Urban Cycling Developments

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Arlington tests the future of protected bikeways

https://ggwash.org/view/71253/arling...ected-bikeways

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- On two streets in Crystal City, Arlington is testing out new ways to separate protected bikeways from cars. If the barriers prove more effective than traditional flexposts, you may see them built elsewhere. --- The plastic waves snap simply into place. They look like they probably offer about the same level of protection as normal flexposts, except they're wider so there are fewer gaps, and they're prettier.

- Second, a few blocks away at Eads Street and 22nd Street, “BikeRail” barriers separate a stretch of the Eads Street protected bikeway. The BikeRails are noticeably sturdier than the Wave Delineators, being metal. But they're more purely functional, less aesthetic. Both the Wave Delineators and the BikeRail are temporary pilot projects. The wave is just a popup and will be gone sometime this week, while the rail will stay in place longer.

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[M II A II R II K]

BIKELASH 2019: What’s the most ridiculous comment you’ve heard in opposition to a bike lane?

Video Link

[M II A II R II K]

Colorado lawmakers consider a bill to crack down on careless drivers who injure someone

https://www.thedenverchannel.com/new...injure-someone

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- Senate Bill 19-175 would charge careless drivers who hurt a vulnerable road user with a Class 1 traffic misdemeanor. — “If you are charged and then convicted with careless driving and causing an injury to a vulnerable road user, then you are going to have your license suspended for a year and you’re going to have to take a driving course and do some community service,” said Rep. Dylan Roberts, a co-sponsor of the bill that's currently making its way through committee. The bill specifies that vulnerable road users can include pedestrians, road workers, law enforcement officers, emergency crews, cyclists and more.

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[M II A II R II K]

Cambridge Becomes First U.S. City to Make Protected Bike Lanes Mandatory

https://usa.streetsblog.org/2019/04/...nes-mandatory/

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- The Boston-area city of Cambridge is poised to become one of the most-progressive safe-biking cities in the country, thanks to the passage of a bill requiring protected bike lanes on all city streets. The “Cycling Safety Ordinance” requires city streets to be upgraded to include the safest bike paths whenever a roadway is repaired or resurfaced. It is expected to result in a 20-mile network of protected bike lanes in five years for the city of 113,000. --- The ordinance, which passed 7-0, will bind the city to provide protected bike infrastructure except in “rare” circumstances, which city officials will be required to justify. The ordinance requires that vertical physical barriers be included. “With the Cycling Safety Ordinance, the Council codifies a lasting commitment to the users of our roadways that Cambridge intends to have a modern, safe, and accessible network of separated bicycle lanes for all residents regardless of their age or ability,” Mayor Marc McGovern said in a statement.

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[muertecaza]

Originally Posted by M II A II R II K

Cambridge Becomes First U.S. City to Make Protected Bike Lanes Mandatory

https://usa.streetsblog.org/2019/04/...nes-mandatory/

The article notes that Portland has a similar policy, but that progress has been "slow." Anyone from Portland or familiar with the situation there able to provide details on how (or whether) the Portland policy has been implemented in the past 4 years? How many miles of new protected bike lanes (if any)? Without digging into the Cambridge ordinance, from the article it seems pretty solid, but I'm conditioned not to expect results, and am curious what Portland's experience is and whether it portends good or bad for outcomes in Cambridge.

[M II A II R II K]

Civic Crowdfunding Can Reduce the Risk of ‘Bikelash’

https://www.citylab.com/transportati...kelash/587368/

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- There are nearly 550 U.S. protected bike lanes, most of them built since 2013. Not everyone is cheering, though. Many communities have rejected the new lanes, due to hostility toward cycling and cyclists known as “bikelash.” — Civic crowdfunding has become a popular approach for engaging communities affected by local infrastructure projects, including protected bike lanes. It’s a good way for local governments to choose where relatively low-cost but potentially controversial infrastructure belongs. Going this route means that the authorities can back projects that have already attracted some dollars and public support. — Also known as community-focused crowdfunding or hyperlocal crowdfunding, it allows community organizations to raise funds for local infrastructure projects from residents and community members. This approach has helped to build neighborhood parks, community centers, and protected bike lanes for the past decade.

- During a four-year study of civic crowdfunding, I found that this collective fundraising technique has been used to support projects like protected bike lanes in non-monetary ways, such as building consensus. This is often a primary motivation for starting the campaign. The buy-in that crowdfunding brings about often proves far more valuable than any help paying the tab. — This happens because community organizations engage community members around the project. They convene discussions about the project in public spaces and at local businesses. During these events, nearby residents become acquainted with the proposed plans and voice their concerns before it’s too late to change course. — This strategy worked well in Denver. Colorado’s biggest city, 30 miles southeast of Boulder, built its Arapahoe Street protected bike lane after the Folsom Street debacle heeding what it saw happen there.

- Instead of holding a short public comment period, community organizations engaged residents and business owners early in the design process. This made a huge difference. The Downtown Denver Partnership, a local business group, initiated the project based on what it had heard from business leaders. To build on this public support, it launched a crowdfunding campaign to cover $35,000 of the design costs. — “Our mission wasn’t just to raise money for this bike lane,” explained the Partnership’s Aylene McCallum. “Our mission was to build a community that supported this. Our mission was to build advocates in the business community and in the larger community.” As part of this effort, the group engaged local businesses and residents about the Arapahoe protected bike lane. This allowed the community to debate the project’s design and impacts.

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[M II A II R II K]

Cities strike deal to extend PATH400 from Buckhead to Sandy Springs

https://atlanta.curbed.com/2019/4/17...s-construction

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- Imagine hoping aboard a bicycle or scooter near Piedmont Park, traveling the Beltline to Buckhead, and then heading up PATH400 to multi-use trails extending to Sandy Springs or even Roswell. A deal recently struck between city leaders in Atlanta and Sandy Springs is being called a crucial step in making such alternate connectivity possible between important work and leisure hubs. --- Per the agreement, Atlanta and Sandy Springs will pay 20 percent of project funding through local coffers, while the Georgia Department of Transportation covers the remaining 80 percent, officials announced Tuesday. --- The overarching goal is to increase trail connectivity between existing PATH400 segments and the area where Ga. Highway 400 meets Interstate 285. A massive highway overhaul at that junction will include bike and pedestrian infrastructure on the southeast side of the project. Doing so would link two major economic centers with an alternate to more highways and rail.

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[M II A II R II K]

Ridership Jumped 400% When Seattle Protected a Bike Lane

https://usa.streetsblog.org/2019/04/...ted-bike-lane/

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- Bike ridership jumped more than 413 percent after Seattle upgraded a key corridor from a mere painted bike lane into a beefier protected version, a city official revealed on Thursday. Department of Transportation lead engineer Dongho Chang tweeted about the surge along Second Avenue as a way to highlight the game-changing power of a protected lane versus a painted lane. --- “Downtown has always been a challenging area for people to ride, especially with our hilly terrain,” Chang posted on social media. “The numbers show that people will use bicycle facilities when it is more comfortable and thoughtfully connected.

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[M II A II R II K]

2019 CITY RATINGS: TOP OVERALL CITIES: https://cityratings.peopleforbikes.o...ities-ratings/

[M II A II R II K]

A Bike Trail from Washington to Washington — It’s Happening

https://usa.streetsblog.org/2019/05/...its-happening/

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- The Rails-to-Trails Conservancy on Thursday announced plans for the 3,700-mile route across the U.S., from Washington, D.C., to Washington State. The “Great American Rail-Trail” route (map) is already half complete, thanks to 1,900 miles of existing trails. Rails-to-Trails will be working with state and local governments and other planning and business groups over the next “several decades” to fill the 1,700 miles of gaps, the organization said. Much of the remaining gaps are in rural western states, including Wyoming and Montana.

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[M II A II R II K]

• Video Link

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Denver Will Add 17 Miles of New Bike Lanes This Year. Here’s Where.

https://denver.streetsblog.org/2019/...ar-heres-where

[M II A II R II K]

Cycling lanes, not cyclists, lower road fatalities

https://www.cudenvertoday.org/cyclin...ad-fatalities/

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- In the most comprehensive look at bicycle and road safety to date, researchers at the University of Colorado Denver and the University of New Mexico discovered that it’s not the cyclists, but the infrastructure built for them, that is making roads safer for everyone. “Bicycling seems inherently dangerous on its own,” said study co-author Wesley Marshall, PhD, PE, assistant professor in the College of Engineering, Design and Computing. “So it would seem that a city with a lot of bicycling is more dangerous, but the opposite is true. Building safe facilities for cyclists turned out to be one of the biggest factors in road safety for everyone.”

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[mhays]

The "mode share" is probably commutes, but the accident stats probably include recreation, little kids, etc.

I've ridden the 2nd Ave trail in Seattle a several times, and actually live near it. It's popular. Also it turns an overly-wide avenue into a better street. Southbound through the CBD it's a downhill though...sometimes it's better to ride in a traffic lane, particularly when they have the light but due to car turns the bike lane is supposed to stop.

The bigger news for bicyclists in Seattle, which I rode Saturday...the 520 Bridge now has a bike lane. Now both bridges over the 18-mile-long Lake Washington have bike lanes. It was very busy. Now riding a "half lake north" loop is much easier -- about 36 miles from Belltown, vs. probably 45 for the quickest version using I-90. (Locals, try Juanita Drive from Kirkland to Kenmore...a bit hilly but a great route.) https://www.google.com/maps/@47.5115.../data=!3m1!1e3

[DanskeUtahn]

Pedestrians and cyclists will be able to access the bridge on stairs and elevators on both ends. The west entrance to the bridge will be directly south of the Utah Transportation Authority’s Orem FrontRunner train station. The bridge will have a covered roof, heated deck and a perforated steel side. It will be illuminated at night for safety.
The bridge is expected to cut the time it takes to walk from the FrontRunner station to UVU in half. Free UVU parking will be available on the bridge’s west side.Brunst said the bridge will reduce traffic congestion and make it safer for students to get to UVU.The bridge, when complete, will be about 1,023 feet long, 15 feet wide, and 90 feet high

https://www.heraldextra.com/news/loc...e779cdb99.html



Orem, Utah

[DanskeUtahn]

.70 mile protected bike lanes to take place of 2 car lanes on Bulldog Boulevard

[DanskeUtahn]

1.16 miles of bike lanes to be added to 500E from Bulldog Boulevard to Center Street in Provo, Utah.

There are several aspects to the construction including changing the paving from asphalt to concrete. They will also put in landscaped medians, bike paths and widen sidewalks. “This project will enhance safety for both pedestrians and bikers, improve active transportation options, and provide better south-north connectivity and improve the traffic flow,”

https://www.heraldextra.com/news/loc...a22af4b83.html

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SF to streamline approvals for protected bike lanes, other safety improvements

https://www.sfexaminer.com/the-city/...-improvements/

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- San Francisco may soon tear up the red tape delaying the construction of some protected bike lanes. While some street safety advocates are over the moon about the idea, others worry it doesn’t go far enough to make The City’s deadly streets safe to walk and bike. A proposal up for approval Tuesday by the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency Board of Directors would give city staff the authority to create “quick build” protected bike lanes without the approval of the SFMTA board. Staff would also be empowered to enact other street changes without going before the SFMTA board, including creating transit boarding islands, designating blue and red parking zones, establishing stop signs, prohibiting right, left or U-turns, establishing restrictions against red-light turns, and establishing multiple turn lanes.

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[M II A II R II K]

Civic crowdfunding reduces the risk of 'bikelash'

https://www.greenbiz.com/article/civ...-risk-bikelash

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- There are nearly 550 U.S. protected bike lanes, most of them built since 2013. Not everyone is cheering, though. Many communities have rejected the new lanes, due to hostility toward cycling and cyclists known as bikelash. Consider what occurred with the four-block-long Folsom Street protected bicycle lane in Boulder, Colorado. Even though the city of more than 100,000 people is among the nation’s most bike-friendly, residents objected to the project over the heavier traffic it caused and shortcomings in the public comment process. The opposition grew so strong that the authorities felt compelled to dismantle it only 11 weeks after it was built. — The Folsom protected bike lane’s demise was no anomaly. Since 2015, similar objections also have toppled protected bike lanes in San Rafael, California; Portland, Oregon; and Manhattan’s Washington Heights neighborhood.

- Civic crowdfunding has become a popular approach for engaging communities affected by local infrastructure projects, including protected bike lanes. It’s a good way for local governments to choose where relatively low-cost but potentially controversial infrastructure belongs. Going this route means that the authorities can back projects that already have attracted some dollars and public support. — Also known as community-focused crowdfunding or hyperlocal crowdfunding, it allows community organizations to raise funds for local infrastructure projects from residents and community members. This approach has helped to build neighborhood parks, community centers and protected bike lanes for the past decade. — During a four-year study of civic crowdfunding, I found that this collective fundraising technique has been used to support projects such as protected bike lanes in non-monetary ways, such as building consensus.

- But does this strategy have built-in equity issues? After all, you might assume that only rich people can crowdfund infrastructure or that these projects only will take off in wealthy areas. So far, that does not appear to be the case. Civic crowdfunding tends to pay for only a small portion of what’s needed, raising less than 5 percent of the budget for projects such as protected bicycle lanes. — In Memphis, for example, crowdfunding raised nearly $70,000 for a protected bike lane. That covered only 1 percent of total project costs of the 2013 project, which served one of the city’s lowest-income neighborhoods. The crowdfunded dollars helped rally community support and attracted even more money for the project. Letting communities vote with their dollars isn’t just about budgets. It is much more about letting local residents and businesses know early on about the project and allowing them to participate in a meaningful way.

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[M II A II R II K]

In a Deadly Year for Cyclists, New York City Could Make Protected Bike Lanes a Required Option on Major Streets

https://www.bicycling.com/news/a2775...tandards-bill/

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- The New York City Council passed a far-reaching traffic safety bill last week, and it could lead to morel life-saving bike lanes on major streets that is, if the city takes it seriously. Passing by a vote of 44-2 (with one abstention), the Vision Zero Design Standards bill would require the city’s Department of Transportation to establish a checklist of street design standards, which it then must follow whenever redesigning arterial streets. Among the safety features included in the checklist: protected bike lanes, which have a physical barrier separating cyclists from car traffic. — The veto-proof passage of the bill arrives after a two-year campaign by advocates to get the city to approve design requirements that, they argue, will help reduce traffic deaths and protect cyclists, pedestrians, and drivers alike. It also comes during what has been a bloody year for New York cyclists. The 10 cycling deaths recorded in the city so far already match last year’s total.

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