Metro is studying interactions between bikes and buses.
To people who ride bikes in Los Angeles County: we want feedback and “real world” insights on your experience sharing the road with buses.
Metro is conducting a study (the link is below) that will develop design guidelines for the safety and comfort of people riding bicycles, while also considering bus operational efficiency and the concerns of bus operators for safely sharing county streets.
The study specifically looks at how street markings, signs, and bike lane designs affect the safety and comfort for bicycle riders. Metro’s survey will ask you to evaluate and share your experience with both specific bike facilities in L.A. County and conceptual designs that may not be in widespread use here. It also delves into specific interactions you might have with buses as you ride down the street, and how those interactions affect the choices you make about riding a bicycle.
In addition to this survey, the project includes gathering feedback from the bus operators themselves and from the planners and engineers who design bike facilities around L.A. County. Metro will also be reviewing worldwide guidance and designs, and collecting data from before and after many bikeways were installed in the county. With this comprehensive outreach and data analysis, Metro will develop design guidelines that cities and agencies around the County can use to design bike facilities that are safer for everyone and that accommodate the needs of Metro and other bus agencies.
The study will also develop recommendations on education and training for bus operators as well as people who ride bicycles. The study is anticipated to be completed by late summer 2017.
The survey does not focus on bike racks on buses, bike parking or bringing bikes onto buses. Bicycling law and enforcement issues are also outside the scope of Metro’s study, but the study can provide the data analysis to help inform future decision-making on this subject.
If you ride the streets of L.A. County, please share your personal experiences via a short, 10-minute survey and be entered for a chance to win an iPad or one of three Metro Bike Prize Packs! Take the survey here: https://surveymonkey.com/r/bikebusstudy
Categories: Bicycle
[…] wants to know about your experience sharing the road with buses. In my case, I’d say surprisingly good with a few glaring […]
In my case, I used Chrone on MacOS.
Question 10 kills the survey. I can’t answer one item without removing the answer to another item.
Hi,
I have been trying to recreate this problem, but have not been successful. Are you trying to put the same number down for multiple answer choices? Also, what browser are you using? I have tried it on Chrome, Firefox, and Explorer and it seems to work, and we have had almost 500 people complete it so far.
Matthew Kridler
Metro Research
10. Please rank the following bus operator behaviors in terms of how much they discourage you from riding on a street shared with bus traffic.
I give up. Great idea though
Survey’s kinda messed up, item #10 goes wonky – no matter what I do 1 gets left blank of the series of questions. Haven’t figured out a work around, about to bail on the survey.
I am a cyclist and as for riding in traffic along side a bus your best bet it to either be in front of the bus or behind the bus until it’s safe to pass. (in my opinion)
[…] Take Metro’s Survey On How Bicycles And Buses Can Share the Road (The Source) […]
One must remember that while traffic lanes are designed for vehicles no wider than 96 inches, transit buses are 102 inches wide.
In my opinion the current bike lane design in Los Angeles and neighboring communities is but a shame giving bike riders the false sense of security when a narrow white line is painted in the street designating a bike lane. In addition, bike riding near parked autos endangers bike riders when a motorist opens his left door prior to ensuring it is safe to do so. From my own experience as a bike rider who has fallen into the number two traffic lane after colliding with the left drivers door which was opened into my path. And as a former RTD/MTA Road Supervisor that investigated accidents one of the most common was drivers opening their doors into the right side of passing buses.
What I have observed in Hawaii is the bike lane being located between the curb and parked autos. Further explanation is the bikes and the parked autos traded places with the parked autos adjacent to the number two traffic lane instead of the bikes which are now traveling in the former parking lane. This is a much safer attempt to ensure the safety of bike riders while not requiring additional roadway.