ATA asks: Where would you like a bike blvd? - The Chainlink2024-03-28T15:22:05Zhttps://thechainlink.org/forum/topics/ata-asks-where-would-you-like?feed=yes&xn_auth=noWhen are we going to learn of…tag:thechainlink.org,2010-04-23:2211490:Comment:1779192010-04-23T22:44:27.390Zheather shttps://thechainlink.org/profile/heatherstratton
When are we going to learn of the winning bike boulevard?
When are we going to learn of the winning bike boulevard? To underscore an earlier poin…tag:thechainlink.org,2010-04-23:2211490:Comment:1779122010-04-23T21:29:29.749Zpaytonhttps://thechainlink.org/profile/payton
To underscore an earlier point, an excerpt from a <a href="http://www.portlandonline.com/TRANSPORTATION/INDEX.CFM?a=237507&c=44671" target="_blank">study of bicyclists in Portland</a>:<br />
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"The 'Strong and the Fearless' comprise perhaps 2,000 or fewer cyclists in Portland, representing fewer than 0.5% of the population. These are the people who will ride in Portland regardless of roadway conditions... A much larger demographic, representing the vast majority of Portland’s citizens, are the…
To underscore an earlier point, an excerpt from a <a href="http://www.portlandonline.com/TRANSPORTATION/INDEX.CFM?a=237507&c=44671" target="_blank">study of bicyclists in Portland</a>:<br />
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"The 'Strong and the Fearless' comprise perhaps 2,000 or fewer cyclists in Portland, representing fewer than 0.5% of the population. These are the people who will ride in Portland regardless of roadway conditions... A much larger demographic, representing the vast majority of Portland’s citizens, are the 'interested but concerned...' Very few of these people regularly ride bicycles—perhaps 2,000 who will ride through their neighborhoods to the local park or coffee shop, but who will not venture out onto the arterials to the major commercial and employment destinations they frequent. There are probably 300,000 in this group, representing 60% of the city’s population. They would ride if they felt safer on the roadways—if cars were slower and less frequent, and if there were more quiet streets with few cars and paths without any cars at all."<br />
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Bike boulevards are not for the first group, which isn't many people even in "America's cycling capital." They primarily address the vastly larger second group, which will not ride on arterial streets. That looks like a wonderful t…tag:thechainlink.org,2010-04-23:2211490:Comment:1776672010-04-23T07:49:31.997ZSteven Vancehttps://thechainlink.org/profile/stevevance
That looks like a wonderful treatment I would like to see installed in Chicago.<br />
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<cite>payton said:</cite><blockquote cite="http://www.thechainlink.org/forum/topics/ata-asks-where-would-you-like?id=2211490%3ATopic%3A173358&page=2#2211490Comment177641"><div>I like to use Leavitt, too, both south and north of the river. Something about one-ways: in many cities, streets that are one-way for cars are made into two-way bike boulevards. In Vancouver, they have a…</div>
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That looks like a wonderful treatment I would like to see installed in Chicago.<br />
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<cite>payton said:</cite><blockquote cite="http://www.thechainlink.org/forum/topics/ata-asks-where-would-you-like?id=2211490%3ATopic%3A173358&page=2#2211490Comment177641"><div>I like to use Leavitt, too, both south and north of the river. Something about one-ways: in many cities, streets that are one-way for cars are made into two-way bike boulevards. In Vancouver, they have a <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/paytonc/84632651/" target="_blank">pretty ingenious solution</a>: keep the street two-way, but just block off entering car traffic with a curb and bike "sleeve."</div>
</blockquote> Oakley pleasetag:thechainlink.org,2010-04-23:2211490:Comment:1776532010-04-23T05:53:06.718Zalexhttps://thechainlink.org/profile/alex85
Oakley please
Oakley please I like to use Leavitt, too, b…tag:thechainlink.org,2010-04-23:2211490:Comment:1776412010-04-23T04:05:08.493Zpaytonhttps://thechainlink.org/profile/payton
I like to use Leavitt, too, both south and north of the river. Something about one-ways: in many cities, streets that are one-way for cars are made into two-way bike boulevards. In Vancouver, they have a <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/paytonc/84632651/" target="_blank">pretty ingenious solution</a>: keep the street two-way, but just block off entering car traffic with a curb and bike "sleeve."
I like to use Leavitt, too, both south and north of the river. Something about one-ways: in many cities, streets that are one-way for cars are made into two-way bike boulevards. In Vancouver, they have a <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/paytonc/84632651/" target="_blank">pretty ingenious solution</a>: keep the street two-way, but just block off entering car traffic with a curb and bike "sleeve." Re: N Leavitt:
I agree - I u…tag:thechainlink.org,2010-04-07:2211490:Comment:1736602010-04-07T21:16:31.713ZJoe TVhttps://thechainlink.org/profile/JoeTV
Re: N Leavitt:<br />
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I agree - I use this stretch daily northbound - Pros: light vehicular traffic, lights at crossings of major streets, seems like a good candidate. Cons: Much (all?) of the street is one way (NB), so would two way bike traffic work? (I'd really like to ride it SB too) It's only 2 blocks from a very bike friendly (relatively speaking) stretch of Damen.
Re: N Leavitt:<br />
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I agree - I use this stretch daily northbound - Pros: light vehicular traffic, lights at crossings of major streets, seems like a good candidate. Cons: Much (all?) of the street is one way (NB), so would two way bike traffic work? (I'd really like to ride it SB too) It's only 2 blocks from a very bike friendly (relatively speaking) stretch of Damen. That section of Leavitt could…tag:thechainlink.org,2010-04-07:2211490:Comment:1736582010-04-07T21:05:08.343ZAnne Althttps://thechainlink.org/profile/Anne91
That section of Leavitt could be a nice bike boulevard.<br />
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While Howard is right that we will tend to favor routes that are most useful to ourselves, I ride in many different areas of the city, to boulevards in almost any area could be useful to me at various times.<br />
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<cite>Duppie said:</cite><blockquote cite="http://www.thechainlink.org/forum/topics/ata-asks-where-would-you-like?x=1&id=2211490%3ATopic%3A173358&page=2#2211490Comment173452"><div>Leavitt (2200 W) from Barry Ave (3100 N) to…</div>
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That section of Leavitt could be a nice bike boulevard.<br />
<br />
While Howard is right that we will tend to favor routes that are most useful to ourselves, I ride in many different areas of the city, to boulevards in almost any area could be useful to me at various times.<br />
<br />
<cite>Duppie said:</cite><blockquote cite="http://www.thechainlink.org/forum/topics/ata-asks-where-would-you-like?x=1&id=2211490%3ATopic%3A173358&page=2#2211490Comment173452"><div>Leavitt (2200 W) from Barry Ave (3100 N) to Balmoral (5400 N). Almost 3 miles of low traffic, some of it one way, and existing traffic lights at all the major intersections.<br/> Its by favorite North-South route a-little-further-away-from-the-lake<br/>
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Barring that, I'd follow Anne Alt's suggestion: N Glenwood from Argyle to Ridge, about a mile.</div>
</blockquote> These are all great, thanks e…tag:thechainlink.org,2010-04-07:2211490:Comment:1735252010-04-07T11:54:18.967ZActive Transportation Alliancehttps://thechainlink.org/profile/ActiveTransportationAlliance
These are all great, thanks everyone. Joe, thanks for posting this, I was out on Monday (go, white sox) and didn't get a chance.<br />
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Please keep in mind:<br />
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1. We need the final suggestions emailed to us by this Friday, April 9 (see original post)<br />
2. Suggestions need to fit the criteria (primarily the length and controlled intersections)<br />
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Thanks,<br />
Ethan, with Active Trans<br />
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PS: Clark, I'll see you on Clark (my preferred route). Heather and Payton are right about the purpose of this street treatment…
These are all great, thanks everyone. Joe, thanks for posting this, I was out on Monday (go, white sox) and didn't get a chance.<br />
<br />
Please keep in mind:<br />
<br />
1. We need the final suggestions emailed to us by this Friday, April 9 (see original post)<br />
2. Suggestions need to fit the criteria (primarily the length and controlled intersections)<br />
<br />
Thanks,<br />
Ethan, with Active Trans<br />
<br />
PS: Clark, I'll see you on Clark (my preferred route). Heather and Payton are right about the purpose of this street treatment and the folks that would use these. Heather has it exactly right:…tag:thechainlink.org,2010-04-07:2211490:Comment:1734972010-04-07T05:52:11.990Zpaytonhttps://thechainlink.org/profile/payton
Heather has it exactly right: these are facilities for the other 90%. Not many people feel safe riding at 20+ MPH in heavy traffic (although a few do!), and encouraging people to bike* means providing spaces where more people feel safe riding -- like bike boulevards. Heck, <i>I</i> don't feel safe on Michigan Avenue, and I'm an experienced, fast guy on a nice bike.<br />
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As for routes, I've always been a fan of Oakley (and also told Adolfo that!), and making the one-way parts into two-way since…
Heather has it exactly right: these are facilities for the other 90%. Not many people feel safe riding at 20+ MPH in heavy traffic (although a few do!), and encouraging people to bike* means providing spaces where more people feel safe riding -- like bike boulevards. Heck, <i>I</i> don't feel safe on Michigan Avenue, and I'm an experienced, fast guy on a nice bike.<br />
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As for routes, I've always been a fan of Oakley (and also told Adolfo that!), and making the one-way parts into two-way since they're not really any narrower or anything. As Cezar says, it's a good parallel to nasty but necessary Western Avenue -- and many of the most successful bike boulevards run parallel to similar arterials, like Shattuck in Berkeley or Broadway in Vancouver. (The Vancouver route along 7th/8th is called "Off Broadway.") For an east-west on the west side, Ohio has always made a lot of sense to me.<br />
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* And yes, although I'm sure those people will get in your way at some point, they'll be in your way whether they're in a car, in a bus, on a bike, on foot, or on pogo sticks. Getting people on bikes is good for everyone, and I feel very strange having to write that here. Leavitt (2200 W) from Barry A…tag:thechainlink.org,2010-04-07:2211490:Comment:1734522010-04-07T01:17:59.957ZDuppiehttps://thechainlink.org/profile/Duppie
Leavitt (2200 W) from Barry Ave (3100 N) to Balmoral (5400 N). Almost 3 miles of low traffic, some of it one way, and existing traffic lights at all the major intersections.<br />
Its by favorite North-South route a-little-further-away-from-the-lake<br />
<br />
Barring that, I'd follow Anne Alt's suggestion: N Glenwood from Argyle to Ridge, about a mile.
Leavitt (2200 W) from Barry Ave (3100 N) to Balmoral (5400 N). Almost 3 miles of low traffic, some of it one way, and existing traffic lights at all the major intersections.<br />
Its by favorite North-South route a-little-further-away-from-the-lake<br />
<br />
Barring that, I'd follow Anne Alt's suggestion: N Glenwood from Argyle to Ridge, about a mile.