Last week we completed Sierra to the Sea – an eight-day bike-and-camp tour across California. Most of the trip was on back-roads and highways.
So what did the organizers think was the trickiest part of the 400-mile journey? The ride at the end across the Golden Gate Bridge:
What with the tourists, the fogs, the side winds and the distracting views, the sidewalks were thought to be more challenging than the Sierras.
So how do they manage cycling and pedestrian traffic on the Golden Gate Bridge? To be honest, I’m not entirely sure – and that’s after spending some time trying to translate the instructional signs:
I think they mean the bikes get the west sidewalk on weekends and afternoons; pedestrians get the east sidewalk, except when they’re not sharing it with cyclists. I think.
In any event, demand is so high on weekends, that even the separated routes can be overcrowded.
That’s the challenge of traffic management, whether of bikes, feet or vehicles: trying to handle peak volumes. For those who criticize the attempt to safely accommodate bikes on the Burrard Bridge because on a rainy February morning there aren’t a lot of ’em, that rather misses the point. It’s what you do on a sunny summer weekend that counts.
I actually just rode over the bridge two weeks ago. The ride was a little intense – the strong winds and speeding commuters made things exciting. But I wouldn’t say it was difficult. My four friends (none of whom regularly cycle) made it just fine.
I do think it was once of the most beautiful things I’ve ever done.