Weird sign in the Dearborn PBL
Anyone else notice some weird signs in the Dearborn PBL just south of Washington this morning? They say "Stop for Pedestrians" or something like that. They are sitting on the ground in the bike lane. I didn't stop to investigate closely, but I don't think there's even a curb cut there? It struck me as a bit strange. It was right by the Blue Line entrance/exit (on the west side of Dearborn obviously).
Anyone know if this is a CDOT initiative?
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Lisa Curcio on
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You know I don't believe in media attention. :-)
Kevin C said:Well done Lisa! Next time you decide to do something like that, would you please let me know? I'd like to video it.
Lisa Curcio 4.0 mi said:I went out for a walk today around 1:00. I dress in business attire, like the older female I am. As I passed Trattoria 10 there was a gentleman in a business suit stepping into the Dearborn PBL to move one sign from the parking area back into the bike lane and to right the second sign that had been knocked over.
Me: Excuse me, but did the city give authority for those signs?
Gentleman in suit: shakes head no.
Me: Why are you putting them in the bike lane? It is a moving lane of traffic.
G/S: At night we have valet parking here and the bikes go flying by without stopping.
Me: But it is a bicycle lane. There is no pedestrian crossing here.
G/S: Well the city did not do anything to protect the people getting out of cars.
Me: Isn't that something you should take up with the city?
G/S: So you have a problem with me putting these signs here?
Me: Yes. They block the bike lane.
G/S: Picks up signs and moves toward entrance to restaurant.
Me: Thank you!
Of course, I fully expect he waited until I was out of sight and put them back, but I hope having a polite conversation with someone who looked like a possible customer had some impact.
We will just have to stay tuned to see what happens in the next episode.
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Permalink Reply by Active Transportation Alliance on
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Sounds like the signs have been removed. CDOT posted this on Twitter: "Those signs should not be placed in the bike lane. We sent an inspector out, and the signs were removed. #bikechi"
Best,
Jim Merrell
Active Trans
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Permalink Reply by Adam Herstein on
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Good job guys. We did it!
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No credit here. I think it was Justin, Active Trans, and the CDOT inspector.
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Permalink Reply by Kevin C Dormant on
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Duppie & Lisa, you're both wrong. It was Adam. He said so himself.
Lisa Curcio 4.0 mi said:No credit here. I think it was Justin, Active Trans, and the CDOT inspector.
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Permalink Reply by Tony Adams on
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This is a great outcome. Yay!
When this thread arrived I thought it might be about the bike signal triggering sign at the southern terminus of the Dearborn PBL. Does that actually work? And if so, where is one supposed to be to trigger it?
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Kevin C said:
Duppie & Lisa, you're both wrong. It was Adam. He said so himself.
Adam Herstein (5.5 mi) said:Good job guys. We did it!
:-)
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I think it was the business trying to protect customers (not a bad thing) and that your analysis is right on. I am glad to have the lanes, but there are things that need to be fixed and this is one of them. The area in front of the Goodman is another--especially on Wednesday when they have matinees which are often attended by citizens of a certain age.
Let's hope that some design corrections are in the works that will help keep everyone safe.
Cameron 7.5 mi said:Thanks for reaching out to CDOT. Since this really is an issue with the road design, I hope they'll do more than just call and scold the business. The way the valet loading zones are positioned on Dearborn creates a conflict point between cyclists and car passengers. With the loading zone moved away from the curb, cars are being loaded and unloaded with traffic moving on both sides of them. People aren't used to stepping out of the curb side of a vehicle into a live traffic lane, and don't know where to go. If a space is designated for loading and unloading passengers from a vehicle, then there needs to be a space adjacent to the vehicle's space for the passengers once they become pedestrians. This is a problem with valet zones where a lot of cars are unloaded quickly, and will be a huge problem when protected lanes are installed on a street with a bus route.
I'm not saying what the valet did was right, but it seems more like a clumsy attempt to fix a problem with the road design than an attack on cyclists.
Will G - 10mi said:I reached out to CDOT, they responded by telling me that they will look into it.
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Permalink Reply by Zoetrope on
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Thank you Adam for nipping this important issue in the bud and keepin' us safe. I owe you a muscle milk.
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I can't think any obvious solutions to this problem. Do you have any ideas?
Cameron 7.5 mi said:Thanks for reaching out to CDOT. Since this really is an issue with the road design, I hope they'll do more than just call and scold the business. The way the valet loading zones are positioned on Dearborn creates a conflict point between cyclists and car passengers. With the loading zone moved away from the curb, cars are being loaded and unloaded with traffic moving on both sides of them. People aren't used to stepping out of the curb side of a vehicle into a live traffic lane, and don't know where to go. If a space is designated for loading and unloading passengers from a vehicle, then there needs to be a space adjacent to the vehicle's space for the passengers once they become pedestrians. This is a problem with valet zones where a lot of cars are unloaded quickly, and will be a huge problem when protected lanes are installed on a street with a bus route.
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