Mayor Sam Adams and Portland State University President Wim Wiewel today presented “the freshest take on bike lanes” — a one-way cycle track on Southwest Broadway near PSU’s campus.
The track is seven blocks long, and according to Adams, “removes” the conflict between cars and cyclists. It is essentially a wide bike lane that runs between the curb and parked cars, which means that bikers are separated from the flow of traffic. There’s also enough space between parked cars and bikers to prevent bikers from running into opened car doors.
Scott Bricker, executive director of the Bicycle Transportation Alliance said that a 2005 study, Blueprint for Better Biking, showed many bikers wanted an auto-free experience. “People need to feel safe before they ride,” Bricker says. A cycle track gives a sense a protection, and will encourage more people to mount bikes, he says.
The City started the project three months ago. It cost about $80,000, including the printing of informational material for those unfamiliar with cycle tracks.
Portland averages two bicycle deaths per year, according to Greg Raisman of the Portland Bureau of Transportation. But 2009 is already poised to be a deadly year, with three fatalities as of last week.
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The story would be more complete if it noted that the cycle track removes a full lane of auto traffic from Broadway, which then restarts at the end of the 7 blocks. Don’t see why they couldn’t have just moved the parking out without removing a lane of traffic. Bikes (and passing cars for that matter) have to be prepared to deal with car doors opening everywhere. Is it really worth taking away that road capacity – and thereby further pissing off all the anti-bike drivers – so bikes don’t have to worry about doors? With the rail changes, that section of downtown has become much more car-unfriendly already and the City and TriMet are NOT doing a good job of managing the impact – or the PR.
“Don’t see why they couldn’t have just moved the parking out without removing a lane of traffic.”
It’s because the on-street parking is much more necessary to a healthy downtown than one traffic lane. This is a daring move but one that should ultimately make everyone traveling in those 7 blocks safer and more confortable.
The separated bike lanes are a great idea. And Adams needs to resign.
Like it or not, Portland is becoming a city. Luckily, it is actually trying to do so in a manner that accommodates human beings. Sorry it’s going to become more difficult for your SUV to race to your underground parking lot, but that’s what happens in cities and unlike many other cities you have plenty of options and all it takes is the choice to explore them.
Portland’s been a city for over 100 years; it’s not “becoming” one–it IS one. Of over a half-million people.
Man, I’m tired of this cliche “keeping up with the Joneses” schtick of trying to be every other city. It’s like Portland has a psyhic identity crisis: “Should I be Amsterdam? No wait–San Francisco? Naw. I got it, Barcelona! No, wait…”
This was meant to be a response to Jack.
With the rail changes, that section of downtown has become much more car-unfriendly already and the City and TriMet are NOT doing a good job of managing the impact – or the PR.
said Mark:
Note to Mark, They don’t care a fig what we think!
RECALL SAM ADAMS
[...] Portland just opened the newest addition to its bike network – a cycle track. Mayor Sam Adams and Portland State University President Wim Wiewel today presented “the freshest [...]
[...] consequence of building a “cycle track” like the new one for bicyclists next to the Portland State University campus is that they create conflicts for [...]