Brand-new Chatuchak bike lane becomes street food hub, parking lot

[webfact]

Brand-new Chatuchak bike lane becomes street food hub, parking lot
By Coconuts Bangkok


Photo: Pong Palong

BANGKOK: -- It looks like cyclists have lost the chance to use the brand-new bike lane at JJ market and Suan Rod Fai after street vendors, tuk-tuks and cars moved in and claimed the bicycle lane last month.

Thai Facebook users have posted photos, which have gone viral, of the misused bike lane built along the crowded road.

And the question now is, do we really need a bike lane in Chatuchak? "I don't think we should have a bike lane in Chatuchak. The road is already narrow. And there are not that many cyclists.

Full story: http://bangkok.coconuts.co/2016/05/03/brand-new-chatuchak-bike-lane-becomes-street-food-hub-parking-lot


-- Coconuts Bangkok 2016-05-04

[Somtamnication]

Rules? What rules? We are in Thailand!

[kotsak]

TIT style

[shirtless]

Vendors should be kicked out, where are the police

[speedtripler]

Vendors should be kicked out, where are the police

probably collecting envelopes on a differnt road today

im sure theyve been around already and had a look to see how much is due to be collected ..........

[macksview]

Vendors should be kicked out, where are the police

probably collecting envelopes on a differnt road today

im sure theyve been around already and had a look to see how much is due to be collected ..........

police happy, no capital outlay, just collect the rent, perfect business model.

some high up copper will soon be in the media advocating the need for more cycle lanes.

Edited May 3, 2016 by macksview

[aussieinthailand]

Amazing, vendors are allowed to take the foot paths all over the country and now uncle Too's greatest achievement bike lanes.

List of his achievements after two years,

Lotto tickets, shhhh don't worry about the underground one, just pretend it's not there ok.

Deck chairs on the beach, yu'p all gone now, Umm they're back, no'p gone again, no'p sorry they're back again, ok ok they are almost just a little gone.

Bike lanes, wonderful now filled with food vendors, tuk tuks, cars n moto cy,

Yu'p what a champion of the country, the economy is _______ ok the social benefits are fantas____ crap, human rights are,,, freedom of,,,,, aww bugga!

And some here still think he's doing a bang up job, well I guess you can fool some of the people.

[CaptHaddock]

Maybe the question should be: why did they build a bike lane for a few cyclists when there is obviously a greater need for a place for food carts and parking?

[Fookhaht]

Our university spent millions of baht last year to set up bike lines everywhere on a 50,000-student body campus; widening roads in some places, re-aligning medians and traffic lanes, painting all bike lanes a bright color, warning signs everywhere. They bought thousands of bicycles for student use using a check-out system. The school, shortly after, was voted a "Green Campus" university.

One year later--same, same. Everywhere, the bike lanes have become the new parking lots and vendor territory. Impossible to safely bike around the campus.

No enforcement.

Edited May 3, 2016 by Fookhaht

[FourAces]

Vendors should be kicked out, where are the police

You don't get kicked out by the police if you are paying rent to them, then not only can you stay , you can also sell whatever you like.

[ezzra]

Of course... cycling conceders an elitists sport reserved for the well to do and people with free

time on their hands, while those food sellers are aching a living, so to them. the priorities are

in different order than to the needs of cyclists.....

[alant]

I am trying to work out if this may be regarded as critical of Thailand as more bad cycling press or positive for Thailand as the Hub of street food???

[MaxYakov]

"BANGKOK: -- It looks like cyclists have lost the chance to [exclusively] use the brand-new bike lane at JJ market and Suan Rod Fai after street vendors, tuk-tuks and cars moved in and claimed the bicycle lane last month."

From the provided photo, it appears there is a narrow path remaining between the concrete barriers and the vendors. Additionally, there appears to be a relatively open sidewalk/footpath still available. As a cyclist of seven years in Bangkok and having been knocked off my bicycle on Sukhumvit Road by a careless bus driver and desiring to survive, I've come to the following conclusions:

1) Cyclists are essentially pedestrians and should not be sharing any road with motor vehicles any more than a pedestrian would

2) The sidewalks/footpaths should be utilized by cyclists as much as possible and streets with motor vehicles should be avoided

3) If a street is used, particularly with high-speed traffic it should be done with extreme caution and, ideally, when

there aren't any motor vehicles approaching.

4) I have found the sidewalks/footpaths to be 99% available traversable by bicycle - my travel time is increased, but what is the alternative?

5) I've cut my handlebars back to 20 inches and recently acquired a bike with 17-inch handlebars to support sidewalk travel.

"And the question now is, do we really need a bike lane in Chatuchak? "I don't think we should have a bike lane in Chatuchak. The road is already narrow. And there are not that many cyclists."

Using this logic, wheelchair-friendly facilities and handicapped parking should not exist because there are "not that many" wheelchair-bound and handicapped people, right? Agreed, that the relative dearth of cyclists in Bangkok does not seem to justify separate paths, but nor does the existence of paths justify their being commandeered by vendors and car parking.

Edited May 4, 2016 by MaxYakov

[doremifasol]

They came, they saw, they conquered..........

The are just so good at taking over.......

[Wilsonandson]

Of course... cycling conceders an elitists sport reserved for the well to do and people with free

time on their hands, while those food sellers are aching a living, so to them. the priorities are

in different order than to the needs of cyclists.....

Yes, people with time on their hands indeed. Netizens are the new big brother. Armed with their smart phones, recording minor infractions and posting them on the social media for all of us to um and ar about.

"How terrible", "Poor cyclists", "Where are the police?", maybe there is a cash prize being offered by the current powers that be for grassing up your fellow man.

Edited May 4, 2016 by Wilsonandson

[MaxYakov]

I am trying to work out if this may be regarded as critical of Thailand as more bad cycling press or positive for Thailand as the Hub of street food???

In Thailand always bet on the food.

[MaxYakov]

Maybe the question should be: why did they build a bike lane for a few cyclists when there is obviously a greater need for a place for food carts and parking?

Great point. Obviously the existing sidewalk/footpath was not wide enough for both pedestrians and vendors so pedestrians had to walk in the street - a very common phenom in Bangkok. So they essentially built a vendor area so the pedestrians (and cyclists in my case) could better use the existing sidewalk.

[noosard]

In Udon the blue cycle lane was put through bus stops and normal car parking areas

So I took it for just" bike for dad day" when the cyclists used it in great numbers

This great blue line runs down some of the most congested roads in town

And if it was cyclists alone the traffic would nearly have to go backwards

[MaxYakov]

Of course... cycling conceders an elitists sport reserved for the well to do and people with free

time on their hands, while those food sellers are aching a living, so to them. the priorities are

in different order than to the needs of cyclists.....

I hope this was sarcasm because a lot of ordinary and, especially economically-challenged people are on bikes in Bangkok. And there are the bicycle delivery/transport services and tourist bicycle tour groups and any number of uses including (OMG!) exercise.

Either you don't live in Bangkok or aren't out there every day observing the demographic of cyclists in Bangkok as I am (and photographing Bangkok cyclists). There are also people, such as myself, who don't want to be caught in traffic jams or risk getting gouged by taxis and Tuk-Tuks and see the bicycle as a very convenient and viable alternative (if one has evolved the best techniques and equipment).

As I stated in another post, cyclists are essentially pedestrians. Sure cyclists are capable of fairly high speeds and can share the road with motor vehicles but this is "risky business" - just as it is for pedestrians to walk in the streets (which I see a lot of in Bangkok, especially when the vendors and their customers have commandeered the sidwalks/footpaths).

Edited May 4, 2016 by MaxYakov

[Netease]

Vendors should be kicked out, where are the police

Busy arresting people with no shirts on

[DrTuner]

Gee, why am I not surprised.

[Jeremy50]

Of course... cycling conceders an elitists sport reserved for the well to do and people with free

time on their hands, while those food sellers are aching a living, so to them. the priorities are

in different order than to the needs of cyclists.....

No. This sort of lane is not aimed at 'sport' cyclists, but to commuters, school pupils etc. Working folk who use bicycles around the country greatly outnumber the lycra guys. The 20k track around the airport on the other hand IS aimed at the 'high end' cyclist.

[Mook23]

Biking is only worth mass hysteria when it's bike for dad day... All other days of the year bikers should know their place in society: At the bottom. ? ? ? ? ? ?

[Dagnabbit]

"BANGKOK: -- It looks like cyclists have lost the chance to [exclusively] use the brand-new bike lane at JJ market and Suan Rod Fai after street vendors, tuk-tuks and cars moved in and claimed the bicycle lane last month."

From the provided photo, it appears there is a narrow path remaining between the concrete barriers and the vendors. Additionally, there appears to be a relatively open sidewalk/footpath still available. As a cyclist of seven years in Bangkok and having been knocked off my bicycle on Sukhumvit Road by a careless bus driver and desiring to survive, I've come to the following conclusions:

1) Cyclists are essentially pedestrians and should not be sharing any road with motor vehicles any more than a pedestrian would

2) The sidewalks/footpaths should be utilized by cyclists as much as possible and streets with motor vehicles should be avoided

3) If a street is used, particularly with high-speed traffic it should be done with extreme caution and, ideally, when

there aren't any motor vehicles approaching.

4) I have found the sidewalks/footpaths to be 99% available traversable by bicycle - my travel time is increased, but what is the alternative?

5) I've cut my handlebars back to 20 inches and recently acquired a bike with 17-inch handlebars to support sidewalk travel.

"And the question now is, do we really need a bike lane in Chatuchak? "I don't think we should have a bike lane in Chatuchak. The road is already narrow. And there are not that many cyclists."

Using this logic, wheelchair-friendly facilities and handicapped parking should not exist because there are "not that many" wheelchair-bound and handicapped people, right? Agreed, that the relative dearth of cyclists in Bangkok does not seem to justify separate paths, but nor does the existence of paths justify their being commandeered by vendors and car parking.

You really couldn't cycle there now. It's too dangerous. The chances of a shopper/vendor stepping out in front of you are too great.

The same can be said for footpaths - I won't ride on footpaths because I don't want to inure a pedestrian.

[jerojero]

Surprise surprise surprise! Who could have predicted this? (How about everyone on TV.)

[marko kok prong]

Nothing can stop the might of the food vendors.

[gandalf12]

Vendors should be kicked out, where are the police

Probably buying food from the stalls

[Fookhaht]

Biking is only worth mass hysteria when it's bike for dad day... All other days of the year bikers should know their place in society: At the bottom. ? ? ? ? ? ?

Nope, pedestrians are at the bottom. I have the scars (bicycle tread marks) to prove it.

Edited May 4, 2016 by Fookhaht

[choff56]

Vendors should be kicked out, where are the police

The mentality of a purposely dumbed down populace.

[The Usual Suspect]

Surprise!