I guess I’m pretty undecided when it comes to bike lanes. I’m likely to use one if it’s there, but I don’t avoid streets and roads without marked lanes.
The City of West Lafayette is equally ambivalent. My North Work Route follows several streets with bike lanes, and that’s by design. I wanted to have a non-stressful route to take home on those especially hectic work days. Unfortunately, the city hasn’t setup their bike lanes in a way where riders can rely on them.
I traveled Grant and Salisbury Streets, along with Lindberg Road, and I found trash cans and brush piles in the lane waiting for pickup. This is pretty common, and apparently legal. I think I’ve documented this before.
On Lindberg Road, there is the added obstacle of cars parked in the bike lane. Apparently, this is allowed by law after 4:00pm or on non-school days. Sure, having the lanes clear between 8:00 and 4:00 helps school kids get around, but it’s not much help for the harried manager looking for a little sanctuary. Lucky for me, I have no problem taking the lane when needed.
When I was riding up Salisbury Street, I heard this horrible noise to my right. It turned out to be a discount store bike with an amazingly squeaky chain. The helmet-free rider passed me on the sidewalk, and them jumped back to the bike lane well in front of me.
Miles Ridden: 12.0