
Curb extensions or “bumpouts” are a common method of calming traffic and shortening the street crossing distance for pedestrians. The idea is that narrowing the roadway slows traffic by reducing the maximum safe speed as perceived by drivers. Center islands serve a similar purpose. Unfortunately bumpouts often obstruct the space to the right of the travel lanes that’s used by bicyclists. It forces cyclists to wait for traffic before passing the obstruction. Even worse, drivers may misjudge the distance or the width and try to beat a cyclist to the bumpout when it’s not safe to do so. This seems especially likely when the shoulder narrows gradually instead of suddenly. I was almost run off the road on Arcola Avenue […]