You may remember that Long Beach installed some Bike Boxes last December, on Second Street at Marina and at Bayshore. And as with all questions of bike infrastructure, reception among cyclists and advocates was mixed. The boxes were lauded by some as important improvements sure to increase cyclist safety. Others saw the boxes as a welcome sign that the city was taking steps to support cyclists, even if they weren’t sure the boxes would actually improve things. Still others decried the boxes, thinking them counterproductive, sure to make things more confusing and more dangerous for cyclists.
All of these opinions are currently moot, because with the recent resurfacing work on 2nd, the Boxes (and all other road markings) have disappeared.
While we wait to see whether the boxes make a return, researchers at Portland State have studied the effects of Portland’s many recent bike box installations, and they have concluded the bike boxes improve safety. Read this detailed post at bikeportland.org to learn all about the study and its findings, and let us know what you think about Bike Boxes.
What can I can… I like being in front!