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Originally Posted by wwmiv
You’re focusing less on the fact that I agree with a comprehensive network and don’t see the system as a waste, and more on the fact that building major two way bike lanes on both sides of any urban road is more than a bit profligate. It is also money that could have been used to pay for bike lanes elsewhere that need it more which would expand the network better, no?
Let’s just put it to rest, once and for all, that just because someone supports something does not mean they cannot ALSO see problems in its implementation. There is NOTHING wrong with being appropriately critical.
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I'm not personally attacking you but I am strenuously disagreeing with your opening statement:
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They aren’t going to impact the functionality of those bike lanes, since nobody anywhere city wide uses them.
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People do use these types of bike lanes. A lot, in fact. Way more than the painted lanes we've been forced to live with for decades. I commute to work on a bike (by choice btw) and unfortunately I don't have these nice lanes on my route. On my commutes I mostly see only young men riding in painted lanes on road bikes. On the newer separated paths I see all types of people and bikes: older people, children, parents with kids on seats and trailers, rollerskaters, e-bikes, cargo bikes, etc.
Up until just very recently, the city has primarily seen protected bike lanes as something for upper middle class people to use for recreation as opposed to real transportation infrastructure.
It's great that you seem to be reasonable enough to support a comprehensive network. Does it double costs to have a trail on both sides? Sure. But the comparative costs are still very low compared to road construction (and especially maintenance). We absolutely do need these lanes on both sides of major corridors precisely because they are
major corridors. The current stretch of Airport is nice because on the north/east side of the street it provides connectivity and access to a lot of businesses, multi- and single family housing, education, etc. And on the south/west side of Airport, it's an extension of a major planned multi-use trail, the Red Line Trail. People who are using the trail on that side are using it as a faster, safer way to move through the area with fewer conflict points with cars and pedestrians.
Airport is a little unique because it changes form so much more than our other corridors. On corridors like Lamar and Burnet it's even more important that we put bike paths on both sides of the street because there is so much commercial/residential/retail activity on both sides of the street. I just don't believe it accurate to call that profligate.
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