Questions for the next Mayor's Bicycle Advisory Council meeting?

Hello Chainlinkers,

 

The next MBAC meeting is Wednesday June 12. 2013 (3:00 pm, City Hall, Rm 1103 - public invited!). 

 

I'm one of three community representatives on the council and have a chance to bring up topics of discussion or ask questions of the CDOT officials during the meeting.

 

Since you're a large part of the bicycling community and I'm your rep, I ask you: What questions would you like asked or topics discussed? 

 

(Edited May 31 2013 to update date)

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Permalink Reply by Michelle S on February 28, 2013 at 11:20am

Bumping this. The next meeting is March 13 and it's open to the public; if you attend, you can give your input or ask questions during the public discussion portion.

Or, if you can't attend, are there items for the agenda that you'd like to suggest?

Permalink Reply by Lisa Curcio on February 28, 2013 at 4:27pm

And this is not really a "big picture" item, but how about the plates on the bridge on Dearborn?

Permalink Reply by Kevin C Dormant on February 28, 2013 at 5:27pm

Ask them if CDOT and Active Trans are following NACTO standards in the design and construction of PBLs. If not, why not? Ask them to provide in detail their protocol for clearing snow and salting existing protected bike lanes. Ask them if they have motor vehicle/bicycle accident statistics for Kinzie street pre- and post- PBL. Are they satisfied that PBLs are improving cyclist and/or motor vehicle and pedestrian safety?

Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on February 28, 2013 at 5:37pm

Wells in Old Town has been in rough shape since last summer, which seems like an eternity for such a heavily traveled bike route.  It would be great to know when rideable pavement will finally be restored.

Cameron 7.5 mi said:

I'll resurrect this issue from the last time you asked, since Wells still hasn't had the pavement restored. In general it takes an unnecessarily long time for pavement to be repaired after a utility project. The way the unfinished concrete fill is left after a utility project creates a dangerous road surface and many times the limits of excavation nicely match up with the bike lane. Leaving either a finished concrete or asphalt surface should be a requirement for considering a project complete. Construction practices (particularly plates and tench fill) remain a major challenge for cyclists.

I'd also like to ask if there are any plans to address unsafe open grate bridge decks. Again I know this issue has been brought up before, but not a lot appears to have happened, so it remains high on my list.

Anne Alt said:

This section of northbound Wells has been a problem for months now.  Is there a known completion date for restoration of a safe road surface?

David Barish said:

Wells St. northbound from Chicago Ave. up to North Ave. has been a perilous journey due to construction. There is loose gravel as described above and weird lane configurations. This is due to both road work and building projects.

Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on February 28, 2013 at 5:39pm

Closer to home, I'll ask again if there's any news on the viaducts on Vincennes south of 83rd St.  With the red line shutdown, many of us on the far south side are likely to be riding longer distances as an alternative to longer, slower CTA trips.  Being able to safely use this section of Vincennes would help a lot.

Permalink Reply by Michelle S on March 1, 2013 at 3:12am

Thanks for all the input so far.

I do know already that Wells from Chicago to North is scheduled to receive buffered lanes this year, and I believe it's in spring, but will ask for details on dates and confirmation that the work will include improving the surface of the street.

 

Kevin and Cameron, is there anything in particular that makes you believe that NACTO standards are not being followed? I believe that those are the standards being used, and I'm trying to understand why you may suspect they're not?

 

 

Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on March 1, 2013 at 4:36am

If resurfacing is not done, buffered lanes would be rather pointless.

Michelle Stenzel said:

I do know already that Wells from Chicago to North is scheduled to receive buffered lanes this year, and I believe it's in spring, but will ask for details on dates and confirmation that the work will include improving the surface of the street.

Permalink Reply by Michelle S on March 1, 2013 at 5:46am

I remember from my reading of the NACTO guides that there are minimums that must be included to meet standards, and then there are extra elements that are highly encouraged to optimize the facilities, but are not required. I would think that all required elements are being included in Chicago's PBLs, and as many optimizing elements as possible as well, but perhaps they're not. Do you have a specific PBL and/or intersection in mind? I'm going to review the standards and ride Kinzie and Dearborn (at least) with these issues in mind to get a better understanding.
 
Cameron 7.5 mi said:

From the design of intersections with alleys and driveways it's clear that NACTO standards are not being followed entirely. If NACTO standards were followed there would be signage alerting drivers that they were crossing a protected bike lane and instructing them to yield to bikes, no parking zones to improve sight lines for turning vehicles, and possibly a change in surface texture or color. My question would be what process goes into deciding what portions of NACTO to follow?

Michelle Stenzel said:

 

Kevin and Cameron, is there anything in particular that makes you believe that NACTO standards are not being followed? I believe that those are the standards being used, and I'm trying to understand why you may suspect they're not?

 

 

Permalink Reply by Kevin C Dormant on March 1, 2013 at 9:07am

From my perspective, sight lanes have gotten worse, particularly at conflict points (alleys, cross streets and intersections). I can't comment on whether this adheres to NACTO standards, but the shifting of riders to the extreme right of the roadway on protected bike lanes has further restricted site lines. 

Michelle Stenzel said:

I remember from my reading of the NACTO guides that there are minimums that must be included to meet standards, and then there are extra elements that are highly encouraged to optimize the facilities, but are not required. I would think that all required elements are being included in Chicago's PBLs, and as many optimizing elements as possible as well, but perhaps they're not. Do you have a specific PBL and/or intersection in mind? I'm going to review the standards and ride Kinzie and Dearborn (at least) with these issues in mind to get a better understanding.
 
Cameron 7.5 mi said:

From the design of intersections with alleys and driveways it's clear that NACTO standards are not being followed entirely. If NACTO standards were followed there would be signage alerting drivers that they were crossing a protected bike lane and instructing them to yield to bikes, no parking zones to improve sight lines for turning vehicles, and possibly a change in surface texture or color. My question would be what process goes into deciding what portions of NACTO to follow?

Michelle Stenzel said:

 

Kevin and Cameron, is there anything in particular that makes you believe that NACTO standards are not being followed? I believe that those are the standards being used, and I'm trying to understand why you may suspect they're not?

 

 

Permalink Reply by Jim Freeman on March 1, 2013 at 1:20pm

Any chance we could do something about the ambiguous signage and cars parked in the Marshall Boulevard bicycle lanes?  This is a chronic problem.

 

http://bit.ly/YHOCGW

Permalink Reply by Jim Freeman on March 1, 2013 at 1:27pm

Yeah, the Sacramento bike lanes are painted on rubble.  As one friend of mine said about the Douglas Park bike lane, "Those city workers must have been laughing the whole time they were putting those lanes in." 

People wouldn't even drive in the outside lanes of Sacramento before the bike lanes were installed.  I guess that's no big loss of driving space since no one was using them.



h' 1.0 said:

I would like to know more of the story of how bike lane came to be painted on completely unrideable pavement on Sacramento near Douglas, and what the plan is for the Marshall Boulevard buffered bike lane.

Permalink Reply by Jim Freeman on March 1, 2013 at 1:42pm

Also, since the topic is brought up...

I will tell you that the trend we are seeing in my practice is injuries arising from vehicles executing turns across protected bike lanes.  These collisions seem to be worse than your typical left crosses.  I postulate about the reasons that; 1) the bike lane is further from the apex of the turn, and therefore the cars are going faster by the time they hit the bicyclists, 2) becuase the separation of the two modes of traffic causes drivers to be less aware of cyclists, or 3) It also might be that it isn't intuitive for drivers to negotiate turns across protected bike lanes.  Either way, I don't think we can have too much in the way of markings and signage with respect to vehicles turning across protected bike lanes.

 

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