This is why rail is bad

[Driven1]

seriously, when is it necessary to ride in front of a car or truck? If I had a dollar for every side Mirror that almost knocked me off..Hell in Riverside you can get Killed in your own neighborhood by drivers doing 50 in a 30 down our streets.I'm a 6'3" 220# man and people act like I'm invisible. Thats why I ride a MTB..I stay off the roads from experience.

just one example:  you need to make a left hand turn.  how you gonna do this WITHOUT crossing into the "with-traffic" lane(s)?  you have to.

i like riding San Jose.  it is the far best area around to ride IMO.  large bike lane and cyclists are always out there, so i like to believe (maybe naively) that the drivers here are more used to seeing them and are therefore being careful.  that being said, there was a cyclist killed on San Jose a month ago when he cut across traffic at an intersection.

[Ocklawaha]

Austin's Red Line will be one long rail.  The thinking is that it will be bring less clink-clang as the train goes by.

There won't be ANY, except for passing over switches or crossing other railroads. Also concrete crossties will take out about 90% of any rocking motion.

I expect Austin to errect cantenary over the line as soon as time and $$ permit. With soaring fuel costs, electric is not only cheaper but offers so many more "off the shelf" options for generation. Economics. Something Jacksonville needs to get through its head.

Ocklawaha

[gatorback]

We get quad gate crossings as well so no honkey honks.  It's all coming together.  I think Austin started the process in 2000, and was vote in 2004,  so if Jax doesn't  get it together within the next decade or so I'm afraid the young'ns will be the only ones to enjoy it.  Us old farts will have been in a nursing home or out to pasture by then.

[Ernest Street]

Driven1, I had not heard of the San Jose death..   Please ride safe.

[second_pancake]

Most Bike lanes in Jax have an unacceptable amount of trash and debris.And in San Marco we have the $5000 road bike snobs that feel entitled to take up an auto lane!..Yea You know who you are.As a daily rider for the last 8 years, I don't see how some riders mix it up in traffic? They ride through 5 points in the middle of the street!  Ok, about rail. I heard somewhere that Euro rails are welded together, effectively making the rail one piece.any insight on this since Ocklawaha is at Large? Ock? are you online?

I find it interesting that in one sentence you manage to show how it is nearly impossible to ride in the bike lanes and yet it is equally as unacceptable (to you) to ride in the traffic lane.  Hmm, if it boils down to a decison to try and ride over debris that could get lodged into my wheel, propelling me into traffic and causing my ultimate demise versus over-taking a lane and slowing down a vehicle that clearly sees me and has another lane in which to pass me, I'm going to choose taking over the auto lane.

[gatorback]

I use the road more then a bike path.  You have rights as a cyclist you know.  And they(cars) can't be in the same lane you're in, it's called failing to stay to the right.  Which means you can't be toward the left of a lane you have to maintain the right.  Does that happen when cars and bikes pass?  No.  Also, as a cyclist, you can't pass cars at an intersection and cars can't pass you.  But they always do.