"Right Way" Contraflow

Source

John S. Allen writes:

"Milvia Street in Berkeley, California is a residential street which runs parallel to Shattuck Avenue, a heavily traveled arterial with narrow lanes. Milvia Street is used as a "bicycle boulevard" -- a two-way through route for cyclists on which motor traffic volume and speed are reduced by various measures. The contraflow installation on one block of Milvia Street is one of these measures. Like many German contraflow installations, the Milvia Street installation does not use a bike lane [emphasis added]."

Source

Allen notes than while it "has been shown again and again that riding opposite the flow of traffic is hazardous...an important distinction needs to be made between two types of contraflow installations":

• "wrong way" contraflow -- a two-way bike lane assemblage or two-way sidepath on one side of a street;

• "right way" contraflow -- a street on which the normal rules of the road apply, but only bicycles are permitted to travel in one of the two directions.

"Right-way contraflow installations are a reasonable idea", says Allen, "if carefully designed and located. They can clearly improve the convenience of bicycle travel....[T]hey also can reduce the risk of crashes by shortening trips and by providing a route that avoids trouble spots."

GERMANY: Contraflow Without Special Lanes
In Bremen, Saarbrücken and a few other cities, the one-way streets with contraflow bicycle traffic have already proven themselves. Despite all misgivings, there have been no crashes resulting from the streets' being open to contraflow bicycle traffic. The results in the test phase, which lasted more than three years, were positive, and so the change in the traffic law was made permanent as of the beginning of the year 2001.

Read more about "When does contraflow bicycle travel make sense?"

First Salmon Signs Appearing in Delaware

Bike Salmon beware! DelDOT has you square in their sights. The first wrong-way bicycling signs have made their debut, this one found recently on Salem Church Road in Bear. The City of Newark is also moving forward with the sign at strategic points along Main Street and Delaware Avenues, to try and discourage riding "upstream".

Riding facing traffic remains a prevalent problem for a number of reasons. These include a fear of distracted or hostile motorists overtaking from behind, confusing bicycle laws with that of pedestrians, coming from another country with reverse lane directions, etc. Regardless, the net result is more frequent risk because it puts bicyclists in a position where motorists are not expecting them to be, whether the bicyclist is in the street or on the sidewalk. An example is a motorist making a right turn on red. The motorist is looking primarily to the left for a gap in traffic and may not recognize a bicyclist riding against traffic, either in the street or on the sidewalk.

The new sign will become more widespread with the installation of new bike lanes in Delaware. Read all about crash factors on Bicyclinginfo.org.

What Delaware Can Learn from the NACTO Urban Bikeway Design Guide

Even though it has "urban" in its title, and Delaware is a very automobile oriented suburban and rural state, with some creativity Delaware can still take some great ideas from the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) Urban Bikeway Design Guide.

Buffered Bike Lanes

The NACTO Guide states that appropriate application for buffered bike lanes would be on streets with high speeds, high volumes, large volumes of truck traffic, or on streets with extra lane width or extra lanes. While cycling on many of Delaware's roads (especially in New Castle County) one will encounter almost all of these conditions. Could buffered bike lanes help increase cyclist comfort or safety or perhaps make motorists more aware of cyclists on major arterial roads where 10+ foot wide shoulders already exist?

Source: NACTO

Two-Way Cycle Track

Delaware Avenue in Newark, DE runs directly through the heart of the University of Delaware's campus in downtown Newark. This road provides an eastbound connection through Newark with two wide motor vehicle lanes (approx 11.5+ ft each) and one wide bike lane (approx 7ft). The only problem is that there is no dedicated bike lane to provide a westbound connection through Newark. Main Street is a westbound roadway located one block to the north but currently has no bicycle facilities in place. Main Street is also the main commercial corridor with parking on each side of the street and high vehicle volumes that can make novice cyclists uncomfortable. Many cyclists currently use Delaware Avenue for two way travel due to the wide bike lane and lack of westbound bicycle facilities.

Delaware Avenue, Newark, DE vs. 15th St NW, Washington, DC

The NACTO Design Guide says that typical applications for two-way cycle tracks are on one-way streets where contra-flow bicycle travel is desired, along streets with high motor vehicle volumes and/or high speeds, on streets with extra ROW, and on streets with few intersection and driveway conflicts. Delaware Avenue fits most of these criteria, with the exception of a slightly higher amount of driveway conflicts. Could Newark ever see the day when Delaware Avenue gets a two-way cycle track?

Two-Stage Turn Queues

A large amount of Delaware cycling routes take cyclists along four lane arterial roadways with one or two lane left turning bays, creating a very wide and difficult cross section to navigate if a cyclist wishes to turn left. Instead of having to cross two through lanes of traffic and position themselves in several hundred foot long left turning lanes that can be up to two lanes wide, could Delaware consider implementing a two-stage turning queue? Design markings that encourage cyclists t ride through the intersection and wait at the far pedestrian refuge island or painted right turn channelization island could be used. The cyclist would then cross when the intersecting street traffic signal green phase is active.

Two-stage Turn Queue (NACTO) vs. Potential Application in DE?

Combined Bike Lane/Turn Lane

This is a topic that is a major priority for Bike Delaware at the moment. NACTO recommends using a combined bike lane/turn lane in instances where there is a right turn lane but not enough space to maintain a standard width bike lane. This scenario happens all over Delaware, wide shoulders which abruptly end into a high-speed right-turn only lane. These design could be soon tested in Delaware thanks to the hard work of Bike Delaware advocates.

Combined Bike Lane/Turn Lane (NACTO)

Shared Lane Markings

“Sharrows” made their first debut in the state of Delaware in Wilmington last year. After being approved by DelDOT, a new tool has been added to aid in accommodating bicyclists in roadway design. Although sharrows are only recommended for low-speed roads (<35 mph), there are many areas around the state where they could come in handy. Main Street Newark is a perfect candidate for sharrows, the only question now is when will they finally be installed?

Main Street, Newark, DE (source)

Sharrow Rendering (NACTO)

If you would like to explore the rest of the NACTO Urban Bikeway Design Guide it is available online at the NACTO website.

Using the NACTO website, I took all of the design treatments presented and prepared a PowerPoint slide show for the University of Delaware:

Complete Streets 1906

This is mostly all illegal now:

We have traded the symphony of 1906 streets for the muzak of 2011 roads.

Read more>>

T4A: High gas prices are fueling demand for broader transportation options

The higher gas prices become, the more likely people are to start looking for alternatives. And the shift has already begun. Gas prices at or above $4 a gallon generate the need for 670 million additional passenger trips on transit systems, resulting in more than 10.8 billion trips per year, according to the American Public Transportation Association.

And, bicycling has become a popular alternative, with new riders benefiting from recent investment in bike facilities and programs. [Read on]

Urban Bikeway Design Guide and Trevor

See Trevor's blog post on the NACTO Design Guide HERE.

Bike Delaware's own Trevor Booz put together this superb presentation on the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) Urban Bikeway Design Guide, released last month at the National Bike Summit. Unfortunately for us, but to the great benefit of the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, we will be losing Trevor when he relocates in under 2 weeks from now.

Trevor was a huge asset to Bike Delaware. His contributions included on-road experience at meetings and workshops, participating in committee assignments, and writing position statements and power point presentations such as this one. Those in his age group with such a high level of interest in advocacy are very rare indeed, and he will surely be missed.

From all of us at Bike Delaware, we wish him the greatest of luck in his new Endeavors.

Habitat for Humanity's 2011 "Bike to Build" scheduled for June 11

The goal of Bike to Build 2011 is to harness the biking energy of our community to fight substandard housing in New Castle County. The goal is to raise $250,000 so that Habitat for Humanity can build homes in the Mill Stone neighborhood for local two families. There are three ride options offered, a 15 mile family ride, a 25 mile ride and a 50 mile ride. All three length rides will take you through the Wilmington Greenways, with the longer rides continuing through a scenic tour of the Brandywine Valley.

Riders can register by clicking on the Register tab on HERE. Registration is $40 per rider. Riders are required to raise a minimum of $150 per rider. You can also volunteer on the day, sponsor someone else, or help with event logistics.

Please visit the event webpage HERE for full details.

DART's 11th Annual Statewide Transit Poster Contest "Bike to the Bus"

DART First State announced today the winners of its 11th Annual Statewide Transit Theme Poster Contest. Seven winners will receive gifts and prizes from DART First State and one of its Business Partners, the Wilmington Blue Rocks. "DART’s 11th Annual Transit Poster Contest has proven to be the most successful to date. There were more than 379 entries in this year’s event" said Lerrissa Boardley, DART Marketing Specialist. "The Bike to the Bus theme seemed to have struck a chord with sixth through twelfth graders throughout the First State".

Students researched the bus service and its various destinations and learned of the benefits of riding transit in Delaware. A First Place Winner from each grade was chosen along with an overall Grand Prize Winner. This year’s Grand Prize Winner is Maddy Deaton, a 9th Grader at Wilmington Christian in Hockessin. Maddy’s artwork will be placed on all DART First State buses statewide and her artwork will also be featured on our website, DartFirstState.com and in DART’s newsletters.

Full story on DART's website HERE.

Delaware Legislators Bike to Work Ride

May 10th, 2011 is the 22nd Annual Legislators Bike to Work Ride. This ride began in May 1990, with State Rep. Roger Roy leading bicycling enthusiasts from the Polly Drummond Hill Shopping Center to the steps of the State Capitol in Dover to attend the signing of the bill creating the Delaware Bicycle Council. Since then it has become an annual event lead by Sen. Dave Sokola to promote bicycling during national bicycling month. Again this year a ride from the North begins at the Polly Drummond Hill Shopping Center (approx 60 miles) and ends at Legislative Mall in Dover.

For those who prefer a shorter trip, additional rendezvous points are planned along the way at Middletown Square (9:30 AM - 30 miles) and in Clayton at Lorenzo’s Restaurant (10:30AM - 14 miles). From the South a group will be riding in from Milton Park (37 miles) with rendezvous points in Milford Superfresh (8:45 AM - 24 miles) and Halls Restaurant (10:00 AM to eat and 11:00 AM to ride - 5.5 miles). All times are approximate but leaders will try to accominidate joining riders as best as possible. All rides and activities are free.

Event flyer with full details HERE (pdf).

NCC Comprehensive Plan Meeting and Survey - Community Design

Please consider attending the next Land Use Comprehensive Development Plan Meeting, where Planners will present what Developers propose as Community Designs and gather input from you regarding how and where you think they should be built, plus any interaction they should have with your own community or commute area. This has huge implications for bicycling and walking, and they need to see we are an active part of the planning process.

Date is Wednesday April 27 from 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. in the multi-purpose room at the New Castle County Government Center - Gillian Building, 77 Reads Way, New Castle, DE 19720 (map).

Whether you can attend it or not, please take the New Castle County Community Survey. In it you will find several questions specifically related to bicycling and walking, and village-like communities. It is critical that enough of us prioritize these as key components of a livable New Castle County.

Calling All Mechanics!

Urban Bike Project needs your help! The season is getting into full swing, and the shop is in need of volunteer bicycle mechanics. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact our volunteer coordinator, Laura Saperstein, at laura@urbanbikeproject.org.

Our next volunteer orientation will be held this coming Monday, May 2, at 7 pm. If you don't know how to work on bikes and want to learn, our next Mechanic's Training Course starts the same night and continues every Monday for 4 weeks. Orientation and Mechanic's Training will be held at our shop, 1908 N. Market St. in Wilmington. Please email Laura to sign up!

What Can Be Done About Right-Turn Only Lanes If All You Have is a Bucket of Paint?

The Dutch have been dealing with the right-turn only lane problem by re-designing their intersections. But what if that is not a practical option? What if, in practice, all you have at your disposal to make intersections with right-turn only lanes safer for bicyclists is a bucket of paint?

Delaware is grappling with this question. And recently a Bike Delaware-sponsored Bike Lane Working Group identified two options, the second of which would be a Federal Highway Administration - approved experiment on a combined "pocket" bike lane / right-turn lane. Currently, there is one such approved experiment in the U.S. It is being undertaken by the city of Columbia, Missouri: 

Click on image to expand (+)

 
Columbia's combination bike lane / right-turn lane is part of a larger experiment that they are undertaking on colored pavement.

Can Delaware do an experiment that uses green colored pavement, too? If we can't, what should we do instead?

Wooden Wheels Bike Shop offers free maintenance clinic

Bike mechanics from Wooden Wheels Bicycle Shop will conduct an approximately 1 hour workshop on bicycle maintenance and repair. Similar workshops in past years have been popular.

The mechanics are willing to demonstrate any repairs requested of them. Please RSVP via email (flintdh@verizon.net) or phone (302-354-4256) what repairs you would like them to demonstrate. Be creative!

When: Monday, May 2, 7 pm
Where: WILMAPCO, 850 Library Ave, Suite 100, Newark, DE (map)

Event sponsored by the White Clay Bicycle Club.

Mia Birk: It's ALL Good

Mia Birk (left) with Bike Delaware's Frank Warnock at the 2011 National Bike Summit.

Mia Birk (former Portland Bicycle Coordinator):

"People often ask me: what type of bikeway facility should we start with? Off-street paths? Cycle tracks, aka protected/separated bike lanes? Traditional bike lanes? Bike boulevards, aka neighborhood greenways? Shared lane markings?"

Basically, Mia says it's all good:

"Where to start? Wherever you can. And wherever that is, keep going."

Read Mia's post on the Bike Network Recipe>>

Car Lite

by Bob Ruddy

In the fall of 2009 I began flirting with the idea of becoming a car light family. Going from two cars to a single car. Up till this point I had commuted by bicycle off and on since I was 11 years old (22 years). The biggest gap in that time period was from the fall of 1997 until about 2003. Since beginning again in 2003 I never fully committed. There would be several month stretches in which I would fully commit, but I always reverted back to the car. That fall I flirted with the idea of selling my car in order to force myself to commit.

Fast forward to September 2010. My daughter Elie was born. I was fat, at a hefty 228 pounds. I was still off and on commuting by bicycle/train at this point. By the end of September I realized I needed to 1) lose weight 2) live a more simple life and 3) use less resources. All of these became stronger feelings after Elie was born. I want Elie to grow up healthy, with healthy parents, be less materialistic, understand the true cost of everyday actions such as driving, and to imprint less of a physical imprint than myself or my parents did.

On September 30th I logged into my insurance’s website and “garaged” my car. This was the incentive I needed. Since that day my car hasn’t moved. As of March 18th, I have lost 32 pounds and saved over $994.

The best part about all of this… It wasn’t difficult. I’ve ridden in rain, snow, sleet, cold, warm. It isn’t difficult to motivate yourself and to just do it. We will switch to a 1 car family with little to no sacrifice.

Cross-posted HERE.

Bike Lane Working Group Presentation

For those of you who were unable to join the Bike Lane Working Group on April 14, the presentation below can be viewed in pdf HERE.

Summary of the Working Group's work is HERE.


Another round of kudos to Mark Luszcz and DelDOT's Traffic Department for making this all possible!

Volunteer today for the Wilmington Grand Prix!

By Bev Zimmermann, Volunteer Coordinator

At just over a month away, close to 400 volunteers will be needed to cover the 3 days of cycling and events at the Wilmington Grand Prix on May 20- 22. This includes course marshals all 3 days, help with setting up and breaking down, and volunteers for the street festival on Saturday. Click here to go straight to the volunteer sign-up page on the official website. Please feel free to pass this along to friends, family and coworkers that may be interested in being a part of this great event.

The event has grown bigger than ever this year. Besides the races in downtown Wilmington on Saturday, there will also be road races Sunday morning between Wilmington and Dover. Please help support this major biking event by volunteering to help out. There are a variety of needs on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, so check your calendar and sign up using the link above.

A scene from the 2010 Grand Prix.

Newark Bicycle Safety Checkpoints - Spring 2011

Another fabulous outing by our friends in DelDOT and DBC, in conjunction with the City of Newark. In the words of Heather Dunigan of WILMACPO:

"This spring's Bicycle Safety Checkpoints were a big success, despite beginning on a rainy day. April 12 and 20 Checkpoints were sponsored by DelDOT and the Newark Bicycle Committee in partnership with University of Delaware Public Safety and the City of Newark. During the two days, approximately 70 bike lights were installed, 10 helmets distributed, and 13 bike registered by UD Public Safety"

"Huge thanks to all the volunteers and for DelDOT’s help in setting this up, supplying the giveaways and helping to make bicycling safer in Newark!"

DelDOT Bicycle Coordinator Anthony Aglio, assistant Dan LaCombe (hidden), and the Newark Police in action, above.

On-line photos available HERE.

Share The Road

We all must learn to Share the Road.

Study Finds Americans Prefer Smart Growth Communities

Cross posted from the DVSGA

Americans favor walkable, mixed-use neighborhoods, with 56 percent of respondents preferring smart growth neighborhoods over neighborhoods that require more driving between home, work and recreation. That's according to a recent study, the Community Preference Survey, by the National Association of Realtors, released earlier this month.

Walkable communities are defined as those where shops, restaurants, and local businesses are within walking distance from homes. According to the survey, when considering a home purchase, 77 percent of respondents said they would look for neighborhoods with abundant sidewalks and other pedestrian-friendly features, and 50 percent would like to see improvements to existing public transportation rather than initiatives to build new roads and developments.

The survey also revealed that while space is important to home buyers, many are willing to sacrifice square footage for less driving. Eighty percent of those surveyed would prefer to live in a single-family, detached home as long as it didn't require a longer commute, but nearly three out of five of those surveyed -- 59 percent -- would choose a smaller home if it meant a commute time of 20 minutes or less.

Upcoming Events and Rides

Northern Delaware Greenway Spring Tune-up Rides
Wednesdays, April 20-May 25 at 6:00 p.m. Co-Sponsored by White Clay Bicycle Club and Delaware Greenways. A series of rides are being offered to get people comfortable and familiar with riding the Northern Delaware Greenway Trail. Riders will meet at the Blue Ball Barn in Alapocas Run State Park, 1914 W. Park Drive, Wilmington DE 19803 (map), at 6:00 p.m. on consecutive Wednesday evenings in April and May. Please be ready to ride; mountain, hybrid or road bikes are appropriate since the route is paved. Helmets are mandatory. The rides vary in length, starting at 5 miles on week 1, and progressing to 15 miles by week 6. Shorter mileage rides are also available. An optional orientation to trail riding will be offered at 5:30 p.m. for those that are relatively new to riding and to answer any questions. Ride leader: John McCormick, 302-668-8749. Don’t forget to bring you Delaware State Park Pass!

22nd Annual Delaware Legislator's Ride
May 10, 2011 rain or shine. The Legislators Ride began in May 1990, when Rep. Roger Roy led bicycling enthusiasts from the Polly Drummond Hill Shopping Center to the steps of the state capital. The ride, measuring up to 56 miles one-way from Newark, was created in order to attend the signing of the bill that created the Delaware Bicycle Council, a bike advocacy group. Since then, it has become an annual state event to promote bicycling during National Bike Month. Multiple start locations from Pike Creek to Dover are planned. Further information TBA.

2011 Delaware Tour de Cure
May 14, 2011. Register today to Take the Ride of Your Life! The Tour de Cure features routes of different lengths for riders of all skill levels. There's something for everyone from a leisurely short distance to a more challenging length. Either way, Tour de Cure is a ride, not a race, so take it at your own speed and enjoy the journey. All Tour de Cure routes are safe and fully supported with route marshals, SAG vehicles, mechanical support, and rest stops stocked with hydration and a variety of snacks to keep you fueled. At the finish, you will be welcomed with cheering volunteers, great food and more. Event page HERE. Pre-register on Active.com HERE.

Who Bikes?

Cross posted from Sightline Daily

If you're reading this blog then the phrase "interesting demographic data" probably doesn't sound like an oxymoron to you. That's a good thing because you'll find a heap of it in a new analytical report out on bicycling. Among other things, we get a clearer view of the race and income components of US bicycling.

Two big things stand out: 1) white people remain somewhat over-represented; but 2) bicycling appears to be trending toward racial parity. As of 2009, roughly 21 percent of all bike trips in the US were made by people of color, and it looks as though US cyclists may soon look pretty darn similar to the nation as a whole.

Contrary to popular convention, the biggest share of bicyclists isn't yuppies, it's low income people. In fact, the lowest-earning quarter of Americans make nearly one-third of all bike trips.

Full article, including more charts and data HERE.

Delaware Nature Society's Earth Day Festival recap

Despite the heavy rain and limited parking close by, the Delaware Nature Society's First Annual Earth Day Festival on April 16 still attracted plenty of folks from around the tri-state region. It was a prime opportunity for Bike Delaware to bring bicycling to the environmental movement, and network with dozens of other organizations who share a common interest in reducing car dependence.

Also paying a visit on the day was our own Senator Tom Carper, one of the most environmentally friendly congressmen ever to serve in Delaware. Tom entertained the crowd with personal stories, some of Delaware's environmental history, and how Russell Peterson was a dedicated environmentalist and the guiding force behind the Coastal Zone Act of 1972. This act protected Delaware's inland bays and waterways by banning heavy industry from a two-mile-wide strip of Delaware's 115 mile coastline, about 20% of the state. The major consequence of the Act was preventing Shell from building a $200m oil refinery. This piece of legislation has since been used by other states to protect their shorelines.

For those of you who don't know, Russell Peterson (right) served as Governor of Delaware as a member of the Republican Party. An influential environmentalist, he served as chairman of the Council on Environmental Quality and president of the National Audubon Society. When he died last month, Governor Markell was one of many who praised his legacy.

A tip of the helmet to John Harrod and his PR team, who poured tons of time and effort into event advertising. Had the conditions been warm and sunny, the event would have been held outdoors as originally planned, but such days in early Spring can be difficult to come by.

View more event photos on Shutterfly HERE.

Bike Lane Working Group Identifies Two Zero Cost Right Turn Only Lane Options

In Delaware, most DelDOT identified bicycle "routes" consist of roads with shoulders. Although road shoulders were not designed for bicycling, bicyclists have in effect inherited this infrastructure though it was originally designed for other purposes. Because it was not originally designed with bicycling in mind, however, shoulders on high speed roads typically disappear at intersections, where the right-of-way is used for right turn only lanes (RTOLs) instead. For the current population of road cyclists, the RTOL is the biggest obstacle to the use of road shoulders for bicycling.

Mark Luszcz, Assistant Chief Traffic Engineer at DelDOT, and Heather Dunigan and Dave Gula from WILMAPCO, met with representatives from Bike Delaware, Delaware Bicycle Council, Delaware Greenways, Sussex Cyclists, White Clay Bicycle Club, Wilmington Ski Club, and the Wilmington Bicycle Advisory Committee to discuss the problem of bicycling through RTOLs. The focus of the discussion was on identifying safe, practical, zero cost treatments that could be implemented as part of DelDOT's routine pave and rehab operations - as well as retrofits. In addition, the Working Group briefly discussed some of the legal aspects of bicycling in (and around) RTOLs, as the vehicle code is being revisited by the DBC and may require change as it relates to this problem.

In all, two zero cost (paint) options were identified:

1) Modifying or eliminating the solid taper line that currently divides RTOLs from shoulders

• Eliminating, or possibly dashing, the taper line that divides shoulders from RTOLs will make it clear that bicyclists may enter, or merge with a RTOL when exiting a shoulder that is disappearing. The Group noted that, unlike some other options, this required no changes in the MUTCD or special experimental process in order to implement.
  

2) A FHWA-approved experiment on a "Combined Bike Lane/RTOL"

• Although not as straightforward as option 1, the Working Group strongly favored something more intuitively obvious to encourage motorists and bicyclists to perform safer merging movements. This is especially urgent given the high speeds that are typical of motorized vehicles entering RTOLs on Delaware arterial roads.
  

The Working Group noted that Missouri had proposed, and received approval from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) for, an experiment on a "Combined Bike Lane/Right Turn Only Lane" treatment and agreed that DelDOT should prepare a similar Request To Experiment for the FHWA. Funding for the experiment will be required and the Working Group agreed to work in tandem with DelDOT to identify it.

In summary, the meeting went exceptionally well. A path forward has been established, and we sincerely thank Mark, along with Donald Weber (Chief Traffic Engineer) for their commitment in this matter. This is a historic opportunity for us to work together and address a major safety problem that, until now, has received scant national attention outside the urban environment.

But then, isn't that what it means to be the First State?

Bike Delaware Challenge

Most people can't count the number of times that the people wearing white T-Shirts pass the ball in this video.

Can you?

Click on the envelope icon below to leave a comment about the number of passes you counted.

East Coast Greenway interim route signs appear in Delaware

The East Coast Greenway is a developing long-distance, urban, shared-use trail system linking 25 major cities along the eastern seaboard between Calais, Maine and Key West, Florida. It will serve non-motorized users of all abilities and ages. A 3,000-mile long spine route will be accompanied by 2,000 miles of alternate routes that link in key cities, towns, and areas of natural beauty. This green travel corridor will provide cyclists, walkers, and other muscle-powered modes of transportation with a low-impact way to explore the eastern seaboard.

Over 25 percent of the route is already on safe, traffic-free paths. However, most will remain routed on roads until alignments are found. In the interim, a very attractive sign at each intersection will guide users between these off road segments, and we are proud to announce that placement in Delaware is well underway. The photo above was taken at the intersection of Chrysler Ave and Elkton Road in Newark, .5 miles before the west entrance of the James F. Hall Trail.

Visit the East Coast Greenway website, Delaware HERE.

Bike Delaware joins Rail*Trains*Ecology*Cycling

Rail*Trains*Ecology*Cycling (RailTEC) is a group best known for its efforts to seek access & equity for cyclists on trains, commuter rail, Amtrak and future high speed rail. Hauling freight by rail has fewer adverse impacts than moving freight by truck; substituting automobile & air travel with commuter, regional & high speed rail reduces fuel consumption and carbon emissions and bicycling is an ideal mode in trips less than 3 miles.

Rail*Trains*Ecology*Cycling is working with regional & statewide cycling groups to educate public officials about the benefits of bicycle parking on trains and the benefits of undoing policies, which restrict access to commuter and Amtrak trains 24/7. And now, Bike Delaware is one of them!

Check out their website and facebook pages.

Delaware MUTCD released for public comment

The Delaware version of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices has been released for public comment. Shared right turn only lanes (aka bike pocket lanes) will not be included at this time, but if we do succeed and they are approved, they can be implemented as an interim guidance.

The section on bicycles can be reviewed in pdf HERE. Submit all comments via email by April 30 to: dotpr@state.de.us

Bike Lane Working Group agenda for April 14th

We hope you join us for this special meeting. It may just be the most important safety and legal issue facing Delaware bicyclists today.

6:00 Call to Order (James Wilson)

6:02 Introductions

6:05 Presentation: "The Right Turn Only Lane Problem; The Combined Bike Lane/Right Turn Lane" (Frank Warnock, Bike Delaware)

6:25 DelDOT's Analysis of Problem (Mark Luszcz, PE)

6:45 Amending the Delaware Code (Amy Wilburn, Chair, DBC)

7:00 Discussion

8:00 Workshop adjourned.

Please confirm with Frank Warnock at: frank@bikede.org if you plan to attend. Hope to see you there!

The economic case for on-street bike parking

Cross posted from grist. This is the fourth column in a series focusing on the economics of bicycling.

By Elly Blue

Bicycling and driving have one thing in common that is almost universally frustrating, time consuming, friction causing, and potentially expensive.

Parking.

No matter how seamless your ride across town, no matter how well-timed the traffic lights or low-conflict the bike lanes, it's all pointless if when you arrive at work, or the store, or the music venue or party, and have nowhere to put your ride.

Worse is when you go back outside find your lock still securely attached and that sweet bike you invested in nowhere in sight.

Or when you buy the rustiest, most theft-proof bike you can find, and arrive at work sweaty because your gears don't shift and covered in grease because your chain falls off every other block.

Or when you are running late for a meeting and hastily lock up to whatever is handy and then return to nothing -- except, if you're lucky, a note informing you it's been impounded.

These are all real barriers to bicycling. And the solutions might seem difficult and costly ... until you break them down and put them in perspective.

We bend over backwards to make car parking easy and cheap. The costs never seem to be too high, the urban real estate too valuable, or alternatives to driving worthy enough of actually incentivizing. Even though we can never build enough to keep up with demand, we keep demanding -- and constructing -- more. And to hell with the price.

Bike parking, on the other hand, is an afterthought in many municipalities, if it exists at all. Which is a real shame -- because it can be a powerful economic development engine.

A recent study in Melbourne found that bike parking spaces are better at generating revenue than car parking spaces. In part, this is simply because bicycles take up so little space, and parking can provide more opportunities for paying customers to park right at a business's front door . . . [Read on]

Article includes dozens more reasons why bicycle parking simply makes sense.

How the Dutch Handle the Right Turn Only Lane Problem

No "Pocket" Bike Lanes 

A Bike Delaware Working Group will meet this Thursday, April 14 to discuss the challenge that right turn only lanes present for bicycle users. A lot of discussion will reference the idea of a "combined" bike lane/right turn lane (a type of "pocket" bike lane, for when roadway width is constrained) as seen, for example, in the Maryland MUTCD and in the National Association of City Transportation Officials Bikeway Design Guide. 

The combined bike lane / right turn lane approach to the right turn only lane problem has the very great merit of being, basically, free. It is a painted road marking that requires no roadway reconstruction whatsoever and can be applied for no additional cost as part of routine pave and rehab maintenance operations. In an American context, it qualifies as innovative. From the Dutch perspective, however, the "pocket" bike lane design (whether "combined" or not) appears outdated, at best, and unsafe, at worst. Since the Dutch have the highest bicycle mode share in the world, and have been designing and experimenting with cycling-specific infrastructure for decades, it may be worth checking out how they handle the right turn only lane problem (VIDEO):
 

The pocket bike lane is surely a great improvement over the current situation in Delaware which is, on most roads, no facility of any kind for bicycle users to navigate around right turn only lanes. But we should be candid with ourselves about it. It is very far indeed from what the Dutch would regard as adequate infrastructure for bicycling.

An Alternative to Infrastructure

Here at Bike Delaware World Headquarters, we advocate for good infrastructure to increase safety for pedestrians and bicyclists. But good infrastructure costs money and, in these "fiscally constrained" times, we may need to be creative at finding inexpensive traffic calming solutions:

A Small Cycling Victory

By John McCormick, WCBC past president

Yesterday, while running errands on the bike, I stopped at the drive-thru window at our local branch bank to cash a check. I was refused service at the window because it was deemed "unsafe" by the teller. So, I walked into the lobby with my bike and cashed the check, and then asked to speak to the manager. We had a pleasant discussion about the bank's drive-thru "policy". Their "policy" stated that no walk-ups (pedestrians) were to be served at the window, but it didn't address cyclists. However, the manager told me that she supported the teller's decision not to service cyclists due to safety concerns. We then had a discussion about how bicycles and vehicles can co-exist peacefully, and oh, by the way, the law views bicycles as vehicles. Yada, yada, to make a long story short, I asked the branch manager to kindly clarify their "policy" with headquarters and to please get back to me within a week, since I really wanted clarification on this issue. To my surprise and delight, I got a call this afternoon indicating that bicyclists can use the bank's drive-thru windows.

This small victory was the highlight of an otherwise dreary cycling day.

Citizen Cyclists Needed!

The Bike Lane Working Group is a mix of professionals and citizen cyclists. It is an ad hoc collaboration that offers an opportunity for informal discussion and sharing of knowledge, perspectives and experiences related to bike lanes.

The Bike Lane Working Group will meet on Thursday, April 14th, from 6 - 8 pm with DelDOT's Assistant Chief Traffic Engineer and others to figure out how to solve the right turn only lane problem.

All are welcome. You do not need to be an engineer or planner to attend. We will lay out the basics of the problem so that anyone can productively participate in the conversation. All that is required is an open mind, an ability to listen and a desire to figure out a solution to this problem. 

If you are interested in preparing a little beforehand, you can check out the references below. (But these will all be explained at the meeting, so it's not necessary to read them ahead of time.)

• DelDOT's March 16, 2011 statement on the problem

• Bike Delaware's January 2, 2011 position statement

• NACTO's suggested solution

• Maryland DOT approach

• The Dutch approach 

Start time will be 6 pm, WILMAPCO, 850 Library Ave Suite 100, Newark, DE (map). Location information can also be found HERE.

As always, pizza and refreshments provided!

Trail Stewards Expanding South to New Castle

Remembering Michael Gropp

We remember Michael Gropp, who was killed 1 year ago today at the intersection of Rt. 273 and Brownleaf. Michael and his girlfriend lived on opposite sides of Rt. 273, an 82 foot wide, 4 lane arterial road in east Newark. Michael was walking her home at 10PM on April 6, 2010 when he was struck and killed while trying to cross Rt. 273. Michael was 16 years old.

Brownleaf Rd where it crosses Rt. 273 here is also Delaware Bicycle Route 1.

After Michael's death, Bike Delaware wrote a report on pedestrian safety at arterial road signalized interesections. The report recommended

• "hot-response" pedestrian-friendly traffic signals
• median refuge islands
• lighting

as standard treatments for similar intersections.

After Michael's death, DelDOT upgraded the intersection with crosswalks on all 4 sides, along with the standard button activated walk/don't walk pedestrian signalization. Though these treatments did not meet the report's recommendations, the installation of pedestrian signals is a notable improvement and permits the implementation of 'hot response' timing should a decision to do so ever be made.

Read Bike Delaware's report on safety at arterial road signalized intersections HERE.