[SDCBC] bike paths

[JonIsaacs at aol.com]

In a message dated 2/17/07 9:43:48 PM Pacific Standard Time, 
rob_leone at earthlink.net writes:

> Dear Jon and SDCBC:
>   Hi! Yes, in daylight it's relatively effective to look furher down the 
> Rose Canyon Bike Path and see who might arrive at the S turn blind spot 
> when you do. However, I usually am riding through the canyon to work 
> between 5:45 AM and 6:15 AM. Dark-clad joggers with no active 
> illumination are essentially invisible until you come across them, and 
> sometimes you're looking down the path to see a lighted cyclist instead 
> of a pedestrian path user with reflective shoe trim.
>   

Hi Rob:

In the winter months, I ride through in the evening when it is dark and the 
same issues exist.  I use a 25 watt headlight but I am careful not to "over 
ride" it.  To me a partially blind curve is a partially blind curve, it's like a 
stop sign, it needs to be respected.  Back in my truck driving days I slowed 
down for the blind curves coming down from Henshaw to Rincon and just accepted 
them as part of life. This particular curve seems no different.

I am for improving facilities for bicycling but I look at the roads in 
general and what concerns me is not a partially blind curve on a bicycle path 
because I know that if I ride appropriately and with care it is not a problem.   
What concerns me is the general poor condition of the roads, pot holes, stop 
lights a bicycle doesn't trigger, poorly marked lanes or improperly marked bicycle 
lanes, badly designed intersections.

More important issues in my mind when riding south bound from UCSD to PB via 
Gilman are the parking along the bike lane on Gilman, the poorly thought out 
on-ramp from Gilman to I-5 with all the motorists turrning illegally left 
across the bike lane, the bad bump in the left lane  and the lack of signs 
indicating the presence of the Rose Canyon Bike Path.  I guess I should add that Man 
Hole cover with the protuding steel bump down the way on Santa Fe.

 The Gilman I-5 on Ramp is a particularly glaring issue to me, the difficulty 
is that the bike lane is not a safe place to ride because of motorists making 
the illegal right turn across the bike lane.  This means many cyclists are 
riding through that region are putting themselves at unnecessary risk and I know 
of at least two how have been hit.  Taking the left lane means you are not 
where motorists expect you to be and I have even had motorists pass me in the 
center meridian and then right hook me...  (I think this particular region is a 
great example of why bike lanes create more problems than they solve.)

In my mind, all  these (and more) are all are more serious issues than the 
partially blind curve in the bike path and take more perception and care in 
riding.  So, I am all for improving the facilities for cyclists, I just do not see 
that particular curve as one that is of particular importance.

Best wishes to all 

jon

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