Again, BPD do not use this forum, call the cops, make a report.

Closed

Open

I certainly don't support wrong-way biking, but so many bikers travel this route that the city should seriously consider creating a two-way protected bike lane. The Union Street lane is a good alternative but there are no signs informing Northbound cyclists coming from downtown that it exists.

Cyclists sound consider following the rules of the road. Cars can not drive the wrong way out of convenience, how can bicycles?

BNice, what do you expect the police to do?

It would also be nice if cars didn't drive in this bike lane.

It would be nice if bicycles didn't pass me on the right then run stop signs and red lights

I would encourage everyone to address the actual original post. SeeClickFix works best when a specific problem is raised and city officials are held accountable for addressing it. If you disagree with the post then state your position but it gets confusing when people drag other issues into the discussion. Also and importantly, if these postings devolve into random ranting then city officials can just ignore us.

City Officials already ignore the citizens of Burlington.

Agreed, Brian. I think this is a legitimate issue, but the second it becomes a rant about bicyclists it's no longer helpful.

The issue was passed on to the Police Department and the Department of Public Works.

The immediate issue of a violation should be addressed by calling the police to report dangerous biking while it is in progress. Their number is 658-2700.

For guiding city policy on how to improve enforcement, you might consider working with the Burlington Walk/Bike Council. Their web site explains:

The Burlington Walk/Bike Council is an all-volunteer advisory council to the City of Burlington. We work closely with and advise the Department of Public Works and the Department of Parks & Recreation on infrastructure improvements and policy changes for bicycling and walking. The council also leads advocacy efforts and organizes events and activities that promote and celebrate walking and biking in Burlington and beyond. Anyone interested in making Burlington a better and safer place for bicycling and walking is encouraged to attend our meetings generally held on the 4th Thursday of each month in City Hall Room 12. Our next meeting will be Thursday, June 23, 2016, 5:30-7 pm in Room 12, City Hall.

Thanks for this information. It is very gratifying when see click fix gets a response that moves us toward a resolution. This is a tricky issue which will take many people working together. I hope the original poster feels empowered to take the next step.

BPD has openly discussed the difficultly ticketing and holding cyclists accountable for their actions. The Police have stated that they cant really do much.

preventing injury IS my main concern.Certainly if I were to DRIVE down the wrong way I'd get a ticket. Bicycles are required by law to be registered and follow ALL traffic laws. period. Ticket them. enforcing ALL laws is what we pay police for. I respect officers more then you know. They need the go ahead to start a concerted effort to enforce an ever increasing population of Bike riders, plain and simple..have a nice day.

I don't disagree with you, Ade. I have been stuck in head-on situations in this exact bike lane. My main concern when I'm biking, and when I feel the most unsafe, is when a driver is operating his/her vehicle near me in a way that's negligent and/or threatening. In my opinion, unsafe passing and harassment are underenforced, and would be a higher priority than punishing "bike salmon."

Also; bicycles in Vermont are not required to be registered. Just a courteous heads-up.

Toilet,
Can you explain why cyclists feel that it is OK to pass cars on the right, move all the way to the front of stopped traffic, run the stop sign or light, only to be passed by the same cars, then pass the cars on the right again? The process repeats its self, etc. you get the point. It is illegal to pass on the right.

It's actually not specifically illegal for people on bicycles to pass on the right. See the law as written below:

A person operating a bicycle upon a roadway shall exercise due care when passing a standing vehicle or one proceeding in the same direction and generally shall ride as near to the right side of the roadway as practicable, but shall ride to the left or in a left lane when:
(1) preparing for a left turn at an intersection or into a private roadway or driveway;
(2) approaching an intersection with a right-turn lane if not turning right at the intersection;
(3) overtaking another highway user; or
(4) taking reasonably necessary precautions to avoid hazards or road conditions.
23 VSA §1139(a). Penalty is $70 fine

Of particular interest is the first sentence: "A person operating a bicycle upon a roadway shall exercise due care when passing a standing vehicle or one proceeding in the same direction..." implying that bicycle operators may pass standing vehicles. I do understand this is extremely vague.

The practical reasoning for moving to the front of the queue is that a bicyclist can be more visible. Being at the front of the queue means that the cyclist isn't hidden from view of oncoming traffic that may be turning left into their path. Some bike lanes in other cities (see wait boxes in Portland, Oregon for example) actually have space at the intersection in front of the queue to accommodate bicyclists for this reason.

As for people on bicycles running stop signs and lights more than drivers do, I can tell you from experience that they don't. There have been drivers who blow by me as I stop for a stop sign, themselves failing to stop before they enter the intersection. And really; bringing up that there are scofflaw cyclists out there doesn't help the root of the problem: how do we make our roads better and safer for everyone? Please consider how you can help build dialogue that actually solves the problem.

As a former cyclist I hated having cars behind me. Burlington does not have to room for cyclists to move to the front, with "care". They are often passing on the right between moving cars and parallel parked cars, a dangerous combination. This hapens far tooofteIf you see cars doing it frequently, get their plate number. They can be held accountable.

This happens too often on North St. If you see cars doing it frequently, get their plate number. They can be held accountable.

I agree; moving to the front of the queue is simply not safe at every intersection in Burlington. It requires a judgement call on what's safer; when the light will turn, and if there is a large vehicle blocking view of oncoming traffic.

I ride with a camera and do report people who drive unsafely. Unfortunately, if I reported everyone who blew stop signs, I would be talking to the police daily. I don't have time for that, hah.

This issue has been marked as a duplicate of issue 2872473.

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