Did you know that May is “National Bike Month”? With the weather taking the proper turn towards summer, it’s time to get out and enjoy the sunshine with a nice little bike ride with friends, family, or just yourself and the open road.
Biking around the city has become much easier for riders thanks to most big cities around the country embracing the bike riders and adding bike specific lanes to the roadways. However, that’s all most of them have seemed to do. Just lanes. Paint markings and maybe some reflectors to lighten things up at night. But besides that, there isn’t much separating cyclists and scooter riders from the cars and trucks on the roadways.
To prove just how dangerous it is for riders in these designated lanes, people have been doing some tests to show just how car and truck drivers normally cross over the bike lane lines. They did this by putting red plastic cups and tomatoes on the lines. These items were smashed and trashed within minutes of their placement, proving just how little drivers are paying attention to the bike lane next to them.
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#RedCupProject deployed in this bike lane at school zone crossing of US 95 in Moscow, Idaho at 7:43 pm. First one obliterated by a pickup truck at 7:44 pm. pic.twitter.com/LiA64llbai
— Don Kostelec (@KostelecPlan) April 27, 2019
Some bike lanes have been adding reflective delineator posts to section off the bike lanes and give drivers a more noticeable warning of the lanes. But these have been quickly trashed as well in most places as some drivers just do not care too much about the bike lanes on the main roads.
That is why more barriers and stronger barriers are necessary to truly protect riders in the designated bike lanes.
And, whataya know, Ideal Shield has multiple options to do just that.
Delineators
Just a few delineator posts isn’t going to do much for bike lane safety. However, if cities are looking to line their lanes with these plastic posts, especially in brighter colors, it’ll at least keep the driver’s more aware while they’re driving down the road. These are also a cheaper alternative to stronger, protective bike lane posts.
Ideal Shield’s Delineator Channelizers and Paddle
Bollards & Bollard Covers
If you’re looking for some real post protection, installing steel bollards will definitely get the point across to drivers that bike lanes are to be noticed and avoided. Ideal Shield offers both Steel Pipe and a wide array of Bollard Covers to fit any city setting. Adding these protective posts will keep cyclists safe and drivers well aware of the issues if they cross over the bike path median.
Ideal Shield’s Metro Bollard Covers protecting a city bike lane
Protecting riders is extremely important. More and more people are riding their bikes daily. Whether it’s to work, to the store, out on town for a night of fun, or just for exercise and a leisurely stroll around town. That’s why it’s becoming more and more of an issue when bike lanes are only protected by paint and not real protection.
If your city or township is looking to add some bike lane protection this year, contact Ideal Shield today. Our experienced sales team will help you find the perfect piece of protection for your bike lane problems.