Comments on: burning bridges at Caltrans

By: J.A.

J.A. — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 06:24:46 +0000

Judging from the photo, I can only assume cars must be careening off of that left guardrail at an alarming rate. Remove it, I say!

By: DensityDuck

DensityDuck — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 23:26:38 +0000

I think that CalTrans just doesn’t like concrete in general. Remember how long it took them to put a barrier down the middle of 101?

By: MikeOnBike

MikeOnBike — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 21:23:36 +0000

Caltrans worries that “Cars might run into the moveable concrete barrier separating the bikes and pedestrians from traffic lanes and they might bounce back into the other traffic lane, creating worse accidents.”

As somebody pointed out on one of the local cycling lists, there doesn’t seem to be a concern about cars bouncing off the concrete barrier on the Dumbarton bridge. Or anywhere else, for that matter.

Isn’t that the point of such barriers? Cars are *supposed* to “bounce” off.

By: Doug Faunt

Doug Faunt — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 17:36:37 +0000

You weren’t around at the time, so you might want to check out what happened with BCDC when CalTrans got the permit from them for the retrofit.

CT just doesn’t want to let those pesky cyclists on “their bridge” (direct quote from a CT employee).
I suspect it’s gotten to be ingrained in their culture as a matter of group ego that cyclists won’t get to ride that bridge, as in “nyah, nyah, nyah, I don’t have to, you can’t make me”.

By: david vartanoff

david vartanoff — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 01:20:40 +0000

When Marin was short of water 20 years ago the third lane was taken away for an emergency water main so the Marinites could survive. We all did fine w/ two lanes for gas guzzlers. Before that it was three lanes no escape, don’t breakdown. Put up the barricade and don’t move it.

By: Doug Faunt

Doug Faunt — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 07:28:37 +0000

CalTrans just doesn’t want cyclists on “their” bridge. They pulled a fast one on BCDC back when, and now they’ve pulled out the old “safety” warhorse. At this point, I suspect it’s gotten to be a matter of irrational, emotional honour with CT that cyclists won’t get on the bridge. “nyah, nyah, I don’t want to, you can’t make me”.