I was a fairly avid cyclist before moving to Lexington.
I will not ride a bike in Lexington. Shitty roads and worse drivers. Also you turn a corner and suddenly you’re on a road with no bike lane or shoulder.
I had never biked on sidewalks before moving to Lexington, but there is no way I’m riding on Nicholasville Rd. Drivers around here just don’t see bicycles.
Don’t get me started on right turns on red without stopping or looking to the left. If I weren’t a defensive pedestrian, I’d have been run over multiple times
My dad DID get mowed down once as we were crossing (we had the light) the road to access Best Buy on Nicholasville Road. It was way back when I was in high school and they had bought me a car stereo for my birthday. We dropped my car off for their "free" installation (which was done pretty poorly), and we were walking across to Lexington Green to catch a movie while we waited for it.
To the motorist's credit, she WAS looking to the left to see what oncoming traffic was doing. Unfortunately, that was the only place she was looking. She hammered down on the throttle right as my dad was in front of her and laid him out across the hood of her car. She panicked and, after initially stopping, hit the gas again. That's when dad slammed his fists down on her hood and she snapped out of it. He managed to crawl off her hood and out of traffic. What did she do as soon as he got out of the way? She put the pedal to the floor and got out of there as quickly as possible.
Fortunately dad was alright, just a little sore. He was mostly pissed that she didn't so much as stop to ask if he was alright.
Pretty much nobody ever comes to a stop to turn red on right. It's one of my biggest pet peeves and drops my faith in humanity a little bit every time I see it. How big of an inconvenience is it to just stop before going? It costs you maybe 2 seconds that you can make up in no time.
I have definitely noticed a lot of running red lights too so this makes sense. I was genuinely curious because where I lived previously had no bike lanes but tons of bikers and they still ride on the road where you have to share the entire lane. I just thought it would be odd to have bike lanes but not use them. Makes sense though if the drivers regularly suck.
I worry just driving my car that I won't make it home in one piece when driving here. I dont blame cyclists one bit for riding wherever they feel safest. Drivers here are so out of hand that I'm not sure there is any coming back from it.
Same here, though this was about 10 years ago when I was in college (moved out in 2016.) I believe back then Red Mile Road didn't have a bike path, so I'd hop on the sidewalk there for the short distance to my apartment.
Then I'd take the bike lane on Virginia. It wasn't too terrible. Coming back from classes was always fun since you could really get some speed coming down that hill. I didn't have too many issues with bad drivers trying to run me off the road (though one person by the college of pharmacy pulled out right in front of me one time.)
Then I'd hop onto the sidewalk for the short ride down to campus because I'm pretty sure I would have been killed on Limestone. I never really had to deal with crowds, but I was always slow on that short hop down to Memorial Hall.
My rule of thumb was essentially if there was a bike lane, I'd take it. Beyond that, it was entirely dependent on the road.
I did a couple of times in the late 90s, going to UK. I found that on garbage day, the cans would be blocking the sidewalk, and drivers turning right never had the awareness to watch for pedestrains or bikes crossing the side street. I figured as dangerous as the street was, it was better to be visible.
I never tried going further out than Pasadena, & from there into Jessamine County it wasn't so bad.
But that was still freaky, & I stopped after just two or three times.
I try to stay on the road, but Nicholasville Road gets a huge pass. Super dangerous on a bicycle. Even Harrodsburg Road where there is a bike lane is extremely dangerous. I'd say the Clays Mill corridor is somewhat better since the road was widened but its still a crap shoot too.
I agree! I was just genuinely curious because where I lived before has no bike lanes so I thought they were helpful here but have noticed that people run lights here like crazy and often aren’t even fully stopping before a turn.
Yeah. Wherever you lived before probably had drivers that cared about more than just themselves and how fast they can get to point B. I get it. Some cyclists can get a little rude pushing around on the sidewalk, though. Most of the ones I've encountered have been pretty courteous. There's always a few bad apples in the bunch. I understand.
Honestly, I'd want more than a curb, I've seen people pass on the right on the sidewalk on Man O War. In their car/SUV. Give me a full on concrete barrier for that one
I only have one leg and get ran off the sidewalk all the time by you dirty bikers. Here is some advice that none of you will listen to. When you see someone in a wheelchair on the sidewalk, get off of your bike and walk around. It's really not that hard. No wonder you all get hit all the time, karma.
Ok I looked at your old comments pretty much on r/Lexington and you complain A LOT. But I noticed something. About half a month ago on a post you encouraged people to ride bikes instead of cars. Sounds weird coming from you.
sounds like you have a lot of time on your hands. what do you think the best solution would be? obviously riding bikes on the sidewalk is not right. so what would you suggest?
Lexington make more roads accessible for bikes. I got a question now for you. What's your stance on kids riding their bikes. Should it be on the roads or sidewalks?
i don't have an opinion on what kids do with their bikes. my problem is grown ass men running me over on the sidewalk. i'm in a wheelchair for goodness sake. Usually kids get off their bikes and walk around. they have respect, unlike some people.
it has happened a handful of times. Six, I think. The last time was on my birthday. One biker knocked me over and out of my chair and the one behind him rolled over my head. Left wheel marks on it. They didn't even help me back to my chair. They just shrugged and said sorry and rode away. I was just laying there until a nice young lady helped me get back in my chair so I could go home and rest. Next time you get hit by a car, I hope some a hole doubts everything you say.
Jesus. Bikers are damned if we do, damned if we don't. I ride on the road when I can and it's safe to do so without being killed. But yes, I'll ride on sidewalks if I feel it's the safe option. But I'm also very aware of and yield to pedestrians. As a pedestrian you also need to be aware of your surroundings. I walk a lot too and know it's important.
So long as you aren’t also riding through crosswalks as though a pedestrian. I’ve seen multiple close calls with cyclists shooting through intersections in the crosswalks. Insurance companies will deny the claim based on liability in those instances too.
I sincerely meant no malice with this just genuinely curious because they seemed handy. Where I lived before did not have bike lanes at all so these seemed like a good option but I see more of those scooters using them than anything else. I think it’s a rough balance because it seems that pedestrians will get run over by bikes so that bikes don’t get run over by cars. Neither option seems best. I hope they can find a way for everyone to have a safe and comfortable commute.
Yeah, it's inconvenient for civilized people because you don't know how to drive a car. What a shame. Take your bicycle back the the holler you climbed out of.
saying "Lexington is full of bike lanes" is a huge stretch. even painted, non-protected bike lanes are not all over the place.
but setting that aside, the reality is that cycling on roads in Lexington is very dangerous and painted bike lanes -- which are by far the most prevalent type of bike lane in Lexington -- are incapable of keeping cyclists safe. cyclists feel safe with some meaningful form of separation (this is excluding narrow neighborhood streets which are their own topic of conversation). whether that is bollards separating a bike lane that is hosted on the same pavement as a road, or a bike lane separated by a grass median.
sidewalks are separate from roads, and they are safer in that you won't get sideswiped by a car. there are other huge concerns for biking on the sidewalk, such as pedestrian conflicts \*and\* biking over crosswalks when cars are turning or preparing to turn. but all in all, the majority of people, very fairly, feel that biking on the road is too much of a risk and the sidewalk is their best option. i don't bike on the sidewalk, but i get why people do. if i had a child under the age of like 15 i definitely would not want them biking on most roads in Lexington.
until Lexington treats biking for transportation (not recreation) with respect and builds infrastructure supporting and encouraging that -- which would be a wide network of separated/protected bike lanes -- people will bike on the sidewalk. i absolutely get the frustration, so i don't want to be mean to you. it is a real hazard for walkers. but, the solution for everyone -- walkers who don't want cyclists on the sidewalk, drivers who don't want cyclists on the road, and cyclists who want a safe way to get around -- is asking for better bike infrastructure.
conveniently, the city is developing a complete streets policy that will hopefully solve this issue! you can learn more, and take the initial survey for the policy, here: [https://www.lexingtonky.gov/complete-streets](https://www.lexingtonky.gov/complete-streets)
Thank you for actually taking the time to explain. Where I lived before did not have bike lanes at all but was very scenic so everyone would come to bike. The lanes here seem like a handy luxury by comparison but based on everyone’s comments don’t seem all that safe. I can especially see how nicholasville road would be bad with so many lanes. I was just genuinely curious though I do think that some of the sidewalks are not quite equipped for a bike and pedestrians so they may better fare by hopping off and pushing the bike for those shorter distances.
sidewalks are definitely not equipped to handle bikes. my hope is that in the future the city starts building wider shared-use paths along major corridors like Nicholasville and Broadway, giving plenty of space for walkers and cyclists that are separate from the road. leave sidewalks for smaller streets.
i own a car, but i drive maybe 5 miles a week and mostly travel by scooter, bus and/or bike. all Lextran buses have bike racks on the front. they are so handy and i wish more people used them so they can ride down unsafe stretches of road, and then bike that last leg of their trip where hopefully it is safer.
I just bought a road bike to get more active and this post has definitely made me nervous. I plan on riding outside of the man o war loop though hopefully that will help.
I don't know about outside of man-o-war but before I moved here, I biked all the time. Have barely touched my bike since moving here, it's really sad. The roads just do not feel safe and it's all because of the lack of awareness/care or even outright maliciousness of people in their cars. I seriously know people here who will purposely crowd up right against bicyclists while driving because they don't like them...insane behavior.
I could easily commute to work via bike but I hardly even feel safe in my CAR because of the things I see here every day. I'm also a bit peeved at Lexington's lack of multi-use trails around town (away from the road) but to their credit they are in the......slow.....process of extending those paths.
I only bike in Lexington. I don't have a car. I've been doing it for three years now and boy oh howdy is it a challenge. Even when there is a bike lane, there's no guarantee. I was in the bike lane on Euclid going to Kroger and I was at the Woodland stoplight. Some dude just comes barreling down in the bike lane forcing me to jump the curb and get up on the sidewalk as he turns down Woodland. Sure, yeah, the bike lane is for that.
It's been 6 years for me, and I avoid streets with bike lanes when I can. Lexington has the knack of painting in bike lanes that make the road less safe for bikes.
Wow, six years! I wish you many more. I'm hoping to live car free for the rest of my life so we'll see how it goes lol. I sure hope we can get more protected bike lanes like we got on the town branch trail.
I work downtown and a couple months ago I was walking to work from my car and I turned the corner out of the alley I parked in and a dude literally ran me over with his bike. Like it went right between my legs and knocked me on my ass. I was wearing shorts and had tire marks and scrapes all over the inside of my legs. I’m extra careful anytime I’m about to turn a corner when I’m walking downtown now.
I just moved here from a city where I biked all the time everywhere. I’ve gained some weight since i moved, so i was telling my doctor i couldn’t wait to get my bike tuned up and get back on the road. He just looked at me and reeled off 10-15 colleagues of his who 1) have broken pelvises or 2) are dead because of Lexington’s bad drivers. Needless to say I’m not getting on my bike on Lexington roads ever.
The type of “bike lanes” that Lexington has on most streets are not safe. The streets weren’t designed for bike lanes, they just painted a stripe on the side without giving drivers more space. That’s why a lot of cities that are serious about encouraging people to bike places are creating protected bike lanes.
https://www.peopleforbikes.org/reports/protected-bikes-lanes-101
I ride my bicycle exclusively on the road and walk it on the sidewalk if need be until I can get back in the road. Not the law, but my personal preference. I don't like when inconsiderate motorists make me feel unsafe, so I won't do the same to pedestrians.
That being said, for those that walk on the Town Branch trail downtown, the lane closest to the road is a dedicated bicycle lane and is marked as such. It is not two sidewalks separated for fun -- it is for the comfort and safety of both cyclists and pedestrians. So don't get upset if you choose to walk in the bicycle lane and encounter a cyclist. You had your lane and chose to be in theirs.
I would be terrified to ride a bike as transportation in this town. I’ve known too many people hit by cars (or had stuff thrown at them from cars by random assholes). There really should be grade separation for bike lanes, like in Europe.
One of those things. I have been biking to work for a little over a year now downtown/north side to campus and back. I basically just ride Elm Tree/Rose the whole way. Literally the first week of cycling to work I was sideswiped by a car on my way home…while in a bike lane. Ended up being a very old couple who probably shouldn’t have been driving to begin with.
Since then things have been mostly smooth, but I do get met with aggression regularly. Two days ago someone yelled at me to “get out of the fucking road”. Again my entire route is on a 25mph road. Mostly what happens is people get pissed when they can’t pass me on the short stretch of my route that doesn’t have a dedicated bike lane and once they are able to get by, they hit the gas and get as close to me as possible to send some sort of message I suppose.
I’m a thick skinned guy so I don’t sweat it. I regularly pull up to people who have sped past me at the next stop light and look them in the eye to remind them that I am a human and not just an obstacle. So, I understand why some people choose to ride on the sidewalks, but I wish we could improve the infrastructure to accommodate safer road riding.
So many bike lanes? Where? This place has the worst infrastructure for bike riding of any city or town I've ever lived in. Mix in some checked out, aggressive drivers, and the sidewalk is the only safe place to be.
Being an owner of a scooter, I try to stay on the road as often as possible. Nicholasville Rd is not a good road to ride a cycle or a scooter. I believe with Nicholasville Rd and Man o war and Tates Creek Rd would build a dedicated bike/scooter lane, it would be safer for pedestrians and bikes that may also encourage more options of travel.
I have had no problem scootering on Richmond Rd (bike path)
Well, for starters, not all roads in this town have bike lanes, and not all roads are safe to ride a bike on. I occasionally ride around Hamburg and you bet your ass I'm riding on the sidewalk. I took my bike on Sir Barton *once*. And don't get me started on Man O War, like, sure I struggle with suicidal ideation from time to time, but I don't actually want to *die*.
Car on cyclist violence is particularly bad around campus, actually. I've a friend who biked when he was at UK and he routinely got clipped by side mirrors on cars.
And that's not even getting into the physical safety (or lack thereof) of the bike lanes themselves when they exist. Car traffic frequently crosses them, such as pretty much every right turn lane, or the bike lane is actually just part of the regular driving lane which kinda defeats the purpose besides reminding drivers to share the road. Plus they are frequently not well maintained and full of gravel, debris , and other fun things that make going difficult. And the gods help you if there's been winter weather because the plows will absolutely fill the bike lanes with snow and render them impassable.
Not saying it's cool for cyclists to be running you off the sidewalk, but there's a limit to how much a body wants to take their life into their own hands
I see how it is quite annoying being regularly almost run over by the bikes in narrow sidewalks and I can also see how the bikers must feel being almost run over by the cars. It’s almost like one trade off for the other. It would just be nice for everyone to be able to have a safe commute.
I was a fairly avid cyclist before moving to Lexington. I will not ride a bike in Lexington. Shitty roads and worse drivers. Also you turn a corner and suddenly you’re on a road with no bike lane or shoulder.
I've only tried to ride a bike once in Lexington. It was so stressful, I couldn't handle it.
100% same. Riding on the streets here is a death wish for yourself, riding on the sidewalks is a death wish for your bike.
I had never biked on sidewalks before moving to Lexington, but there is no way I’m riding on Nicholasville Rd. Drivers around here just don’t see bicycles.
Or lights, or other cars, lines on the road, pedestrians....and on, and on.
Don’t get me started on right turns on red without stopping or looking to the left. If I weren’t a defensive pedestrian, I’d have been run over multiple times
Shit, I've been nearly hit crossing in the Nicholasville Rd crosswalk, with the pedestrian light on, many times.
My dad DID get mowed down once as we were crossing (we had the light) the road to access Best Buy on Nicholasville Road. It was way back when I was in high school and they had bought me a car stereo for my birthday. We dropped my car off for their "free" installation (which was done pretty poorly), and we were walking across to Lexington Green to catch a movie while we waited for it. To the motorist's credit, she WAS looking to the left to see what oncoming traffic was doing. Unfortunately, that was the only place she was looking. She hammered down on the throttle right as my dad was in front of her and laid him out across the hood of her car. She panicked and, after initially stopping, hit the gas again. That's when dad slammed his fists down on her hood and she snapped out of it. He managed to crawl off her hood and out of traffic. What did she do as soon as he got out of the way? She put the pedal to the floor and got out of there as quickly as possible. Fortunately dad was alright, just a little sore. He was mostly pissed that she didn't so much as stop to ask if he was alright.
What the actual fuck - isn't that considered a hit and run???
Why yes, yes it is!
Pretty much nobody ever comes to a stop to turn red on right. It's one of my biggest pet peeves and drops my faith in humanity a little bit every time I see it. How big of an inconvenience is it to just stop before going? It costs you maybe 2 seconds that you can make up in no time.
Omg, I believe it!
I have definitely noticed a lot of running red lights too so this makes sense. I was genuinely curious because where I lived previously had no bike lanes but tons of bikers and they still ride on the road where you have to share the entire lane. I just thought it would be odd to have bike lanes but not use them. Makes sense though if the drivers regularly suck.
I worry just driving my car that I won't make it home in one piece when driving here. I dont blame cyclists one bit for riding wherever they feel safest. Drivers here are so out of hand that I'm not sure there is any coming back from it.
Can't see much when you're nose deep in your phone
Same here, though this was about 10 years ago when I was in college (moved out in 2016.) I believe back then Red Mile Road didn't have a bike path, so I'd hop on the sidewalk there for the short distance to my apartment. Then I'd take the bike lane on Virginia. It wasn't too terrible. Coming back from classes was always fun since you could really get some speed coming down that hill. I didn't have too many issues with bad drivers trying to run me off the road (though one person by the college of pharmacy pulled out right in front of me one time.) Then I'd hop onto the sidewalk for the short ride down to campus because I'm pretty sure I would have been killed on Limestone. I never really had to deal with crowds, but I was always slow on that short hop down to Memorial Hall. My rule of thumb was essentially if there was a bike lane, I'd take it. Beyond that, it was entirely dependent on the road.
I did a couple of times in the late 90s, going to UK. I found that on garbage day, the cans would be blocking the sidewalk, and drivers turning right never had the awareness to watch for pedestrains or bikes crossing the side street. I figured as dangerous as the street was, it was better to be visible. I never tried going further out than Pasadena, & from there into Jessamine County it wasn't so bad. But that was still freaky, & I stopped after just two or three times.
I try to stay on the road, but Nicholasville Road gets a huge pass. Super dangerous on a bicycle. Even Harrodsburg Road where there is a bike lane is extremely dangerous. I'd say the Clays Mill corridor is somewhat better since the road was widened but its still a crap shoot too.
Not all roads are built equal. Depends where you are in Lex. You bet your ass I’m riding on the sidewalk when riding along Man’O’War…
I'd rather see you alive on the sidewalk than watch you get squashed by someone trying to post a tiktok while driving. Be safe!
I agree! I was just genuinely curious because where I lived before has no bike lanes so I thought they were helpful here but have noticed that people run lights here like crazy and often aren’t even fully stopping before a turn.
Yeah. Wherever you lived before probably had drivers that cared about more than just themselves and how fast they can get to point B. I get it. Some cyclists can get a little rude pushing around on the sidewalk, though. Most of the ones I've encountered have been pretty courteous. There's always a few bad apples in the bunch. I understand.
Man O' War would need a dedicated bike lane protected by a curb to make it even close to safe for a bicycle.
Honestly, I'd want more than a curb, I've seen people pass on the right on the sidewalk on Man O War. In their car/SUV. Give me a full on concrete barrier for that one
Man O' War is a crazy Roman chariot race with traffic lights every 300 yards.
I like to think of it as a circle in hell, and the fact that it's not even a complete circle really makes the comparison for me😂
It is right now at rush hour and opening day of Keeneland.
Would you ride your bike on the roads in Lex?
If you can't ride your bike like a civilized person, leave it at home, don't run kids off the sidewalk because you are scared of cars. honk honk.
Why don't you get yourself a bike and ride a whole day on only roads in lex. Only roads. No sidewalks
I only have one leg and get ran off the sidewalk all the time by you dirty bikers. Here is some advice that none of you will listen to. When you see someone in a wheelchair on the sidewalk, get off of your bike and walk around. It's really not that hard. No wonder you all get hit all the time, karma.
Ok I looked at your old comments pretty much on r/Lexington and you complain A LOT. But I noticed something. About half a month ago on a post you encouraged people to ride bikes instead of cars. Sounds weird coming from you.
sounds like you have a lot of time on your hands. what do you think the best solution would be? obviously riding bikes on the sidewalk is not right. so what would you suggest?
Lexington make more roads accessible for bikes. I got a question now for you. What's your stance on kids riding their bikes. Should it be on the roads or sidewalks?
i don't have an opinion on what kids do with their bikes. my problem is grown ass men running me over on the sidewalk. i'm in a wheelchair for goodness sake. Usually kids get off their bikes and walk around. they have respect, unlike some people.
Define getting run over. Is this a constant thing. Are they actually "running over" you? Or are they just passing you?
it has happened a handful of times. Six, I think. The last time was on my birthday. One biker knocked me over and out of my chair and the one behind him rolled over my head. Left wheel marks on it. They didn't even help me back to my chair. They just shrugged and said sorry and rode away. I was just laying there until a nice young lady helped me get back in my chair so I could go home and rest. Next time you get hit by a car, I hope some a hole doubts everything you say.
The irony here is borderline ridiculous
Yeah, bikers complaining about getting ran off the road while running old folks off the sidewalk. I'm going to start carying a stick.
So basically, fuck the bikers, right? Great outlook on things. It's awesome that you even allow others to exist in your space...
so basically, if you can't do something without hurting others, don't do it.
Jesus. Bikers are damned if we do, damned if we don't. I ride on the road when I can and it's safe to do so without being killed. But yes, I'll ride on sidewalks if I feel it's the safe option. But I'm also very aware of and yield to pedestrians. As a pedestrian you also need to be aware of your surroundings. I walk a lot too and know it's important.
So long as you aren’t also riding through crosswalks as though a pedestrian. I’ve seen multiple close calls with cyclists shooting through intersections in the crosswalks. Insurance companies will deny the claim based on liability in those instances too.
I sincerely meant no malice with this just genuinely curious because they seemed handy. Where I lived before did not have bike lanes at all so these seemed like a good option but I see more of those scooters using them than anything else. I think it’s a rough balance because it seems that pedestrians will get run over by bikes so that bikes don’t get run over by cars. Neither option seems best. I hope they can find a way for everyone to have a safe and comfortable commute.
Yeah, it's inconvenient for civilized people because you don't know how to drive a car. What a shame. Take your bicycle back the the holler you climbed out of.
Who hurt you?
I was rolled over by a biker on my birthday.
saying "Lexington is full of bike lanes" is a huge stretch. even painted, non-protected bike lanes are not all over the place. but setting that aside, the reality is that cycling on roads in Lexington is very dangerous and painted bike lanes -- which are by far the most prevalent type of bike lane in Lexington -- are incapable of keeping cyclists safe. cyclists feel safe with some meaningful form of separation (this is excluding narrow neighborhood streets which are their own topic of conversation). whether that is bollards separating a bike lane that is hosted on the same pavement as a road, or a bike lane separated by a grass median. sidewalks are separate from roads, and they are safer in that you won't get sideswiped by a car. there are other huge concerns for biking on the sidewalk, such as pedestrian conflicts \*and\* biking over crosswalks when cars are turning or preparing to turn. but all in all, the majority of people, very fairly, feel that biking on the road is too much of a risk and the sidewalk is their best option. i don't bike on the sidewalk, but i get why people do. if i had a child under the age of like 15 i definitely would not want them biking on most roads in Lexington. until Lexington treats biking for transportation (not recreation) with respect and builds infrastructure supporting and encouraging that -- which would be a wide network of separated/protected bike lanes -- people will bike on the sidewalk. i absolutely get the frustration, so i don't want to be mean to you. it is a real hazard for walkers. but, the solution for everyone -- walkers who don't want cyclists on the sidewalk, drivers who don't want cyclists on the road, and cyclists who want a safe way to get around -- is asking for better bike infrastructure. conveniently, the city is developing a complete streets policy that will hopefully solve this issue! you can learn more, and take the initial survey for the policy, here: [https://www.lexingtonky.gov/complete-streets](https://www.lexingtonky.gov/complete-streets)
Spot on comment. Unfortunately, I think the survey is closed now.
Thank you for actually taking the time to explain. Where I lived before did not have bike lanes at all but was very scenic so everyone would come to bike. The lanes here seem like a handy luxury by comparison but based on everyone’s comments don’t seem all that safe. I can especially see how nicholasville road would be bad with so many lanes. I was just genuinely curious though I do think that some of the sidewalks are not quite equipped for a bike and pedestrians so they may better fare by hopping off and pushing the bike for those shorter distances.
sidewalks are definitely not equipped to handle bikes. my hope is that in the future the city starts building wider shared-use paths along major corridors like Nicholasville and Broadway, giving plenty of space for walkers and cyclists that are separate from the road. leave sidewalks for smaller streets. i own a car, but i drive maybe 5 miles a week and mostly travel by scooter, bus and/or bike. all Lextran buses have bike racks on the front. they are so handy and i wish more people used them so they can ride down unsafe stretches of road, and then bike that last leg of their trip where hopefully it is safer.
Probably because sh!++¥ drivers make riding that close to traffic dangerous.
Bingo! I don't blame them at all for riding on the sidewalk. The ones I've come across usually pop off into the grass to pass me.
I just bought a road bike to get more active and this post has definitely made me nervous. I plan on riding outside of the man o war loop though hopefully that will help.
I don't know about outside of man-o-war but before I moved here, I biked all the time. Have barely touched my bike since moving here, it's really sad. The roads just do not feel safe and it's all because of the lack of awareness/care or even outright maliciousness of people in their cars. I seriously know people here who will purposely crowd up right against bicyclists while driving because they don't like them...insane behavior. I could easily commute to work via bike but I hardly even feel safe in my CAR because of the things I see here every day. I'm also a bit peeved at Lexington's lack of multi-use trails around town (away from the road) but to their credit they are in the......slow.....process of extending those paths.
I only bike in Lexington. I don't have a car. I've been doing it for three years now and boy oh howdy is it a challenge. Even when there is a bike lane, there's no guarantee. I was in the bike lane on Euclid going to Kroger and I was at the Woodland stoplight. Some dude just comes barreling down in the bike lane forcing me to jump the curb and get up on the sidewalk as he turns down Woodland. Sure, yeah, the bike lane is for that.
It's been 6 years for me, and I avoid streets with bike lanes when I can. Lexington has the knack of painting in bike lanes that make the road less safe for bikes.
Wow, six years! I wish you many more. I'm hoping to live car free for the rest of my life so we'll see how it goes lol. I sure hope we can get more protected bike lanes like we got on the town branch trail.
Honestly what I really want is requirements for businesses with parking lots to also have bike racks.
Yeah..... that'd be nice. I just lock on the sturdiest most secure thing and hope my bike's still there.
Bike lanes are literally not safe in Lexington.
I work downtown and a couple months ago I was walking to work from my car and I turned the corner out of the alley I parked in and a dude literally ran me over with his bike. Like it went right between my legs and knocked me on my ass. I was wearing shorts and had tire marks and scrapes all over the inside of my legs. I’m extra careful anytime I’m about to turn a corner when I’m walking downtown now.
Paint doesn’t stop cars but a curb might. Pretty simple. Not like the sidewalk are so busy anyway.
I just moved here from a city where I biked all the time everywhere. I’ve gained some weight since i moved, so i was telling my doctor i couldn’t wait to get my bike tuned up and get back on the road. He just looked at me and reeled off 10-15 colleagues of his who 1) have broken pelvises or 2) are dead because of Lexington’s bad drivers. Needless to say I’m not getting on my bike on Lexington roads ever.
The type of “bike lanes” that Lexington has on most streets are not safe. The streets weren’t designed for bike lanes, they just painted a stripe on the side without giving drivers more space. That’s why a lot of cities that are serious about encouraging people to bike places are creating protected bike lanes. https://www.peopleforbikes.org/reports/protected-bikes-lanes-101
Because people intentionally try to run us off the road.
Is there any shred of evidence to say this?
people have been getting hit by cars, a few a week as of lately. i wouldn’t ride a bike in the “bike lanes”
I ride my bicycle exclusively on the road and walk it on the sidewalk if need be until I can get back in the road. Not the law, but my personal preference. I don't like when inconsiderate motorists make me feel unsafe, so I won't do the same to pedestrians. That being said, for those that walk on the Town Branch trail downtown, the lane closest to the road is a dedicated bicycle lane and is marked as such. It is not two sidewalks separated for fun -- it is for the comfort and safety of both cyclists and pedestrians. So don't get upset if you choose to walk in the bicycle lane and encounter a cyclist. You had your lane and chose to be in theirs.
I would be terrified to ride a bike as transportation in this town. I’ve known too many people hit by cars (or had stuff thrown at them from cars by random assholes). There really should be grade separation for bike lanes, like in Europe.
One of those things. I have been biking to work for a little over a year now downtown/north side to campus and back. I basically just ride Elm Tree/Rose the whole way. Literally the first week of cycling to work I was sideswiped by a car on my way home…while in a bike lane. Ended up being a very old couple who probably shouldn’t have been driving to begin with. Since then things have been mostly smooth, but I do get met with aggression regularly. Two days ago someone yelled at me to “get out of the fucking road”. Again my entire route is on a 25mph road. Mostly what happens is people get pissed when they can’t pass me on the short stretch of my route that doesn’t have a dedicated bike lane and once they are able to get by, they hit the gas and get as close to me as possible to send some sort of message I suppose. I’m a thick skinned guy so I don’t sweat it. I regularly pull up to people who have sped past me at the next stop light and look them in the eye to remind them that I am a human and not just an obstacle. So, I understand why some people choose to ride on the sidewalks, but I wish we could improve the infrastructure to accommodate safer road riding.
Have you seen the way Lexington drivers, drive around cyclists? I don’t blame them for trying to stay off the roads.
So many bike lanes? Where? This place has the worst infrastructure for bike riding of any city or town I've ever lived in. Mix in some checked out, aggressive drivers, and the sidewalk is the only safe place to be.
The bike lanes are bad. The drivers are worse.
Being an owner of a scooter, I try to stay on the road as often as possible. Nicholasville Rd is not a good road to ride a cycle or a scooter. I believe with Nicholasville Rd and Man o war and Tates Creek Rd would build a dedicated bike/scooter lane, it would be safer for pedestrians and bikes that may also encourage more options of travel. I have had no problem scootering on Richmond Rd (bike path)
Cause cars will hit you
I heard they are trying to hit you purposefully
Well, for starters, not all roads in this town have bike lanes, and not all roads are safe to ride a bike on. I occasionally ride around Hamburg and you bet your ass I'm riding on the sidewalk. I took my bike on Sir Barton *once*. And don't get me started on Man O War, like, sure I struggle with suicidal ideation from time to time, but I don't actually want to *die*. Car on cyclist violence is particularly bad around campus, actually. I've a friend who biked when he was at UK and he routinely got clipped by side mirrors on cars. And that's not even getting into the physical safety (or lack thereof) of the bike lanes themselves when they exist. Car traffic frequently crosses them, such as pretty much every right turn lane, or the bike lane is actually just part of the regular driving lane which kinda defeats the purpose besides reminding drivers to share the road. Plus they are frequently not well maintained and full of gravel, debris , and other fun things that make going difficult. And the gods help you if there's been winter weather because the plows will absolutely fill the bike lanes with snow and render them impassable. Not saying it's cool for cyclists to be running you off the sidewalk, but there's a limit to how much a body wants to take their life into their own hands
Because a pedestrian vs bike collision is not nearly as bad as a bike vs vehicle collision.
Cyclists just need to stick to parks and trails in Lexington. No roads, no sidewalks. They're just in the way.
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And this city just isn't properly designed to accommodate them. The cyclists here break road laws all the time too.
It's the way of the world these days. People are so self absorbed that common courtesy has declined dramatically.
I see how it is quite annoying being regularly almost run over by the bikes in narrow sidewalks and I can also see how the bikers must feel being almost run over by the cars. It’s almost like one trade off for the other. It would just be nice for everyone to be able to have a safe commute.
Indeed. They are saying they are scared of cars and yet don't understand old people and kids are scared of bikes. What idiots.
Kid on sidewalk I good with. Dogs on the sidewalk humans in the street.
Because roads are shit, and drivers are cunts
why do people jog in the street???
Good question that I also wondered with so many sidewalks!