

Thank you for your input! Together we are making Metro Orlando better and better for cycling.

I have never been impressed by what people drive, but I have to admit that I was prejudiced against Kia and Hyundai cars, not because I didn’t like their looks, but for several years they broke down a lot. Not reliable. But now Consumer’s Reports says they are reliable, so I will look again.

I have a pickup truck (two actually — one has a cap) so I can get a load of stinky mushroom compost in Zellwood if I want to, or a yard of mulch for cheap. I can pick up a new oven and skip the delivery fee. I can do lots of things that people with SUV’s can’t do. Most SUV’s can’t handle sheets of plywood without ripping the upholstery. Does it handle like a sedan? But so what if it doesn’t?

I will drive what ever vehicle I need to drive to get done what I need to get done. When I go to the grocery store, the dry cleaners or the bank, the same cars waiting in the Drive-Thru, are still waiting when I come out and pedal away.

And then, sometimes, I can drive instead of riding my bike if I get lazy, or when I have to go to Brevard County to work, I don’t have to think twice about it. Life is good.

But I keep seeing cyclists who worry about 6 oz of added weight and I keep seeing Cadillac Escalades (8 MPG) and I realize we are at polar opposites of the spectrum. They are worried about image.

My neighbor bought an expensive aluminum bike. It is very nice, I know this because he let me ride it once. I think he bought it because he saw me riding all the time. How many times do you think he has ridden it in the last year?

People don’t, and I don’t think they ever will, understand why I think the way I do about cycling. It’s not about speed. It’s not about style. It’s all about lifestyle.

When I can get from Point “A” to Point “B”, find a bicycle rack, walk in the door and then walk out again while a driver is still cruising for a parking space, who wins that race?