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I measured my bike lane commute for 3 weeks and the "door zone" is a lot bigger than I thought
I ride down Market Street in Philly every morning and last month I finally got a little tape measure and started checking gaps after some guy swung his door open on me. Turns out the painted lane there is about 5 feet wide, but cars park so close that the actual safe riding space is closer to 2 feet once you count doors. I know this because I dropped a chalk mark at the same 4 spots every day for 3 weeks and the number barely moved. Everyone online keeps saying "just take the lane" but on this street the cars behind me lay on the horn when I do that. Has anyone actually gotten their city to move the parking line back, or do I just keep hugging the curb and praying?
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mason.jordan2d ago
Wait, 2 feet of safe space feels like an exaggeration. I ride in a city too and doors are maybe a foot and a half at most, and most drivers dont fling them wide open every single time. The painted lane being 5 feet but you only having 2 means you measured from the door edge, right? Cars park like 6 to 12 inches off the curb usually, so unless Philly drivers are parking a full car width out, that math seems off. Three weeks at the same 4 spots tells you those 4 spots, not the whole street. I get the fear part, a door will wreck your day, but saying the real space is 2 feet makes it sound like the lane is useless when most of the time its fine.
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