Saw this Massachusetts bike lane shared by KennyWuKanYuen, and while on Apple Maps, parts of this bike lanes have potential conflict-points with pedestrians, this image seems to be the closest to perfect a bike lane can get.
Since many of you are regular bike commuters, I’d love your thoughts on how you’d tweak this design without losing its key strengths, like:
- safe enough that a child could ride without worrying about being sideswiped
- good separation from pedestrians (planters, trees, fence, tactile strips, painted gutters, etc.)
- raised so it feels purpose-built into the street, not like a quick retrofit
- added greenery that makes the street feel more welcoming
- a completely level riding surface, since the bike lane doesn’t have to dip down to the road because of the gutters
- asphalt surface, instead of concrete with sidewalk-style joints and ridges
- gutters that give a place for snow to go when the lane is plowed in winter
How would you adjust this setup to make it even better for everyday commuting?
by itsdanielsultan
4 Comments
There would be cars parked in this in Denver.
Remove that fence and lower the curbs around these planters. All in all: smoothem the edges like [this](https://maps.app.goo.gl/iwRPicYEoZ8P7wKE7?g_st=ac) Way too easy to hit these sharp and high edges with a pedal.
It doesn’t show how this lane crosses perpendicular streets/roads. What is the infrastructure like there? Is it still as protected? How favorable are signage, lights, etc.?
Seattle has a bike lane similar to this on 7th Ave in the Denny Triangle Neighborhood that tourists love to photograph and declare that Seattle is a “bike heaven” because of 3 blocks of okay bike lane.
My experience actually biking on that lane is that it’s generally full of confused pedestrians because there is minimal demarcation between the bike lane and the sidewalk, and/or delivery caddies, and/or boxes/crates/etc. staged for delivery.
The 7th Ave bike lane is useable if you go slow, but I avoid it.
Which isn’t to mention the way the 7th Ave bike lane connects to other “infrastructure”…
This looks similar. I would expect confused pedestrians who have zero idea they’re standing in the bike lane. Drivers blocking it “just to make a quick stop”. And unlike a painted bike lane (which suck worse), you can’t merge with traffic and get around obstructions. Not to mention those wrought iron planter fences are an unnecessary hazard.
Certainly better than nothing, and better than most bike infrastructure in North America, but still kinda meh.