Re: DOT equals dept of transporation right? Then why always highways?

Larry G <gross.larry@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:


just FYI -

" one UK study estimated that cycle path users are seven times more
likely to get punctures than are road cyclists.[76] Both sides of the
argument acknowledge that many cyclists will simply refuse to use
poorly maintained facilities. Cycle facilities skeptics go further and
argue that there is no point funding new cycle facilities unless there
is a simultaneous commitment of increased funds to maintenance and
sweeping afterwards."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bikeway#Rural_.2F_Arterial_roads

Uhh, Larry, maybe you should reread what you just posted. It points
out that PATH cyclists risk puncturing their tires much more often
than ROAD cyclists. As I have said REPEATEDLY, the reason why wider
lanes are more useful in urban areas is not only are they safer than
dedicated bike lanes, they are less likely to get debris on them due
to the dual use function of the wider lane.

the issues I have brought up are long-standing ... community issues -
not just my opinion....

but I take your comments to heart with respect to the difficulties
associated with trying to back-fit into an existing decades-old road
network.

but I'd actually argue that putting bike lanes on new/improved roads
everywhere that ends up with just more disconnected segments is
ineffective and wasteful to a certain degree.

So the answer is to do...what? If I have a project that improves an
existing road by adding lanes, and it connects on either end to a road
system that doesn't have bicycle facilities, should I not add those
facilities because "those other roads aren't set up for bicycles"?

That's a recipe for doing NOTHING. Now, just haphazardly adding
dedicated bike lanes does create a problem for cyclists, but because
motorists start thinking "they've got their own lane over here, so why
are they in MY lane right HERE?". IOW, unconnected bike lanes tends
to create both confusion with cyclists and an unfounded entitlement
attitude with motorists, which is why unless a city has an ACTIVE bike
lane program (IOW, they are adding them on their own projects, and
request them for all state funded projects with a plan to connect the
segments), the default is to add wider outside lanes.

I've seen more than a few "stranded" bike lanes.. that really don't go
anywhere and probably never will...

What I'd like to see is a bike network plan - where the priorities are
to identify where connecting facilities are needed and then prioritize
them with the limited funding... as opposed to just splatting out more
and more disconnected (and expensive) segments.

Many cities here in NC have that. They have bicycle offices and plans
to add bicycle facilities on their streets.

http://www.durhamnc.gov/departments/works/bike_plan.cfm
http://www.greenways.com/raleighbike.html
http://www.wilmapco.org/BikeWilmington/Wilmington%20Bicycle%20Plan%20vision.pdf
http://www.abptaskforce.org/

Those links took less than a minute to find. Are you trying to tell
me that Virginia cities don't have similar offices and plans?

Oh, and here's the NCDOT Bicycle website:

http://www.ncdot.org/transit/bicycle/

John Lansford, PE
--
John's Shop of Wood
http://wood.jlansford.net/
.

Relevant Pages

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