Active Right of Way

Robin writes:

Researches from UCLA have put together a manual for how to build parklets based on best practices from the US and Canada.

From the article:

Researchers have also created a new report, “Reclaiming The Right of Way,” which compiles best practices from cities in the U.S and Canada that have implemented parklet projects in their communities. These projects, which enhance neighborhoods through low-cost, small-scale inventions, were pioneered in San Francisco but have also appeared in New York, Philadelphia, and Vancouver, B.C., among other cities.

Read further and download the report.

We first met Paramount apartments owner and citizen activist Betsy Reese through our work on streetcar bikeway safety. Betsy has been working tirelessly for many years to improve conditions for people on bike and foot in her neighborhood.

Here is a video Betsy’s son Will put together demonstrating the chaotic and confusing conditions on the ground in front of the Paramount apartments.

Thankfully, PBOT has been responsive to calls for improving this intersection immediately, particularly in light of the high rate of bicycle-car collisions at this location.  As Jonathan Maus writes:

PBOT staff reviewed every recorded collision from the DMV and the Police between 2000 and 2010 and there were 20 serious bike/motor-vehicle collisions. 17 of those 20 were right hooks at Wheeler.

The momentum appears headed toward closing NE Wheeler permanently.  This is welcome news to neighborhood activists, some of whom are still dismayed that the city intends to move forward with an I-5 highway-widening project next door.  Stay tuned.

If you’re into numbers, citations and other fun data related to why investing and encouraging bicycling is the most super-duper thing cities can do, it would be great to have your contribution to this collaborative project!

The Case for Cycling is destined to help inform the City Club of Portland’s research study on bicycling and will also serve as a comprehensive reference to help cities navigate the political and social challenges of building out their bike networks.

Chris Smith writes:

The City Club of Portland recently announced a research study: BICYCLING IN PORTLAND: A SERIOUS LOOK AT TRANSPORTATION POLICY AND PRIORITIES .

Here are the objectives of the study:

• Make a recommendation on the role bicycling should play in Portland’s transportation system, based on review of existing criteria, available studies, and witness testimony.

• Based on the committee’s recommendation for the role bicycling should play in Portland’s transportation system, make further recommendations on the goals the city should set for bicycle ridership and the necessary improvements to reach those goals.

• The committee must identify the level and sources of funding necessary to achieve the identified goals.

• The committee is encouraged to make recommendations in related areas, including safety, governance, traffic enforcement, economic development, and community outreach.

You can’t lobby a City Club research committee (and I wouldn’t want to – having participated in a couple and chaired one – I respect the process greatly), but you can make sure they have good information, and we’d like to make sure they have lots of it!

“We” in this instance is a cooperative effort of Portland Transport, the Bicycle Transportation Alliance, BikePortland, Portland Afoot and AROW.
And we’d like you to help us.

We’ve launched a Wiki site: The Case for Cycling and we’re asking your assistance in populating it with the best arguments, statistics and research making the case for why cycling is good for our city, region and country.

While the motivation for this site is immediate and local, we’d like this to be a high-quality effort that can take on a longer life and be a resource for other communities.

Please check out the site, sign up for an account, and contribute your best arguments and data!

Option 1 for Williams Ave presents the most ambitious proposal for Williams Ave to date, with a cycletrack-ish bikeway running on the left side of the street

One of the challenges with either left or right-aligned cycletracks is how to make turns across traffic.  In PBOT’s proposal, there would be right-turn turn boxes, but only at 1/3rd of the intersections. I was curious about how this would work, so Nick Falbo sent over this video from Steve Vance which demonstrates Chicago’s latest left-side protected bike lane.  It sure is helpful to see this sort of implementation in another American city.

The use of color in bike lanes in Portland has been a welcome addition to our bike network, but you don’t have to ride very far before you see the problem with using a layer of colored plastic (otherwise known as thermoplast or thermo-plastic) that is applied with intense heat to stick to the road surface.  Depending on wear and tear from vehicles and weather, it may not last a year before needing to apply a new layer.  The costs for thermoplastic are not insignificant.

In other lands, like the Netherlands, they actually use colored blacktop/concrete to get the job done.  The result is a smoother ride that lasts for many years.  Portland would save money on material and labor costs by not having to come back and apply color after paving, or years later to re-stripe.

Years back at a Traffic & Transportation class presentation, PBOT Director Tom Miller (then Mayor Adams’ chief-of-staff) mentioned there were hurdles to implementing this type of approach in the United States. I am curious if anyone knows if this is a MUTCD compliance issue, or if there just aren’t contractors and materials available locally to make it happen. I’d welcome any thoughts on using colored pavement and ditching colored thermoplastic in Portland.

Further reading: Using Color in Bike Infrastructure