By: Diane Benjamin
How many bikes have you seen in the bike lanes? How much money has been wasted painting them? How much congestion has been caused ON PURPOSE: “traffic calming”.
It turns out biking isn’t the great savior Bike BloNo convinced Renner and company it was!
I will start with the last paragraph:
For drivers and cyclists alike, the roads can be a challenge, clogged and dangerous. Where street space is scarce and traffic is heavy, bicycle lanes simply don’t work. They may initially have seemed appealing, but Americans know better now. Commuting by bike is not the wave of our urban future. It’s just another overrated utopian scheme.
Excerpts:
Citing data from Canada and Europe, he noted that the accident rate for bicycles is at least 26 times the rate for cars, explaining that dedicated bike lanes are more likely to cause accidents, especially when cyclists and drivers turn or cross at intersections.
Subtracting or squeezing already-crowded car lanes for the benefit of cyclists is a terrible idea. As bicycle lanes have worsened traffic congestion, they have led to a “bikelash” in communities as disparate as Los Angeles, Memphis, and Boise, Idaho. The doctrine that cars, buses, and trucks should “share the road” with bicycles sounds egalitarian and green, but it’s as impractical as expecting motor vehicles to “share” urban thoroughfares with skateboards and strollers. The chief function of those roads is to keep people and goods moving as rapidly, efficiently, and safely as possible. Bike lanes unavoidably impede that function — often to the detriment of bike riders themselves.
Considering the billions of dollars that federal, state, and local governments have poured into bicycle infrastructure over the past decade, the steady drop in cycling amounts to a sharp vote of no confidence in bicycles as the much-touted wave of transportation’s future. So maybe it’s time for public officials and policymakers to turn their backs on the militant, self-righteous bike lobby and its fantasy of a world in which drivers defer to cyclists as the rightful kings of the road. Bicycles — nimble, healthful, non-polluting, cheap — have many advantages. But they don’t belong in crowded urban traffic.
Now go read the rest of the article. Send Bloomington thanks for screwing up Fairway Dr with bike lanes. Staying on top of current events when they have a Bike Master Plan and Complete Streets Plan keeps common sense from being allowed in governing.
Does anybody on the Council read? Do they see invisible bikers?
Those are all good questions. Is the “News Nobody Reports” going to get to the bottom of this and provide some answers? And just because you say or quote some article you found on the internet doesn’t mean making streets safer is a bad idea. You know, I see roads with no traffic either. NONE! Should we stop repairing those roads? Maybe those roads should simply be torn up and be returned to natural prairie. What else you got? Any other ginned up controversies. BTW, I saw two bike commuters on today. THIS MORNING! The windchill was 7 degrees. One of them…was on Washington. This is so silly.
I expected stupidity from the person who thinks Connect Transit is wonderful. Just the paint on E Washington costs $40,000 a year. Two bikes! Wow.
I found the WHOLE bicycle lane “ordeal” a “statement” if you will on the stupidity and egotism on the leaders AND the BIKE BLONO group. As a kid my friends an I rode ALL over GOD’S green earth, collecting stickers! Heck, we rode to Shirley, across Veterans, to North NORMAL and all 4 corners of town. we didn’t wear helmets, we stopped at red lights and stop signs and followed the laws (or our parents would have killed us!)
Guess what. We didn’t have $3,000 fancy name bicycles and day glo clothes and helmets, we wore bright clothes, rode in NICE weather and USED COMMON SENSE, and we’re STILL here. yeah, we wiped out once in a while, but it was OUR fault. And we didn’t have bike lanes.. OR EGOS! We did have common sense, but we were only 10, maybe THAT’S the secret!
The whole bike lane campaign was a “trial run” to see how far a narrow, Leftist led organization–Bike BloNo (aka: ISIS On the Prairie)–could use Anitfa terrorist-like intimidation techniques (ask homeowners along Washington St), the Saul Alinsky/Barak Obama “Community Organizing” template, and the power of a radically extremest Mayor to push through a very costly and ridiculously useless policy against the interests of almost all citizens.
It had it roots in the McLean County Left’s successful Homosexual Rights Ordinance and Sister City with Cuba campaigns of the 1990s, and was the dress rehearsal for the Police Review Board and so called “Welcoming Ordinance” battles today.
All according to plan……
Michael Gorman. Tari and Chris’s boy toy.
I think it is hilarious that they made such a big deal about this silly bike lane and now NO ONE uses it? So who is going to be riding a bike in this weather? This is just crazy stuff from the liberal elites and the bike Nazis. So what is the wind chill on a bike when it is 25 degrees (like today)? Sorry Tari and Mayor Bike Shop Koos, I will pass on becoming a people-sickle riding on your bike lanes. I have this nice car with a heater.
People actually do ride, just not many to work. I see them out in the country all the time. They must think riding with cars going 55mph is safer than city streets.
Only show-offs that find kids a bother that work at WGLT.
It’s all just a continued transfer of wealth. From the serfs to the elite. Problem is, people like Renner and Koos (and their ilk) can’t grasp the reality that they are merely lemmings in training for complete serfdom.
I was driving home last Friday at about 8 am. I did see a biker on East Washington…he was on the sidewalk. True Story. I probably shouldn’t say anything or King Tari will demand the police start patrolling the area and arrest anyone riding on the side walk and the person will file a complaint with the Police Review Board. As ridiculous as all that sounds it would not surprise me one bit.
Smart people know riding next to cars is dangerous. Sidewalk isn’t illegsl, maybe dangerous because of the conditions though.
If you think the bikes are bad around BloNo, just wait until the scooters arrive in Normal. It will be very soon. The Town is in discussions with Zaggster to not only bring in MORE bikes (I think nearly doubling the amount they currently have), but now they will be bringing in scooters. The scooters will need to ride in the street and will be a massive headache when driving around Uptown or near campus.
Being raised a farm/city kid. I LEARNED to ride a bicycle IN THE COUNTRY, and let’s face, after watching the chickens lay eggs, the bulls do their thing, and the dog chase rabbits, you ride your bicycle, and YES I did it in winter. It’s actually kind of neat when you look at your tracks in the snow as a kid, and there hasn’t been ANY cars down the road.
YES! You’ll see a LOT of people in the COUNTRY riding their bicycles, and that’s ONE reason they moved there, so they could ride up and down the blacktop when they want (NO Constitution trail or BIKE LANES here) and it’s PEACEFUL. Want to know HOW to tell them from the “city slickers”? They don’t have helmets, nor fancy clothes, and THEY WAVE! And they most LIKELY have COMMON SENSE! Even their 5 year olds have sense enough to move off the road for a fast car!
Now what is really seriously disturbing is the fact that this article and the posted comments will be seen by the elites, our two Mayors and the bike Nazi community as over the top negative and crazy stuff from the right wing blog. As with Trump Derangement Syndrome and the general liberal pathogen (continually reinforced by the mainstream media), we have many many people who have been brainwashed into seeing the world in a way that is contradictory to the real world. So encourage people to turn off the mainstream media (don’t watch it yourself of course). Like George Carlin said: It’s all BS and it is bad for you!
The lack of common sense from the local government is unsurprising. But, really? Who is riding their bike on a consistent basis to work, errands, shuttling the kids to/from school and activities. The Constitution Trail is awesome! Once again Koos and Renner are beholden to pressure groups and ideology while abandoning common sense and rational logic. I’m sure the Pantagraph has a fluff piece on the bike lanes at the ready for their friends in government.
There were total of 777 bicyclists killed in crashes with motor vehicles in 2017. In 2015, 5,376 pedestrians were killed in traffic crashes in the United States. This averages to one crash-related pedestrian death every 1.6 hours. Additionally, almost 129,000 pedestrians were treated in emergency departments for non-fatal crash-related injuries in 2015. There were 37,133 Motor vehicle fatalities in the United States last year.
How is your statistic “the accident rate for bicycles is at least 26 times the rate for cars” even a real statistic when you’re talking about Canada and Europe not the United States? Apple and oranges comparison. Perhaps we should ban automobiles and pedestrians since there fatality rate is much higher than bicycle deaths and injuries.
You seem to like to cherry pick your statistics. Most large cities from Chicago, Portland, New York and in many other large cities bicycle riding is a cheap alternative to expensive automobiles. Many cities have very popular bike sharing programs that are heavily used. Not everyone wants an automobile especially in a city. Bicycles are a good alternative.
We aren’t close to their size. Townhall did the article, complain to them.
Bicyles are not a good alternative. What a lame claim. LMAO! Not even going to explain it to ya!
Well, you’re the one citing the article, you’re the “editor” of this site not me. You have no editorial oversight on this blog?
Townhall was owned by the Heritage Foundation which supports the oil lobby, so yes, they’re going to be against bicycles. I gave actual statistics of bicycle deaths versus pedestrian deaths. Pedestrian deaths far outstrip bicycle deaths. According to your logic, pedestrians should be outlawed and their activities stopped because pedestrians are unsafe and cars hit them all the time. That makes as much sense as your vendetta against bikes. If you’re citing deaths, then autos should be banned because motor vehicle deaths are much higher than bicycles. Just because you cite an article on the internet doesn’t make it true or even right.
Did you include links? I don’t remember seeing any, I’m suppose to just believe you. Anybody with a brain know riding a bike next to a car is stupid. Even kids don’t do it. actually, I don’t care about your data. Common sense is needed more than some numbers.
I’m pro-bike – I like biking places, would sometimes commute to previous jobs and would do so for my current one if it made sense, and have even participated in some biking events. All that said, it comes down to what’s the most cost effective use of taxpayer money. I love the Constitution trail, but to be honest it should have more private funding. Bike lanes are kind of nice but unnecessarily inconvenience the other 90+% of the roads’ users – cars and trucks. If the article is to be believed that they have unsafe unintended consequences, then all the more reason not to have them.
What, I’m suppose to do your job? You’re style yourself a “journalist”. You have Google, you can Google those statistics. Gee, everyone knows that a human pedestrians next to a car is stupid. Let’s have “common” sense and outlaw pedestrians, they’re a total nuisance. Cars should be able to plow pedestrians, bicyclist under just because you drive a car. Circular reasoning at it’s finest.
Keep it up and you too can be banned. Maybe the Pantagraph is a better fit for you.
Hey Farmer Joe….please provide us links to statistics to back up your claims…. or do I have to do your job for you? “You’re style yourself a “journalist”” Really? Could you be more hostile? So you believe that we have “journalists” at the Pantagraph and WGLT News, right? Where are your statistics to back up your claims boy? We are waiting…. Lets put your research and proof ahead of your mouth….
He’s probably getting them from NY Time, Washington Post, Snopes, or CNN
https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2018/02/16/480956.htm
https://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/motor-vehicle-safety/index.html
https://www.iihs.org/iihs/topics/t/general-statistics/fatalityfacts/state-by-state-overview
None of them the New York Times, the Washington Post or CNN.
Cars weren’t the story!
Excuse me, car deaths used to be higher than they are now. In 1979 automobile deaths were 51,093 or 22.702 fatalities per 100,00 of our population. Technical advancements and enacted laws like seat belts, air bags, crumple zone design in modern cars have meant that many people can walk away from an car accident that would have killed them in the past. Safer road design for everyone is something that you are disparaging, which has also mitigated all road deaths. Bicycles are a means of transportation for many people, including many younger adults who don’t want expensive cars.
Set up a camera to count bikes on E Washington. I bet less than 20 in 24 hours. Stupid use it limited funds.
Yes I think we have a real live bike Nazi in the thread… right Farmer Joe? Are you riding your bike today? Do you have the really cool expensive gear/bike/clothes? Do you shop at the Green Top? Do you go to Brew Pubs? Come on… be proud of what you are…. We are just a bunch of plain Bloomington-Normal working and retired people who find it hard to understand you and your world. And most of us don’t cotton to spoiled over-educated overpaid elites and bike Nazi telling us we need to accommodate (and pay for) a tiny fraction of the population with space on public roads. What does everyone else think?
His first link has nothing to do with bikes, didn’t bother with the others.
Bike NAZI? Wow. Aren’t you straining for insults? What’s a bike NAZI? Geez Leweez, I point out some facts and I’m the NAZI? You’re assuming an awful lot about me. I’m over-educated? Why? Because I make sense and state facts? The fact is that there are more car accidents than bicycle accidents. There are more pedestrian accidents with cars than there are bicycle/car accidents. It has nothing to do with being “elite” or being a NAZI. The bicycle riding is not a “tiny fraction of the population”. It’s been increasing particularly in large cities.
According to the Census Bureau:
“Many U.S. cities are seeing an increase in bicycle commuters, according to a U.S. Census Bureau report released today. Nationwide, the number of people who traveled to work by bike increased roughly 60 percent over the last decade, from about 488,000 in 2000 to about 786,000 during the 2008-2012 period. This is the largest percentage increase of all commuting modes tracked by the 2000 Census and the 2008-2012 American Community Survey.”
https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2014/cb14-86.html
Has reported, since then numbers have decreased!
All right boy… a 2012 survey… What year is it? Yes it is common among the non-elites here to call the Bike BloNo like folks, Bike Nazis…You are still funny with a survey from 2012 data…really their are more car accidents than bike accidents? Who would have guessed…LOL and how many cars are on the road every day compared to bikes? Come on…. what is the ratio…. 10,000 cars to 1 bike? And for the record I never assumed that you were over-educated…. and remember going to college does not raise your IQ but some people think they are actually smarter (which is my point).
Now lets start again: Please these are my questions: #1 What do your links this have to do with bike safety as a percentage of the people on the road? #2 The posted article is about declining numbers of people riding to work (do you have “current” statistics that refute this?)
And no you can cite something that is really old… that is just not going to work. 2019 remember?
Farmer JoeBob… now anyone who knows me… knows that I have plenty of direct and indirect ways of insulting someone. It is kind of a sport for me to go after (on this site) liars, establishment shills, gaslighters, clueless establishment supporting liberals, elites and an occasional city government clone soldier. So since you tell us you are not a bike Nazi then I would imagine you fall into the “clueless establishment supporting liberal” category. You see… we actually have a lot of fun here trying to figure out who is behind some of the outrageous comments that are posted by new people here. Your earlier (You’re style yourself a “journalist”) speaks volumes about you and your attitude. Do you think you are the first to say crap like this to Diane here? How about you just go back to whatever establishment thing you are working in and leave this to the adults.
You are funny Farmer Joe… you post Motor vehicle death and injury statistics links? Really? #1 What does this have to do with bike safety as a percentage of the people on the road? #2 The posted article is about declining numbers of people riding to work (do you have statistics that refute this?) #3 Just posting some motor vehicle death statistics is not an argument. It is pretending…. So please prove that commuting to work is not going down precipitously. And prove that it is not more dangerous to ride a bike compared to cars and trucks? We are waiting…. Yes you will need more than just a 5 minute Google search…
We should call Farmer Joe… Friday fun! LOL
Apparently calling people NAZI’s is more important than any discussion on here. My motor vehicle deaths versus bicycle deaths means bicycles are NOT more dangerous. If that was true, there would be more bicycle deaths than car deaths. There are clearly more car deaths than bicycle deaths. It doesn’t mean that bicycle riders are more “elite” or “over-educated”, all tropes you have put forward with nothing to back up your claims. Despite what you wrote, bicycle riding doesn’t take special equipment or “really cool expensive gear/bike/clothes”, beyond a helmet and a warm jackets and gloves in the winter. All standard issue to anyone.
It’s pretty amazing that you insist that I “prove” my statements with links, but you constantly make statements that you can’t or don’t prove.
“So please prove that commuting to work is not going down precipitously.” Where do I even start with that? Commuting to work is NOT going down. I’m not going to waste time on someone whose makes up facts. Your statement about commuting is going down is news to everyone who actually commutes to work every single day via any conveyance all over this country.
All your lawrwnce, I’m laughing too hard
How about you go away establishment person… I think Tari needs you at his desk or os Baby Koos is calling you… now are you gaslighting… this is deal breaker here.
So all you have is juvenile name calling? Gaslighting? Lawrence, you made a statement that commuting to work is going down precipitously…Where’s your proof of that statement? Or that bicycle riding is more dangerous than driving an automobile? Where’s your “proof” of that trope?
There is one problem with your perception: The data does not support it. In fact, there is data to suggest that road cycling is statistically safer today per rider than ten years ago. For perspective, there were about 26,000 deaths due to each of “falls” and “alcohol” so falling in your home is both dangerous and more deadly than bicycle riding. Dividing 623 into 9,000,000,000, we end up with a cycling fatality rate of about 6.9 per 100 million miles. According to the NHTSA, that same statistic is 1.11 for cars in 2010.
The statistic of 37,133 automobile deaths in the US in 2017 is “pretending”? Pretending what? Pretending that automobile deaths don’t happen? Pretending that cycling deaths are less even if you “pretend” they’re more “dangerous”?
Who votes for no more Farmer comments?
Guess I have to point out the obvious. How Many bikes are on the road? How many cars are on the road? Even if every biker died it wouldn’t be more than auto deaths. Duh.
It would be also nice if Farmer JoeBillyBob would apologize to Diane for his outrageously rude condescending comment (You’re style yourself a “journalist”) – before he goes back to report to Tari or Koos. And in conclusion, Diane is the ONLY person in the media here who is actually doing journalism. She is a truth teller and the establishment fears and hates her for it.
How many bikes on the road? How many cars on the road? The number of cyclists/bike riders in the U.S. has increased over the past three years from around 43 million to 47.5 million in 2017. The fact is that bicycles have a RIGHT to be on the road, just like automobiles. Cyclists’ right to the road was enshrined by 1895 with the first bicycle laws. Under those laws bicycles have the legal status of vehicles, and cyclists enjoy the legal status of ANY vehicle operators. I’m not going to “apologize” to people who like to name call with NAZI Or who equate bicycle riding to ISIS. I don’t know either Renner or Koos, so your insinuations are wrong.
Had to let him have one more
Farmer JoeBillyBobBubba Please… tell me you are kidding here? My entire faith in people with low IQs ability to comprehend complex subjects (no matter how simply they are laid out and presented) is at stake here. Have you hit your head recently on something really hard?
No more Farm JoeBillyBobBubbaCletus comments!
Wow… Farmer JoeBillyBobCletusNancy seems to be spinning off the track? LOL! OMG…. I do hope he doesn’t have a blood pressure issue…. We could be looking at blowing a head casket (not pretty). But on the lighter side, I was working on something really boring today and Farmer JoeBillBobCletusNancyBeatrice has been a welcome distraction… LOL and a lot of fun!