Another Cyclist Severely Injured by Bollard #bikedc @arlingtonva @MaryHynesArl @arlparksrec

As a followup to my previous post, the WASHCYCLE blog today reported the following:

One reader reports seeing a cyclist crash into one of the yellow bollards along the Mt. Vernon Trail in Alexandria yesterday around 6:00 pm. "The cyclist was bleeding from his left ear and the back of his head, and had some decent road rash on his left shoulder area.  After several minutes of us telling him not to move and that help was coming, he began to respond to voice, etc.  When the Meds showed up I told them that he was "out of it" when we first approached just so they wouldn't assume that he was "fine", because he appeared to have struck hid head quite hard."

Bollards, particularly steel bollards, are reckless and grossly negligent. 
- there should be no steel bollards
- there should be no bollards where cars cannot access the trail
- if a bollard is used, it should be plastic and break in an accident (the bollard should break, so that the cyclist does not)
- if a bollard is used, it should not be located in the lane of traffic (centered between lanes of traffic, not in lanes of traffic)
- if a bollard is used, it should be ADA compliant (wide enough for safe access)

Most of the time I see bollards, I am at a loss as to what they achieve.  Most of the time, its in a location a car cant get to.  When it is in a location that a car can get to... WHO CARES?  Meaning, the risk of a car driving on a bike trail is deminimis; the risk of a cyclists getting injured by a bollard is huge.  On balance, that means no bollards.