With the last few days so nice, a lot of people have decided to take their bike to work (yay!). And some of those people are riding on the otherwise bus only 3rd Avenue Downtown (boo?). Most of the time, as someone who bikes and takes buses in bike and bus lanes, I love that they exist, and can mostly coexist. Going from Downtown to Ballard in either mode is enhanced by lanes that bikes and buses can both use. And normally when someone complains about those damn bikes in the car lanes, the proper response is to complain about how poorly they must be driving if they can’t get around and to remind them that the roads are for everybody.
But 3rd Ave, at least during rush hour, isn’t for everybody. It’s to get buses as quickly through downtown as possible given how shitty the rest of Downtown is for traffic. If you slow down a car that was already inching along, or that could go around, it’s not as big of a deal as slowing down a bus in a corridor where that isn’t the case.
And look, I realize that 2nd and 4th are one way, and on a hill, so it can be problematic to ride a bike from one to the other to get going the right direction. And I’m certainly not advocating ticketing bicyclists like they ticket cars. It’s one of the few situations where I’m not sure it’s better to have bikes.
Bikers are like giant squirrels on wheels, just as annoying when you come upon them on the road…but not as cute.
Why shouldn’t cyclists who break the law get tickets? And if an aggressive cyclist goes barreling through a crosswalk, knocking down pedestrians, why shouldn’t he get some spokes wrapped around his neck and kneecapped?
@2: I didn’t mean bikes should never get a ticket under any circumstances. I meant they shouldn’t get a ticket for riding on 3rd during rush hour, like we do now for cars.
Shorter Carl-“other people’s complaints about bikes aren’t valid, but mine are when bikes bother me”
Bike are allowed on 3rd, check out the signage. It says do not enter 6 am to 9 am or 3 pm to 6:30 pm Monday through Friday except busses and bicycles.
Personally, I prefer 2nd for southbound but don’t use the bike lane after Virginia because the left side bike lane becomes an extreme hazard due to traffic turning left onto 2nd. Bikes in the bike lane are hidden by parked cars.