The bike lines have been painted on Wayne Street.
On the day the above and below photos were taken, there was one bicyclist using the lane.
However, this past Friday, there was a cyclist in full gear – you know, the helmet, matching clothing, someone obviously not just out for a ride – riding down the left lane of Wayne Street. Â At first, as he approached the Ewing Street intersection, I thought he might be turning left onto Ewing. Â Especially so since he was in the left turn lane. Â Nope. Â He blew, and I mean blew straight through a red light swerving back into the proper thru lane. Â I couldn’t get a good photo as by the time I realized what he was doing, it was too late. Â It’s too bad because it would have made a great shot – that red light with a bicyclist running it! Â Does anyone know if the bike lane usage is mandatory when they’re present? Â Or are they just “suggestions”?
Friday, I was walking home from work, and granted, most of the downtown workers must have had Friday off as it was a ghost town.  Except for The Landing.  On both sides of Columbia Avenue between Calhoun and Harrison Streets, there were probably 50 motorcycles on the sidewalks.  There were some that were coming and going and instead they were driving down the sidewalks to enter and leave the area.
This same situation was in play the weekend before, on Saturday. Â I didn’t go down this Saturday to check into this, but it’s getting a bit out of control – especially with a huge parking deck just across the street. Â What might first-time visitors to downtown think when seeing this downtown? Â It didn’t leave me with a very good feeling. Â The bikers seem to be congregating in the Cancun bar/restaurant.
Now please, understand – the above situations are not blanket judgements on all bicyclists or motorcyclists. Â Just like everything in life, there’s good and bad. Â It’s just too bad the bad ones make it that much more harder for the good ones.
Related Images:
