Wiki Wednesday: Bike Boulevard
The inclusion of $825 million for Transportation Enhancements in the stimulus package should help pay for a lot of bike projects. Writing for Citiwire
this week, transportation analyst Sam Seskin suggests investing a chunk
of that stimulus money in bicycle boulevards, as opposed to bike lanes
or cycle tracks. What are bike boulevards? This week’s StreetsWiki entry explains:
Bicycle boulevards are lightly-trafficked streets that prioritize bicycles. Although many routes have
no bike lanes, bicyclists are free to use the middle of the street,
sharing road space with cars. Motorists on these routes expect to see
bicyclists and therefore travel with caution. Designated streets should
be distinguished with uniformly colored signs and bold pavement
markings.For novices or younger riders, bicycle boulevards
provide a transition between bike paths and high-traffic shared roads.
But they are also quite useful for experienced riders because of their
reduced traffic and connectivity.The cost of implementing a bicycle boulevard network is significantly less than constructing bike paths or trails.
In Portland and Berkeley, transportation planners have created bike boulevard conditions by diverting automobile through-traffic and slowing down the cars that remain. The resulting bike-friendly corridors are a key component of Portland’s strategy to increase bicycle mode share and expand the appeal of cycling beyond the “young and fearless” demographic.
Read More:
Streetsblog has migrated to a new comment system. New commenters can register directly in the comments section of any article. Returning commenters: your previous comments and display name have been preserved, but you'll need to reclaim your account by clicking "Forgot your password?" on the sign-in form, entering your email, and following the verification link to set a new password — this is required because passwords could not be carried over during the migration. For questions, contact tips@streetsblog.org.
