This is one time a motor vehicle driving in the bike lane is most welcome!
These are the Lone Elm Bike Lanes in Olathe, Kansas. First time I’ve seen a sweeper on them, but they’re usually pretty clean, so they must hit them regularly.
A couple interesting things about this encounter: This was about 7:30pm, so the road crews were working late! And the driver saw me coming up behind in the bike lane, and pulled over into the next available driveway to let me pass. The traffic was extremely light, so it wasn’t necessary, but very much appreciated.
Kudos to the city of Olathe for employing such dedicated and courteous drivers!
Post tags: Bike Lanes, Olathe
That’s awesome! I wish they would do more of that here in Wichita. Some of the bike lanes here, such as 1st Street (which you mentioned in a recent post) are pathetic — covered with dirt & tree debris. You can tell the city sweeps there, because there’s a distinct contrast, right at the edge of the bike lane. I was driving down 1st Street the other day and following a cyclist who was riding in the street outside of the bike lane — of course, I cut him some slack because you could tell riding in the lane was likely a guaranteed flat tire.
Yes, I noticed a fair amount of sand and crud in the 1st/2nd Street bike lanes when i was there. Has anyone talked with the city about it? If the road maintenance personnel are not cyclists themselves, they might not recognize it as a problem.
Good idea! Next time I drive (or ride!) by that area, I’ll confirm it’s still a mess & contact the city, if so. Thanks.