crayzee

Thu, Sep 3, 2009 : 10:11 a.m.

I happened to commute on my bike today, from the SW side of town to the NE. Total time on bike: 29 minutes Total time actually pedaling: 22 minutes The other 7 minutes were wasted at traffic lights, enjoying the fumes of the motorists. Lights are generally not timed for cyclists, so you end up catching many more of them. There are so many aspects to being "bike-friendly" and even Ann Arbor has a long way to go.

a2grateful

Thu, Sep 3, 2009 : 6:36 a.m.

Which Washtenaw County communities are bike friendly?... The ones with the most miles of bike paths?... The ones with the most miles of bike paths that meet standards of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO)?... How many total miles of roads are in each City/Township jurisdiction listed above?... What is the percentage of "bike path miles" in terms of total road miles for each community?... Which Washtenaw County community has received positive responses from cyclists for being bike friendly?... Which Washtenaw County community has even asked cyclists about how they can bike friendly?... Which Washtenaw County community has won awards for being bike friendly?... The criteria for bike friendliness goes way beyond miles of "bike paths."... Bicycle friendly communities value and respect cyclists. These communities begin with respectful and friendly citizenry. They subsequently nurture structural improvements that support and reward alternative transportation methods.... Which Washtenaw County community does this?... The drum roll begins...

Bob Martel

Wed, Sep 2, 2009 : 4:13 p.m.

Where are those 7.8 miles of bike lanes in Lima Township? I live out there and have never seen a painted bike lane anywhere in Lima.

KJMClark

Wed, Sep 2, 2009 : 12:06 p.m.

I want to clarify one thing I wrote. I said, "Then we can throw out all of the below-recommended width and unmarked "lanes" in Ann Arbor." This is not to say that all of the bike lanes in Ann Arbor are below minimum width and not properly signed and marked. A good number of the bike lanes in Ann Arbor were well done to begin with. I would estimate that as about half of them. However, many of those have deteriorated to the point of being dangerous, like parts of Packard, or don't get adequate maintenance, like fixing potholes with flattened patch and frequent sweeping to remove gravel and broken glass. The worst roadways are the ones with the most anti-bicyclist bigoted motorists. I don't think bike lanes really have much to do with that. On the one hand, they make it easier for motorists to pass, but on the other hand they encourage motorists to discriminate against cyclists on non-bike laned roads and encourage motorists to pass dangerously close. Also motorists around here seem to think of bike lanes as "space bicyclists must use and motorists can use freely," which of course, is the opposite of what they are supposed to mean.

BHill

Wed, Sep 2, 2009 : 11:38 a.m.

I'm waiting for some magazine to rate Ann Arbor as best place to live, worst place to drive OR bike. The roads are getting so bad that bikers risk damaging their bikes or risk swerving into traffic. Huron River Drive, Dexter Road, Miller have good examples of bad surfaces. We live near W.Stadium and Maple Roads and we won't ride those streets mainly because of heavy traffic even though Stadium has some bike lanes. The stretch between the new high school and Huron River Drive is OK because of ligher traffic. We ride to Gallup Park from the NW side via various residential streets to North Main where we pick up a dirt path to the entrance to Bandemer Park. Best part of ride are non-motorized pathways from Fuller Park to Gallup along the river. So we can get around on bike but it takes some planning because Ann Arbor is NOT set up for safe non-motor transportation.

Foodie01

Wed, Sep 2, 2009 : 8:43 a.m.

Good: Huron Parkway. Not so good: Huron River Drive, surprisingly. Downtown Ann Arbor is a mixed bag, because sometimes there are lanes and sometimes bikers merge in with traffic, and I'm never sure the drivers are ready for it. And the walking-biking pathway along Plymouth Road is very welcome -- but are some people saying that's a bad choice? I think it's vital out there.

KJMClark

Wed, Sep 2, 2009 : 8:23 a.m.

I think we should look at only AASHTO acceptable facilities. So right away, we can throw out most of the shared-use paths, since the majority are in within road rights-of-way, which AASHTO recommends against, and most (all?) of the rest don't meet AASHTO recommended minimum widths. Then we can throw out paved shoulders narrower than four feet, and all of those not marked as a bike facility. Then we can throw out all of the below-recommended width and unmarked "lanes" in Ann Arbor. Finally, we could probably throw out most of the rest of the bike facilities in the County, since very few of them receive the proper maintenance, signage, and markings. This is a consistent problem in the County. We can't seem to get our heads around the concept of doing bike facilities by the book, though our engineers are quite good at making AASHTO recommended motor vehicle facilities. The elected representatives and our high-level transportation officials say "put in more bicycle facilities", and the engineers seem to say "they can't really mean put in the facilities recommended by AASHTO, and certainly not the facilities recommended by the FHWA." I would say that Ann Arbor is getting better at this, but then I look at the bike lanes on Plymouth, which still don't have pavement markings and signs, and as a result still have motorists casually driving in them.

Newbster

Tue, Sep 1, 2009 : 8:21 p.m.

I find it laughable that Ann Arbor calls itself a "cyclist friendly" city. Considering how few bike lanes there are how can they POSSIBLY say that? Not to mention the CONDITION of the roads/streets....

Chrysta Cherrie

Tue, Sep 1, 2009 : 5:22 p.m.

Hey guys, let's keep the comment moderation guidelines in mind and keep this discussion civil. Also, be aware of the topic. This entry is meant to discuss bike-friendly/unfriendly areas in Washtenaw County, not driver vs. cyclist-related issues. Thanks!

a2grateful

Tue, Sep 1, 2009 : 4:52 p.m.

NO BIKERS actually sums up the problem for motorists and bikers.... They both have rudeness and rage towards each other.... Many cyclists exacerbate the problem by disobeying traffic laws.... So, we have a clash of wills, laws of man, and laws of physics...... Which clash prevails?... In this scenario we are all losers.... Very sad!

Alice Ralph

Tue, Sep 1, 2009 : 4:32 p.m.

There are less emotional aspects to bike lanes and transportation access. One is paving policies and practices. One Ann Arbor policy is to improve lane configurations as roads are repaired or reconstructed. A non-motorized transportation plan guides the simple practices that make road usage more predictable and safer for everyone. I happen to ride Packard as the most direct route to my downtown destinations. Thankfully a big chunk is being reconstructed and I expect safer, more comfortable riding before the weather gets to me. However, I noticed that work has uncovered historic brick pavement. It reminds me of more sustainable surfaces that are being promoted for low impact development, recently noted in a SEMCOG publication. An advantage is permeability. But whoa! The illustration shows permeable pavers where the bike lane should be! Ouch! And wouldnt we get more permeability if the wider automobile lanes were brick? Then we could have smoother pavement in the narrower bike lanes. Less area for potholes, too. And speaking of potholes, Im sure that there might be holes here that other comments will fill.

GU

Tue, Sep 1, 2009 : 4:07 p.m.

I'm sorry "No Bikers" has such a dim view of the bikers out there. Unfortunately for him/her, we, as bikers have equal rights to use the roads. Not only is that information written in the Driver's Manual (found at the Secretary of State office or online), but we Bikers pay taxes for the contruction and maintenence of said roads. I'm sorry you are bitter, but I hope you can see the light one day....

Art Vandelay

Tue, Sep 1, 2009 : 3:57 p.m.

Ann Arbor has a lot of bicyclists but I wouldn't call it bike friendly. I bike up north in the summer and these rural communities have nice wide bike lanes. While there's some progress, the roads in this area aren't very safe. Bike lanes appear and disappear and Huron River Drive, a favorite route for bikers because of the low traffic count and low speed limit, is a pot-holed mess. I love to bike but there really aren't many routes where you can get in a good ride without risking life and limb.

Linda Diane Feldt

Tue, Sep 1, 2009 : 3:38 p.m.

What I find most disturbing whenever this topic comes up is the hostility and the bad information on the part of so many people who are driving. What creates such road rage? If a bike is present, you may occasionally be delayed by a few seconds, and in a blue moon a few minutes. Why is this such a big deal to drivers? Similarly, those who yell at bicycles to get off the road are seriously misinformed about the laws, the safety of bikes and pedestrians, and also about the basics of how to share. Bike lanes are nice, signs reminding people to share the road are great, but we need a vast cultural and educational reformation to actually make biking safe. Because there are these hostile uninformed people out there, apparently unconcerned about killing and maiming others, and they are even willing to admit it in writing. That is the most pressing safety issue for bicyclists. Road rage. And if there was a test for that, I'd be happy to remove everyone from driving - and bicycling - who can't control their temper. Yesterday I found myself yelling at a driver to get his attention as he was rolling through a red light, into the crosswalk, where I was legally walking my dog. He wasn't watching - he was ready to turn left on the red light. He was Westbound on Washington, turning left onto Fifth Ave. The friend I was walking with said she would be afraid to speak up, because of how the person might react. I don't want to create more hostility out there, but if you are about to run over me and my dog, a large reaction is called for. It has just gotten too crazy on the streets. We need to learn how to calm down, pay attention, but also speak up if we are in danger. This time of year the crazy motorists seem more ubiquitous. In the past two days more than three people driving cars have cut me off, as a pedestrian, passing within a foot or two of me and my leashed dog, just to save those few seconds and make their turn sooner. If my dog had changed pace and suddenly walked faster, they would have hit her. We have a driving problem, much more so than a bicycling problem. And no bike lanes or road signs will begin to solve that.

Ruth Kraut

Tue, Sep 1, 2009 : 3:30 p.m.

This NY Times Freakonomics article says that distracted drivers are to blame for the vast majority of bicycle accidents: http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/08/28/who-causes-cyclists-deaths/?scp=1&sq=freakonomics%20bicyclists&st=cse

BulaBiker

Tue, Sep 1, 2009 : 3:20 p.m.

Here we go again. Cyclists are not going away. Their numbers are increasing so deal with it. Yes, they some could ride more considerately but you can say that about some motor vehicle drivers also. It is great that communities are adding bike lanes as it reminds drivers that we have a right to be on the roads. Now, if the road commission and city and townships could keep them debris they free, it would be even better!

sable

Tue, Sep 1, 2009 : 3:14 p.m.

Should be the most dangerous ones, and they are they ones that are put in the middle of the road! Like Grove rd. Why would you put a bike lane in the road!?

sottovoce

Tue, Sep 1, 2009 : 3:09 p.m.

I appreciate the link, but it's to the homepage, not the particular study. Also, the headline says "bike lanes", but the numbers are for shared-paths (ie big sidewalks with all the dangers of cars not seeing bikes at intersections) and 3ft paved shoulders (which should be called suicide lanes). Agree that the percent of total major roads is also important. I would argue ANGRY DRIVERS are more dangerous than bikes.

hotsauce_gm

Tue, Sep 1, 2009 : 3:09 p.m.

Wow, I'm suprised Northfield Township is pretty high up there...

Bemused Passerby

Tue, Sep 1, 2009 : 2:57 p.m.

Thanks for publishing these figures. However, I think a more valuable representation would be to list the miles of bike-lane accompanied streets as a proportion of all street mileage in the town, or perhaps as a proportion of all street mileage with a speed limit in excess of 25 or 30 miles per hour. It would probably change how one thinks about the relative accessibility of various local communities.