Bicycle News Report....Past Success and Future Involvement!

New Bike Lanes on Evans!

Click to see the video.

Looks like they are finally putting in some separated bicycle bicycle infrastructure in Reno!  Evans Ave. (which runs from downtown by Louie's Basque Corner up to McCarren along the East edge of UNR) will now have bike lanes from 2nd St. to Highland Ave. and separated multi-use path from Highland Ave. up to McCarren.  A really nice addition to tie UNR to downtown for anyone on bike.

While I'm glad to see this project happening....I'm a little embarrassed for the RTC / UNR as this is a project that was proposed back when I was the Chair of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) almost 4 years ago.   Projects like this still represent the low hanging fruit...meaning there was no opposition to the project itself....we're just really slow to get the ball moving!

I hope that we can rebuild the crew that pushed for these projects several years ago and really turn Reno into a bicycle metropolis that it has the potential to be.  If your interested in helping drop me a line!

The Politics of Bike Lanes...Vote Against Them...Show up and take Credit when they go in!?

Yesterday I had the "privilege" of being invited to a grand opening of the new Keystone complete street redesign...which includes some new bright green thermoplastic sharrows and thermoplastic highlighted bike lanes.  Don't get me wrong, these bike lanes (and complete street design) are a great thing and I have actually been riding them for a couple weeks.  They also represent a protracted battle where a few residents who had a council member's ear delayed their implementation for more than a year!  Hmmmm....a few voices holding up bike lanes in City Council.....sounds strangely familiar.....hmmmfff....Virgina Street!?

RTC and City Council Brass patting each other on the back and celebrating "their" efforts and success!?

The part that was hardest to swallow about this whole photo op.....That Naoma Jardon was there to share in this success.  She held the process hostage for a year based on her own "research" about traffic studies (that were just plain wrong), baseless concerns that people wouldn't be able to get out of the neighborhood to get to work if we removed a lane (traffic flow is actually better this way), and just perhaps out of ignorance.  None of these is a valid reason to delay a project when you have a host of experts at RTC telling a council member it's a good project and the majority 80+ percent of people at the public meetings support the project.

Once the project is completed and works out really well (reducing traffic speeds, improving traffic flow, and helping reconnect two neighborhoods previously separated by a "highway") here she is to take credit for a great improvement for our city.  Classic politician move....ugh!!!!

On the up side....after two years of work and a dozen plus public meetings.  We have bike lanes on Keystone!!!  So, while the process may be ugly, if you hang in long enough apparently we can still make it happen!  So let's hope our tenacity will get us some bike lanes in Midtown in the next few years!

Construction and Cycling.

Ok, yesterday I was spouting the benefits of getting on your bike when construction snarls our roads.  I'll stick to what I said...it makes riding your bike even better when you get to pass a ton of cars stuck at a standstill due to construction.  However, that same fact makes drivers (myself included) cranky, and sometimes seeing cyclists zipping along in the bike lane pushes them over the edge.  It may even make them fantasize about knocking us right out of our bike lane.

So....when construction contractors place detour / warning signs in the bike lane and force us to merge with traffic moving at speed, the potential for unpleasant interactions become exceedingly high!

So...I'm not sure where or how the signage needs to be placed...but I think we need a solution better than this!

Keystone bike lanes in jeopardy!

Long story short.  These lanes were supposed to be a done deal.  The public meetings didn't generate any real negative response.  The plans were done and we were ready to go.....until the city council meeting yesterday. 

Apparently, there was a negative email campaign directed by one of the unhappy residents (a definite minority at the meetings) that targeted our Ward 5 council member (Neoma Jardon) with a bunch of incorrect "facts" that gave her the opinion that she "couldn't support the change".

So we now have one month to get her and council to reconsider!  So if you care about it at all, leave me a comment so I can get you involved in sending her a positive form email!

More on this later.....

Bike lanes on Keystone Ave! Meeting tonight at Clayton Middle School at 5-6:30pm!!

Just got this email from the "in the know" city employee:

Here's the area we're talking about (click the email or image for a larger view) :

You can see they connect with existing bike lanes to the north which is a good thing.  Unfortunately, if they end exactly at Kings Row they don't provide access further south (e.g. all of down town).  If they extend them just a hare (1 block) to the south (Kimbal Ave.) then you'll have a way to jump over to Vine St. which has a bridge that crosses I-80 and is very low traffic.  If you're lost on the road names it dumps out by Gold Dust West Casino!

Either way it's another step forward, even it it doesn't go all the way to University Terrace (and the Raley's) like the original proposal!  If you want to get your chance to comment, there is a public meeting at Clayton Middle school on July 31st from 5 - 6:30 pm.  Hope to see you there!

The perfect thing for a bike lane?

Ok, it's been dead around here again.  Pretty much that means work is taking up too much of my time.  Sorry about that....but it's not gonna be much better this week. 

Anyway, here's something I saw out in Arches National Park (which seems like forever ago).  It's not amazing or mind blowing, but it sure is practical at keeping cars where they belong (e.g. in the lane they are supposed to be driving in....and not the bike lane)!

I realize that in the picture this is just used to keep cars on the road (and off the gravel where pedestrians walk), but think of the potential!!  What if everywhere there was a bike lane striped they had these suckers instead of just a painted line!  I know you'd have to have breaks so bikes could enter and exit the lane, but the protection from a driver mindlessly drifting into a bike lane would be invaluable!

Anyway, think about it.....would you like this idea or not?  I'm thinking of proposing it to the RTC at the next BPAC meeting.

Trail and Bike Lane "Debris"!

When you ride your bicycle regularly for transportation you really do start to notice things around town.  One of those things is how much detritus, debris, and garbage is on the streets.  This is more true at the edges of the roads as vehicle traffic tends to kick things to the side of the road.  The problem is....this is where we put our bike lanes.  As a result they are continually full of junk.  The result is that rider (especially roadies with skinny tires) tend to ride toward the vehicle side of the bike lanes and this increases interaction with traffic.

Today however, I found the "debris" to be a little more substantial!

Now of course this is on the river path, so traffic is no concern, but I'd hate to not be paying attention and hit this.  I did stop and try to remove it.  Rest assured it is definitely still right where you see it in the picture!  So if two are three of you are riding together you might be able to roll it off the trail but it's not a job for one person. 

Petty or Principle?

I snapped this picture out my office window yesterday.

If your not familiar with these guys, they're like an adjunct police officer.  Just private citizens that volunteer for the Reno Police Department (RPD) and kind of keep a presence felt in areas that the police don't feel they can patrol enough.  Apparently, they've expanded their duties because these guys were using a radar gun to clock traffic speeds.  Usually I see them in more suburban neighborhoods but none the less, yesterday they were outside my window. 

So don't get me wrong, these guys are great and providing a community service we desperately need with all the recent budget problems.....  They are however parked in a marked bike lane and they stayed there for about an hour.  I watched as three cyclist had to merge into 50 mph traffic to get around these guys.  Just not good planning and we certainly do not want RPD representatives showing the general public it's OK to park in bike lanes (unless it's an emergency).  

So what do you think?  Am I being petty or is it the principle of it that grinds on me.  I'm guessing a little of both, but they still shouldn't park there.

A Dangerous Game.

Rock Blvd. got a new treatment last year that included a few bike lanes.  It is a nice upgrade allowing users who need access to areas south of the river to jump off the river trail and cross the river via the Rock Blvd. bridge (rather than continuing on out to McCarren Ave.).  Specifically, this is the area of improvement.

All and all, it really is an improvement with designated and marked bike lanes replacing what used to be just a wide shoulder.  However, the lane on both sides terminates at the entrance to Rock Park and the line striping leaves a little to be desired.

If you look at the photos below you might notice the current line stripping has a sharp jog right after the entrance to the park.  An inattentive motorist (or one talking, texting, or looking for a dropped ipod) might continue straight on and end up cruising right down the bike lane!

 

I see what they were going for....a nice smooth entrance for the new and improved bus stop. I just don't want the guy in the over sized pickup sharing the bike lane with me when he doesn't intend to!  So if you use this new section, keep an eye out for tailgaters or the vehicle persuasion!

Busy bike lanes....battling (bike) traffic on the morning commute!

Even us cyclists have to fight traffic during the morning commute. 

Really, it was completely ridiculous....I even had to queue up in line behind this guy at the stop light at Arlington and 1st.  I'm just not used to this level of congestion on my winter commuting days.  I mean really, what is this Portland?  I guess I'll have to come to terms with my belief that the city of Reno and RTC are building these lanes just for me! 

Ha, just kidding.  It was nice to see another winter commuter. 

Wacko Nutso Bike Commissioner.

Sorry you have to watch an add on this one....it's totally worth it.  This chic is playing with the big boys and making a dent in transportation culture!

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Just back from Portland....

This is what it's like to be a cyclist there......

Well, ok, not really.  It's just a comic from the Onion.com (meaning this is satirical folks), but to me it illustrates a pretty funny point with regards to drivers in Reno.  Drivers don't want to be bothered with cyclists using lanes on "their" roads and impeding their speedy progress. 

Now that there are a few bike lanes around Reno, there really are areas where it's faster (and now safer) to get around by bike.  And if your speedy and catch the lights right you really can outpace a car for miles at a time (Mill St. is definitely one)!  You know every time you pass a line of cars queued up and then catch the light as it changes to green this is how they feel!

1st Steet's new look and bicycle warfare begins!

Man, work has been kicking my butt this week.  Tons of bikey stuff is going on though so a quick post is a must.  First up the good news.  More bike lanes in Reno!!  First street is the latest recipient of the road diet treatment and I must say she is looking good!

Nice wide bike lanes all the way!

Even a pedestrian bump out to allow for easier crossings.

Ok, now some scary news.  The U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee just released the draft of the transportation reauthorization bill.  To jog your memory, this is the bill that Rand Paul and many other Republicans wanted to strip all bicycle, pedestrian, and "enhancement" dollar out of.  Fortunately, each of their efforts to do so was soundly defeated!  However, the bipartisan committee has seen fit to release a bill where all the funding for bikes, pedestrians, and enhancements has NO dedicated funding source.  The language leaves all the good types of projects in the bill, just no money!

So to reiterate....  The bill would also no longer provide dedicated funding to key pots of money like Transportation Enhancements, Safe Routes to School, and the Recreational Trails Program.  In 2010, those three programs got a total of $1.146 billion dollars. (Note that all those programs would still be eligible for funding, they just wouldn't have a guaranteed source.)

Oh, and for the record the bikey funding is less than 1 percent of the total budget in this bill....the largest portion is already for dedicated "vehicle" projects.  So basically this is a total anti-Robin Hood type scenario.  It's a rob from the poor and give to the rich move.  So if you have any questions about who the bad guys are, this analogy should do it for you!

There are other egregious portions of the bill as well like this:

"(d) BICYCLE SAFETY.—The Secretary of the appropriate Federal land management agency shall prohibit the use of bicycles on each federally owned road that has a speed limit of 30 miles per hour or greater and an adjacent paved path for use by bicycles within 100 yards of the road."

Basically, stripping cyclist the right to the road if their happens to be a path and the speed limit is over 30 mph.  The league of American bicyclists and many others are already working to get this language removed form the bill so at least we have advocates on our side!  However, if you care about riding your bicycle on touring routes you should think about writing your senators and congressional representative.

Bike lanes to nowhere.

Nice bike lane on Mill St. between Wells and Kirman Ave.

Termination of bike lane on Mill...with no warning about a merge to cyclist or vehicles.

An aerial view.  Note the turmoil is caused by the "need" for a designated left turn lane (there's not that much traffic).

Not to get off on the wrong foot here, I'm really glad to see bike lanes on Mill St. at all.  Especially, with the  closure of the river path for most of last fall / winter, this was my daily commute.  It is however less than ideal.


For some reason, Steve Irwin just started narrating in my head....

Bike lanes, the smaller cousin of roads, exist in relatively limited numbers, in sporadic isolated locations throughout the Reno outback.  Their populations often seem to have problems competing with their larger counterparts.  Here in the remote urban province of Mill and Kirman you can actually see the road devouring the smaller bike lane without remorse due to competition for territory.

Ok, you just read that in Irwin's voice didn't you.  Hopefully, your accent is better than mine.  Really though, this is one of the primary East-West bike routes (with signs and all) in Reno.  Yet the lane drops at Kirman Ave. and you don't see it again until you reach Kietzke Ave.  Ironically this is right in front of the Hospital....read into that what you will.  You can argue that it is present again just past Renown Hospital (at Yori Ave.), but really this is a parking lane and you will be dodging in and out of traffic avoiding all the cars parked here.  It also disappears in favor of a designated right turn lane at the intersection of Kietzke Ave., so it's rather apparent it's not an official bike lane.

All of this being said, RTC is looking at this area right now with a corridor study (which also includes Terminal way), with the idea of making the route one of the new "complete" streets with nice side walks, full bike lanes, improved bus service, and even nice trees and plantings!  They have started already with traffic counts (including bikes and pedestrians), so the groundwork is being laid for improvement.  You might even  be able to walk or bicycle from the airport to downtown without fearing for your life!  So here's to hoping!

There is a link to the corridor study at the top of the blog if your interested.  There isn't much there yet, but put in a comment so they know people are interested in improving this stretch!

Please don't do this....

Yesterday, I took a bike ride on lunch.  Just to get out before the temperatures drop.  One last chance to  ride in shorts and a t-shirt?  It was the perfect temperature for a leisurely ride and I had a surprisingly good time for just tooling around in some corporate "neighborhood".  I figured I'd get to snap a few pictures that I could put up here and ramble on about something.  I had no idea that I'd get something so good to blog about! 

The worst part is there are parking lots on both sides of this street less than 25 ft. from the two vehicles.  They would even be closer to the doors if they parked in the parking lot!  So really, I'm at a bit of a loss here.  It's pretty clear it's defined as a bike lane (at least I think that's what the symbol they drove over indicates) and not a parking lane.  My only guess is that they are hoping for a really quick get away at the end of some boring meeting!?

Bike Lanes on Rock Blvd. are here!!

 Looking North on Rock Blvd.

 Looking South on Rock Blvd. (just past Rock park).

Intersection of Rock and Mill (looking South-Southwest).

Wooohooo! Bike lanes had been promised and the city of Sparks has delivered.  Now don't get too excited, these lanes die out just before Greg St. if your headed North on Rock.  What they do solve is a dangerous, previously unmarked section for riders exiting the river path headed South on Rock Blvd. to connect with the well marked bike lanes South of Mill St. (or on Mill St. depending on your commute).  It was only a 1/4 mile or so, but it is on a blind curve that has a lot of tree cover further blocking drivers views of anyone on a bicycle.  Adding to the hazard, for you adventurous winter commuters, was the fact that the bridge is a common black ice location with low angle sun during morning commute hours.  Either way, the lanes are here and their spectacular!!

Construction project vs. Bike lane.

In this case the pictures speak for themselves.  There is no doubt that this creates a potential conflict between riders and vehicle traffic.  The rider has little choice but to merge into the adjacent lane to avoid the obstacle, but the average speed of traffic is 45-50 mph on this section of Longley Lane.  This is a less than idealistic traffic pattern in any situation....what takes the cake is this parking lot and construction is directly in front of the Washoe County Roads Department office!  One would hope that this construction site (of all places) could apply better construction traffic routing than this.  It's also on my list of pet peeves because it's been in this state of "construction" for ~ 3 weeks now.  Strike one for Washoe County Roads Department.

Clear roads ahead!

The last year of commuting has been a  bit more challenging than normal for me.  It's not the weather or the riding, rather the route.  The river path has been closed a few times (for up to 5 months) for construction of the new sewage treatment plant diversion system and it has been rerouted for the overhead construction of the 395 north bridge expansion.  Not a big deal really, but it has forced me to take some new routes that include the new bike lanes on Mill St., sections of east 2nd street, Glendale, and Rock Blvd.  Fortunately, all the projects are are more or less rapped up and I'm back to my old route.

The very end of my route still dumps me out at Rock Park and leaves me to ride south on Rock Blvd. over the river.  It's not a great section due to the way the road curves and traffics limited field of view due to the bend in the road, but at least there was shoulder striping that delineated where the cars shouldn't be.......until the new slurry coating was done 2-3 weeks ago.  Now it's a free for all and drivers tend to hug the shoulder a little too close to what I used to consider "my space".  It also doesn't help that there are several locations where trees have grown out and overhand the shoulder, forcing me directly into the lane.

I know, I know, I should just take the lane and the problem would be minimized.  However, the curvature of the road and the speed that traffic travels on this section might just lead to some very rapid acceleration of my bike due to the motivation 2 tons of steel provides during impact.  So today, I finally did something about it!

 

I also heard back from one of my traffic engineering contacts in Sparks about the timing on re-striping the shoulder.  I'd emailed him earlier in the day regarding the striping (joking about getting some bike lanes put in on this section).  Low and behold, the powers that be in the RTC have seen fit to put in actual bike lanes along this section!!!  I about fell out of my chair when I heard this.  So for those who roll along the gambit that is this section of Rock, the trees are clear and the lanes should be striped within the next 2-3 weeks!  Happy riding is here again!