The case for MC commuting

[freebird6]

Interesting study. FIltering allowed ?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/motorbikes/9272532/Why-commuting-by-motorcycle-is-good-for-everyone.html

 

[ppenrose]

I think this study has a flaw. While it is true that when traffic stops and MCs start filtering, they free up space in the queues that cars can now use and eases congestion. But it looks like the model assumes that any number of motorcycles can "disappear" this way. I'd bet that if you actually converted 10% of the cars into motorcycles, there wouldn't be room for all of them in between the lanes of car traffic. Plus, they still need to merge back in at some time and this will create a bottleneck, which in turn will just create a new queue for motorcycles. So I don't think they would see as much benefit as they think. I also don't think they considered that packing more vehicles in to the same space will give rise to more accidents.

 

[Clayton600]

study does promote lane splitting and yes he had a weak selling point on traffic moving faster. But i took it as though he was trying to get across moto lane splitting be allowed more so than everyone can get to work faster.
  wish lane splitting was legal here in VA

 

[Jorge]

Lane splitting is not legal in Indiana, but in heavy traffic (I commute sometimes, thorugh a very busy section of Indianapolis), MCs tend to bunch up, and we will actually take up less lane when moving as well. Most riders will ride the staggered patterm, which means we two MCs take up only a little more space than one car. When traffic stops, typically the two sit side-by-side, taking up less space than one car. When movement starts up, the two bikes will get to normal flow only slightly slower than one car would.
Some may have remember some months ago France was changing laws to force MCs to behave more like cars, I think in parking, and other things, and riders staged a protest where they drove like cars, taking up full lane space, etc. and I believe the changes were rescinded, to prevent additional congestion.
Bottom line, whether stopped, or flowing, if riders cooperate with each other (and this happens often around here), I believe we do reduce congestion.
Jorge

 

[willyp]

The benifit is that for every motorcycle, a single occupancy car disappears. That is what would make traffic flow faster.

 

[bergmen]

The benifit is that for every motorcycle, a single occupancy car disappears. That is what would make traffic flow faster.

I lived in Japan a long time ago (late 50s, early 60s) and I bet 9 out of 10 motor vehicles were motorcycles or scooters. Add in a healthy dose of bicycles and you can cram a LOT of people in a small area on the local streets.

It sure made it fun to be a motorcycle enthusiast since everyone (almost) rode motorcycles. I never saw a car dealer (although there must have been a few around somewhere) but lots if huge MC dealers.

Dan

 

[ddback]

The benifit is that for every motorcycle, a single occupancy car disappears. That is what would make traffic flow faster.

Or reducing the need for the transit in the first place...  ;D

Simply increasing bandwidth does nothing - the designers of the bridges into New York understood this a hundred years ago: "Build it and they will come". The more bandwidth you build (increase in lanes, increase in existing lane efficiency) just invites more users.

In every city I've lived I've watched new roads built/existing ones expanded. You always see a temporary reduction in traffic overload, and then people start utilizing the "extra" capacity.

Same problem exists in all networks.

 

[bergmen]

The benifit is that for every motorcycle, a single occupancy car disappears. That is what would make traffic flow faster.

Or reducing the need for the transit in the first place...  ;D

Simply increasing bandwidth does nothing - the designers of the bridges into New York understood this a hundred years ago: "Build it and they will come". The more bandwidth you build (increase in lanes, increase in existing lane efficiency) just invites more users.

In every city I've lived I've watched new roads built/existing ones expanded. You always see a temporary reduction in traffic overload, and then people start utilizing the "extra" capacity.

Same problem exists in all networks.

That is very true, people will take the transportation method of most convenience or lowest cost. Commuters will flock to mass transit when the freeways are clogged but go back to their cars/trucks if the flow improves with highway improvements. But personal transportation options are what most people would prefer to do. In my case I must since I work flexible hours and mass transit does not go where (or when) I need to.

With moving to motorcycles, this eases congestion directly, You won't get more riders clogging up the freeways, you get car-to-motorcycle conversions. Small, efficient, economical, low cost (acquisition and operating), easy to park, easy to store, fun. Everything an urban transportation system needs and motorcycles and scooters are excellent solutions to this. Asia figured this out decades ago and it works very well.

Dan