Welcome to the Reckless at CU blog page. We've set up this page in order to gather stories and rant from the campus community about skateboarding and bicycling on campus. We at the CU Bicycle Program are addressing the rash of reckless bicycling and skateboarding that has afflicted campus, giving bicyclists and skateboarders a bad name.
In recent times on campus, bicyclists and skateboarders have injured pedestrians, themselves and campus property. Just in the past year, bicyclists and skateboarders have been reported to have broken blind-person's canes, injured seeing-eye guide dogs, injured pedestrians walking on sidewalks, run into cars (including some parked!) and more. Have you been hit? Has the skateboarder or bicyclist even stopped to ask if you were o.k.?
These "DIRC's" are giving bicyclists and skateboarders a bad name. We want to hear from bicyclists and skateboarders too! What are the hot spots? What is your perspective?
Please take a moment to write us your story in the comment section below. We will be reviewing these comments, and reporting back to the blog, adding entries as hot topics arise. If you feel you have a long story to tell, you may also email us at bicycle@colorado.edu and we'll help out by posting your story.
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Last fall we started this blog to gather feedback and stories about reckless bicycling and skateboarding at the University of Colorado at Boulder campus.
This spring, we've read through the comments left to find solutions that we could discuss specifically. Six members of campus have contributed their responses; what are yours?
This spring, we've read through the comments left to find solutions that we could discuss specifically. Six members of campus have contributed their responses; what are yours?
Although there are a lot of cyclists on campus, some considered "reckless", there are also a lot of people walking. The numbers of people riding and skating are starting to get closer and closer to the numbers of those walking. This means that now, more than ever, it is time for more education about bike paths and bike safety for everybody on campus. Areas such as the bike path that parells broadway around campus and the bike path that goes from folsom to the gym are the most dangerous places for cyclists and pedestrans alike.
ReplyDeleteAll designated bike paths in the city of Boulder have a speed limit of 15 miles per hour, which most commuter traffic easily reaches on busy bike paths. As a result of this, the city has placed very visible and easy to follow lines designating bike and pedestrian lanes to increase safety for everybody. The problem arises when the organization of these lanes breaks down.
As a cyclist that is more than likely considered "reckless" let me give you the perspective of the cyclist on campus. I have found that the bike paths are the most dangerous places on the entire campus for riding and walking. A bike path with a speed limit of 15 miles per hour is a street, but it is treated as a sidewalk to most pedestrans. Would you just walk into broadway without looking both directions? Probably not. What makes it ok to walk across cycling traffic without looking? NOTHING! The bike paths are the places that I have been hit and hit people the most. I have seen people get off of the bus and just walk straight into the bike lane without looking (or seeing) a group of cyclists heading their way. When a group of more than a few people does this all at once, it gives the cyclists nowhere to go except for one place. You guessed it, right where the pedestrian just stepped into. Hitting someone with a seeing eye dog or a blind person's cane or someone in a wheelchair is just plain dispicable, and anybody who does that deserves to be prosecuted to the full extent possible. For me, at least, I am not ashamed to say that the average person that walks right in front of me when I am in the designated bike lane and I have nowhere else to go except for a crash, is fair game to hit. At that point, I am not going to sacrafice my well being for another person's mistake. If you walk into the middle of broadway without looking and get hit, it is your fault, not the car's because they probably wouldnt even be able to stop. Same applies here. Although I haven't discussed the middle part of campus, I feel that the bike paths are the most dangerous areas as high speeds are very easy to reach. What can we do to stop people from getting hurt anywhere on campus??? EDUCATION, EDUCATION, EDUCATION.
Where there are designated bike lanes on or near campus we need to take the initiative to teach cyclists to ride in their lane (which is very clearly marked) and pedestrians to stay in their walk lane (which is clearly marked). When we start to get just one person walking in a bike lane it gets dangerous for everyone because one cyclist swerves around her, then an oncoming cyclist has to swerve around them, which puts them into walking traffic, potentially injuring people. Being someone that uses a bike as their predominant mode of transportation around town, I see this happen every day at least once. To solve the majority of the problem we need to start with getting walkers out of the cycling lane, teach cyclists courtesy and the rules of the road and enforce the rules for cyclists and pedestrians! I know this sounds like just a dream, but if we could even get something this simple to happen, fewer people would get hurt and life would be easier for everyone.
I guess I've never been hit or hit anyone, but there are a few things that definitely bug me. Like David, I think people really need to pay attention to what lane they are walking in. They're asking for trouble. Also, on the topic of cyclists, I think it's really important that everyone pays more attention to stop signs when they're in the roads. The intersection by Benson Earth Sciences, in front of the stadium, is the worst. I always see cyclists flying through, paying no attention.
ReplyDeleteAlso, in terms of skateboards, skaters need to learn to skate with some control. As a skateboarder my self, I think it's dumb we can't ride in the roads, cuz it's downright dangerous to ride them on the sidewalks. But, I can see why they had to outlaw it. SOO many skateboarders don't know how to foot break. If you can skate halfway decently, you should be able to drag your foot to a quick stop, or to at least shed speed when approaching an intersection. It's bad skateboarders that ruin it for the rest of it.
Thanks to these laws, I got a ticket about a month ago. I was Freebording (youtube Freebord)on Flagstaff road. I was wearing pads, staying in my lane on corners and when cars were around, pulling over for traffic, and had a car following me a safe distance behind just in case something happened. The Freebord allows me to stop very quickly, just like a bike. However, thanks to dumb longboarders who don't know how to slow down, what I was doing was considered Reckless Endangerment. My friends who were in the car got the same ticket, since they were "Endangering" me. This is dumb, and something needs changed. We need skateboarding permits or something.
I know it's probably not technically 'on campus', but the tunnel under Broadway by Kittredge is the place that worries me the most as a cyclist. The turn on the west side of the tunnel is quite blind, with a very inadequate mirror to see oncoming traffic with. I was once following another cyclist northbound on the west side, approaching the tunnel, and he was being a 'DIRC', weaving back and forth across the path, and set up to take the turn into the tunnel wide (in the approaching lane). Lo and behold, another cyclist comes out of the tunnel on his side of the turn, and runs head-on into this idiot. They both smacked heads, and even though neither was wearing a helmet, both made it out without any permanent injuries.
ReplyDeleteThis used to be part of my daily commute, and I always tensed up approaching the tunnel, and rang my bell like crazy. Since then, I have changed my commute, but still am very annoyed at some of the show-boating cyclists on campus.
It's pretty simple people. When near randomly moving pedestrians, get off the @#$# bike or skateboard and WALK.
ReplyDeleteDon't ride your bike on the sidewalks on campus, and skateboarders get off an walk if there are people.
And bikes follow road rules. If riding near a bus, you have to be aware of pedestrians doing moronic things.
Learn to think critically people.
As a cyclist, I hate the construction mess in the middle of campus that regularly puts me in close quarters with pedestrians. I also hate when pedestrians wander into the bike lanes around Boulder, oblivious to the fact that they serve a purpose for commuters, not just recreational strolls.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, I have observed that CU has some of the worst bike commuters I have ever seen, doing some of the craziest things in traffic and around pedestrians. I think it is because many students didn't ride bikes for many of the years leading up to their time at the university and lack the skills and common sense to think about where to go and when.
I wonder if downtown Boulder ever allowed cyclists to ride on the Pearl Street Mall? If they once had to make the same policy with the same protests, no one argues about it anymore. For the sake of assuring access for disabled students, I would gladly dismount my bike, and could plan for a few extra minutes to get through discrete closed parts of campus. But I would like to make one request- could we then be allowed to ride over top of the bridge?
I laugh my ass of when I see a guy on his skateboard, listening to his ipod, looking down to text.... crash. At the same time pedestrians exhibit the same behavior. Take out the headphones! Stop texting and walking!
ReplyDeleteI will start off by saying that I am a fan of doing something about the moving traffic on campus. I will agree with the above posts that there are problems with headphones, people not watching when crossing the bike path, texting, cellphones, people walking not having the right of way, bikers and skateboards moving to quickly within crowds of people, etc....
ReplyDeleteI was appalled when seeing the bombardment of propaganda on campus today. Seeing an ad in the Colorado daily, signs posted saying "don't be a DIRC", and a play like scene of an injured person behind baker hall.
What the **** is a DIRC? Instead of suggesting solutions, simple catch phrases to use as common rules of motion on campus, or even stating the purpose of the campaign the only thing it did was state a problem. To me and all other people I have discussed this with, it has confused more then inform about anything. As an avid biker I want to believe in your cause, but at this point I feel threatened more then anything. Questions immediately rise, am I going to lose my biking privileges on campus, are passing cars going to start screaming out the window "****ing DIRC", or is something productive going to come out of this. This campaign could not be any more vague.
Dear Peds,
ReplyDeleteI realize that most of you walk on designated sidewalks, and that's just fine. But those of you who walk in the bike lane between MCDB and the rec center need to figure it out quick. At first, I considered that you might be illiterate, but then I remembered that there are pictures painted on the ground with the appropriate actions to be taken in each lane. So what's the problem? Do the rigid rules of lane usage interfere with your enjoyment of Boulder's generally free-spirited atmosphere? If this is the case, I'll try to enjoy free-spirited Boulder a little more the next time I'm driving.
On a more serious note, the only accident I was ever involved in on campus happened well into the evening when most people had left campus, on the bike path I mentioned above. Some 'tards (can we have an abbreviation like "DIRC" for peds: "TARD"?) chose to walk four abreast in the bike lane, and didn't move when I gave them fair warning. When I moved into the bike lane to avoid them, I was met by another cyclist who had the same thought. The collision was mercifully mild, doing no damage to either of us or our bikes. But if you want to fix a reckless biking problem, fix the TARD problem, too.
As a biker and a motorist, I am appalled by all the bikers who bike without a light on at night. The point of the light is not for you to see the road! Most lights are not good enough for that anyway. Rather, it is for people to see you! For the bikers that bike in the bike lanes at night in Boulder without lights, my message is that accidents can happen. And what ever can go wrong will go wrong. Its just the nature of universe. Don't bike without a light, if you want to live.
ReplyDeleteI know all you cyclists are taking this pretty personally, but seriously, some people are really really bad. If you look where you're going, keep up the good work, but I did see a skateboarder crash into a lady pushing a baby carriage by the back of the MCDB building because he was coming down that curved hill way too fast, so please don't act like it's nothing. I always look before I move out of my plane because of the number of times I've almost been hit. Just use a little caution please people!
ReplyDeleteThe behavior of bicycles and skateboards on campus has gotten really out of hand the last couple years as enrollment has gone up.
ReplyDeleteI cross the bike lane every day by the rec center, and I hate feeling like I am trying to cross a busy street when I am trying to get to class! If I am late for class, I walk FASTER, I choose not to bike on campus because I tried and found it was extremely difficult to navigate both the hills, and the swarms of pedestrians. I have been run into by bikes, handle bars, and have to jump out of the way on a daily basis to avoid being hit by people who are going way too fast, and are not paying attention!
Another huge issue is the bicyclists and boarders are not wearing helmets when they go from campus to the city streets. I live on the hill on folsom, and when a boarder comes flying down the hill in front of my car, wearing no gear and with black clothes on, it makes for a potentially very dangerous situation. Bikers in the city don't yield to stop signs, rarely signal what they are doing, and often don't have the required lights (which are really not that expensive or difficult to mount) on the front and back of their bikes.
I think it's about time CU addresses the safety issues that come with the mixing of pedestrians, bikes and boarders, and maybe start doing something about people who are deliberately putting themselves and others at risk on campus.
Most biking accidents on campus could be avoided if cyclists followed the rules. On any path shared with pedestrians, cyclists are supposed to ride at walking speed. This rule is brazenly ignored, as cyclists are trying to get to class as fast as possible. You don't have to get off your bike, but you should slow down and stop trying to weave in and out of pedestrians. Pass them off the path if you have to.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I have had trouble with boarders almost hitting me or flying past me in close range and w/o slowing down at all. As a person who uses a guide dog to navigate campus and all of Boulder and the surrounding cities, I'd like to add something from the perspective of someone who cannot see. I am one of the people who ends up being a pedestrian in the bicycle lanes. A guide dog cannot read signs or symbols, even though they are awesome animals in so many ways. They are trained to basically travel in a straight line, to choose the most obvious paths unless given a different direction, and to keep the person they guide away from obstacles. As a result, most guide dogs like to hug the left side of a sidewalk, a hall, and a path. Personally, I have trained my dog, more or less, to stay to the right side of the bike paths, because I understand that being on the left side of most paths or hallways means going against the flow of traffic. However, knowing which parts of a path are for pedestrians and which are for wheels is sort of hard to tell. I have had cyclists shout at me as they ride past me, but I ddon't really know what a good solution is. I am happy to stay in pedestrian areas, but if you can't see lines painted on the ground, you can't really do much. Furthermore, if someone is using a cane, they have reasons for sometimes hugging the left side of a path. For example, if they have a left turn coming up, they will follow the left of a sidewalk so as to find the space where the turn is. If there are over hanging tree branches or traffic polles or parking meters on the right side of the path, it just makes more sense to stick to the side of the path w/o regular obstacles. If cyclists would like to ride quickly, I would ask them to stay on the streets. There are traffic laws surrounding how cars need to interact with cyclists. If I were able to doo so, I would love to ride my bike around town, but I have not yet trained my dog to steer a bike. So, I sympathize with the frustrations cyclists feel towards pedestrians, but please keep in mind that some of us are limited in our options. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteOn behalf of an Anonymous emailer:
ReplyDeleteI am a student bicyclists, and spend 6 days out of the week on campus. I commute by bike, but chose to walk to my classes. Just about daily I receive doses of fright as bicyclists zoom past me as I am attempting to cross a crosswalk with my fellow pedestrian students. Cars and busses will stop and obey traffic laws, but the students on bikes will speed by, often inches from my face. Literally, inches! So, I decided, from now on, I will defensively raise my purse every time I feel threatened on a crosswalk, which I know will cause the speeder to be smacked in the face! I commute by bike as I do not own a car. But by doing so, I do NOT put the life and safety of my fellow students at risk. Bicyclists need to start receiving hefty fines when they disobey right of way laws on crosswalks. As is, I do not feel safe on campus when crossing crosswalks. I never know when I am risking permanent disfugurement by a crazy biker. And I would like to encourage my fellow students to take action to slow these reckless offenders down.
I ride my bike to every class, every single day. Even in 10 inches of snow. Even in ice. I know how to be careful. I slow down for blind corners, and use routes that avoid main pedestrian arteries whenever I'm headed to class (ie downhill, ie faster). I have never hit anyone, nor been hit by anyone.
ReplyDeleteA simple solution is for *everyone* to travel in predictable, orderly manners. Cyclists and skateboarders dodging/weaving around people are equally at fault compared to pedestrians walking on the WRONG SIDE of the sidewalk, or 4 abreast!
If any readers are skiers/snowboarders, campus sidewalks might remind you of skiing/snowboarding on busy cat-tracks or crowded areas. In these spots, collisions usually involve folks who move unpredictably or erratically.
When I'm riding my bike, I appreciate pedestrians who hug the right side of the sidewalk. I resent those who balloon out to the left in an attempt to pass a group that is already 5 people wide! There's no sidewalk left when that happens.
Additionally I would like to address the issue of headphones and texting!! I find that peds who are most alarmed/frightened by cyclists are the ones GLUED to the screens of their precious glowing devices. They start mindlessly drifting into the path of others, and look up at the last second, scared to death! Hmmmm, maybe pay a little more attention? PS, who hates their fellow Buffs so much that an iPod plugs their ears wherever you go?? What if a friend wanted to say hi?
Cyclists are forbidden by law to ride with headphones. Why? Because we can't hear cars coming. So if pedestrians can't hear cyclists coming, maybe take out just *one* earbud? (the left one, plz)
Worst Traffic Spot: southern sidewalk by Norlin's Sundial, due to construction!! Thankfully they have re-opened that ramp ... it is still a very narrow corridor.
Summary: Cyclists, skateboarders, and pedestrians alike can all get along... IF we are respectful and thoughtful of others. I encourage pedestrians to mount up on bikes or skateboards, and skaters/cyclists to try walking - just to see how the other half lives! Think "hmm, so that's what it's like when ______ . I guess I won't do that anymore."
As for me, I'm praying for snow... cause then everyone hibernates, zero skateboards, and far fewer bikes! Really opens things up nicely.
What makes me mad is when cyclists hit pedestrians in the walking lane, especially when the bike lane is completely empty. Being a relatively fast walker, I didn't appreciate it when an idiot on wheels slammed into my elbow unexpectedly by speeding past me in the walking lane. If that wasn't bad enough, the guy proceeded to move over to the bike lane, which was STILL empty at this point, and continued speeding off without a backwards glance or any sort of apology. Seriously, what was the point of that? To prove that you have the IQ of a peanut? To prove that you're a jerk who feels that the world revolves around you and your stupid bicycle? There is absolutely no excuse for hitting a pedestrian in the walking lane, especially when no one's even using the bike lane. In fact, there's no excuse for hitting a pedestrian in the walking lane at all.
ReplyDeleteI'd also like to add that cyclists are supposed to dismount their bikes when crossing crosswalks. I'm a pedestrian who never rides a bike, and even I know that. Those who don't follow that law deserve to be hit by a car. In fact, they're pretty much begging for it, since crosswalks are for pedestrians, and cyclists aren't considered pedestrians when they're on their bicycle.
It should be brought to everyone's attention that pedestrians always have the right of way over cyclists on sidewalks (10a of the Colorado law regarding the operation of bicycles and other human-powered vehicles). That's right, always. The entire bike law can be viewed at http://colobikelaw.com/law.php for those who want to learn more about the bicycling laws in Colorado.
Of course, I acknowledge that some people are doing the right thing. I applaud cyclists who let you know that they're going past you on a sidewalk (The ones without designated biker and walker lanes) by saying something like, "Watch out, I'm coming up on your left." Bells aren't the best idea because the sound could be coming from literally anywhere behind you, but at least those people are making an attempt to prevent accidents.
When I arrived at CU, I was shocked at how few bike paths we have on campus, and at how pedestrians do not respect the bike paths. I went to UC Santa Barbara as an undergrad, and I believe that we should follow their example in two ways.
ReplyDeleteFirst, at UCSB, it is common knowledge that bikes have the right of way on the bike path. When freshmen and visitors are given tours of campus, one of the first things they learn is to look both ways before crossing the bike path. At CU, do bicycles even have the right of way in the bike path? They certainly should if they do not. Given how few bike paths there are on campus, this is not a lot to ask. Once we have agreed that bicycles do have the right of way in the bike path, we need to announce this in signs, newspapers, etc. for a week or two. Once people learn and get in the habit of not walking in the bike path, I think it will stick, assuming the new crowd of freshmen is informed each year. Bumps for blind people could be installed at major bike path crossings.
Second, a few more bike paths would be nice. I am usually able to take roads when crossing campus, but others probably have ideas on where bike paths are needed.
@Stephanie:
What law requires cyclists to dismount when crossing crosswalks? I know this was a law back in California, but I thought I had read that in Boulder, you could ride through the crosswalk at pedestrian speed. The Colorado bike law you posted says, "a person riding a bicycle in a crosswalk shall do so in a manner that is safe for pedestrians."
maybe if all the fratty longboarders on campus learned how to ride a skateboard before they bomb through campus there would be less accidents.
ReplyDeleteevery bro from cali thinks they know how to ride a skateboard and thats whats dangerous.
biking on campus is the farthest thing from the problem. pedestrians need to focus their attention on something other than their daddys iphones and blackberrys and be wary of crosswalks and other traffic.
ReplyDeleteI don't ride a bike on campus, ever, for one main reason: I'm way too scared.
ReplyDeleteIt's busy, it's crowded, and nobody (pedestrains included) pays enough attention. I can't count the number of times I've barely avoided being hit because a biker is coming up behind me at a ridiculously fast speed and I have to cross a sidewalk to get to class.
The bike/pedestrian path over by Sewall and going to the Rec Center is pretty ridiculous. I agree with others above me who've said that pedestrians need to stay in their lane and bikers need to stay in theirs. I wish there was a crosswalk over there for people who need to get to Sewall or the Rec Center - it can be a pretty daunting feat during busier times.
More people need to be doing their part. Watch where you're going. I've gotten in the habit of checking both ways and listening for bikers/boarders. I also think bikers and pedestrains BOTH need to be much safer about the way they cross streets. As a motorist, there is nothing more terrifying than when someone blithely wanders behind me as I'm backing out or jumps in front of me at a crosswalk when the red hand is flashing. I think in Boulder, pedestrains have gotten so used to having the right of way on campus, they apply it everywhere. I think it's rude and shows a definite lack of concern for safety. Obey traffic laws! Bikers, put lights on your bikes at night instead of speeding in front of cars. Wait your turn at the crosswalk and show some regard for your own life. We can all avoid being DIRCs if we try!
On a weird nitpicky note, while I do support this campaign, I think it should be a bit clearer and focus on solutions rather than the problem - and the grammar on the signs needs to be addressed. "DIRC's" is possessive, indicating something belongs to a single DIRC. It does not make it plural. Forgive the English major, ha ha.
I commute on my bike every single day to and form class and work. But then again i walk a fair amount too. So i see it from both sides. And when it comes down to it the people who bike/skate and the people who walk all have the same problem.
ReplyDeleteNo one seems to think anything exists outside themselves. Every person i see to encounter that pisses me off is texting or walking in the middle of the sidewalk making it a guessing game as to how to pass. Of course saying "on your left" works but half the time people look to their left and turn that way. Regardless the lack of consideration for cyclists is very high. They are in the grey area between the road and the sidewalk. But then again cyclists come off with a ignorant attitude that really accounts for them not deserving any respect. When i see kids texting on a bike or the dumbasses riding with no hands i want to throw a stick in their spokes. People just need to realize they are not the only person on the sidewalk.
Be aware of other people on the sidewalks and also be aware of cyclists rights to bike lanes. Try walking on the right side and pass on the left. It really isnt hard at all. Lastly, there is no need to fly through campus when it is 9:55 and everyone is walking to and from class. You are going to hit someone sooner or later and really you are not going to be late. Just be considerate
There's a very simple rule that applies to wheeled vehicles and pedestrians: pedestrians have the right of way. CU is primarily a pedestrian campus, since sidewalks greatly outnumber bike paths. That's not to say that bicyclists and skateboarders can't use them - but they have to use greater caution, especially around populated areas.
ReplyDeleteI walk on the sidewalks around Norlin, and it's fairly common to see someone moving like a bat out of hell on a bike, flying by me. No warning, no bell, no "on your left/right" - nothing. I know pedestrians sometimes do random things, but even so - bicyclists and skateboarders do too! I don't use my cell phone for chatting or texting when I'm walking, and I don't listen to an iPod either. However, I have seen bicyclists and skateboarders doing those things to the exclusion of everything else.
I like to think I'm pretty conscientous about paying attention to people and vehicles around me, but I don't feel like the people on bicycles and skateboards reciprocate. Just the other day, a guy on a skateboard who was rolling behind me cut directly in front of me just so he could pick up some momentum going down another path. No warning, no apology afterward, he didn't even look back. It's the feeling of entitlement, that they have more right to the sidewalks than I do, that bothers me!
So, let's make a deal: bicyclists and skateboarders slow down, watch and dismount if necessary, and us pedestrians will try not to get in your way. How's that?
Speed control is the best measure to ensure the safety of all (cyclists, boarders, pedestrians). Middle campus and the surrounding multi-use paths are certainly the most crowded and therefore most dangerous.
ReplyDeleteAs a cyclist, I avoid all bike lanes and walkways when I care to travel with speed by riding in the road. When I do use these paths, I make my way with caution/alertness and a considerably reduced speed.
Pedestrians have priority with the use of walkways. When presented with a bike path, pedestrians should be educated about the use of these multi-use paths and make an effort to stay in the proper lane. In the case of middle campus, multi-use paths become so crowded that pedestrian overflow into bike lanes is inevitable and therefore cyclists and boarders should be understanding and travel reduced speeds.
Keys: Bikes and boards stay to bike lanes and roads, Speed Reduction, Alertness and Courtesy
@Flyfast: True. However, the part below that says people aren't allowed to ride bikes across crosswalks where it's prohibited. I guess it really depends on the city/area, and I'm not sure if Boulder specifically prohibits it. If it isn't prohibited here, it really should be. If I remember correctly, it's been prohibited everywhere else I've lived, inside and outside of Colorado.
ReplyDeleteReposted anonymously here by request:
ReplyDeleteI've nearly been hit by cyclists several times at the new Regent underpass by Kittredge. I know that there are signs up saying "Pedestrians only", but few seem to think that applies to them. So, that would be a wonderful place to station volunteers (or cops) to try and cut down on the high-speed runs around the blind turns. Skateboarders are pretty bad through there too.
Also, I've been around long enough to remember the central campus "Dismount Zones". As a cyclist, they were a pain, but as a pedestrian, man, did they make life more beautiful. Any way we could resurrect those, ideally from 9-5pm? It's silly to make people dismount at 11pm, but the cyclists and skateboarders who think that the central mall between CIRES and CHEM is a velodrome really need to just walk it during the school day.
Thanks for raising awareness, from somebody who has stopped biking on campus because of the crazy pedestrians and cyclists. Hopefully peer pressure will help people realize that if you're cycling irresponsibly on campus, you're not being eco-friendly, you're not being forward-thinking, you're just being a dick.
This morning I was travelling at a very reasonable speed down the broadway BIKE lane and some naieve sorority girl walked directly in front of me with her eyes glued to her blackberry causing me to slam on the brakes as to not stain the pavement with her makeup. I know theres some bad cyclists out there but almost every accident and near-miss I've ever seen in my 4 years cycling to class has been because of a walker not paying attention and drifting cluelessly into the clearly marked bike lane. I've been doing my part raising awareness for a while now - if someone is walking down the bike lane during high traffic I cut them off as close as possible so they get the point.
ReplyDeleteSo, today I was biking through campus as usual, when all of a sudden, I see this blind guy and think, "what the hell, stupid blind person, I'm a DIRC, GTFO of my way!" Needless to say, I ran that dude over, then I pushed over someone in a wheelchair (shit was SO cash), plowed into three students (probably freshmen, LOL) before getting on my cellphone and telling my homie how funny my morning was.
ReplyDeleteNormally, I'm a safe biker--I don't even ride on campus--but ever since I saw those sweet DIRC scenes on campus, I decided to DIRC it up and ride my bike like those Reckless at CU people think I do.
Protip: Pedestrians and bikers behave like idiots. To single one group out is foolish.
I completely understand that the careful and safe bicyclists are upset about this - but the fact is - a few bad apples DO ruin things for everyone. I have been on this campus for 10 years and have progressively seen this problem getting worse and worse. I have a HUGE problem with the reckless bicyclists and skateboarders on this campus. How many times have you seen a skateboarder bail off of their skateboard only to see the skateboard fly into a group of pedestrians!? Well - thank goodness that skateboarder was able to bail off of his board before HE got injured - never mind the pedestrians on campus. As for my MOST RECENT story (because I have a TON) I was stepping onto the Hop bus recently (seriously - getting ready to step ONTO the bus) at the IMIG Music Building stop, and a skateboarder barreled down the sidewalk and actually skated IN BETWEEN the bus and I. He knocked me back into the person behind me and never even looked back. It wasn't an accident. It was reckless and careless and I, for one, am absolutely THRILLED that we're finally talking about this and am ready for SAFER sidewalks at CU!!!!!
ReplyDeleteFlyfast and Stephanie:
ReplyDeleteThe law I read says that it's okay to ride through a crosswalk in Boulder. However, you DO NOT have right-of-way (and therefore must yield to all other traffic) if you enter the crosswalk faster than walking speed.
This is for all of us cyclists. I have recently been through a reality check. In this campus environment, I believe that cyclists and skateboarders exercise a certain unspoken privilege. This privilege is one of operating a mechanical device that artificially enhances our mobility. (In the case of a bicycle, our gear ratios range from 1:1 up to nearly 6:1!) I call it a privilege because the vast majority of our campus' infrastructure was not originally designed for this purpose; instead, that infrastructure, which includes sidewalks, crosswalks, plazas, benches, greens and more, was intended for pedestrian life. Our campus is in fact nationally renowned for this.
ReplyDeleteMany of you have called out the need for better bicycling facilities, such as bike ways, and I agree whole heartedly that in order to balance that privilege of operating at our greater speeds, our campus should improve facilities which enable this.
However, it does not change the fact that most of our campus was intended for pedestrian uses, and that this is a value not likely to change for some time. It upsets me to read so much discontent with pedestrians from the bicyclists and skateboarders, as though they serve the only purpose of impeding our greater speed.
I suggest that we all try to remember that walking (being a pedestrian) is so much more than a simple mode of transportation. It is a fundamental element of the human experience. Nearly all of us, at least once in the day (and often many more times), are pedestrians. We are pedestrians not because we make an active decision to begin traveling in that specific way, but because it is completely native to us.
I urge us cyclists to be very careful when complaining of the "bad behaviors" or "recklessness" of pedestrians. As so many here have suggested, if we begin to regulate our most fundamental mode of travel, not to mention mode of existence, we lose that ability to socialize, move freely among outdoor spaces, or worse. Walking on campus is so much more than quickly and efficiently moving from one place to another.
Personally, I have often resorted to this line of thought as a defensive measure, unwilling to realize that cycling is a privilege on most of our campus. My call to all of us involved with cycling and skateboarding is to help the campus understand our desire and need for greater speed (often to meet class-schedule requirements), and facilitate the development of more bike/skate ways across campus. Let's improve the ones we've got so that there isn't this animosity between pedestrians and cyclists.
@Tim: Thanks for clearing that up.
ReplyDeleteOn behalf of Ryan:
ReplyDeleteHit it with speed, that’s the way I ride the trails, yet when traveling through campus we (bicyclists) need to put on the brakes and be mindful of others. I love to ride my bicycle to support a healthier environment, and Boulder offers one of the friendliest bike communities in the country. It is our responsibility as two-wheelers to maintain a positive relationship with our pedestrian friends. We must ride safe to preserve our reputation and encourage others to jump on the saddle. I talk to many students who drive or bus because they are too afraid to ride a bicycle on campus. I want to see a campus where bike racks outnumber parking spaces, but this can only happen if the environment is safe for everyone.
If you are a biker or boarder here are a few helpful tips to make us look better and keep everyone safe. First take out your headphones, your hearing may save you from a head on collision. Second tip is just slow down. If you want to ride fast, find a trail or go hit the roads, campus is not the place to display how fast or hard you ride. And finally communicate with pedestrians around you. Tell them you are on their left, or ring your bell. And remember if you think you can’t ride it, chances are you need to dismount and walk with the crowd.
One time I was riding outside the UMC when a pedestrian jumped out in front of my bike, nearly causing a catastrophe. Fortunately, I just had my bike tuned at the CU Bike Station and my brakes worked perfectly. We both exchanged apologies, and felt terribly embarrassed. It was a collaborative effort of absent mindedness. She was listening to her iPod and I was going too fast. This incident may have been avoided if I were going slower in this heavily trafficked area, and if she were paying attention to her surroundings. The point is this DIRK business is a two way street. All bikers, skaters, and pedestrians need to pay more attention. Accidents don’t have to happen, they just occur when we are being complacent. Don’t be a DIRK, ride, walk, and skate safely; it’s much more fun than a visit to the hospital.
A student asked me the other day if I supported designated bike paths through campus. I didn’t know this was on the table, but feel it may alleviate some of the congestion. It may be a long ways a way, so in the mean time I told him just ride slower and know your situation. Riding through the UMC during lunch time makes little sense, but cruising down 17th street to burn off some stress, makes every biker grin. As a two-wheeling advocate, I recommend knowing your environment. Take some time to map out the best routes on campus, and try to avoid riding during class changes. You can always leave for class 10 minutes earlier and bypass the crowds. Also keep your bike or board in working order. If your brakes don’t work take your bike to the Bike Station or contact the Mobile Mechanic, a bike without brakes is an accident waiting to happen. And finally if you are a pedestrian be mindful of riders around you. Know that not everyone has a mastery of the bicycle or long board, so if they are going to fast or riding reckless try and get out of the way. If they are being reckless ask them to stop so you can tell them how they are harming our campus.
As an everyday bike commuter I know all about the frustrations. Like pedestrians in the bike lane, skateboarders carving huge S's across both lanes of the broadway bike path,etc., but cyclists themselves can solve a lot of these problems by a) slowing down anywhere near campus, b) using verbal alerts like "on your left" c) using hand signals before turning and d) riding more defensively. By riding defensively, I mean ride like some one is definitely going to walk out from behind that blind corner, ride like the cyclist in front of you is going to make a sudden unsignaled turn just as you try to pass them. That sort of thing will go a long, long way. and you won't crash.
ReplyDelete"Cell-Phone Users Can't Spot a Clown on a Unicycle" - University research study
ReplyDeletehttp://www.livescience.com/culture/091019-cell-phone-clown.html
hahahahahaha AWESOME
Got rallied by some asshole on a mountain bike today.http://boulderfixedgear.blogspot.com/2010/01/i-was-biking-on-campus-today.html
ReplyDelete@anonymous poster whose message was put up by cutran:
ReplyDeleteThe Regent underpass by Kittredge is a major problem for me as a cyclist because whoever laid out the walkways and bicycle detour for the construction area was being completely unrealistic about both the amount of traffic that would be coming through there and about what cyclists could reasonably be asked to do. Yes, there is a bike detour that does not use the paths (one sidewalk and one blacktop) laid out for pedestrians. No, it is not in any way an acceptable route to take. I tried it once in the hopes of getting clear of the crowds, and it turns out it forces you to cover three times the distance and to cross both a busy street and a busy parking lot. What the hell, CU?! How is that in any way safe for the cyclists meant to take that route? I don't know if those bike detour signs are even still up, since I'm sure it became clear pretty quickly that no cyclist was going to use that alternate route.
Generally it seems like most pedestrians moving through that area use the white sidewalk, while most cyclists and skateboarders use the black one, which does sort of reaffirm my faith in our ability to divide ourselves into lanes and then stick to those designations. And of course if it's very crowded, I'll slow to a walking speed (and yes, I can control my bike perfectly well at walking speed) or dismount, but that's just how it's done all over campus. Can I suggest that when construction is finally done in that area, we have permanent bike and walking lanes set through there? Also, better mirrors for seeing around the blind corners when you're coming out from under the bridge would be great. I love that we have that bridge now and I don't have to worry about getting hit by a car going through there, but I'm always nervous when I come out from under the bridge no matter how slow I'm going, because I simply can't see if anyone is coming.
My first suggestion is not to use the money that we pay in fees to demonize bikers in you marketing campaign. While this site seems to treat the issue fairly, the signs make me feel like a criminal even though I am a responsible biker.
ReplyDeleteMy more important suggestion is to place signs at every bus stop that stops next to the bike path to alert people exiting the bus that they are about to walk across the bike lane. Many people get hit or almost get hit at these areas, and it is usually not the fault of bikers. I have a right to ride fast when I am in the bike lane, and just like a car driving in the road, I should be able to expect that pedestrians will not suddenly step in front of me. A simple sign that says "Hey--you are about to cross a bike path, watch out for bikers!" that people will see when they exit the bus should do the trick.
I think if this campaign, which I understand has good motivations, continues to make bikers feel persecuted the way I feel when I see your signs, the University will discourage biking and encourage driving, which will create more problems, both environmental and safety related.
What the f*** is a DIRC
ReplyDelete@Scott
ReplyDeleteI've noticed for years that pedestrians getting off the Buff Bus across Euclid from the UMC have absolutely zero respect for ANY laws of traffic. Not only do they flood across the bike lane, but they'll walk in a mass across Euclid, NOT at the crosswalk, regardless of whether or not they have the walk signal at the light. I don't think signs are going to cut it at this point (though they may in the future), since I've seen messages put up in that space in the form of sidewalk chalk asking pedestrians to please, you know, follow the law, and they were blatantly ignored. There need to be consequences for this behavior (both walking in the bike lanes and crossing roads incorrectly) so pedestrians will get in the habit of following the rules.
How serious a problem is all this, really? I've been walking and bicycling around campus for five years and I've seen no serious collisions between pedestrians, skateboarders, and bicyclists on campus. I've been in exactly one crash: A skateboarder and I hit each other head-on when we both dodged to the same side of the path. We apologized profusely and went about our business. Other than that, all I can recall are minor annoyances. Do we have any kind of data suggesting that a real problem exists?
ReplyDeleteSome thoughts:
ReplyDelete1. Like Eric (hi Eric!), I'd like to see some data on this. I've been in two crashes that involved other people in 10 years of cycling in and around. In one, I stupidly tried to sneak by some peds on my bike at very slow speed, caught the edge of the sidewalk on my tire, and bit it. It was actually pretty funny. In the other, another cyclist passed me on the left going very fast and fell... somehow. I'm still not sure what happened, because I don't think we even touched.
2. We used to have dismount zones, then the paint marking them was allowed to get worn away, and I don't think they exist anymore, but I never heard any official word. When and why was the decision made to get rid of them? I would support limited dismount zones at certain hours of the day. I am also a big fan of designated bike routes, where wheeled traffic would be allowed to move faster.
3. About a year ago, a rule was instituted that cyclists have to travel at 5 mph on campus mixed-use paths at all times. Is this still the rule? If so, I disagree with it. Riding through campus at 6:30 AM is a very different experience than at 2:50 PM, and the rules should reflect that.
4. Any rule that is in effect (bike/walk lanes, dismount zones, speed limits, etc.) should be enforced, otherwise the university is only punishing the honest, and irresponsible path users will continue to cause problems.
5. All incoming students should be taught how to properly walk on a mixed-use path.
Can somebody please explain what the h*** DIRC even means? Anyone?
ReplyDeleteI had it explained to me as "Dangerous, Irresponsible, and Reckless on Campus" but I don't know if this is the "official" basis of the acronym or not.
ReplyDeleteMy biggest frustrations as a biker haven't really been pedestrians at all. It's other bikers. I have no idea what is going through a cyclist's head when they are going the WRONG WAY on a bike path. You are forcing a very dangerous game of chicken between cyclists going the correct direction and on-coming traffic.
ReplyDeleteThis isn't exactly "on campus," but I see astonishing disregard for traffic law on the streets through and near campus. I'm a biker, I commute on the roads, and I expect to be treated like a legitimate user with the same right to be on the road as a car or Mack truck or anybody else. That only works if bikes follow the law -- and are seen by drivers as doing so -- just like other kinds of traffic.
ReplyDeleteI regularly see bikes run red lights at Folsom and Colorado, Baseline and 27th, and all the intersections along Broadway. These are busy intersections, and I'm not talking about the middle of the night when nobody else is there. Watch for 10 minutes and you'll probably see a bike or skateboard run the light and dodge through the traffic or pedestrians with the green. I see bikes going the wrong way for the lanes they're in (in bike paths, bike lanes, and just regular traffic lanes). Three days ago, I saw a bike run a red light, collide with a car, and just ride off. The car was just starting and nobody was hurt, but still. You can say that it wasn't serious, or that the car should have looked more carefully, and those are both true, but it's still grossly illegal and dangerous behavior.
As a biker, I would like to see more law enforcement applied to bikers (and skateboarders, rollerbladers, unicyclists, etc). I hate to say it, but I don't have a better idea. Bikes are far less dangerous than cars, but we can still hurt people, especially if cars have to do dangerous things to avoid us. And if some bicyclists provoke hostility among drivers, that's bad for the rest of us. I don't know if there's much the University can do to change attitudes in general, but enforcing the existing laws against the most dangerous bad behavior can only help. It might even spill over into how people act on campus proper.
STOP PUSHING MONGO, LEARN HOW TO RIDE A SKATEBOARD
ReplyDelete