I wasn't planning on dwelling on the Main Street bike lane issue, but as chance would have it I was checking out a Google map just now looking for a building that BRO writer Mike Puma had identified, when all of a sudden some wording jumped out at me. Right there on Main Street I saw hiding in plain sight "NYS Bicycle Route 517". As I sat there staring at the absurd text, I decided to do a Google search for "NYS Bicycle Route 517". Interestingly enough I came across a blog called www.nysbicycleroute517.blogspot.com. Apparently a blogger by the name of Harry had decided that it was due time to write about his death-defying attempts while trying to cycle down Main Street - a NYS designated bike route. While I won't go into detail, as you can read about it at your leisure, I was particularly saddened (and maddened) to see on the Google map, and posted along Main Street on little green designated route signs, that Main Street is a designated NYS bike route. How is that possible?
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That's why the lack of a Complete Street along Main Street is completely laughable and scary (even if it was designed before the Complete Streets initiative took effect). When The City was coming up with the plan for the medians, did they know that Main Street was a NYS designated bike route? Obviously they were aware that biking on sidewalks in NYS is illegal, so where did they expect cyclists to go? Make sure that you take a close look at the images on www.nysbicycleroute517.blogspot.com in order to see that it is virtually impossible to bike sections of Main Street. At the same time, the sections that might be considered bike-able are extremely dangerous. Now presumably knowing that this was a designated NYS bike route, and blatantly disregarding the distinction would be all of the ammunition that an injured cyclist would need to sue The City for any damages incurred to both bike and body.
Not to mention the recent repaving of another section of Main Street where there are up to six car lanes and no bike lanes - along a college campus... on a NYS designated bike route. I'm sorry, but shouldn't there be oversight by NYS if this is actually designated a NYS bike Route? Where is the communication? Where is the oversight?
Here's a BRO commenter by the name of Shaun who concurs (from yesterday's post on The City's response to lack of bike lanes on Main Street)
Considering that Main Street is part of "New York State Bicycle Route 517," I feel that it is absolutely pathetic that the city can't even put shared bicycle lane markers in the right lane. Maybe it would help cut down on the amount of drivers that honk at me daily because I'm on the shoulder of the right lane instead of the sidewalk.
I tried to bike on the sidewalk last week. I came inches from getting run over by someone making a right turn. It's only a matter of time before my bike and I will need an emergency ride up the rest of Main to Sisters.
The City should be doing everything in its ability to make sure that the safety of its citizens is a priority.
I agree that there should be dedicated bike lanes on Main instead of the useless median, but if people wanted these they're about 12 years too late in demanding them.
The project design started in 2000 with engineering firm Erdman Anthony, and the city wanted car traffic to be a priority with peaks of 25k per hour at some sections. Complete streets hadn't been passed, and the bicycling movement wasn't even close to what it is today. I'm not surprised that they didn't consider bike lanes.
Maybe next time major roadwork is done they can be taken out. Right now, I think the focus should be expanded to other streets and the next phase of Main. Think how many wide "lane and a half" streets could fit bike lanes or at least sharrows in. Colvin (being remilled now, will there be lanes?), parts of Amherst, Starin, Kenmore Avenue (although this is also a NYS truck route with high volume, there is way more space and design for reconstruction is going on right now with TVGA). Hindsight is 20/20, let's learn from the mistakes and move forward.
Right, every "lane and a half" street should have buffered bicycle lanes. Colvin is a major route from North Buffalo to Delaware Park. If any street should be made comfortable and convenient for people riding bicycles (including kids going to play baseball, basketball, soccer, etc.), that's one for sure.
But I question the need to wait until "major road work is done" to add bicycle infrastructure. What message does that send? "We'll add bicycle lanes, but only when we are doing a major project for the benefit of drivers."
If the goal is to move towards considering the needs of bicyclists and pedestrians as equal to those of motorists, then we should not have to wait for a major road reconstruction project to add bicycle lanes or crosswalks, etc.
Look what cities like Chicago and New York are doing. They are proactively identifying places to add bicycle lanes, pedestrian islands and plazas, expanded crosswalks, etc., and then they are doing it! Whether the road needs resurfacing or not.
I would agree, but Main Street and those medians were put in not too long ago . Unlike Chicago, New York etc our infrastructure dollars are spread much thinner, and we can barely keep pace with the decay in roads, sidewalks etc - which makes me think that a project to remove them might take away from reconstructing and putting bike lanes in street that's in awful shape.
There also might be restrictions on removing them, as the medians themselves were part of a "green space" requirement to get federal money. That would have to be examined.
I know there were complaints that most of the medians were getting beat to hell and back by traffic and plows anyway, so maybe if it's allowed we can start removing them as they're damaged and restriping when there's enough gone. Past the medians adding bike lanes might be a little more difficult. Lane sizes would have to be reduced, and I'm not sure if NYSDOT truck routes demand a certain lane width. I'll have to look into that.
I'm not saying we should necessarily remove the medians. I'm saying we should be instigating projects to improve the bicycling and walking experience whether or not a street needs a complete overhaul.
I appreciate your comment about Buffalo being barely able to keep up with the decay in the roads, but consider also: more people walking or bicycling instead of driving equals less wear-and-tear on the roads and lower maintenance costs. For that reason alone, we should be encouraging transportation modes other than the private car.