21st. Century California-style "cycleway"

[LockH]

I was struck the other day by this image:

... watt reminded me about a bit of history. Over 100 years ago, for a time folks in Cali got to ride on an elevated "cycleway":

Wiki entry about the Cali cycleway:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Cycleway

These daze, being an urban-type guy I find myself living beside a major "arterial" road into and out of downtown (rush "hour" slows only for a few hours in the early mornings).

Since posting this thought on FacePlant recently in two local subforums yesterday, dozens of "Thumb Ups" with the usual "Yes, but.." and "Ifs" pointing out other ideas proposed elsewhere like trains hung under elevated rails:

... and the Velo City "tube" where folks are pushed by air pressure "tail winds":

But... Being a sorta "keep it simple" kinda guy... I tend to think that Cali cycleway might be simplest as "low tech" and requiring zero energy other than an ebike/trike or old-style antique pedal-only Poop-Mobile style bike.

So... Several on/off ramps, with "uphill" on ramps maybe with an assist "Norwegian-style":

And by roofing over the road offset construction costs by savings in road maintenance like snow and ice clearing.

Instead of taking up road surfaces by "bike lanes", completely separate traffic by giving bike folks something almost completely safe.

And the "icing on the cake"? To add windscreens along the north edge of the cycleway as solar panels. Like sidewalks and roadways design does already, install this roof/cycleway sloped slightly to have snow and rain slide off.

Anyway. You like? Anything I may be missing?

Cheers
L

 

[Nobuo]

I have no words of this amazing concept.

 

[amberwolf]

Apologies if I sound curmudgeony, but as I've said in previous discussions about such "cycleways": they're almost completely useless for everyday commuting, shopping, etc., because you can't just turn off of them into whatever driveways, streets, etc, you need to get to--you're stuck with wherever it is limited to going, wherever someone bothered to put an exit or entrance.

Only thing they'd really be good for is (assuming they actually bother to build it to go any distance) long-distance recreational riding--and there are (at least here) a number of such paths along canals and things like that, which are out of the way of and forbidden to large vehicular traffic.

Unless, of course, your destination and originating point are somewhere directly along the path at one of it's entrance/exits.


I suppose it would be usable if you don't mind it being just like a car-style freeway with angry people all around you in a traffic jam and crawling along at a snail's pace for miles and miles waiting for a chance to exit it just so you can get to where you want to go, and other angry people trying to ride around the slower people, or those that aren't paying attention, have their music up so loud they cant' hear anything, etc.

And that you'd be limited, like freeways, to whatever entrances/exits there are, and whatever limitations or dangers there are at those points.

And that then you'd have to detour however many miles from that point to wherever it was you actually wanted to go, and still be in whatever "normal" vehicular traffic you'd have to ride thru for that.


Thanks. I'll just stick to riding the streets like the rest of traffic--and trying to educate the traffic around me by example and presence, and discussion and education when it is possible.


We don't need cycleways...we need global (all kinds of traffic--drivers, riders, pedestrians, etc) education, testing, AND enforcement of proper traffic interaction, including enforced removal of the distractions of phones/etc. while operating any vehicle (which includes bikes), etc. Then we'd all be able to interact with each other in traffic with reasonable safety margins.

 

[amberwolf]

And by roofing over the road offset construction costs by savings in road maintenance like snow and ice clearing

Sure, let them put a roof over the cars and give them shelter from the elements, while putting the cyclists up there sweating or freezing or dripping wet, leaving *them* to deal with the snow and ice, etc.... :/ Cuz, you know that no one would pay for doing all that clearing/etc just for *cyclists*....

I *can* imagine someone eventually roofing over the roads for solar panels to lessen power costs for the goverment installations, and perhaps letting cyclists *use* the "leftover" space (if any) at the edges, kinda like they do now with the so-called "bike lanes" many places tout.

And the "icing on the cake"? To add windscreens along the north edge of the cycleway as solar panels.

North? That'd be wierd--seems like the south side would be better, as the panels would then face south without being shaded by the traffic. (at least, for the northern hemisphere). If they are on the north side, then to keep them from being shaded by traffic they'd point north, which would put them in shadow or with less perpendicularity to the sun, at any rate.


But I would not add them as "windscreens", I'd add them as roofing-over. I suppose you could put them as windscreens, too, but then you've just made a confining tunnel that will probably need powered lighting and will not be much fun to ride in for those out for the scenery.