Comments on: Columbus-ite Weighs in on Bikeways Plan

By: Bicentennial Bikeways Master Plan « Xing Columbus

Bicentennial Bikeways Master Plan « Xing Columbus — Wed, 14 May 2008 21:17:39 +0000

[...] time to really dig into it yet, but there appears to be a lot to like. It also looks like a few suggestions have been picked up, because I notice much better connectivity on the south side of [...]

By: Bicycle Boulevards Part Of Path Plan « Xing Columbus

Bicycle Boulevards Part Of Path Plan « Xing Columbus — Wed, 14 May 2008 01:17:21 +0000

[...] Milton Avenue is anything more than a signed route? Signed routes are nice, but they’re not bicycle boulevards, which I mentioned in a comment a long time [...]

By: johnwirtz

johnwirtz — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 15:17:42 +0000

Columbusite,
Your “stenciling system that would be good within neighborhoods like German Village which would be visible to cyclists and not to cars for easy navigation” sounds a lot like a bike boulevard. Maybe you’ve already heard of these, but for those that haven’t, here’s a description.

Basically, you take a local residential street, remove all the stop signs to give bikes the right-of-way, add signals at major streets to aid crossing, and traffic calm the hell out of the boulevard to make sure it doesn’t turn into a major through route for cars. Bike boulevards are great for everyone, but especially novice cyclists, children, and Eric, who may not feel comfortable in a bike lane on a faster street. They are useful tools in places where there is already a lot of bike traffic, and on streets parallel and adjacent to a major street that doesn’t accommodate bikes well. There’s a good video in the second link below:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicycle_Boulevards

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vX8wkI7CwpU

By: Columbusite

Columbusite — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 22:49:57 +0000

Oh, I was wondering what those things were called (bollards). I spoke with Greg Raisman of POT (Portland Office of Transportation, funny acronym, I know) about this and I’ll go into more detail on my blog. Basically, bike lanes are the best way to go on faster streets and they attract a lot more (new) cyclists. He lived in Columbus for awhile and mentioned a stenciling system that would be good within neighborhoods like German Village which would be visible to cyclists and not to cars for easy navigation.

While it is likely German Village will still be left out, there’s nothing stopping people from riding bikes to coffee shops, bars, etc right now instead of wasting gas and worrying about parking. The narrow brick roads keep cars moving slow and aside from the bumpiness ( and iciness in winter, which isn’t a problem since I got snow tires with metal studs) German Village is a breeze to get around by bike as is.

By: Eric

Eric — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 00:04:07 +0000

Adam - I guess it depends on the road. If we’re talking about 35 mph downtown streets with on-street parking, then no, I don’t feel safe riding in a bike lane adjecent to parked cars. If they moved the lane on the other side of the parked cars, and put a decorative barrier like a row of trees, or even bollards, I’d absolutely ride in it.

John - I just laugh when I see those little green signs on 6 lane, 35 mph, one way streets like Front St. And I also share Columbus-ite’s concern that many downtown streets like Front and 3rd already meet the designation of “shared sign roadways”. I’d rather do nothing and use those tax dollars where they’ll do something positive.

By: johnwirtz

johnwirtz — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 03:45:26 +0000

I personally like the little green signs, but they’re not intended to be noticed by the motorist. They’re for the cyclist’s information, especially riders not familiar with the area. I find that distances on the signs are especially useful when out for a long recreational ride.

Bike lanes are probably only on the wide roads for two reasons:
1. There’s space to put them there.
2. They’re most needed there.

Here are some tips on avoiding the dreaded “door zone:”
http://www.ci.chi.il.us/Transportation/bikemap/doorzone.html

I’ve commented in the past about why separated bike lanes are generally unsafe, even though they feel safe.
http://xingcolumbus.wordpress.com/2007/11/06/separated-bike-lane-edutainment/

I totally agree that we should reduce the speed limit in downtown. 35 mph really is unacceptably fast in an area intended to be a pedestrian-friendly environment. Of course, if cars are traveling 35 mph, we need to change more than the speed limit signs. We need to change the whole road. I would assume that adding bike lanes to streets like Broad, Spring, or Long will require fewer car lanes or narrower lanes, either of which will reduce speeds.

By: Adam

Adam — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 13:50:05 +0000

Really? I’ve seen lanes just like what you’re describing in many places … I’ve spent time in Olympia, Washington, and Lewes/Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, and they seem to work well in both places. Both places have the lanes marked at the side of the road, and the right-turn-lane issue doesn’t seem to cause too many problems. In Delaware, specifically, the lane is marked at the side of high-capacity route 1, which has lots of right-turn traffic.