The point of these types of posts, as well as the blog as a whole as I see it as a contributor, is to inform and to advertise (in the totally non-capitalistic sense of the term) what is going on in our city.
What issues are there? Who's in the right? Where can I ride, and when can I ride? Should I take the lane here? What are the laws and what infrastructure is out there to help me? These are all questions we have either asked ourselves or answered for someone else. So let's see what's in store for us and what we can go and enjoy and ride on right now!
Becka Roolf, SLC Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator, said in a report to the Mayor's Bicycle Advisory Committee, exactly what we need to know about the State of the Bike Lane:
As the end of construction season is now in sight, it seems likely that we will have successfully added bikeways or redesigned to all of the streets being resurfaced in the city this year! Actual construction is still in progress.
However, we look unlikely to get to all of the projects that we wanted to do that were not dependent on resurfacing project. These projects involving only shared-lane markings or addition of stripes within existing striping patterns will go forward as staff time permits, independent of resurfacing.
Some of the bike lane projects have removed lightly-used on-street parking from one side of several streets. As expected, this is controversial.
Some of the bike lane projects have removed lightly-used on-street parking from one side of several streets. As expected, this is controversial.
BIKE LANES
Indiana Ave (900 W to Redwood Rd.) is complete, but a field review of the final project is pending. One significant design change occurs at the westbound "drop lane" at 900 West. Public input on this design is invited. Please go take a look and tell us what you think of this design, compared with a similar design on 300 East northbound approaching 600 S, or on 200 South westbound approaching 900 W.
1700 S (State St. to Redwood Rd.) is complete and a field review is pending. Bike lanes were slightly widened, and travel lanes slightly narrowed. A mix of bike lanes and shared lanes were added between State St. and Main St.
1700 S (500 E to State St.) - The section from State St. to 500 East will not be done this year; that section of street will not be slurry sealed but may be reconstructed in a future year. Our parking survey in this segment was conducted partially when SLCC was not in session, and we need to ensure that our parking survey reflects typical parking trends before we proceed with a design. It may be revisited next year or in combination with the reconstruction project (year to be determined).
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| 17th South near Westminster College now boast sharrows in the downhill lane and a standard, wider bike lane for uphill traffic |
1700 S (1700 E to 500 E) - Mix of bike lanes and shared lane markings, with parking removed in some sections. This project will be complete within the week.
1500 E (1300 S to 2100 S) - All widths on this street were previously substandard (6'parking, 4' bike lane, 9' travel lanes). Parking was removed from the west side of the street to meet current safety standards for widths. Bike lanes will continue in both directions. In the 15th and 15th business area, parking will remain on both sides of the street, and the travel lanes marked with shared lane markings. Just south of 1700 South, a segment of the street will keep parking on both sides, with a downhill shared lane combined with an uphill bike lane. The project will be striped on Thursday, August 11th, with some slight variations to the widths currently visible on the street as dots ("targets").
300 E (South Temple to 2100 S) also had substandard bike lanes. A portion of 300 E (1300 S to 1700 S) was slurry sealed last week. The new striping design has a southbound bike lane with northbound shared lane. 300 E was striped today and will receive bike lane symbols and shared lane markings within the week.
500 E (1300 S to 1700 S) will serve as a bike lane "couplet" to 300 E with a bike lane heading north and a shared lane heading south. 500 E is lightly parked due to existing peak hour restrictions. In this section, parking will be removed from the east side of 500 E, but parking will be permitted at any time on the west side of the street. The overall dimensions / centerline of the street will remain the same which means that buses, for example, will continue to use the street much as they have; buses will stop in the bike lane northbound, or along the parking lane southbound.
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| New design on 1300 S (photo taken between 900 E and 700 E traveling westbound) |
1300 S (700 E to 1300 E) - Bike lanes have been added from 700 E to 900 E (pictured), slight design changes from 900 E to 1100 E, and an uphill bike lane / downhill shared lane from 1100 E to 1300 E. There will be no changes to parking. The section of 1300 E from 700 E to State St. will be considered for a potential road diet in a future year (possibly next year).
California (700 W to Redwood Rd.) will have a four-lane to three-lane design change. Traffic counts indicate that a three-lane configuration could more than adequately carry the existing and anticipated future volumes. A four-lane to three-lane road diet design creates a considerable traffic safety improvement, especially for motorists and pedestrians, with the side benefit of providing space for bike lanes. Preliminary input on this project has been fairly positive. The street is currently being slurried, with striping, symbols, and signs to follow.
1100 E (1300 S to 1700 S) will be slurried in the next couple weeks. Bike lanes will be added in the narrowest possible configuration that meets current standards, while still maintaining parking. The 44' street width will support 7' parking, 5' bike lane, and 10' travel lanes.
Wright Brothers Drive, in the International Center west of the airport, has been reconstructed, and bike lanes / walking lanes are being added from Wiley Post Dr to the northern terminus of Wright Brothers.
600 N (200 W to 300 W) is being overlaid, and slightly wider bike lanes will be striped. This project is slated to happen sometime in August.
SHARED LANE MARKINGS / CLOSING GAPS
Shared lane markings can be added independently of pavement treatments, and staff are proposing to add shared lane markings to the following types / specific streets.
Multi-lane streets - Shared lane markings added to outside travel lane, with "Bicycles May Use Full Lane Sign". Some sections of bike lanes may be provided where they fit.
500 S -- 800 E to State St. UDOT has now approved adding bike lanes from State St. to Main St., however these may not fit due to parking.
600 S -- 800 E to State St. UDOT has now approved adding bike lanes from Main St. to State St, however these may not fit due to parking.
South Temple (300 E to University) - Shared lane markings will likely be added from 300 E up to University Ave, closing a large gap in the bikeway network. Preliminary design indicates bike lanes will fit from 1300 E to University.
Quiet Streets - Shared lane markings added to these streets, no signs.
800 E (South Temple to Ramona)
Glendale neighborhood route - Concord, Harris, 1200 W, Emery, & 300 S
Rosepark/Westpointe neighborhood route - Starcrest, Morton and others - holding for 2012 as this will be slurry sealed.
Gilmer Drive
Avenues to the U route - Virginia, Fairfax, Alta, 3rd Ave, Military, Wolcott
Sugar House neighborhood route - Ramona, Westminster and possible route through Westminster College
We have now decided to wait on shared lane markings on 2100 South in order to see how the RDA study recommends configuring this street.
BUFFERED BIKE LANES / CLOSING GAPS
A few of the projects originally identified for Shared Lane Markings appear with further measurement / analysis to have space for full bike lanes, either to the right of existing travel lanes or by reducing the number of travel lanes as appropriate to current motor vehicle traffic volumes. These include:
900 South (950 E to 1100 E) - this project would stripe a buffered bike lane to replace the existing curbside travel lane close the gap between the 900 S (700 E to 850 E); the traffic-calmed 9th & 9th intersection; and Gilmer Drive (a kinder, gentler grade for those going up to 1300 E).
1300 East (400 S to 600 S) - this is a key gap between the University St / 400 S bike lanes (2010) and the 1300 E (600 S to 1300 S) bike lanes (2009). A design is in process that includes a mix of conventional bike lanes, buffered bike lanes, and shared lane markings. One of the three northbound travel lanes will be converted into a bike lane. This project is designed but will have additional public input over the winter, and we hope to implement it in mid-May after the U lets out for the summer.
If you like what the City is doing, please take a moment send a thank you to our Streets Division director: Parviz.Rokhva@slcgov.com and to the Transportation Division director: Tim.Harpst@slcgov.com.
Thanks for tuning into State of the Bike Lane. See you next time.
Thanks for tuning into State of the Bike Lane. See you next time.
Great update. I love the bike lane on 13th S (I even went up it today, by 13th E. Its a killer). Also, I would love to see 13th E bike lanes filled in. It can be a little scary riding on that street at times.
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