My Office’s Very Own Bike to Work Day

The email came in Thursday from Jon the CFO: “OK, folks, given the hot weather of late and the reality that we might be enjoying the last days of summer weather, I am declaring that tomorrow anyone who wants to wear shorts to work can do so! And those of you who want to ride their bikes to work should do so. Janet has been trying to get me to ride to work for a long time now and I’ve never done so. But tomorrow is the day – I am going to put on a pair of shorts in the morning and bike to the office. So if you don’t want to see me in shorts, you might want to quickly arrange a vacation day tomorrow!”

What a surprise! After Jon told me how he used to ride his bike all over Manhattan as a teen, I had been gently nudging him to ride his bike to work. He lives less than two miles from the office, but he had the usual concerns: what to wear, scheduling around offsite meetings, etc. But Friday was was the day. He rode to work on the same 1979 Raleigh 10 speed from his high school days on the Upper East Side, wearing the same big smile I’m sure he wore as a teenager who had the freedom to roam the whole island.

Jon isn’t the only person I’ve gently nudged toward biking to work. There’s Stephane, who recently joined us from our Paris office. He and his wife found a place to live near downtown Palo Alto, less than three miles from our office. Being good California suburbanites, they bought a small SUV which they share. They also share a bike, which Stephane rides to work most days and his wife uses for errands on other days.

Melissa usually rides her motor scooter to the office from her home three miles away, so she’s got an easy commute. She surprised me one day by telling me she wanted to ride her bicycle to work and where did I suggest she park it. I didn’t realize that Melissa used to teach English in Japan, where she rode a bicycle as daily transportation. Now she splits her time riding in to work between her scooter and her bike.

Given there are only 14 people working in our small office, I’m really impressed that we have four people who have turned in their car commute for a bike commute at least some of the time. We also have two guys who ride in on motorcycles daily, which puts us at close to 50% of our workforce using lower impact transportation. Pretty impressive considering our office is located in a suburban office park, not a downtown type location. And it definitely puts a smile on my face.

For those who regularly bike commute to work: has riding to work had an influence on your co-workers’ transportation choice? For those who don’t: does having co-workers bike commuting to the office make you want to ride in too?

 

Cycling from Eight to Eighty

Have you heard slogan “from eight to eighty” from the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition? Their mission is to build safe, comfortable, continuous bikeways, fit for cyclists of all ages. I’m sure many people find the idea of 80 year olds riding bikes far fetched, but I don’t have to look any farther than my very own family.

Meet Mom and Dad. They’re 80, and they’re still pedaling strong. It was hard to get ahead of them to take these photos on our vacation in Florida this summer. I had to ask Dad to slow down so I could snap the photo.

Both have been riding since their childhood in the 1930′s in small town Louisiana. Dad and his brother were paperboys, delivering the nightly news to everyone in town. During WWII, they became experts at bike repair when parts were scarce and even a simple innertube impossible to buy. Mom has never been an athlete. She kept score rather than play on her high school’s girls basketball team. With only 13 in their graduating class, I’m surprised they didn’t need her to field a team.

Growing up, bicycling around the neighborhood was an all-family activity, which Mom and Dad continued after we all moved out. Dad still zips around pushing a big gear while Mom rolls along at her own pace. Still, Mom managed to put 3500 miles on her bike in her mid-70s, averaging 13 miles a week on her four mile loop.

Aren’t they cute? In Florida I even convinced them to let me take their bike portraits. Mom was more than willing to take a glamour shot in her sundress and thong heels. And it only seemed fitting that I catch Dad on the way to the courts, because tennis, not bicycling is his real passion.

I’m really proud of my parents and how they’ve taken care of themselves. They’re cute together, aren’t they?

Can you imagine riding when you’re 80? What about 90 or even 100?

 

Where Buena Vista Doesn’t Mean Good View

A few weeks ago I wrote a letter complaining about “Keep Right” signs on downhill Page Mill Road near Moody Road. I had assumed the signs were prompted by drivers who wanted cyclists to “stay in their place” so they could pass more quickly, without regard for cyclist safety. The County Traffic Engineer responded that the signs were installed because residents on Buena Vista Drive complained they couldn’t see cyclists descending Page Mill when they turn left onto Buena Vista. Somehow, they believe that cyclists who keep right are more visible.

But the signs may come down soon, and not because cyclists like me complained. In their place, the residents now want a stop sign installed on Page Mill for the downhill travel lane only! Does this sound like a good idea to you? Not me. So I wrote back saying I thought a downhill only stop sign would be confusing and merely shifts the burden of safely yielding the right of way from the uphill traffic to the downhill traffic.

Today, I went up Page Mill to check the intersection out again. I took this series of photos as I walked up Page Mill Road toward the Buena Vista and Moody Rd intersections. The photos were taken from the vantage point of a car driver, at approximately 20 feet intervals.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

My take: Downhill traffic is visible to uphill traffic at the Buena Vista intersection if the uphill traffic slows to nearly a stop before turning, something I guess the residents of the eight homes on Buena Vista don’t want to do. After all, it’s far easier for them if all other traffic stops just for them. If they want a stop sign, I think it should be four-way stop, like the traffic consultants recommended in their report.

What do you think? Does a downhill-only stop sign make sense? What about a four-way stop?

If you care about this issue, let the county supervisors know about it! You can attend the meeting on Tuesday, September 27 or write a letter. Details on how are courtesy of the Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition.

Speaking of passing without regard for safety, while I was taking photos I also videotaped a driver passing a cyclist on this blind turn. What was the driver thinking? It’s a good thing that the white SUV that appears around 0:12 wasn’t there 10 seconds earlier!

 

New York City: Subway vs Bike

You can’t say you’ve experienced New York City until you’ve ridden the subway. Besides, between the $30 per day cost of renting bikes in NYC and how intense our ride was yesterday, we opted to take the subway to visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I was also curious to compare taking the subway to taking the bike.

The Google Maps transit option recommended we take the A-C blue line from Penn Station to 86th, then walk across Central Park to the museum at 82nd and 5th Avenue. Buying subway tickets was fast, easy and not too expensive at $2.50. But Dick’s ticket wouldn’t open the turnstile, so he had to ask the ticket agent for help. Twice. Also, we had a hard time figuring out whether we should take the A and C lines. The fact that the subway didn’t having a system map posted in the station didn’t help.

But we made it to 86th Street and walked a pleasant 3/4 mile in light rain across Central Park to the museum. For the route back we walked to the East Side’s 77th St station and took the 6 line subway to 33rd and walked about a mile back to the hotel. Total walking: 2 miles.

Thinking back over our trip and comparing to our ride yesterday, which happened to take us past the museum, here’s my take on subway vs bike.

Time: Factoring out the lost time in the station it took us about 30 minutes on the subway. On the bike, the 3.2 miles would have taken about 15-20 minutes. Bike wins.

Comfort: On a bike with fenders, riding in light rain and walking are about the same. Sitting on a bike is more comfortable than standing on a crowded subway. Bike wins.

Mental stress: Riding a bike in city traffic, especially in the rain, is much more mentally stressful than the riding the subway. But the subway is LOUD. Not that the street is quiet either. Subway wins.

Physical stress: If you have foot problems that make walking difficult, note that the subway route requires significant walking, including stairs, so I had to wear comfortable walking shoes. On a bike I can wear heels, and on a bike I can comfortably carry more stuff: laptop, shopping bags, groceries, etc. Bike wins.

Reliability: Due to the number of riders it supports, the subway in NYC is very reliable. But if something halts the line, like a water main break, it can be long walk to an alternate line. On a bike on the street grid, there are almost always adjacent streets available if there’s a street closure. Bike wins.

Given the pros and cons above, which would you take: subway or bike? Does one factor trump all others?

Speaking of water main breaks, here’s my video of the break that almost kept us from using the subway.

 

New York City in 30 Intense Miles

With sunny skies and rain forecasted for later in the week, we hit the ground rolling on our first day in NYC. Not wanting our first pedal strokes to be in the heart of Midtown Manhattan during rush hour, we walked up 8th Avenue and rented bikes near Central Park. I’ve rented bikes in enough cities to keep expectations low, but I must say my “Mr Pocono” bike was the sorriest nag I ever swung a leg over. Nonetheless, Mr Pocono took me on an epic journey across 30 miles of noisy urban landscape.

The route took us through Central Park, up to the Upper West Side, down the Hudson River, through the Meat Packing, Greenwich Village and Financial Districts, across the Brooklyn Bridge to Brooklyn Heights, back across the Manhattan Bridge, through Chinatown, past Ground Zero and then back up the Hudson. We survived!

Of all the challenges we faced–cars, taxis, buses, pedestrians, double parked vehicles, navigation and bad pavement–you may be surprised at how we ranked them. The biggest challenge? Pedestrians. They stood, walked and ran in bike lanes, crossed streets against the light, and were willing to step right in front of not only bikes, but oncoming vehicle traffic. A close second was stopped vehicles, from taxis unloading passengers to delivery trucks to city vehicles. That video of the guy crashing in the bike lane was very accurate.

The surprising positive note were the cars, buses and even taxis–as long as they were moving. In general, they anticipated what you needed to do and would adjust accordingly. And they were cool when you wove through standing traffic or needed to take the lane to get around the all-to-common double parked vehicles. Another positive note was the way-finding signage the city has installed. It got us through almost everywhere, except the difficult Manhattan Bridge detour that dumps you onto the Bowery. That said, we’re not renting bikes again today. We need a mental break. Riding in NYC is INTENSE.

Where’s the most intense place you’re ever ridden?

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

 

Amsterdam: The Ballet of Traffic

Organized chaos or an unscripted symphony? The bike, scooter, car and foot traffic in this Amsterdam shopping district flows around obstacles like leaves on a stream. We drank our coffee and watched in amazement. Despite some close crossings, no one collided and we never heard honking or yelling. Pretty amazing since there are no stop signs or traffic signals, and there’s road construction to the left of the camera.

When I get back home and want to remember Amsterdam, I’ll grab a cup of coffee or glass of red wine, watch this video and be transported back to a rainy day with the traffic ballet. [see notes below to skip to the highlights]

Do you think this level of smooth interaction is possible in the US? Perhaps on a college campus?

Timecodes for interesting passersby
0:14 Two blondes on Dutch bikes; 0:18 Dad with kid in front seat; 0:37 Guy riding with cell phone; 0:57 Cyclists set up for full touring; 1:30-2:03 Fashionable women with boots, scarfs, mini-skirts; 2:52 Mom with toddlers in cargo bike; 2:50 Clueless male tourists; 5:48 Girl on bike walking dog; 5:50 Blonde with a cell phone; 6:26 Kid sitting on back rack

What we didn’t catch on video, but wish we had
Girls sitting sidesaddle on back racks of Dutch Bikes; Guy with cello on his back, resting it on his back rack; Guy with pink rollaboard suitcase on his front rack; Family on a triple tandem; Two moms with full cargo bikes stopping in the street to say hello; Guy helping his girlfriend fight the wind by pushing her back; Dad coaching 3-year-old on how to cross busy street.

 

Amsterdam: Minicars or Maxicycles?

The cars on the sidewalk are much smaller than they appear. Smaller than SMART cars, they’re legally not even cars, they’re light engine-powered quadricycles. They’re classified as four-wheeled mopeds and because they’re regulated to speeds less than 40 kph (25 mph), they don’t require a drivers license.

Who drives these things? According to their manufacturers, 65% are people over 50, mostly men living in rural areas or remote suburbs and who for various reasons don’t want to drive standard cars anymore. Another 30% are workers between 25 and 50 and don’t have the time or resources to take the driving test. Apparently in some countries the wait can be between 1 to 3 years to take a driving test. So no more complaining about the inefficiencies at the California DMV for me.

But the perception among my French colleagues is that because these minicars don’t require a license, many of the drivers are people who got caught driving drunk. The industry doesn’t agree, saying that only 3% of the drivers have been fined for minor (albeit multiple) traffic violations, not DUI or excessive speed violations. But then again, without a license requirement would the police even care?

Do you think minicars aka quadricycles should require drivers licenses? If so, what about bicycles? Where do you draw the line?

(See I told you they were small)

 

Amsterdam: Neighborhood Bike Racks

Today I stepped out from the trade show for a walk in a nearby neighborhood. Being Amsterdam, there are bikes everywhere, on the cycle paths and locked to anything imaginable. In this little neighborhood, I found large bike racks on the sidewalk for the residents. The racks were overflowing. I guess when your bike weighs 40 pounds, dragging it upstairs to an apartment doesn’t make sense.

A few weeks ago I read an article about why San Francisco doesn’t install bike racks in residential areas. The short answer: they’re focusing on racks at commercial locations because they have more demand. But based on the article’s comments, there’s also a fear that the racks would be used by residents for long-term parking, not by visitors. Sounds reasonable at first—why fill up city-provided bike racks with resident parking? Shouldn’t residents or the building owners foot the bill for bike parking?

But take a step back and consider that long-term car parking in neighborhoods by residents is not only allowed, it’s demanded. That’s why converting street parking to bike lanes meets a lot of resistance. Some neighborhoods go so far as to restrict parking to residents only through permit programs, giving them priority over visitors. So why not give bike owners the same privilege as car owners?

What do you think? Should cities provide bike racks in neighborhoods, just like they provide street parking for cars?

 

Reflections on a Year of Bike Commuting

One year ago this week I challenged myself to ride my bike to work every day. It wasn’t to save money or to lose weight or to save the planet. I was just getting burned out from my usual road and trail riding, and I needed to slow down and do something different. I will admit, though, that I did feel a little guilty driving my car in freeway or city traffic to a job less than five miles away when I could ride there in less than 30 minutes.

After working out a few details like buying a briefcase pannier for my laptop and finding some better lights, I was all set. Bike commuting every day was much easier than I expected, which is why I’m still at it a year later. When I reflect on what I’ve learned the past year, it falls into three categories: the good, the bad and the ugly.

The Good

• There are far more overly nice drivers who wave you through stop signs than jerks that buzz by you or honk.
• Riding to work actually saves me time. I trade 40 minutes of driving for 60 minutes of exercise every day.
• If I ride slowly, dress cold and peel off layers as I go, I barely sweat, so I can ride in street clothes.
• With flat pedals I can wear almost any kind of shoes, even heels. Platform shoes don’t work, though.
• Even when I wake up tired and don’t feel like riding, I feel better by the time I get to work.
• I can pick up groceries on the way home if I bring the right panniers and leave my laptop at work.
• With good lights, riding in the dark is much safer than at sunset.
• For some reason, my chronically dry skin isn’t so dry anymore. Sweat therapy?
• No car maintenance! I only drove 1800 miles, so I haven’t even had a oil change. This makes me happier than saving money on gas.
• Even in a rainy year, it doesn’t rain much on the peninsula. Unless it was already raining in the morning, I rode. I only got soaked twice, and both times it was on the way home.
• When cars drive 20 mph vs 30 mph it’s not only safer for pedestrians and bikes, it’s much quieter.
• On my bike, I’m more in touch with my neighborhood. I see the same dog walkers, I smile at the kids walking to school with their parents, and I get to see and hear teams practicing sports after school.
• My city and its neighbors get high marks for making bike commuting easy, safe and comfortable.

The Bad

• The noise pollution of fast traffic grates on my nerves. Riding on a freeway frontage road is not relaxing.
• The closer drivers are to the freeway, the more they drive like they’re already on it.
• When the freeway backs up, aggressive drivers spill onto nearby local streets and try to make up lost time.
• Few drivers respect 25 mph neighborhood speed limits, and I resent laws that make enforcement difficult.
• Street parking for cars often takes precedence over bike lanes. I resent that valuable roadway space is used for free storage of private property when it could be used for bicycle traffic.

The Ugly

• Twice, women honked at me for taking the lane on very narrow, but short, stretches of 25 mph street.
• Another woman yelled at me for waiting for a red light on top of the bike sensor instead of in the crosswalk.
• A teenager in a BMW floored it on a straight stretch of a neighborhood street, blowing by at about 50 mph.

So the good far outweighs the bad, and the ugly is rare, with only three significant incidents. Not bad for 6-7 days of riding every week for a whole year.

But the biggest thing I’ve learned is that bicycling makes my suburban city “walkable.” The only thing within a 15 minute walk from home is a grocery store, but 15 minutes on my bike gets me to restaurants, specialty stores, drug stores, farmers market, bookstore, the movie theater, and lots more. My bikes give me the advantages of a more densely built city, but without giving up the green spaces and small town feel of the suburbs.

How does my list compare to yours? What’s the good, the bad and the ugly of transportation bicycling for you?

 

Slower Traffic Keep Right(s)

What’s wrong with this picture? Hint: it’s the sign.

The sign is on the descent of Page Mill Road just uphill from Moody Road. There’s nothing wrong with the top part of the sign, warning cyclists that the hill steepens ahead. At 10%+ grade on a narrow road with tight turns, it’s a problem area for less skilled cyclists. The problem is the “keep right” at the bottom. It’s unsafe advice and not consistent with the California Vehicle Code.

The CVC 21202 states: “Any person operating a bicycle upon a roadway at a speed less than the normal speed of traffic moving in the same direction at that time shall ride as close as practicable to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway except under any of the following situations:

(1) When overtaking and passing another bicycle or vehicle proceeding in the same direction.
(2) When preparing for a left turn at an intersection or into a private road or driveway.
(3) When reasonably necessary to avoid conditions (including, but not limited to, fixed or moving objects, vehicles, bicycles, pedestrians, animals, surface hazards, or substandard width lanes) that make it unsafe to continue along the right-hand curb or edge, subject to the provisions of Section 21656. For purposes of this section, a “substandard width lane” is a lane that is too narrow for a bicycle and a vehicle to travel safely side by side within the lane.
(4) When approaching a place where a right turn is authorized.”

Take a look at the width of this lane. It’s clearly not wide enough for a “bicycle and a vehicle to travel safely side by side within the lane.” So the sign is clearly inconsistent with CVC 21202. Furthermore, on a steep descent with tight corners like Page Mill, many cyclists, like my friends and I do not “operate our bicycles at less than the normal speed of traffic.” In fact, we sometimes ride faster. Then there’s passing another bike, making left or right turns–all legitimate reasons to not keep right regardless of lane width.

But the most dangerous aspect of these signs is that they not only encourage cyclists to hug the edge of the pavement on a technical descent, increasing their chance of running off it, but they also send drivers the wrong message that cyclists don’t have the right to use the full lane, a right granted per CVC 21202.

I suggest that the transportation official replace the “bicycle keep right” signs with signs with more “vehicle neutral” language, or simply post “may use full lane” signs that reflect what cyclists are truly entitled to.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Are there bicycle-related road signs in your area that are inconsistent with your rights as a cyclist?