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How to brand our bike routes

By on May 30, 2009 in Transportation

bikelane_flickr_smallDo bike route signs matter?

If you don’t think so, check the 20 and counting comments on the Spaulding brothers’ Web site, What’s Going Down(town), where they posted the possible bike route sign that would be duplicated all over Fort Wayne.

I accept some blame for stirring the pot with a comment that said, in its entirety:

TooMuchClutter!GetRidOfSkyline!

Perhaps that wasn’t too helpful. Regardless, the comments started piling up and dividing into two camps:

  • Those who agreed with me that the bike route signs should follow normal sign regulations.
  • Those who said they liked the signs because they were different, for aesthetic and branding reasons.

bikeroute_scottcrop09To the right are the proposed Fort Wayne signs. Note the downtown skyline at the top that I unfairly called “hokey” in a Twitter post. Actually, it’s nice enough, isn’t it?

But it’s beside the point, because although I don’t want to be too cranky about this, these are not traffic signs.

As I noted on What’s Going Down(town):

Honestly, what are these signs trying to tell me? Are they telling motorists there is a bike lane? Or bikes on the road? Or are the signs for cyclists only? And if cycling is going to be an actual serious transportation mode in Fort Wayne, why not use actual serious traffic signs? Pretty things like skylines indicate parks and recreation, not traffic warnings.

Traffic signs are supposed to answer questions for everyone in the traffic flow, motorists and bicyclists alike, easily and quickly.

As commenter Ashley on What’s Going Down(town) noted, there is all kinds of great information, advice and signage in the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices. Why spend the money to reinvent the wheel?

Now, someone mentioned that the suggested sign design does a good job of branding Fort Wayne’s bike routes. That is true, but not necessarily in a good way.

Does the city want our bike routes to be thought of as merely recreational? Then the suggested signs will do the trick. Great for the Greenway, for example.

But if the city wants our bike routes to be “branded” seriously as a transportation mode, then serious, official traffic signage that is helpful to motorist and cyclists is key.

Thanks to the city’s bike route committee for sharing its thoughts so we citizens can contribute to the discussion!

— Top photo by splorp on Flickr

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Safe bike lanes encourage more cycling

By on October 22, 2008 in Transportation

I’m a little late to the party, but I should add my voice to the Spaulding brothers’ and point out the recent study reported in the Portland Tribune that dedicated bike lanes help encourage people to try bicycling. As the story points out:

According to (Portland State University professor Jennifer) Dill, most regular bicyclists are young men. This means that if the city wants to substantially increase the number of people riding bikes on a regular basis, it needs to reach out to young women and older people. And, Dill said, that is what public spending on bike infrastructure can accomplish.

This is a good study to have in hand as Fort Wayne seeks feedback from local bicyclists.

Also, you can read commentary about the study at Streetsblog, including mention of “vehicular cycling” advocates who oppose such dedicated lanes, claiming that biking amid traffic reduces collisions.

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Seniors want to walk, but the streets won’t let them

By on August 21, 2008 in Transportation

Will our cities step up and improve our streets for non-car traffic for our seniors?

A new poll by AARP finds that while many Americans ages 50+ are trying to move away from car transportation as a result of high gas prices, their attempt to go “green” is challenged by inadequate sidewalks and bike lanes, as well as insufficient public transportation options. …

Almost one of every three people (29%) polled say they are now walking as a way to avoid high gas prices. But as those people set out to walk, almost 40% of the 50+ population say they do not have adequate sidewalks in their neighborhoods. Additionally, 44% say they do not have nearby public transportation that is accessible. Almost half (47%) of poll responders say they cannot cross the main roads safely — 4 in 10 pedestrian fatalities are over the age of 50.

No wonder many older people are tempted to drive even as their reflexes slow and sight dims. There aren’t always sidewalks, but there are always streets.

Read the whole article here.

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Dangerous crossing

By on August 17, 2008 in Transportation

This is North Clinton Street at Grove Street here in Fort Wayne. It’s a bit north of downtown, so the lack of pedestrian safety is unfortunately a given.

This intersection is close to a large number of apartments, down Grove to the left, and the last I heard, many new immigrants are placed there. I would guess a new immigrant living in an apartment would be more likely to want to use Citilink buses, especially since so many other cultures are more acclimated to using public transportation than the U.S.

But think about being a pedestrian trying to cross this five-lane road. I estimate it’s about 75 feet across. I have sometimes seen people standing in the center turn-left-both-ways lane, waiting to cross the next two lanes. It’s a natural place to want to stand, but it’s quite dangerous, since it’s a real lane used by vehicles.

Medians are used to good effect on Main Street downtown. Can’t we extend the hospitality to other areas of the city? These can’t be that expensive:

It’s a midblock median island, and something similar would be helpful to the real and perceived safety of pedestrians in the area trying to catch the bus. It seems placing one in the center lane just to the north of Grove Street would help pedestrians immensely without affecting traffic much at all.

But two other problems make this stretch hazardous for pedestrians. First, the sidewalks are rather narrow. Second, have you noticed how easy it is to go above the 35 mph speed limit in this stretch? That’s because the expressway width of the road makes even 50 mph feels safe.

Taking away a foot of roadway on both sides and giving that space to pedestrians or bike lanes would give motorists visual clues that would help keep speeds closer to the posted limit.

Are there other areas in town that could use a little love for pedestrians?

– bottom photo by Richard Drdul on Flickr

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AroundFortWayne Blog finds bike lanes to nowhere

By on June 26, 2008 in Transportation

Bike Lanes to nowhere… | The AroundFortWayne Blog

Photo taken of the bridge just south of the zoo by Franke Park. The bike lanes will eventually connect with more paths, but right now, they’re orphans. Read the post here.

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Slow down, you move too fast

By on June 26, 2008 in Culture, Transportation, Urbanism

A policy that encourages cars to keep moving privileges cars at the expense of pedestrians and bicyclists. Since drivers, for the most part, already believe that they have priority on the road, in places where there are many more walkers and bicyclists, drivers able to drive more quickly because of fewer impediments would likely feel more empowered to move more quickly and to drive faster, likely endangering non-drivers.

As long as roads are engineered to allow very high speeds, and cars are engineered to drive very fast (in the 1940s, the speed limit on residential streets in DC was 15 mph), reducing impediments on drivers is likely to be deleterious to pedestrians and bicyclists.

– From Rebuilding Place in the Urban Space

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$55 million Maplecrest extension approved

By on June 24, 2008 in Culture, Transportation

I honestly want to hear John Kalb‘s view on this project:

Less than a week after a majority of members expressed serious doubts about the project, Allen County Council on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved the extension of Maplecrest Road from Lake Avenue south to Adams Center Road.

The 6-1 vote in favor of a $25 million construction bond should allow work on the 1.5-mile, $55 million project to begin next year, said County Commissioner Nelson Peters, acknowledging that “we worked hard to sell the project.”

By extending Maplecrest south over the Maumee River and often-congested railroad tracks, the project is expected to improve transportation and public safety and promote economic development, especially in southeast Allen County. But because the cost had doubled since 2002, some Council members had questioned whether the benefits were worth the expense.

I have my doubts that new roads actually create economic development; they seem to instead shuffle economic development from old roads to the new ones.

– Photo from the Allen County government Web site

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Bacteria that eat waste and poop petroleum

By on June 19, 2008 in Culture, Transportation, Urbanism

What in the world? We’re talking about

the genetic alteration of bugs — very, very small ones — so that when they feed on agricultural waste such as woodchips or wheat straw, they do something extraordinary. They excrete crude oil.

Unbelievably, this is not science fiction. Mr Pal holds up a small beaker of bug excretion that could, theoretically, be poured into the tank of the giant Lexus SUV next to us. Not that Mr Pal is willing to risk it just yet. He gives it a month before the first vehicle is filled up on what he calls “renewable petroleum”. After that, he grins, “it’s a brave new world”.

The story in The Times of London is a great read and may challenge some of your assumptions — Is oil really a non-renewable fossil fuel, or is formed by abiogenic processes? Also, the story notes plenty of hurdles that need to be cleared before you can pour bug excrement into your gas tank, especially the problem of large-scale production:

However, to substitute America’s weekly oil consumption of 143 million barrels, you would need a facility that covered about 205 square miles, an area roughly the size of Chicago.

The best byproduct of high fuel prices has been the opportunity to discuss issues like New Urbanism, sprawl and our nation’s exclusively automotive transportation network. But what if oil supplies suddenly blossom? If peak oil is a myth, or if it can be averted, will our hopes for renewed cities be in vain?

I hope not. Although it seems some New Urbanists are almost happy that oil prices have gone through the roof, we should not place all of our bets on that happening. Our arguments in favor of true, good cities should be able to exist even with dollar-a-gallon gas.

– Hat Tip: Douglas Wilson

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Better bike signs

By on June 18, 2008 in Transportation

If you drive by one of these “Share the Road” signs along a Fort Wayne street, do you in any way adjust your driving? What should you do when you see such a sign?

Do you even notice the signs?

I really appreciate the intention of the bicycle signs. But I’m not sure drivers get good, firm instruction from them.

Now, my dear wife tells me that the signs remind her to keep her eyes open for bicyclists. That’s great!

But it looks like Utah and other states have tweaked the idea and come up with something better. Check out the photo below that I discovered on Flickr:

Very nice! Now drivers and bicyclist have a shared understanding of their relationship on the road.

My only suggestion is to replace the “Share the Road” portion with something like “Allow 3 Feet.” The words would be easier for drivers to read and “Share the Road” doesn’t add any important information.

Such signs would help the relationship between motorist and cyclist be a little less rocky.

– Sign image is from the Manual of Traffic Signs, by Richard C. Moeur

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