Q. Don’t we need bike lanes to protect the cyclists?
A. Yes. But some bike lane designs are actually dangerous for the cyclists. Research shows that in situations where the lane is on a side-path, as is the situation in French Hill and Ramat Eshkol, turning at intersections becomes three times more dangerous for bicyclists (see article).
Q. Isn’t it safer to have barriers to separate the bikes from the cars?
A. Not necessarily. Paths defined by barriers are too narrow to offer real safety, for several reasons. (1) Intersections become even more dangerous in this situation. (2) Bike pedals can get caught on the curb. (3) There is no way for a speeding bicycle to turn one way or another, should something be in its path.
Q. Doesn’t the fact that cars need to slow down when passing to avoid collision (due to the narrowing of the streets to accommodate the bike lanes) make things safer?
A. Adding an extra element of danger in the driving lanes does not make things safer, especially when the narrowness of streets impedes the passage of ambulances and other service vehicles.
Q. Isn’t the concept of urban bicycle lanes, where bicyclists pass points of interest, nice?
A. Scenic bicycle lanes, such as those in Tel Aviv, are nice. However, the main purpose of the north Jerusalem bike lane is not a family outing but rather commuting from the light rail terminal to the University through areas crowded with pedestrians and traffic.
Q. Shouldn’t bicycling be encouraged?
A. Of course bicycling should be encouraged. It is good exercise! However, it is inconclusive that building bicycle pavements encourages bicycling. This is especially true when the bike lanes are unsafe.
Q. What is the raison d’être of the bike lanes?
A. Bike lanes are designed to allow bicyclists safe passage from one point to another. They should be separate from car lanes and pedestrian sidewalks. In most urban areas abroad, they are simply painted on the pavement, not built out of blocks of stone.
Q. What problems do bike lanes in north Jerusalem present?
A. North Jerusalem (Ramat Eshkol, Givat HaMivtar, French Hill and Mt. Scopus) faces real challenges. The streets are already narrow and the area is very hilly. It is a densely populated area with many families with young children (Ramat Eshkol) or many senior citizens (Fench Hill and Ramat Eshkol). Neither of these groups is likely to use the bike lanes. The lanes themselves present safety challenges for these groups.
Q. What obstacles do these bike lanes present for children?
A. Children are not able to take into consideration all the factors needed for safe crossing of streets and bike lanes, especially bike lanes made of blocks of stone. Parents trying to load and unload their children from the sidewalk to cars parked outside the bike lanes will have to keep track of each child’s whereabouts and make sure they are able to cross the lane safely.
Q. What obstacles do these bike lanes present for senior citizens?
Senior citizens often experience difficulty in walking and in gauging curb and sidewalk heights. Bike lanes made of built stone and bike lanes that pass through the main sidewalks make movement more difficult and dangerous for them. A single fall can seriously injure a senior citizen.
Q. Don’t bicyclists have rights?
A. Yes, but the rights of the neighborhood residents supercede them. The design of the North Jerusalem bike lanes is dangerous! The needs of children, the blind and disabled, the elderly, and pregnant women must be given priority. In addition, the rights of drivers for safe passage have been impeded. The Jerusalem Municipality has not delivered a safe plan.
Q. Are the reduced street widths legal?
A. Not everywhere. The city specifications don’t take into consideration issues of maneuverability in case of emergency vehicles, wet weather, and garbage and fuel trucks. When the garbage trucks come to collect the garbage, all the traffic behind them will come to a halt!
Q. What about the bus stops?
A. As the lanes are currently designed, many bus stops are now in the driving lane. When a bus stops to pick up or drop off passengers, all the traffic behind it will come to a halt!
Q. What answer is there for commuting then?
A. The Jerusalem municipality should look to university cities built on hills, like Berkeley, California, for parallels. In Berkeley, a free shuttle bus takes students from the light rail system to the university campus and back. Berkeley has discovered that bike lanes in a very hilly city are not a practical choice and are under-utilized.
Q. Doesn’t the light rail/bike lane path make transit for people with bikes more effective?
A. Since bicycles are not allowed on the trains, cyclists will need two bikes, one at each end of their travel (home to train; train to university). They will need a secure way to protect their bikes from theft or vandalism when left overnight at the train terminal. This is obviously impractical and expensive. Why not just design a solution that serves everyone?
