Driving instructions
Here’s an interesting visual aid for Mineapolis, a city where there is enough paint on the streets to merit explanation. Several things on their list would be a good idea for Ithaca. But the main thing I’m curious about — is their paint actually still visible at this time of year?
From: Understanding Bicycle Markings in Minneapolis
Marking |
Symbol |
Picture |
When you bike |
When you drive |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bike Lane | ![]() |
![]() |
Dashed is a merge area – look for turning vehicles | Solid line is just for bikes – dashed line is a yield area |
| Green Bike Lane | ![]() |
![]() |
Ride in the green area – look for turning vehicles | Use extreme caution – yield to bikes when turning |
| Advisory Bike Lane | ![]() |
![]() |
Like a standard bike lane – look for merging vehicles | Like a standard bike lane – look for merging vehicles |
| Buffered Bike Lane | ![]() |
![]() |
Bikes ride in bike lane – enjoy the extra elbow room | Bikes ride in bike lane – enjoy the extra elbow room |
| Cycle Track | ![]() |
![]() |
Ride in the bike lane – look for pedestrians and car doors | Drive or park to the left of the bike lane |
| Shared Lane | ![]() |
![]() |
Symbols indicate a safe and visible place to ride | Expect to see bicyclists – only pass bikes when safe |
| Green Shared Lane | ![]() |
![]() |
Green indicates a safe and visible place to ride | Expect to see bicyclists – only pass bikes when safe |
| Bike Boulevard | ![]() |
![]() |
Designated bike route on a quiet street – enjoy your ride! | Designated bike route on a quiet street – drive slowly |
| Bike Box | ![]() |
![]() |
Slide up front while you wait – the box is for bikes | Wait behind the solid white line and yield to bikes |
Some illustrations in this section are based on illustrations by Chicago Cartographics for the Minneapolis Bicycle Map, published by Hedberg Maps, Inc.”
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January 19th, 2012 at 4:43 pm
Bike lanes in Ithaca:
- get swept off about once a year
- are only repainted once a year, with low quality paint
- errant bike symbols get the expensive paint, but aren’t located where drivers tend to be a problem, and were repainted over still nicely existing symbols
- are still located along parked cars (even though the spots moved on E State St seemed to cause zero concern)
To top if off, our police actually try to ticket people using the sharrows or riding more than a foot from the curb.
I’d rather see Ithaca work on those issues before considering any special new markings.
January 19th, 2012 at 4:47 pm
I agree with you. It’s kind of my point. In cities where cycling infrastructure is taken seriously, they have moved way beyond the kind of trivia that we deal with. What *should* be trivia, that is.