01-26-2017, 12:12 PM
(01-26-2017, 12:04 PM)kwliving Wrote: This type of lane is great for bicyclists. One of the challenges with this type of design is accessible parking.
As you could imagine, in this type of configuration getting out of a car into a wheelchair poses a challenge of being in the bike lane, as well as a wheelchair having to be a certain distance away as there is a curb. I'm not sure if this picture is a raised curb between the bike lane and the parking lane, but those bricks look like a challenge either way.
As well, any vehicle with a ramp or lift would pose a challenge as it would deploy into the bike lane.
An alternative could be to find nearby places for accessible parking where a bike lane wouldn't interfere with anyone's safety.
There are few if any accessible spaces on most of our downtown roads anyway. However, this is easily fixable with more space. Generally, one would prefer a buffer between parked cars and bike lanes anyway.
And to be honest, I think this is a highly infrequent issue. I've never even seen it occur personally. And given that I see parked vehicles blocking bike lanes every time I ride, I know what the bigger problem is.
And besides, all of the taxi cabs I've seen with wheelchair lifts are on the back as well, so it's definitely not all accessible vehicles.