This Is Getting Out Of Control

Lump charcoal. The big bag. I ran out, the hardware store had them, I was there. With Blue Belle. I thought the bag would fit in a basket, but instead I had to strap it onto the top...

Oh You Sweet Thing

Enough of these dry subjects like parking and infrastructure for now. While these thoughts were running through my head, I personally was enjoying a few rain-free days on my Raleigh. Now, I adore Blue Belle and respect her comfort, reliability, and ability to carry several weeks worth of groceries. But it's the Raleigh that makes me swoon.

It's really not fancy, or practical in bad weather, or even in the greatest condition. But it is a pleasure to ride. The responsiveness of the old internal gear hub. The sturdy frame that smooths out bumps and maneuvers nimbly through the streets. The perfectly sized handlebars. I just love it. It makes me feel stately and graceful, too.

Parking. Will We Have Enough?

Final thoughts on bicycle parking... One way I judge the increase in bicycle ridership is by the number of bikes I see parked. Lately, it seems like every rack I see is full (not to mention trees, signposts, and the like). At Georgia Tech, school is out for the summer but nearly every spot is taken at the racks, and only a few spaces are left on the street. What will happen when classes start up in the fall?

I've parked at the rack at Peachtree Center a number of times in the past, and I was the only one there. These days, it's nearly full with roadsters and smart commuter bikes (and the occasional scooter). Same with the secure racks inside various MARTA stations.

And that's where we are now, in the dog days of summer, with half the city seemingly on vacation. What happens if more and more people start riding? Is there an impending bicycle parking crisis in the future?

Parking - It's All About Location

One benefit of cycling is that you can park almost anywhere. You don't have to pay for it, you don't have to circle the block waiting for a spot to open, and you don't have to waste valuable time wandering around in some creepy parking garage.

Unfortunately, many businesses are unaware that their customers and employees may be arriving by bicycle and expecting to find convenient parking close to the front door. Some places can't even tell you where the closest parking is located. In other cases, they direct you to a poorly-designed rack (see yesterday) buried inside a parking garage at least a block away. This defeats the purpose.

It can also discourage ridership overall. I know one woman whose commute, in the city of Decatur, is less than a mile. She is very interested in bicycle commuting, and makes other trips by bike. However, the closest designated bicycle parking is over two blocks away from her office, but she has a free parking space in a garage directly under her office building. She has a hard time justifying the change - the bicycle trip itself wouldn't add any noticeable time to her commute, but it is almost twice as long with the time spent walking back from the bike rack. Shouldn't it be the other way around?

Georgia State University is notorious for this. When I went there for an admission interview, some years ago now, I was nearly late because I couldn't find the bike parking. [Side note - the only place I've ever seen signs directing you to bike parking in Atlanta is at Lindbergh Station.] Of course, GSU's parking was in this garage under the library. At that time, there were about 6 racks for the entire main campus, and two others near the Aderhold/Rialto area. I have to say that a couple of champions there have managed to get quite a bit more parking installed, but there is still room for improvement.

In Little Five Points, cyclists favor this railing in the center of Findley Plaza to the bike racks a block away in either direction.

A parking rack in front of Java Monkey, also in Decatur, is filled to overflowing.

Another shot from my trip to Buckhead. This development was on a bike lane and housed several desirable restaurants, including a Flying Biscuit location. There was a large plaza that clearly tried to evoke some walkable European heritage. An enormous driveway, valet service, a lofty arcade, benches and statues. But no apparent bicycle racks. After several inquiries, we wound up at a bad rack in the garage. (Look closely in the second picture. I swear it's back there!) You couldn't even ride to it - you had to dodge the entry gate cross into the exit lane (against traffic flow), and hoist your bike up a steep curb. There is no pedestrian entry, so you can't walk your bike in from the plaza. Really, would it kill them to put some racks somewhere out in the vast plaza area? Are parked cars somehow more scenic than a row of bicycles?

I'll wrap up with a good example from Trees Atlanta. I disagree with some of their other practices, but they got the parking right at their headquarters. This rack neatly handled a passel of fully-equipped bikes, and there were several more racks a few feet away. And, equally importantly, they were installed far enough from the wall, allowing the bicycle frames to be centered on the rack without turning the front wheel.

Parking - Nice Rack

Bicycle rack designs are awfully frustrating. The world is awash in racks that are nearly impossible to actually lock your bike to. I don't even understand why these things are manufactured. Some will hold your front wheel, but you can't get your frame close enough to use your theft-resistant U-lock, while leaving most of the bicycle unsupported so it falls over and gets damaged... Some racks are okay for a skinny racing-style bicycle but won't fit a commuter bicycle with racks, baskets, and fenders. Other racks have artistic features that make them hard to use.

Sevananda Natural Food Store recently spent money to have their parking lot repaved, but failed to upgrade their rusty old bike rack. This large rack really only provides two parking spaces, because the center section does not provide slots wide enough to slide a bicycle into, plus the crossbars are high enough to hit the bottom of your frame or fender. I'm not even positive that it is a rack, and not some sort of repurposed barrier. Guess I should have gone to the members' meeting to discuss priorities...

The Buford Highway Farmers' Market suffers the same problem. You can see the difficulties cyclists had using it.

Georgia Tech invested in these double-T shaped racks. According to a diagram on the rack, you are supposed to hang your frame from it where the top tube meets the seat tube. But many of us have sloped or curved top tubes that don't fit over these things. Plus, a fully-equipped bicycle can be too heavy to lift that high, or put too much stress on that part of the frame. People use them creatively instead.

The best rack is always a staple rack, the ones that look like an upside-down U. It supports the frame and provides a variety of locking points, even if someone is parked on the other side. When you need more parking, you just install more of them. You can scatter them throughout a shopping district or provide long rows of them at major destinations. The renovated (and totally awesome!) pool at Piedmont Park got it right. They're going to need it - this array of racks was already half full when I visited the other day, and many people don't even know that the pool has reopened.

Parking - The Final Challenge

The bicycle infrastructure in Atlanta is seriously inadequate, but at least we know how we could fix it. There are good and bad examples from around the world. Not so with bicycle parking. Even cities that do a great job with bicycle traffic have very little on-street bike parking and never enough at high-demand sites, like train stations. Some cities are experimenting with giant bicycle parking decks, on barges, with valet service, or with automated racks that lift bicycles up onto tightly-fitted storage shelves.

Even with the small but growing amount of bicycling that we have now, it is clear that parking will be great challenge for Atlanta. Nearly every rack is full these days. City parking requirements for parking at new buildings are not enforced, and many of the racks that exist are poorly designed and in inconvenient or unsafe locations. What will we do if more and more people start riding?

Sightings

Who's riding around Atlanta these days?

Lock It Up

One of my friends had her bike stolen this week. It was locked up with a cable lock at a parking garage bicycle rack. I hate bike racks in parking garages, and this is one of the reasons, that they seem particularly prone to crime. Here's a rack I encountered recently. And this photo was taken from only halfway to the entrance of the garage - from outside you could hardly see it at all.

Protect yourself. Always use a U-lock. If you need a cable lock to secure your quick-release parts or because a U-lock won't fit around the thing you're locking to, use it with a U-lock. I have a cable with no lock, just loops at the ends that I can secure with the U-lock that goes through my frame.

You can also double or triple up on your cable locks - it will only slow a thief down by a little bit, but will make your bike less attractive than the single-locked bicycle next to yours. The really thick chain locks, like they use in Amsterdam, are effective too. And parking in a visible location can discourage, but not completely prevent, someone from cutting your lock.

And if you see an older black Specialized HardRock, size small, with pink logos and a huge front basket, let me know!

Flexibility

Cars are expensive and hard to repair. When something goes wrong with the car of my co-worker, who lives way out in Woodstock, she has to call in to work. In these cases, she can miss half a day of work while trying to get it towed and find some other way to the office.

Bicycle repairs are inexpensive and can often be performed at home. You don't have to have your bicycle towed to the shop. Best of all, bicycles are cheap and easy to store - get a few! If one bicycle breaks down - or if you wake up to discover a flat tire - you can just take the other one. At worst, maybe you take the bus or the train.


I was really looking forward to riding the Raleigh on Tuesday. I even picked out a cute outfit that would coordinate with its metallic brown paint. But the front tire was flat... No problem, I just grabbed Blue Belle and headed off to vote in the Georgia primaries. Note that she is still wearing the bow that came on one of my birthday presents last week!

Diamonds Are Not a Girl's Best Friend

If you visit here regularly, you know that I love my step-through frame bicycles. They are so easy to hop on and off, in almost any type of skirt or dress. You can just swing your leg through the frame as you approach a driveway, tapping the brakes so that just as you leave the road, your feet are on the ground and the bike is stopped beside you. Graceful. Elegant. Exactly what you want in a city or city-country bicycle where you make shorter trips, wear fashionable outfits, and dismount fairly often.

However, these frames are not suited for all purposes. For off-road riding or carrying lots of gear on a long trip - as in touring or bicycle camping - it can be more practical to use a frame where the top tube is closer to horizontal. This is properly referred to as a diamond frame. The name references the diamond-ish shape created by the forward (headtube to seatpost) and rear (seatpost to rear hub) triangles of the frame itself. See Velouria's guide to classic bicycle frames if you want a visual. This design is remarkably stable. It can even make it easier to carry over obstacles, if you're going on that sort of trip. And for long inter-city rides, you are interested in comfort and efficiency of effort, and less interested in ease of dismounting.

Now there are plenty of touring bikes with step-through frames. Nearly every European manufacturer offers some touring and trekking bikes, and they almost all come in "men's" and "women's" versions. I have no idea how this affects their handling. Nonetheless, when I was looking to get a spare bicycle to leave at The Beau's house, I went for a diamond frame. It seemed to make sense to add some variation to my collection of bicycles. However, I have not used it for touring yet, nor finished setting it up. I don't even have a rack on it yet, which has led to some severe pouting as I try to stuff everything into my purse or hang it on the handlebars.

I also keep showing up in a skirt, and I have had to get the hang of mounting and dismounting without being arrested for indecent exposure. After several tries, I think I have the hang of it. As I read somewhere (bikeskirt, perhaps?), the trick is to kind of kick yourself in the butt while sliding your knee modestly over the top tube. Tilting the bicycle over a bit helps too. And riding is riding...I was in my corduroy pencil skirt with the deep front slit last weekend, one of my most difficult skirts. Hard to even sit in a chair without showing too much. It performed surprisingly well. My stretchy black skirt was a breeze this weekend. New tricks!

Bicycles per Minute

There is definitely change afoot when you start counting the number of bicyclists you see per minute, rather than per day. Here is a fraction of the people I saw riding along Peachtree Street during Friday rush hour.

Bicycles, Beer, and Politicians

As previously reported, yesterday was the date of the "Open House with Elected Officials" event, sponsored by the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition. Some of us were a bit grumpy about trekking all the way up to Buckhead for the event. Using MARTA, it was very easy to reach by bicycle, even at rush hour. Not so much for the folks who drove there - one woman spent over an hour and a half to drive about 6 miles.

The Beau and I took our bikes on the train to Buckhead station. From the station, we only had to ride a 1/4 mile or so along Peachtree in a decent bicycle lane. Car traffic was nearly at a standstill, and we delighted in passing the long line of stopped cars. The only issue was from cars trying to enter the road from cross-streets and driveways, who tended to pull into the bike lane while waiting for a break in traffic. I was glad the Raleigh had a loud bell! The cyclist ahead of me was not so lucky; he simply had to stop and wait several times.

We arrived at the restaurant, which was in a new mixed-use development. They had made some good attempts at pedestrian-friendly urban design, but the bicycle parking was hard to find. I saw a number of curbside bicycle racks along Peachtree Street, but none near this particular building.


The event was attended by cyclists of all sort, from beginning to fervent. Most of the officials who attended were from the north and east of Atlanta, so maybe the location made sense - except that they all drove, and spent a long time in traffic anyway. Oh, well.

Mayor Jere Wood of Roswell talked about the infrastructure they have built, including some riverside paths and the region's first bike box, and Fred Boykin of the Decatur city commission discussed their bicycle plan and gave an inspiring commentary on the impact it could have on the health of city residents. Dianne Fries of Sandy Springs and Dan Thompson from Dunwoody also spoke briefly. Fulton County Commission Chairman Rob Pitts arrived at the beginning of the event, but had to leave before the main program started. There were also some staffers representing Atlanta city council members. I had personally emailed my city council representative, Cleta Winslow, but did not receive a response nor did she attend the event.

Hopefully this is just one more small step in creating a bicycle-friendly Atlanta region. I would love to be able to travel out to Roswell or Sandy Springs by bicycle. I would probably go there a lot more often! I always hate the idea of having to go home, fire up the car, sit in traffic, and then lugging the car around with me from parking lot to parking lot with each stop I make. I would much rather cruise out to nearby towns by train and bicycle whenever I want. I'm sure there are fantastic restaurants and stores I need to try.

Buckhead itself is becoming quite accessible. After the event was over, I rode home with The Beau and Rebecca Serna, our fearless leader of bicycle advocacy and creator of this event. We had a spectacular sunset ride down Peachtree Street and through the heart of Atlanta. This four to six lane thoroughfare becomes quite calm after rush hour is over. You pass so many Atlanta landmarks, from historic churches to the Amtrak station and the Fox Theater. The 9 mile trip took me just under an hour, and the Raleigh performed admirably on the rolling hills. Regrettably, I forgot to get a picture of myself with the Raleigh...next time!

Don't Forget! Elected Officials Event 7/15

Connect with your elected officials this Thursday!

Mayor Sam Massell and Amir Farokhi are excited to invite you to the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition's Open House for Elected Officials on Thursday, July 15, 2010 from 6:00 to 8:00pm. A brief program will start around 6:30pm. The event will be at Cantina Restaurant in Buckhead (3280 Peachtree Road).

This Open House is a terrific opportunity to learn about the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition’s work making metro Atlanta a safer place to bike, as well as what your neighbor governments are doing to make it easier and more pleasant to bicycle. Click here to view the event page and to RSVP.

ABC will provide the opportunity for you to be inspired and challenged by fellow elected officials.

Appetizers will be provided by Cantina, and it’s just two blocks from the Buckhead MARTA station (on a bicycle lane).

Bicycle-Friendly Hapeville?

Hapeville is a very small city squeezed in between the Atlanta airport, the Atlanta city limits, and the cities of College Park and East Point. Many people in the Atlanta region would be hard-pressed to find it on a map. It has been home to big industry - the local Ford plant - and big corporate headquarters surrounded by tall fences and expansive parking lots. To add further challenges, the eastern and western borders are nearly defined by I-75 and I-85 and a triple set of active train tracks runs through the center of town. Transportationally and economically challenged, one might say.

However, the city of Hapeville chooses to make lemonade out of their lemons. They have maintained most of their historic downtown and tree-lined streets, negotiated with the railroad for better crossings, and rezoned aging industrial properties for mixed-use redevelopment. If the commuter rail line from Macon to Atlanta ever gets built, one of the stations will probably be there. The city is aggressively pursuing funds to make the city walkable and livable.

I had a meeting there on Tuesday morning, and I decided to check out the cycling conditions. It's about 5 miles from my house to downtown Hapeville. Metropolitan Parkway goes directly from Atlanta to Hapeville, but it isn't the most wonderful route. Four lanes surrounded by industrial uses and declining strip retail. There are some crime issues, although nothing to be concerned about during the daytime. Southbound traffic, going away from Atlanta, is very light in the mornings. I doubt that three dozen cars passed me in the whole 5 miles or so. There is, however, a miserable hill just before you reach the city limits.

Once you enter the city of Hapeville, the scenery changes drastically. The road narrows to two wide lanes - actually wide enough to add bicycle lanes, if you wanted. Mature trees shade the street and the pavement is well maintained, although the sidewalk peters out at times. Yards are well kept. I really enjoyed riding through here.

To get back to my office after the meeting - almost 10 miles away - I took the MARTA option. Hapeville is a very easy bike trip from the East Point MARTA station. It may be 1.5 miles or so along Central Ave., which is very flat and hardly has any traffic (although it does carry some large truck traffic) and takes you right to the station.

Also, I need to brag about local bicycle blogger Sweet Georgia Brown, who got a shout-out in an article about "cycle chic". Way to go, girl!

The Joys of a Rainy Day

Many bicycle riders have commented on the extra feistiness exhibited by drivers when it's raining. I personally suspect this is because driving in the rain is miserable - all the highways slow to a crawl, it's hard to see, and many cars are either inching along or speeding like maniacs without regard to the conditions. And they just have to chug along and deal with it. Miserable.

Bicycling in a light rain is no big deal, as long as you have some kind of rain jacket or poncho, and maybe a hat with a wide brim. Or you know how to ride holding an umbrella. I haven't mastered that yet!

It's also exhilarating. That beautiful, fresh smell of damp earth and greenness. The interludes of chilly air, steam, or light mist.

But when it really starts pouring, it's just a big, fat excuse.  Duck in somewhere for a beer until the rain lets up - and don't forget to call your friends who might be nearby. Pop in to a store you've been meaning to check out, but are always in too much of a hurry. Or just find a good awning and watch the downpour.

Late afternoon rainstorms yesterday and today have created just such a situation. Watching the giant red blob on the radar yesterday, I phoned the Beau and asked if he wanted to wait it out somewhere with me. We settled on Park Tavern - a few minutes away but they have $1 beer when it's raining. We were actually there for 30 minutes or so before it started pouring.

They have a huge patio where we could watch passing traffic, as well as joggers and soccer players in the park. Even though I write about this stuff every day, I was still amazed at the number of bicyclists I saw while we were there.

After the rain tapered off, I headed home myself. There weren't any drops of water actually falling from the sky, but they were still spattering off the trees. The pavement was soaked, and huge puddles stood at every low point. Fortunately, I was dressed in rainy day fashion - patent leather shoes and a synthetic-fiber skirt which resist light rain and dry quickly. And skin, of course. You don't get much more waterproof than your own skin.

Two for One

It was a lovely day for couples in the Decatur area, whether heading in to town for dinner or cruising down the Path on a groovy tandem.

Texting While Driving?

The new law against texting while driving is a great move for road safety. Another law, which has gotten less attention but may be just as important, is a ban on use of any wireless device - mobile phones, smartphones, etc. - by anyone under 18. Both laws carry a $150 fine for violators and one point on their license, and went into effect on July 1st. They could have gone further, certainly, but it's great to see Georgia getting more serious about safe driving.

Read the full language of the texting bill here. Click here to read the under-18 bill. 

The news media and state of Georgia did a great job informing people about the new law on radio, TV, and newspapers. Advocates celebrated. Then on July 4th, I saw this cyclist texting while bicycling (ironically while wearing a shirt that says 'txt') and I wondered, does the law apply to bicycle riders, too?

The answer is no. After reading through the bill, it clearly states that it applies strictly to the operators of motor vehicles. So this gent is legal. He was also riding very slowly and staying away from hazards. And that's the message I want to leave you with - these laws should make our roads safer for everyone. Be sure to comply with them if you are driving, and encourage your family and friends to do the same. If you are riding a bike, you can still enjoy the privilege of checking or sending text messages, but do so wisely and safely.

Accepted

To the Comcast contractor who yelled "Sorry" after swerving into my lane: Apology accepted. Now don't do it again!

3 Bicycles and 70,000 Runners

Every July 4th is the 10K Peachtree Road Race. It gets pretty crazy and isn't exactly the best running conditions - it's way too crowded to choose your own pace. But it is tons of fun to watch. I biked up there with a couple of friends. It quickly became so clogged with post-finish-line runners that we had to walk our bikes.

Although thousands had already finished the race, there were still thousands more to come.

All in all, it took us over an hour just to circle around to the north side of Tenth Street and into Piedmont Park, where we could lay out a picnic in the grass and watch people approaching the finish line. Along the way, I saw this fabulous lady totally channeling Audrey Hepburn. Is she on a folding bike?

Traffic Mood Swings

Atlanta traffic has mood swings like a sensitive person. Rain makes everyone testy, heat makes them feel charitable. A holiday weekend gets people ready to party. Sometimes this can make for interesting traffic. By Friday afternoon, many families had left town for a Fourth of July vacation. The streets were wide open. Everyone else was happy to be leaving work and ready to start the weekend. This made for some impatient drivers, and a few raucous young men who hollered something unintelligible at me. I never felt that there was any unsafe behavior though, at least not around me. And still more bicycles keep appearing on the road. Happy Independence Day!

Bicyclists Behaving Badly

It's time to discuss traffic behavior again. There seem to be a lot of new cyclists on the road, plus the usual suspects, and a whole lot of excuses and misinformation.
If you talk about bicycles with any non-bicycle-riding person, you will certainly hear stories of cyclists they encountered who ran red lights, snuck to the front of the line of traffic, etc. Many people think that bicycles are not only allowed, but supposed to ride on sidewalks. Any news story about bicycling is followed by angry comments about lawless bicycle riders. People ask me if cyclists are supposed to stop at traffic lights. Now, there are plenty of traffic infractions going on at any time, it is entirely true that a large percentage of cyclists routinely break traffic laws.

This breeds hostility and confusion. I've been delayed at four-way stops as all traffic comes to a halt because they don't know what I, on my bicycle, am about to do. I've seen drivers run stop signs ahead of me, because they are expecting me to do the same. I've nearly been hit riding my bike through a green light, by some other cyclist who was running the red. I've had to swerve out of my lane because someone is riding the wrong way towards me. I've nearly been hit by bicyclists while walking down the sidewalk.

Sure, some people who ride bicycles think they're part of some special subculture. Whatever. Or they think that past confrontations entitle them to base their traffic operations on their own judgment rather than law. I've heard all the excuses. Some people have elaborate explanations about the justification for their actions.

Well, if you do care about anyone who else who rides a bicycle, or if you think there is any hope for Atlanta to become safe and pleasant for cycling, then start riding legally, now. No excuses.

For all the hundreds of polite drivers you encounter when riding a bike, it's the one jerk that you remember. Same for drivers - they remember the one inconsiderate cyclist instead of the ones who are riding courteously and legally. If bicycle riders, as a whole, are seen by the general public as a routine part of traffic, we will see huge gains in road safety. I don't want to offend anyone here, but trust me, I experience this every day. I'm predictable, law-abiding, and friendly, and get treated with an abundance of patience and respect. I would be thrilled if other people could experience Atlanta's streets the way I do.

Here, once again, are the basics:

• A bicycle is a vehicle.
• A person riding a bicycle must follow all of the same laws that apply to driving a car - obeying traffic signals and stop signs, merging and turning safely from the correct lane, stopping for pedestrians where required, and travelling in the roadway in the same direction as any other vehicle. If you shouldn't do something in a car, don't do it on a bicycle. Don't ride on the wrong side of the street or the wrong way on a one-way street. Don't go straight from a right turn lane. Don't stop in the crosswalk. Don't pass on the right or try to share a lane if there isn't enough room.

 There are a few rules specific to bicyclists...

• Bicycles are doubly prohibited from riding on the sidewalk under two separate state laws. Riding on the sidewalk is not safe, because drivers don't expect anything on the sidewalk to be going faster than, say, 3 miles per hour. They don't look for you on the sidewalk when they are pulling out of a side street or turning off the main road. The sidewalk is where a large percentage of crashes happen. It also scares and endangers pedestrians.

• Children 12 and under are permitted to bicycle on the sidewalk. Children are theoretically biking at an adult walking pace, which is why they are allowed here. A proficient child cyclist who will be riding at an adult cycling pace should switch to the road.
• Bicycles operated at night must have a front headlight and rear reflector. I recommend a bright taillight, and don't skimp on it. Mount lights thoughtfully and then have a friend ride your bike down the block and back so you can see how it looks from a distance. Blinking lights may get attention but solid lights are more likely to indicate "moving vehicle" to others on the road.
• Bicycles may operate in bike lanes and on marked shared-use paths, and may not operate on certain roads where non-motorized vehicles are explicitly prohibited (although there is some debate over the legality of this).
• Bicycles may not ride more than two abreast. I'm not sure why - we may need to challenge this as we get better and wider bicycle infrastructure. After all, it seems like a big waste of capacity to have only two bikes in a 10 or 12 foot lane.
• Cyclists should take the lane if it is not wide enough to share. There is no exact definition for a shareable lane; I would say 15 feet minimum. If it is wide enough to share, you are supposed to stay to the right of the lane to the extent it is safe to do so. That means staying far enough from the edge of the road to avoid uneven pavement, gravel, tree branches, etc. It means riding at least 3 feet out from parked cars so you can safely avoid open car doors. Cyclists should change lanes or lane position in order to pass slower traffic - always pass on the left - or to make a left turn, merge, etc.