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King Ave Bicycle Facility

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Started 1 year ago by Walker
Latest reply from 0Angle

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johnwirtz
Glenview, IL
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columbusmike said:
I was thinking more along the lines of tires, filled with concrete, spaced every 10 feet or so to create a buffer, but allow cars to still get to their driveways, etc (but obviously something more attractive than a tire filled with concrete :)

We use "flexible delineators" or little white posts. I don't think they're all that attractive, but they don't take up much space. See video:
http://www.streetfilms.org/kinzie-street-the-first-of-many-protected-bike-lanes-for-chicago/

Posted 1 year ago #
leftovers

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Does any have any info on whether they might continue some form of this to High St? I think it would be ideal.

Posted 1 year ago #
groundrules

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bldng4jstc said:
As someone who cycles everyday, bike lanes like those proposed are really poor. It makes drivers feel they are separate when in reality they are not.

For similar investment, we could do the following. A curb could be installed near the white buffer for further safety in the future.

king-ave-typicals_web

I also bike a lot, and I disagree. I don't think it makes sense to institute a new (and foreign to most) system on just a single street. Seems ripe for confusing drivers and cyclists alike, which i don't think makes anyone safer. I'd much prefer to just make a little more room for bikes to operate as they currently do on every other street in the city, which is along with the flow of traffic, near the curb. I think isolating bikes from cars just creates more of the same problems- the goal is successful, safe coexistence on the roads, not isolation.

Posted 1 year ago #
NerosNeptune
Goodale Park
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The protected lane in the article john posted looks nice, but I'd be pretty worried about the fact that right-turning traffic can't see the bikes through the wall of parked cars. It's exactly what makes riding on the sidewalk so dangerous.

Posted 1 year ago #
futureman
Grandview Heights
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My issue with the plan is that it is doing nothing on King Ave from Olentangy to Cannon Dr. That section of road is very bike unfriendly due to a combination of heavy traffic and high speed (cars often "floor it" when they turn on to King ave from Cannon in the mad dash to get on to 315). Without addressing this dangerous section of road this plan essentially has bike lanes to nowhere.

Posted 1 year ago #
GCrites80s
5xNW
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^ I'm pretty sure there are plans for changes to both King and Fifth between Olentangy and Neil to make them more bike and pedestrian friendly. Saw them on here somewhere.

Posted 1 year ago #
Cole
Hilltop
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futureman said:
My issue with the plan is that it is doing nothing on King Ave from Olentangy to Cannon Dr. That section of road is very bike unfriendly due to a combination of heavy traffic and high speed (cars often "floor it" when they turn on to King ave from Cannon in the mad dash to get on to 315). Without addressing this dangerous section of road this plan essentially has bike lanes to nowhere.

According to the Bikeway Plan, King Avenue between Olentangy and High Street will be a "Signed Shared Roadway" which more-or-less means sharrows. The interesting thing is that the Bikeway Plan looked like it was a bike path until Cannon Dr.

I also think that "bike lanes to nowhere" is inaccurate. It's bike lanes to the bike path which gets a lot of use. Plus, the real battle in getting to Cannon Drive from King Avenue is turning. A bike lane alone would not address that issue.

Posted 1 year ago #
0Angle
Home-Northwood Park, Breweries-43215
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I'd like to see a safer way to get on the trail from west of Olentangy. I don't feel right crossing the river on the sidewalk (5th's sidewalks are pretty narrow-not really enough room to pass a pedestrian or bike going in the opposite direction) or jumping the curb at the trail on the east side of the river.

Posted 1 year ago #
cc

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This all looks very promising, but I too would lime more than sharrows on King on the east side of the river. It has huge biking potential with all of the students in the area.

Posted 1 year ago #
Cole
Hilltop
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0Angle said:
I'd like to see a safer way to get on the trail from west of Olentangy. I don't feel right crossing the river on the sidewalk (5th's sidewalks are pretty narrow-not really enough room to pass a pedestrian or bike going in the opposite direction) or jumping the curb at the trail on the east side of the river.

I understand that and thankfully there will be spot improvements around that area according to the Bicycle Subcommittee March 2012 Meeting notes:

Olentangy River Rd/King Ave/Olentangy Trail - Improve access to Olentangy Trail

I forget what that means, but something will happen in 2012.

Posted 1 year ago #
johnwirtz
Glenview, IL
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NerosNeptune said:
The protected lane in the article john posted looks nice, but I'd be pretty worried about the fact that right-turning traffic can't see the bikes through the wall of parked cars. It's exactly what makes riding on the sidewalk so dangerous.

Absolutely the biggest concern. It's important to provide good parking clearances at corners for visibility. Mixing zone designs can work too. At major intersections, separate signal phases can be provided to separate turning conflicts.

Posted 1 year ago #
Rockmastermike
The Bacon District
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hopefully this includes repaving that stretch of king ave. It's literally falling apart in spots and the patching efforts are not helping.

Posted 1 year ago #
rus

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Rockmastermike said:
hopefully this includes repaving that stretch of king ave. It's literally falling apart in spots and the patching efforts are not helping.

It seems to since it's apparently part of the resurfacing plan.

Posted 1 year ago #
Cole
Hilltop
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rus said:
It seems to since it's apparently part of the resurfacing plan.

Yes. I should add that the Bikeway Plan is referenced when a street is resurfaced. That's why Parsons has such a small bike lane. The bike lane goes to to the traffic light (~700 ft.)

Posted 1 year ago #
NerosNeptune
Goodale Park
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I had a good laugh the first time I went through Livingston there.. Also, much of Livingston was repaved further out towards Reynoldsburg but unfortunately no bike separation in an area that sorely needs it.

I don't know that we'll ever get to a point where we have things in Columbus like what john is showing.

Posted 1 year ago #
columbusmike

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I think we'll have our fair share of bike lanes in the next 10 years. However, be equally as happy if we would focus on ways to slow traffic down (brick/cobblestone roads, choke points, etc) so bikes, people, and cars can all share the roads together.

Posted 1 year ago #
groundrules

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Rockmastermike said:
hopefully this includes repaving that stretch of king ave. It's literally falling apart in spots and the patching efforts are not helping.

yeah, add 5th to that list too. it's shit from Marble Cliff to 71.

Posted 1 year ago #
futureman
Grandview Heights
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Cole said:
According to the Bikeway Plan,

I also think that "bike lanes to nowhere" is inaccurate. It's bike lanes to the bike path which gets a lot of use. Plus, the real battle in getting to Cannon Drive from King Avenue is turning. A bike lane alone would not address that issue.

Except currently you cannot get on the bike trail going northbound from King, and going southbound (no curb cut) you have to ride over to 5th ave, cross the street (no curb cuts) or take the step descent and cut back immediately to the left.

Also, it should be known that OSU is intending on moving Cannon Drive at some point. It will be straightened out, terminated on King much closer to the river than currently.

http://fod.osu.edu/projects/cannon/2011_8-22_presentation.pdf

Posted 1 year ago #
Walker
The KLD / Downtown / Gay Street
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NerosNeptune said:
I don't know that we'll ever get to a point where we have things in Columbus like what john is showing.

Every bike system in every city was built one step at a time. The citizens of Portland didn't just wake up one day to find that Santa had delivered a comprehensive bike system fully assembled under the tree. ;)

Posted 1 year ago #
labi
Weinland Park
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groundrules said:
yeah, add 5th to that list too. it's shit from Marble Cliff to 71.

Fifth from High Street to 71 is going to be repaved and (to my understanding) somewhat reconfigured within the next year. I can't remember anymore if/how bike lanes figure into it. Maybe someone else's memory will be better than mine.

Posted 1 year ago #