Advocacy, Schmadvocacy

The picture to the left might look vaguely familiar.

Cycle*Dallas, here, used its parent on Friday to illustrate the perils of narrow bike lanes, omitting to mention that the line did NOT indicate a bike lane, but was a designated "bike route," of the type Dallas has used for years, albeit with a confusing white line.

On the other hand, Bike Friendly Oak Cliff, notably enthusiastic bike lane fans, yesterday used it here to propose some expensive-looking European scene.

Myself, I'm with Rantwick, and mainly want SMOOTH (or is it "schmouthe" in Canadian?) pavement, as demanded here. However, just this once, in honor of opposite viewpoints all using the same picture, I'll join my compatriots and give MY OWN fantasy take on this exact same scene, thanks to Photoshop.

In MY road, in contrast to the BFOC road, I didn't cut lane capacity in half - and their bricks show they were not reading this post. What's more, my stuff is in ENGLISH!

In MY road, in contrast to the original, I deftly erased the sneaky white line so no one gets confused about paint rules, thus heading off a whole series of Cycle*Dallas posts. I also moved the dashed line over a couple of feet to the right (maybe I ought to have moved it over still another foot, but you get the idea). I know PM likes that idea, though he was so paint-focused he forget to mention it. Happiness is a warm, cozy lane that not even an idiot thinks anybody ought to share. Hey, wasn't that the notion behind people on bikes getting fond of paths & bike lanes way back when? We'll just call this an "extra wide shared bike/car without all the green paint" lane. Or EWSBCWATGP Lane for short.

The motorist, seeing my "you get the general idea" warning sign language (I'm an engineer, not a warning sign writer) got Photoshopped over to the left lane. Most cyclists, seeing the "gutter hazard," move at least a smidge further left than normal, and the rest think "well THAT'S a statement in the obvious." Maybe we can use some of the savings on creative murals, such as discussed here. In this scenario, the guys I worry about are my concrete guys. For them, maybe an advisory sign too far ahead to see - WARNING - TRUCKS MAKE WIDE RIGHT TURNS. Something, anyway - we don't want bikes getting gummed up in the wheels, as described here. My Photoshop skills left me inadequate to deal with the sidewalk. You'll have to imagine potted plants, street vendors, and street musicians over there.

For the ORIGINAL article and its sequel, click here and here. Personally, I think it's worth a read. Y'all need to go out riding more - this obsession with paint fumes is a little suspicious...