this post was submitted on 10 Nov 2024
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Desire Paths
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Desire paths Desire paths can be paths created as a consequence of erosion caused by human or animal foot-fall or traffic. The paths usually represent the shortest or most easily navigated routes between origins and destinations. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desire_path
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With the rise of cargo bikes these speed breaks are not usable anymore. They are often too tight for cargo bikes, and the ones that aren't dont reduce the speed of normal bikes, which are still 80%+ of the bikes.
they weren't even remotely acceptable in the first place, they're basically just a big sign telling people with mobility aids that they don't deserve to go places.
it's a blitheringly stupid way to slow people down, worse even than how stop signs are used like magical wards to make roads "safe"
What’s your preferred alternative?
Some kind of horizontal deflection — a curve to the side can still be used to slow bikes near an intersection. But here the original design practically required getting off the bike to go through it, while the path around it will hardly slow bikes at all. So both attempts were failures.
Here’s example of a newly constructed protected bike lane which curves as it approaches an intersection to slow bike traffic.
That’s a great solution for the spot it’s in, but I’m not convinced there’s enough space for a snaky design (it probably has a better name lol) in the OP’s spot that would still accommodate bike trailers. I like the springy gate idea the other person mentioned although I could see it being unpopular because it would be too slow.
something they've started using in places here lately and seems okay as a plug and play solution is just swing gates that can easily be pushed open, that forces you to slow down but still allows most people to easily get through. It's not perfect since there's still some resistance and i can imagine some mobility aids making it annoying, plus there's risk of scratches and stuff.
But really i question the need for physical obstacles in the first place. Just put some thick layers of road paint to create a rumble strip and make it visually obvious that you should slow down.
And especially in this case (someone linked the location on gmaps) i just see no need for anything at all, it's already a bloody narrow passage that seems well used by pedestrians, it's not exactly a place where wheelrunners would be congregating..
There's a couple of these on a trail near me, and although the bollards can just be pulled out of the ground, they used to be padlocked.
Some people who use cargo bikes to shop couldn't get through, so the city removed the locks.
The bollards are still there, but if you need to get through you can just lift it out, mosey on by, and then replace it. The middle one is made out of hollow aluminum I think, so it's a lot lighter than the other solid steel ones. You can still lift those out, just not one handed.
Up until then, the cargo bikes were just hopping off the trail and cycling along next to the trail on the other side of the fence, which was only about 200-300ft long on either side of the bollards.