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Protected bike lane planned for MLK Bridge
09/18/2013 10:27 AM by John M
From Ned Oliver at Style Weekly:
The plan also calls for a protected bike lane on Leigh Street Viaduct between 10th and Mosby streets. The city asked for bids from contractors last week. Helmboldt says the work could begin as early as December depending on weather.
The image is from proposed enhancements to the MLK Bridge from November 2011, response to which was a strong preference for a protected bicycle lane.
I have a better idea. How about taking the money for the project and redirect it to fix the potholes that riddle the city’s existing streets. The city cannot maintain the infrastructure it has now. Why would we add to the infrastructure or spend money on new stuff that we cannot maintain? Let’s get the potholes and the mowing and basic services up to snuff before we start doing new projects.
This is great news!
Oh crap, the mock up includes vegetation on both sides of the “walkway”. That’s gonna take A LOTTA extension cords when WE have to go trim it…
Making the infrastructure better for something other than cars would reduce the wear and tear on the roads, too. Hope this project is successful.
The picture above is for a more elaborate redo of the Leigh St. Viaduct. That is not what is being put out for bid at this time. According to the plans it looks to me like the city will reduce cars to two lanes in each direction across the bridge and then use white stripes and bike lanes to create safer travel lanes for bicycles in the non-car third lanes. I think this is a very good start to making the bicycle connection between Church Hill and downtown safer and more user friendly and, as a regular bicycle commuter across the bridge, I look forward to its completion and, hopefully, to much reduced car speeds across the bridge. The plans are at http://www.richmondgov.com/procurement/documents/bids/CB_J140002935_LeighStPlan.pdf
This is amazing. Even better would be to have the vegetation between bikes and the cars. This model works well in lots of places – Germany, Canada, etc.
Brad – awesome, thanks for the link!
Hey BAF- You do realize that by reducing the width of the car lanes, the city will have more money for maintenance right? When was the last time anyone’s seen heavy traffic on the MLK viaduct? Never. Plant the trees, there’s already electricity out there for the lights, build the bike lanes!
The few times I have biked this bridge, I was amazed by the volume of broken glass in the road and sidewalk. That needs to be addressed somehow if biking is to be encouraged.
Agree with #9. I’ve biked over a few times myself & always prepared for a flat after that particular stretch.
Chimbo and Bill 3 – I have the same concerns…I can take some pictures of that space perhaps Friday or Saturday and email them to you, so that we can all three address it to the city. Anyone want to find out who we can send this info too? The more the better….also, have they tried trashcans on the bridge before and they don’t work? perhaps the Clean City Commission could put up Don’t Litter signs?
My email is stojulia_34@hotmail.com
That image depicts a multi-million dollar concept that was never approved or funded and is NOT what will be constructed. Wide, buffered bike lanes with spatial separation from the auto travel lanes will be built by converting the outer lane in each direction to a bike lane.
This is great and all, and it would be even better if cyclists knew how to use the lane. I’m sick of having to swerve to avoid hitting idiots on bikes going the wrong way into oncoming traffic across this bridge. It’d also be nice if they knew that traffic signals apply to them, considering they constantly run red lights around the neighborhood.
Yes, yes I know that there are cyclists out there that do follow the rules, but I see far more that don’t.
33rd, it would be nice if all drivers came to a complete stop at stop signs, shoulder checked before merging, and obeyed posted speed limits. I’m sick of almost BEING KILLED by these drivers when I walk or bike. Yeah, I know many motorists do follow the rules, but I see far more that don’t.
Meadow, you act as though I said all motorists are perfect angels and cyclists are not. Obviously, motorists mess up plenty, but seeing as this article was actually about a bike lane, that is what I commented on.