Practical Problem with bicycle lanes.
1) No one uses them. They still ride in traffic. Why I wondered... I stopped my Motocycle one day and checked:
2) Public works sweeps all the debris from the roads into the bike lanes. Enhancing point 1. The bicyclists may be more prone to using the bicycle lanes if they weren't covered in a layer of sand and leaves. many of the lanes appear to be unsafe.

Of course, I would love to have an anti -bicycle bigotry session here, but I really can't blame these folks for not using the bicycle lanes when they are unsafe.

removing rare downtown parking for bicycle paths is just a bad idea, unless someone is trying to do some social engineering at taxpayers expense. But that would never happen in the Soviet Peoples Democratic Hamstergrad...

I wave to the bicyclists when I ride past. Most won't wave back. Some do.
They aren't part of the brotherhood, I guess... they're just our wierd little cousins...keep the shiny side up pedalpals!

---

You better laugh at yourself,
Everyone else is.

www.parkenfarkergroup.blogspot.com

The process for deciding on the bike lane striping is this: Public Works will go to the neighborhoods involved, as Damon says, tonight is Cornwall meeting. They will the seek a recommendation from the City Bike/Pedestrian Advisory Committee and then, some time in June, it will come to the City Council for a decision. I don't know if we will hold a public hearing but folks are sending me emails and letters daily so this is a good time to give us input. If you send one letter or email to a Councilmember, they make copies for all of us, so save your paper.
Folks are really divided on this one and I have no idea of the leanings of other Councilmembers. I can say this. I'm a cyclist and frequently ride the Railroad trail into town. It ends on the west side of I-5 and I go down to North Street and head west. I don't go all the way to Cornwall because if I go south on Grant I can hook up with the South Bay Trail that begins on Kentucky Street right behind Bellingham High School. It runs south along a nice trail and across Whatcom Creek on a nice little bridge and dumps me at Railroad and York. From there it's easy to ride to anywhere downtown. I have no reason to ride on Cornwall and face parked cars, any of which my have it's door fly open in my path. I don't like the idea of taking needed parking off Cornwall and I've heard little from cyclists that actually ride that arterial. It is a fast downhill for bike commuters but risky.
Damon, as to your talk about widening the street and doing it with more lanes; that is a terrible idea. The reason this is coming up at all is because the new water main installation has been so harsh to the street surface that Public Works is having it a pavement overlay done as a part of the project which raises the opportunity to, perhaps, strip it differently, as has been done to some other downtown streets. You will note that the restripped Holly Street has no bike lane. Cyclists prefer to travel with cars on that down hill run and they seem to be doing that with the cars and not dieing in droves. So far there are lot's of letters coming in, including one from Pastor Connolly of Assumption with staggering numbers of cars that come and go from there on a daily basis, not just for Sunday services. That's the kind of input we need. I was ready to get rid of the "dodge" lane but that is problematic because of the street from the Lettered Street neighborhood that all come into Cornwall from an angle and the "dodge" lane is essential for that merge to be successful. These decisions are not easily made and this one will be no exception. Keep those cards, letters and emails coming.

It was a bit strong and first off, sorry it took so long to get back to this thread.

Make the street wide enough that we can create the bike lane between the parking and the sidewalk. Costly?

The reason for my flip comment about the idea is the cost. The current widening of Sunset Drive is coming at a staggering cost and not only in dollars. We had to condemn property in a few cases and certainly disrupt the lives of all who live on Sunset just to get a couple more driving lanes and improved pedestrial and cycle facilities.

More importantly though, I don't believe we can pave our way solving our car transportation problems. I think sprawling and spreading indefinately will have us look and feel just like other areas that have learned that lesson the hard way. Some arterial arteries like the Guide that get us from one town to another need to have a size that carries the volume needed but to widen every feeder street into Bellingham just doesn't make sense to me. I very much dislike the term "social engineering" which I hear occasionally. It implies force feeding our citizens with solutions they don't favor. I do support the positive decisions that improve transportation where we can. I think the GO lines are great, ditto our trail system as a way to get cyclists and walkers where they want to go that is separate from cars. Who wants to walk on the sidewalk along Alabama when the Railroad trail goes the same place in a wonderful natural setting. I think the new "flex cars" in use in some places are great. If one needs a car to go to Costco for the big stuff but don't need one every day it's a great way to save big bucks. As we grow I want us to consider all kinds of ways to move people, not just add pavement.

Stan, I completely agree, that the cost is high, and I believe should be prohibitive. However, history (in Bellingham) has proven that it will not be prohibitive, and the project will go forward with the bike lanes. So, I was proposing that since the pain (cost) is going to be endured anyway, then let's grit our teeth, and solve both issues. Those who park, still have their parking, and those who bike, have their bike lane.

Now, that has to be read as written by someone who really dislikes spending money. I'm sitting here looking at a projector, torn apart on my desk because I don't want to pay someone to fix it. I recognize that spending has to happen to run a city, but I'm one who requires strong justification for what is spent.

I recognized that the bike lanes are very nice for Bellingham cyclists, not to mention safer than riding on streets that do not have them. I also recognize that the cycling community represents a fraction of the taxpaying community who builds these roads. That super-majority portion of the public has been willing to bear the super-majority of these costs we are discussing, and I believe taking away this parking is a stick in the eye of those people.



But isn't widening this street and adding the bike lane doing precisely that? And isn't taking away these parking places going to worsen a problem of parking scarcity in that part of the city? This strikes me as somewhat contradictory.



I can understand why you dislike it. It is a term I use, and have used in these forums, because it is accurate. Now, it is important to understand that not everyone who espouses a specific position is a social engineer. Social engineering goes to the reasoning behind the decision. You have eloquently stated your position on the proper use of arterials and feeders. I understand that, and don't view you as engaging in social engineering.

Barb Ryan, however, stated outright last year that she believes the LOS on Northwest and Lakeway needs to be lowered to the point that traffic congestion becomes so bad that people will be forced out of their cars. That's social engineering. In fact that is the clearest illustration of it I've seen in some time, and I was stunned that she was either brave enough or foolish enough to say it. She stated that the reason for her decision was to force changes in behavior. There is a world of difference, Stan, in someone like you encouraging behavioral changes, and even arguing for them... there is a world of difference between that, and passing legislation in an effort to force those behavioral changes.

---

PPP Google Flex Car. As I understand it, and it comes in other names too, but the system allows you to pay to use a car for infrequent trips. The idea is that folks that don't want to own a car but need one once in a while to haul a 50 pound bag of dog food from Costco can use a Felx Car by the hour to do that errand and avoid the grand per month, some say a car costs if you average it out. Some families might want to get rid of their second car and use a Flex Car instead. Seattle has Flex Car and the idea comes in other labels and we have a company here but the name for it escapes me.

Damon and Andy: RE: Social Engineering. I should have Googled or Wiki'd it. The term sounds to me like one of those snidely comments that implies a self righteous person making decisions imposturing as an "Engineer". The term implies a high level of expertise and thus the spoofing of electeds and others I guess. I would be happier if you just get after the specific objection as you did with Councilmember Ryan on the LOS issue. I can't and won't pretend to speak for her.
Damon, on the Cornwall restriping. It isn't being widened, which is the problem, it's getting a pavement overlay, new surface from curb to curb so it's an opportunity to restrip it eliminating parking on the west side and adding bike lanes on both sides that would take up the footage lost by the parking removal. I don't have a clue as to how Council will vote and it's not on our Agenda until June 23 and I've got plenty to address this Monday, including the Costco request, a closed record hearing on a development issue, a public hearing and several presentations. Our usual afternoon committee session will go an extra hour and run from 1 - 5 PM and we double back at 7 PM for what could be a very long evening meeting.

I don't know what the real Engineers think of the term social engineering but I'm pretty sure the traffic engineers would not like to see it applied to us electeds. I do take issue with the implication that folks that live on Cornwall, as taxpayers have a right to park in the public right of way and cyclists don't pay taxes. I'm a cyclist and I pay plenty of my share and more of taxes. Just because I didn't pay to license my bike and it doesn't burn tax creating fuel doesn't mean that cyclists deserve less services than the resto of us. In spite of the large stack of letters from home owners along Cornwall, Broadway and other parts of the three neighborhoods, if you drive down Cornwall late at night you will only find a couple of cars parked in the entire stretch of road in question. From a house to house canvas that I've heard that Public Works conducted only one house was identified as needing that on street parking. The rest have driveways, alley access, or in the case of the church a large parking lot for their folks. I haven't decided how I will vote but it's not a simple issue, it has lot's of complexity to it. In spite of the Comp. Plan calling for bike lanes and pedestrian accomodation when possible, Holly Street, just updated did not get a bike lane because it was felt that cyclists would rather ride down the hill into town with the flow of traffic. As a cyclist that rides regularly into town I travel west off the Railroad trail west of the freeway across North street, then south on Franklin or Grant to Kentucky and then on the South Bay trail into town. Cornwall is not a street that I choose to ride on. The side streets are much safer, but that's just me. We'll see at the hearing what folks would like to see and then we'll vote.

That is the kicker all right. I do drive that a lot coming and going from City Hall and seldom do I see cycles, of course, I'm looking for them now that this proposal is up. One reason could well be that it's been all torn up with construction and all counts on traffic are off, so my sense of it doesn't hold water. It is a kicker to give up parking, especially if you are the one or two houses that don't have alley or driveway parking. The churches and private schools insist they need every parking spot they can get. One thing that has been off putting on this issue has been the quantity of form letters I've received all printed out in a couple different formats and all signed by folks claiming to live on Cornwall, Broadway or at least in the neighborhoods. They come, each in a separate envelope addressed to my home. The only thing original about each is the signature and the stamp. They just aren't all that effective. I suspect that one or two people canvased the neighborhoods and had people sign them and they were mailed in batches as that's the way I receive them. So far I've received five stacks a stack a day in my mail box.

PPP,
I found the URL for the local version of what I called Flex Car. This is a different company offering a like service; here's the link. http://www.communitycarshare.org/

On the form letters. I'm not questioning that they have taken the letter's stated position but, to me the intent, is to convince me to support their position. I'd be happier with an email that I could reply to and have a two way conversation about it. Otherwise, it's more efficient and uses less resources to just take a petition around. Recently, the York neighborhood group brought a petition with four hundred of their neighbors signatures in favor of a new crosswalk on Lakeway at one of the streets between I-5 and Ellis. I also had emails and letters and we now have it included on the Transportation Improvement Plan TIP which Council will probably approve today.

DJ,
Ah, so... you are still a cyclist and not a biker. ( I do remember pictures of your Kansas Bike )
So, if yer gonna call yerself a biker, at least attach some playing cards with clothespins to your forks to scrape the spokes...

Stan,
I can imagine that the Fan Mail (form letters) might be a pain in the butt as you have to sift through them to find a few well thought out letters from the generation of folks who still resists the computer age, on the other hand, ultimately, those who choose this means of communication may find it much more expensive than petitions.
Interesting operation for the "flex car" If I understood what I read it is more like a Co-op than a business.
So long as only members pay for the operation, then I could actually support it, ( I'll probably poke fun at it, but it ain't the world's worst idea.) I would vehemently oppose it if it ever is proposed or becomes taxpayer funded.
Why should I pay for my fleet of machines and then pay for everyone else's too. Thanks for the link.

Oh, by the way... can bikers use the bike lane? or is it just for our wierd little cousins who pedal or use 49cc and smaller skooters?

---

You better laugh at yourself,
Everyone else is.

www.parkenfarkergroup.blogspot.com

I live on C ST between Cornwall and the Police Station. I ride my bike all over town, and I often attempt to ride on Cornwall. It is unpleasant. Besides the road surface problems (which are being addressed, obviously), it is dangerous. There is not enough room between the parked cars and the moving cars to ride safely.

I do not know how to address the problem of the folks who have no off-steet parking, and this does need to be addressed. I wonder, however, if there was protest when parking was sacrificed in facor of bus stops as well.

Given the obvious and overwhelming need to make bicycling safe and more attractive city-wide, the bike lanes on Cornwall are an absolute necessity -- this principle should always trump other issues: Get people out of cars, onto bicycles, and make it safe and easy for us to do so.

What is "UGA" ?