Comments on: Study Shows There Is Safety in Numbers for Cyclists http://la.streetsblog.org/2008/09/15/study-shows-there-is-safety-in-numbers-for-cyclists/ Covering Los Angeles's livable streets movement Sat, 21 Nov 2009 21:23:58 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8 hourly 1 By: browne http://la.streetsblog.org/2008/09/15/study-shows-there-is-safety-in-numbers-for-cyclists/comment-page-1/#comment-2304 browne Wed, 17 Sep 2008 19:11:20 +0000 http://la.streetsblog.org/?p=1145#comment-2304 "People treating one another with respect represents a healthy community." Ingrid That's an awesome statement Ingrid and so true. Browne "People treating one another with respect represents a healthy community." Ingrid

That's an awesome statement Ingrid and so true.

Browne

]]> By: ubrayj02 http://la.streetsblog.org/2008/09/15/study-shows-there-is-safety-in-numbers-for-cyclists/comment-page-1/#comment-2296 ubrayj02 Wed, 17 Sep 2008 14:30:34 +0000 http://la.streetsblog.org/?p=1145#comment-2296 Ingrid, what I meant was: research indicates that when people feel safe riding their bikes, that several other important things are likely happening in an urban area too. Those things include: fewer traffic crashes and deaths, better local retail foot traffic, and a measurably more connected community. So, cyclists can be an indicator of a healthy community (cell-phone attached to their ears or not). Ingrid, what I meant was: research indicates that when people feel safe riding their bikes, that several other important things are likely happening in an urban area too. Those things include: fewer traffic crashes and deaths, better local retail foot traffic, and a measurably more connected community. So, cyclists can be an indicator of a healthy community (cell-phone attached to their ears or not).

]]> By: Jessica Meaney http://la.streetsblog.org/2008/09/15/study-shows-there-is-safety-in-numbers-for-cyclists/comment-page-1/#comment-2291 Jessica Meaney Tue, 16 Sep 2008 22:25:37 +0000 http://la.streetsblog.org/?p=1145#comment-2291 I love this concept/research finding - it's pretty powerful stuff. PL Jacobsen - (who is from OC I think) also did research along these lines - maybe they're working together? His article is from Injury Prevention titled: Safety in numbers: more walkers and bicyclists, safer walking and bicycling. That video is from a City of LA campaign? for reals? what a bummer I love this concept/research finding - it's pretty powerful stuff. PL Jacobsen - (who is from OC I think) also did research along these lines - maybe they're working together? His article is from Injury Prevention titled: Safety in numbers: more walkers and bicyclists, safer walking and bicycling.
That video is from a City of LA campaign? for reals? what a bummer

]]> By: Ingrid Peterson http://la.streetsblog.org/2008/09/15/study-shows-there-is-safety-in-numbers-for-cyclists/comment-page-1/#comment-2286 Ingrid Peterson Tue, 16 Sep 2008 17:41:44 +0000 http://la.streetsblog.org/?p=1145#comment-2286 and yes, I was riding my bicycle to work as always. This makes the third time this week another cyclists has done something ASS-TARDED right in front of me.... Wait a minute.... it is possible to look critically at the way CYCLISTS behave?! HUH? I thought we were all super righteous health nuts contributing only to the betterment of society. Your welcome for that, by the way. Pedal on, bikies, we shall on pedal on.... and yes, I was riding my bicycle to work as always. This makes the third time this week another cyclists has done something ASS-TARDED right in front of me....

Wait a minute.... it is possible to look critically at the way CYCLISTS behave?! HUH? I thought we were all super righteous health nuts contributing only to the betterment of society.

Your welcome for that, by the way.

Pedal on, bikies, we shall on pedal on....

]]> By: Ingrid Peterson http://la.streetsblog.org/2008/09/15/study-shows-there-is-safety-in-numbers-for-cyclists/comment-page-1/#comment-2284 Ingrid Peterson Tue, 16 Sep 2008 17:38:26 +0000 http://la.streetsblog.org/?p=1145#comment-2284 Quite frankly, I don't think bicyclists are much of an indicator species of a healthy community...Not sure that simply putting your foot to the bike pedal instead of a car pedal qualifies you for that.... Just this morning some DWEEB on his bike literally cut me off, forced me to slow down unexpectedly and generally compromised my safety. Guess what -- the dude was on his cell phone. Just pedaling and chatting away... Can somebody PLEASE de-bunk that self-righteous bull-crap about bicyclists representing healthy communities? News flash!! They don't! People treating one another with respect represents a healthy community. I'd like to see the imaginary and elusive unicorn of the "bike community" try that sometime. Bah, "indicator species" BAH!!! Quite frankly, I don't think bicyclists are much of an indicator species of a healthy community...Not sure that simply putting your foot to the bike pedal instead of a car pedal qualifies you for that....

Just this morning some DWEEB on his bike literally cut me off, forced me to slow down unexpectedly and generally compromised my safety.

Guess what -- the dude was on his cell phone. Just pedaling and chatting away...

Can somebody PLEASE de-bunk that self-righteous bull-crap about bicyclists representing healthy communities?

News flash!! They don't!

People treating one another with respect represents a healthy community.

I'd like to see the imaginary and elusive unicorn of the "bike community" try that sometime.

Bah,

"indicator species"

BAH!!!

]]> By: Umberto Brayj http://la.streetsblog.org/2008/09/15/study-shows-there-is-safety-in-numbers-for-cyclists/comment-page-1/#comment-2283 Umberto Brayj Tue, 16 Sep 2008 17:23:11 +0000 http://la.streetsblog.org/?p=1145#comment-2283 Isn't the link between urban car speeds and deaths, crashes, and injuries well established? This is a bike issue - but it seems to have wider implications. Like Stephen Box says, "Bicyclists are the indicator species of a healthy community" (or something to that effect). Isn't the link between urban car speeds and deaths, crashes, and injuries well established?

This is a bike issue - but it seems to have wider implications.

Like Stephen Box says, "Bicyclists are the indicator species of a healthy community" (or something to that effect).

]]> By: Ingrid Peterson http://la.streetsblog.org/2008/09/15/study-shows-there-is-safety-in-numbers-for-cyclists/comment-page-1/#comment-2281 Ingrid Peterson Tue, 16 Sep 2008 17:03:37 +0000 http://la.streetsblog.org/?p=1145#comment-2281 Does this mean that since bicycle ridership is up in Los Angeles that the roads have gotten safer to ride on? Let's do a Streetsblog Study of this... For the record, I stopped wearing my safety vest last week. I found that it was causing me to develop a false sense of security and that I was not watching traffic as carefully as I was without the vest. Here is what I am craving to see....(it would make a good PSA) A more balanced perspective on the road, that comes both from riding and driving.... Imagine that! A person who chooses one day to drive, and another to ride!!! Is that sort of thing even POSSIBLE? What a shocking revelation this could prove to be for the good citizens of Los Angeles..... Just think how "SAFE" the roads would be!!! Does this mean that since bicycle ridership is up in Los Angeles that the roads have gotten safer to ride on? Let's do a Streetsblog Study of this...

For the record, I stopped wearing my safety vest last week. I found that it was causing me to develop a false sense of security and that I was not watching traffic as carefully as I was without the vest.

Here is what I am craving to see....(it would make a good PSA)

A more balanced perspective on the road, that comes both from riding and driving....

Imagine that! A person who chooses one day to drive, and another to ride!!! Is that sort of thing even POSSIBLE?

What a shocking revelation this could prove to be for the good citizens of Los Angeles.....

Just think how "SAFE" the roads would be!!!

]]> By: Jeffrey W. Baker http://la.streetsblog.org/2008/09/15/study-shows-there-is-safety-in-numbers-for-cyclists/comment-page-1/#comment-2280 Jeffrey W. Baker Tue, 16 Sep 2008 15:53:39 +0000 http://la.streetsblog.org/?p=1145#comment-2280 What a stupid commercial! Kinetic energy is linear in mass but quadratic in velocity. 71% of the car's kinetic energy surplus with respect to the bicycle is due to its excessive speed, not its mass. If the driver maintained 10MPH, like the bicyclist, the situation would be far safer. What a stupid commercial! Kinetic energy is linear in mass but quadratic in velocity. 71% of the car's kinetic energy surplus with respect to the bicycle is due to its excessive speed, not its mass. If the driver maintained 10MPH, like the bicyclist, the situation would be far safer.

]]> By: Umberto Brayj http://la.streetsblog.org/2008/09/15/study-shows-there-is-safety-in-numbers-for-cyclists/comment-page-1/#comment-2277 Umberto Brayj Tue, 16 Sep 2008 01:36:02 +0000 http://la.streetsblog.org/?p=1145#comment-2277 Thank you for finding that LADOT video! I downloaded a RealPlayer version of it a while ago - but I've never been able to find a way to easily share it with other cyclists. This type of study, coupled two others I know of, make an excellent case for cycling, and provide recommendations for policy makers. The two studies I am referring to are Alta Planning's study an interconnected bikeway network inducing more cyclists to ride and the MTA's 2002 EPOP Survey which established that most bicycle trips occur on the same arterial roads and districts that have heavy car traffic. Bringing all of this together leads to this: -Build a city-wide bike network -Make the network follow along all the major surface streets -More people will ride, and they will be safer than before Bonus: this might slow down urban car speeds, which will lead to fewer deaths and accidents. Thank you for finding that LADOT video! I downloaded a RealPlayer version of it a while ago - but I've never been able to find a way to easily share it with other cyclists.

This type of study, coupled two others I know of, make an excellent case for cycling, and provide recommendations for policy makers.

The two studies I am referring to are Alta Planning's study an interconnected bikeway network inducing more cyclists to ride and the MTA's 2002 EPOP Survey which established that most bicycle trips occur on the same arterial roads and districts that have heavy car traffic.

Bringing all of this together leads to this:
-Build a city-wide bike network
-Make the network follow along all the major surface streets
-More people will ride, and they will be safer than before

Bonus: this might slow down urban car speeds, which will lead to fewer deaths and accidents.

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