Author Archives: jsallen

About jsallen

John S. Allen is the author or co-author of numerous publications about bicycling including Bicycling Street Smarts, which has been adopted as the bicycle driver's manual in several US states. He has been active with the Massachusetts Bicycle Coalition since 1978 and served as a member of the board of Directors of the League of American Bicyclists from 2003 through 2009.

Lessons of Spruce Street

Posted on January 16, 2018 by jsallen

I’m posting this in connection with the video I shot of a ride on Spruce Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, already embedded in an earlier post. Spruce Street is a one-way street with parallel parking on the left side, and a bike … Continue reading →

Posted in Bicycling | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

RRFBs: Time for Co-opetition

Posted on December 30, 2017 by jsallen

The US Federal Highway Administration has withdrawn its interim approval of  Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFBs) because a company which makes them has patented them. This is a serious public-policy error. The RRFB has proved effective at increasing compliance of … Continue reading →

Posted in traffic circles, Traffic Signals | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Spruce Street, Philadelphia

Posted on December 19, 2017 by jsallen

Bicyclist Emily Fredericks was killed, crushed by a right-turning garbage truck, on Spruce Street in Philadelphia on November 29. Another bicyclist, Becca Refford, was similarly right hooked a block away on Pine Street on December 8 and suffered serious injuries. … Continue reading →

Posted in Bicycling | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Dutch Strict Liability Myth

Posted on December 3, 2017 by jsallen

A commenter on Facebook made a statement which is often heard in the USA: “A Dutch lady said they have so few hurt because drivers are guilty unless they can prove they weren’t.” Well, this doesn’t quite amount to fake … Continue reading →

Posted in Bicycling | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Chicago Bike Lane Guide, a Blast from the Past

Posted on October 31, 2017 by jsallen

The Chicago  Bike Lane Design Guide, published by the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center of the University of North Carolina in cooperation with the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation and the City of Chicago, is available online on the NACTO site. What … Continue reading →

Posted in Bicycling, Bike lanes, Laws | Tagged , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

An undertaking undertaking

Posted on October 16, 2017 by jsallen

I answered this question on the Quora question-answering site. Who is at fault if a driver undertakes you from behind you while you are safely making a left turn on a one-way road? First, let’ define “undertaking”. That doesn’t mean … Continue reading →

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Some Dutch roundabouts

Posted on October 4, 2017 by jsallen

(Edited and updated  March 30, 2024) Dutch roundabouts have received a lot of publicity, notably here: https://bicycledutch.wordpress.com/tag/roundabout/ Roundabout design in the Netherlands has seen a long process of trial and error. A design used until bicyclists complained strongly enough about … Continue reading →

Posted in Bicycle facilities, Bicycling, Roundabouts, shared space, Sidepaths, traffic circles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Brooklyn Bridge air horn blast

Posted on September 29, 2017 by jsallen

The Brooklyn Bridge, one of the engineering wonders of the world, opened in 1883 and is still in full service. (Highly recommended: David McCullough’s book The Great Bridge…) Traffic on the roadways when the bridge opened consisted of horseback riders, … Continue reading →

Posted in Bicycling, New York City, shared space | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Avoiding the left cross

Posted on September 2, 2017 by jsallen

This post isn’t about pointing the finger of blame. If that is to your taste, you can find endorsement of that position in many of the comments on the video on YouTube. But I think that we would rather avoid … Continue reading →

Posted in Bicycling, Bike lanes, Crashes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Say what?

Posted on July 30, 2017 by jsallen

Click on the photo for a larger view. Your comments are welcome. This is yet another of Boston”s bike boxes, where bicyclists are expected to advance in a bike lane at the right side of the street, than to prepare … Continue reading →

Posted in Bicycle facilities, Bike box, Bike lanes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment