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PROTECTED BICYCLE LANES IN ALBANYA TRANSFORMATIONAL OPPORTUNITY
Presented to Mayor Kathy SheehanCity of Albany, New YorkNovember 16, 2015
Albany Protected Bicycle Lane Coalition
2KEY TERMS
Madison Avenue Road Diet: AplannedprojectintheCityofAlbanytoreducethenumberoftravellanesonMadisonAvenuefromtwomotorvehiclelanesineachdirectiontoonemotorvehiclelaneineachdirectionforthecorridorfromAllenStreettoLarkStreet.
Traffic Calming:Itisthecombinationofmainlyphysicalmeasuresthatreducethenegativeeffectsofmotorvehicleuse,alterdriverbehaviorandimproveconditionsfornon-motorizedstreetusers.1
Interested but Concerned:Theapproximate60%ofpeoplewhoareinterestinusingabicyclefortransportationbutarefearfulaboutridingadjacentmotorizedtraffic.
Marked Shared lanes (Sharrows):Thispavementmarkingincludesabicyclesymbolandtwowhitechevronsandisusedtoremindmotoriststhatbicyclistsarepermittedtousethefulllane.Therearenostripedbicyclelanesonstreetsmarkedwithsharrows.
Conventional bicycle lanes:Thewhitelinesofpainttoseparatepeopleonbicyclesfrommotorizedtraffic,sometimesknownasdesignatedlanes.
Protected Bike Lanes: Protectedbikelanesarebikelanesthatphysicallyseparatebicycletrafficfrommotorvehicletraffic.Theyaresometimescalledcycletracksorgreenlanesorseparatedbikelanes.
1 www.ite.org/traffic/
3KEY FINDINGS
TheimminentredesignofMadisonAvenuepresentsasingularopportunityforAlbanytoimplementitsfirst-everProtectedBicycleLane(PBL).Thishasthepotentialtobeatransformativeprojectforthestatecapital,andMayorKathySheehansupcomingdecisioniscrucialforitssuccess.Carefulanalysisrevealsthatalloftheproposedal-
ternativesthatlackPBLsareseverelydeficient.ThesharrowsofAlternativeAoffernoprotectedspaceforpeopleonbicycles,andtheexpansivetravellanesencouragedangerouscitydriving.AlternativeBsconventionalbicyclelanesputbicyclesdirect-lyinmotoristsdoorzone,thespaceinwhichacyclistisindangerofgettinghitbyanopeningcardoor.Onacommercialstreetwithfrequentparkingturnover,thisisasignificantsafetyhazardfordriversandcyclistsalike.Thealternativesthatincorporateprotectedbi-
cyclelanes(CandD)arefarsuperiortotheothers.PBLsarethe best choiceforAlbanybecauseofthe:
Economic benefits.ThereisstrongevidencethatPBLsbringcustomerstolocalretailshopsandraisepropertyvalues.
Safety benefits.PBLshelptoorderthestreetsothatallroadusersknowwhattoexpect,makingMadisonsaferforpedestrians,cyclists,drivers,andtransitusersalike.
Equity benefits.PBLsmakecyclingaccessibletomorepeople,whichinturnlowershouseholdtransportationcosts,strengthensindividualautonomy,andincreasesaccesstogrocerystoresandclinicsforlow-incomeandno-carhouseholds.
Health benefits.Manyneedlessinjuriesanddeathscanbeavoidedbyseparatingcyclistsfrombothvehiculartrafficandpedestrians.Inaddition,thegrowthofactivetransportationencourageshealthylifestyles.
Environmental benefits.Protectedbikelanesencouragetheuseofbicyclesovercars,reducinggreenhousegasemissionsandimprovingairquality.
Manyunderstandableconcernshavebeenraisedabouttheseambitiousplans.Nevertheless,protect-edbicycleslanesonMadisonAvenuearefeasible becausethefollowingchallengescanbemetwithtwenty-firstcenturycityplanning.
Parking.Ourdetailedsurveyofavailableparkingplacesinthefour-blockstretchofMadisonAve.betweenWestLawrenceandQuailshowsthatevenduringhighparkingdemandtimes,almost50per-centoftheon-streetparkingplacesareunoccupiedandavailable.
Snow.Thereareviableoptionsforaddressingsnowremoval.Short-terminvestmentinsnowremovalcanberecoupedbytheeventualreturnsinincreasedpropertyvaluesandprofitstolocalbusiness.
ThisreportcontainsresearchfromauthoritativesourcesandinformationfromtherecentexperiencesofsimilarlysituatedNorthAmericancitiesthathaveembracedprogressivecityplanning.WethanktheMayor,thecityadministration,andcitizensofAlbanyforturningtheirattentiontothepromiseofprotectedbicyclelanesonMadisonAvenue.
1INTRODUCTION
AlbanysProtectedBicycleLaneCoalitionwasfoundedinthespringof2014inanticipationofthecitysupcomingdesignfortheMadisonAvenueRoadDiet.TheCoalitionsawtheuniqueopportunitytobuildAlbanysfirstProtectedBikeLane(PBL)sincetherewasalreadyaplantoreducethenumberoflanesonthiswideavenue.Protectedbikelanesarebikelanesthatphysicallyseparatebicycletrafficfrom
motorvehicletraffic.Theyaresometimescalledcycletracksorgreenlanesorseparatedbikelanes.Weusethetermprotectedbikelanesbecauseitreadilycommunicatestheprotectionfromstreettrafficthatmakesbicyclingmoresafeandinvitingtowould-becyclistsandmakesbusyroadseasiertonav-igateformotorists.Protectedbikelaneshelptoorderthestreetsothatallroadusersknowwhattoexpect.PBLsmakebikingaccessibleformorepeople,whichlowershouseholdtransportationcosts,strengthensindividualautonomy,andincreasesmobility&accessforlow-incomeandno-carhouseholds.PBLsarespringingupalloverNorthAmerica,andforgoodreasons.Protect-
edbikelanesencouragethemaximumnumberofinterestedbutconcernedpeopletochoosebicyclesovercarsforlocaltrips,benefitingretailshopsandincreasepropertyvalues,thusexpandingthetaxbase.PBLsmaketheroadsaferforeveryonepeoplewalkingorridinginbuses,incarsoronbicycles.PBLsalsoreducegreenhousegasemissionsandimproveairqualityandhealth.Thereisanincreasingdemandforprotectedbikelanesacrossthecountry
demonstratedbyexponentialgrowthofthelanesinrecentyears:from2010through2014,thenumberofprotectedbikelanemilesintheU.S.nearlyquadru-pled.Theyarepoppingupeverywhere,andwewanttohelpAlbany,theCapitalofNewYorkgetontheprotectedbikelanemap.SomeoftheplaceswheretherearecurrentlyprotectedbikelanesareNewYorkCity,Chicago,IL,Memphis,TN,Minneapolis,MN,Austin,TX,Denver,COandCambridge,MA.
One-way parking-protected bike lane in Cambridge, MA
Photo: The Green Lane Project
PBLs make the
road safer for
everyone people
walking or riding
in buses, in cars
or on bicycles.
PBLs also benefit
retail shops and
increase property
values.
2April 2014
May 2014
August 2014
September 2014
Fall 2014
April 2015
May 2015
Summer 2015
Summer 2015
Summer 2015
Founded
Started hard copy petition.
Launched Facebook presence:
facebook.com/AlbanyProtectedBikeLanes
Presentation to Mayor Sheehan on the
benefits of Protected Bike Lanes and request
that Protected Bike Lanes be considered for
upcoming Madison Avenue Road Diet design.
Began series of Protected Bike Lane
presentations to neighborhood groups,
community stakeholders, business owners and
student groups our presentations were met
with overwhelming support and interest.
Presented Streetfilms Mini-Film Festival at
Madison Theatre featuring guest speaker and
Streetfilms filmmaker, Clarence Eckerson, Jr.
The festival addressed a range of questions
about how we get around in the modern city.
Some of the videos were focused on Protected
Bike Lanes, and others discuss broader topics
such as land use, Complete Streets, pedestrian
safety, and equity and social justice priorities.
Launched our social media photo campaign
where we spoke to hundreds of city residents
who want to see Protected Bike Lanes on
Madison Avenue and other high traffic volume
streets
Launched online petition that garnered over
500 signatures in 3 weeks.
Rallied in support of Protected Bicycle Lanes and
delivered hundreds of postcards to the Mayors
office in support of Protected Bicycle Lanes.
Converted two parking spots into a mock
protected bicycle lane for Park[ing] Day on
Washington Avenue. It was a big hit.
Albany Protected Bicycle Lane Coalition
PROTECTED BICYCLE LANE COALITION TIMELINE:
3EXPONENTIAL GROWTH OF PROTECTED BIKE LANES: ALIGNMENT WITH NATIONAL AND REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION TRENDS
InMay2015,theCityofAlbanySustainabilityAdvi-soryCommittees(SAC)TransportationSubcom-mitteeissuedanannualreportindicatingaprimaryrecommendationthatprotectedbikelanesshouldbeinstalled.TherecommendationswithintheTrans-portationSubcommitteesreportlayoutthemem-bersprioritiesfortheCityofAlbanyasitrelatestosustainabletransportation.TotherightisanimageofaparkingprotectedbikelaneexamplethattheTrans-portationSubcommitteeutilizedintheirreport.ThePBLCsrecommendationofAlternativeD:One-waySeparated[Protected]BikeLanesreflectstheexactreplicadesignthatwasrecommendedbytheCitysTransportationSubcommittee.TheSubcommitteebelievesthataddingparkingprotectedbikelanesissaferforallwhousetheroad,peoplewhodrive,peoplewhotakethebus,peoplewhobikeandpeoplewhowalk.ThereportnotesthatPBLspromoteeco-nomicandenvironmentalsustainability1.InAugust,theSACenthusiasticallyvoicedtheir
supportforAlternativeD.Specificallytheirletterstated:We,astheChairandCo-Chair,believeverystrong-
lythatone-wayseparatedbicyclelanesprovidethegreatestopportunitytosupportbicyclingasaviablemodeoftransportationintheCityofAlbany.Sepa-ratedbicyclelaneswouldprovidethesafestbicyclingenvironment,withtheone-waymodelofferingthelargestproposedwidthsandlowestriskofcollisionwithvehicles,pedestrians,orothercyclists.TheimplementationofAlternativeD,althoughnotatra-ditionalprotectedbicyclelane,istheclosestcomple-
A Parking Protected Bike Lane
menttothatmodelandwould,therefore,accomplishthisidentifiedpriority.We,therefore,urgetheCityofAlbanytoembracethisopportunity.2
AlbanysBicycleMasterPlanwasanimportantundertakingthatestablishedthatthecityofAlbanyhasadesiretobecomeamorebicycle-friendlycity.Thedocument,publishedin2009,waswrittenpriortotheexponentialgrowthofprotectedbikelanesacrosstheU.S.TheProtectedBicycleLaneCoali-tionurgesthecityofAlbanytorevisitandrevisetheBicycleMasterPlanandbuildinabicyclenetworkthatincludesProtectedBicycleLanesonhightrafficvolumestreetsthatreflectscurrenttrendsacrossthecountry.
1 City of Albany Sustainability Advisory Committee Annual Report: 2015 Transportation Subcommittee Report www.albanyny.org/Libraries/MOE_S/2015 _Transportation_
Subcommittee_Report.sflb.ashx
2 City of Albany Sustainability Advisory Committee, Submitted letter of support via email to City of Albany Traffic Engineering Unit, August 15, 2015.
Image: www.zdnet.com/article/protected-bike-lanes-safer-than-street-study-confirms/
4THE CAPITAL DISTRICT TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE (CDTC) SUPPORTS THE CONCEPT OF PROTECTED BIKE LANES
OneoftherecommendationswithintheCDTCsNewVisionsBicycle&PedestrianActionPlanistodevelopandmaintainbicycleinfrastructure.Weshouldnotignorethisrecommendation.ItisCDTCsphilosophythatdespitefiscalorotherchallenges,incrementalprogressshouldbemadetothevisionofacomprehensivenetworkofbicycleandpedestrianfacilities.3TheCDTCunderstandstheshort-termandlong-termbenefitsofincorpo-ratingbikeinfrastructure:Itissafetosaythatwehavemovedbeyondtryingtoconvincepeopleofthebenefitsofwalkabilityandsafebicyclingfacilitiesandarenowrespondingtopublicdemandforthem.Achangeintransportationpolicywillhavepositiveeconomic,healthandsafetyimpactsforallusersofthetransportationsystem.3TheCDTCsPlangoesontosaythatCDTAisreportingover74,000bikeboardingsonitsbusesannually.Thisisaconsider-ableincreasefromthejustlessthan40,000board-ingsin2008whenCDTAfirstinstalledbikeracksonitsbuses.Thiswouldsuggestthatmorepeoplearebicyclingregion-wide.Safebicyclingandwalkinginfrastructureisntimportantbecauseitstrendy,itsimportantbecauseitmattersthemostforpeoplewhodonothaveaccesstoavehicle.TheCDTCwillcontinuetoprioritizetransportationinvestmentsthatincludesafebicycleandpedestrianfacilitiesanddeveloptoolsandprogramstohelpcommuni-tiesprepare,designandmaintaincommunitiesthatareaccessibleandsafeforallroadusers.3
Capital District Transportation Committee
New Vision Plan
1. It is CDTCs philosophy that despite fiscal or other challenges, incremental progress should be made to
the vision of a comprehensive network of bicycle and
pedestrian facilities.
One of the recommendations of the CDTC is to
develop and maintain bicycle infrastructure. We should
not ignore this recommendation.
2. It is safe to say that we have moved beyond trying to convince people of the benefits of walkability and safe
bicycling facilities and are now responding to public
demand for them. A change in transportation policy
will have positive economic, health and safety impacts
for all users of the transportation system.
3. CDTA is reporting over 74,000 bike boardings on its buses annually. This is a considerable increase from
the just less than 40,000 boardings in 2008 when
CDTA first installed bike racks on its buses. This
would suggest that more people are bicycling region-
wide. Safe bicycling and walking infrastructure isnt
important because its trendy, its important because it
matters the most for people who do not have access to
a vehicle.
4. The CDTC will continue to prioritize transportation investments that include safe bicycle and pedestrian
facilities and develop tools and programs to
help communities prepare, design and maintain
communities that are accessible and safe for all road
users.
3 Capital District Transportation Committee: New Visions Bicycle & Pedestrian Action Plan www.cdtcnewvisions.com/assets/Bicycle-Pedestrian-White-Paper-September-2015.pdf
ALIGNMENT WITH NATIONAL AND REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION TRENDS (CONTINUED)
5InMay2015,theFederalHighwayAdministration(FHWA)issueditsfirst-everprotectedbicycleguidelinescalledtheSeparatedBikeLanePlanningandDesignGuide.Intheirannouncementoftheguide,FHWAstated,TheselanesareanimportanttoolcommunitiesacrosstheU.S.canusetobuildsafe,comfortable,andconnectednetworksofbicy-cleinfrastructurethatmeettheneedsofpeopleofallagesandabilities.Theannouncementgoesontosay,FHWAsguide
outlinesplanningconsiderationsanddesignop-tionsforthisinnovativebicyclefacility.Itprovidesinformationononeandtwo-wayfacilities,outlinesdifferentoptionsforprovidingseparation,andhigh-lightsmid-blockdesignconsiderationsincludingdriveways,transitstops,accessibility,andloading
ALIGNMENT WITH NATIONAL AND REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION TRENDS (CONTINUED)
zones.Intersectiondesignisalsotakenintoconsid-eration,includingtherelatedoperations,signaliza-tion,signage,andon-roadmarkingconcerns.Bestofall,withtheSeparatedBikeLanePlanning
andDesignGuide,wereprovidingcommunitieswithcasestudieshighlightingnotablepracticesandlessonslearnedacrossthecountry.1
Writingaboutthenewguidelines,PeopleforBikesGreenLaneProjectinterviewedaColoradoDOTprofessionalwhobelievesThebiggestwinnerswillbecities,statesandotheragenciesthatdontyethavein-houseexpertiseinthemanynuancesofprotectedbikedesign.Ithinkitwasreallygoodthattheyjumpedonit
whentheydidandprovidedsomedirection,par-ticularlyforcommunitiesthathavenoideahowto
FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION EMBRACES PROTECTED BIKE LANES
1 FHWA 2015 FHWA Introduces Separated Bike Lane Planning and Design Guide - https://www.transportation.gov/fastlane/fhwa-introduces-separated-bike-lane-guide
Phtoto: From FHWA announcement
6ALIGNMENT WITH NATIONAL AND REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION TRENDS (CONTINUED)
approachit,shesaid.Youfrequentlywillhavealocalplannerorengineerwhomayneverhaveheardofit.Itslike,Whatareyoutalkingabout?Andthiswillhelpwiththat.2
Apparently,manystateandlocalagenciesdidntseemtograspthatthefederalgovernmentsupportsusingfederalmoneytoimplementProtectedBikeLanes.StreetsBlogUSAreportedthefollowinginAugust2015whentheFHWAissuedadocumenttoclarifytheirposition,TheFederalHighwayAdmin-istrationwantstocleartheair:Yes,stateandlocaltransportationagenciesshouldusefederalmoneytoconstructhigh-qualitybikingandwalkinginfra-structure.StateandlocalDOTsdeployanarrayofexcuses
toavoidbuildingdesignslikeprotectedbikelanes.Itsnotinthemanualisafavorite.Soisthefedswontfundthat.Whethertheseexcusesarecynicalorsincere,
FHWAwantsyoutoknowthattheyrebogus.StreetsBlogreportedthedocumentfromFHWA
toucheduponsevenitemsincluding,
1. Federal funds CAN be used to build pro-tected bike lanes.Incaseanydoubtremains,FHWAprinteditsowndesignguideforprotect-edbikelanes.Itsokaytousefederalmoneytobuildthem.
2. Federal funds CAN be used for road diets.FHWAcreatedawholewebsitetohelpstatesandmunicipalitiesimplementroaddietsthatreducelanesformotorvehicletraffictoimprovesafety.FHWAwantslocalagenciestoknowthatfederalmoneycanbeusedonthem.
3. Engineers are allowed to use design guides other than the AASHTO Green Book for projects that receive federal funds.
TheAASHTOGreenBookpublishedbytheassociationofstateDOTsisabehemoth,butitscrustyoldstreetdesignstandardsarenttheonlygameintown.TheprotectedbikelanetemplatesinthedesignguidepublishedbytheNationalAsso-ciationofCityTransportationOfficialsaretotallykosher.Goaheadandusethem.FHWAsaysitsupportsaflexibleapproachtotheplanninganddesignofbikeandpedestrianfacilities.ThatmeansItsnotintheGreenBook,sowecantdoitisntavalidexcuse.PeterKoonce,atransportationengineerwiththe
CityofPortland,saidthisclarificationshouldmakedesigningqualitybikeinfrastructureeasier.Agencieslikeoursoccasionallyencounterresis-
tancetotheuseoftreatmentsintheNACTOUrbanBikewayDesignGuide,theFHWASeparatedBikeLaneGuide,orotherGuidancedocumentsfromreviewingagenciesbecausethereisalackoffamil-iaritywithnewtreatments,thusadifficultytoapplyengineeringjudgment,hesaid.Anexampleofthisisbicycletrafficsignals.4.HighwayfundingCANbeusedforbikeand
pedestrianinfrastructure.ItsnotonlytheTransportationAlternativesPro-
gramthatcanbeusedtofundbikeandpedestrianinfrastructure,FHWAsays.Manyothersourcesoffederalfundingcanbeusedtosupportsaferbikingandwalkingintherightcircumstances,includingfundsfromthehugepotintheSurfaceTransporta-tionProgram.
2 2015 Green Lane Project - http://www.peopleforbikes.org/blog/entry/the-feds-jump-on-board-protected-bike-lanes-are-now-official-federal-policy
7WILL NEW YORKS 1ST CAPITAL GET PROTECTED BIKE LANES BEFORE ALBANY?
TRY IT, MAYBE YOULL LIKE IT: POP UP PBLS AND PILOT PROJECTS
ProtectedBikeLanesareinchingclosertohome.TheyareonthehorizoninourstatesfirstCapital,KingstonalongtheHudsonRiverjust60milessouthofAlba-ny.KingstonsplanlooksquitesimilartooneoftheoptionsprovidedbyAlbanysconsultanta2-wayPBL.
1 2015 Green Lane Project - http://www.peopleforbikes.org/blog/entry/with-maryland-dot-grant-the-pop-up-protected-bike-lane-goes-mainstream
Images: November 2015 Final Draft Master Plan Building a Better Kingston; The Green Lane Project
Pop-upprotectedbikelaneshavebeenbeingbuiltatopenstreetsfestivalsbyactivistsoverthelastseveralyears,andtheyarealwaysabighit.NowtheideahasspreadandthestateofMarylandisfundingaone-weekplanter-protectedbikelaneinBalti-more.TheGreenLaneProjectreportedabouttheproject,herearesomeexcerptsfromthearticle:The$10,850grantfromtheMarylandDepartmentofTransportation,announcedSept.29aspartofa$15milliongrantcycle,isasignthattheon-streetdemoisbecomingacommon step in the processofplanningstreetredesigns.
Werenotcommittingtohaveacompletebuy-intotrysomething,saidCaitlinDoolin,abicycleandpedestrianplannerfortheCityofBaltimore.Wecantakeitoutifitdoesntworkormodifyitorwhathaveyou.
WecongratulateKingstonontheirworkmovingforwardwithaplanfora2-wayprotectedbicyclelanethatwillincreasetheeconomicvitalityofBroadway,andprovideincreasedsafetythatwillencouragetheinterestedbutconcernedtostartriding!
WewerereallyinterestedinitbecauseitsawayforBaltimoreCitytotryoutanewinnovativetreat-ment,getsomequickfeedbackfromthecommuni-ty,shesaid.Cycletracksandthatkindofstuffitsallnew,andthedesignsarechangingquickly.1
ALIGNMENT WITH NATIONAL AND REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION TRENDS (CONTINUED)
A pop-up bicycle lane.
8Pilot PBL projects are a longer term than their pop up cousins. Pilots have offered cities a great way to test the waters of protected bicycle infrastructure.TheGreenLaneProjectspoketosomeofthe
peopleincitieswhoimplementedpilotprojectsandwroteanarticleonsomeofthekeyfactorstoasuccessfultestrunPBL.Excerptsfromthestory:
Anypilotprojectoflessthanayearisunlikelytoaccuratelycapturehowaprojectisworking,saidMikeGoodno,bicyclecoordinatorfortheDistrictofColumbia.Ittakesamonth,Ifind,atleast,justforpeopletogetusedtothesechanges,saidGoodno,whoseprotectedlanepilotprojectson15thStreetandPennsylvaniaAvenueinWashingtonDCweretwoofthecountrysfirstmoderndesignsoutsideNewYorkCity.
Publicfeedbackandtechnicalobservationsledthecitytomakemajorchangestobothprojectsaftertheyopened:movingPennsylvaniaslanestothecentermedianandconverting15thfromaone-directiontoatwo-directionprotectedlane.Af-terthosechangesweremade,bothprojectsdrovelargeandcontinuingincreasesinridership.
PortlandprojectmanagerRossSwansonagreedthatpilotsshouldlastatleastayear.Atwo-yearpilotprotectedlaneonMultnomahStreetgavethecitythechancetotestthedesignduringwhatturnedouttobesnowiestwinterinyears.Iftherewasageneralminimum,youvegottotestallfourseasons,Swansonsaid.
Anotherruleforsuccessfulpilots:chooseseveralmetricsthatcapturethegoalsprojectandbepublicabouttheresults.
Nothingshouldbeviewedbasedononegoal,Swansonsaid.Otherwiseyouvegotamyopicprojectandyouregoingtobecaughtblindonsome
otheraspectyouwerentlookingat.OnSwansonsMultnomahproject,wheretwooutoffourgeneraltravellaneswereconvertedintoprotectedbikelanes,thenumberscameoutfine.Biketrafficrose,autospeedsfell,intersectionskeptflowing.Butitwasntjustatransportationproject.Thecityalsowantedtomakethestreetmoreviablefornearbycommercialdevelopment.
Ayearaftertheprojectlaunched,anadjacentreal-estatedeveloperreleaseditsdesignfora$250millionmixed-useproject,oneofthemostbike-orienteddevelopmentsinNorthAmerica,andthecityslargestmallsaiditwasweighingaremodelthatwouldopenanewentrancefacingMultnomahssidewalk.
Pilotprojectmanagerssaidthatthoughpeoplewillalwaysaskforspecificnumericalgoals,itsbettertoavoiddrawingahardlinebetweensuccessandfail-ureandsimplysetouttomeasurethedirectionandmagnitudeofchange.Ifyousetyourtimelinetooshortbutyournumbersareright,youmaygetthembutyoumaybeayearoff,Swansonsaid.
Peopleunusedtopilotprojectsbothinsideandoutsidecitygovernmentsometimesassumethattheyrejustacynicaltoolforcircumventingopposition.
Itstruethatpilotprojectfansaretryingtomakeaction,ratherthananalysis,thenormincitygov-ernment.Buttheysaygoodpilotprojectmanag-ersapproachthepublicwithanopenearandenoughofabudgettoreacttowhattheylearn.
Whatsreallyimportantwiththepilotsisthatyouhavesubsequentpublicinvolvementmeetings,Wagenshutzsaid.BeforeanypilotprojectbeginsinDC,Goodnosteampreparesanoperationalchangesmatrixwhichgoestorelevantcitystaff,makingiteasyforpublicofficialstoaccuratelydescribeaprojectanditsgoals.
ALIGNMENT WITH NATIONAL AND REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION TRENDS (CONTINUED)
9InNYC,afterover30milesofprotectedbikelaneswerebuiltfrom2007to2013,overallacrossthecitytheDepartmentofTransportationfoundthefollowing:
Crasheswithinjurieshavebeenreducedby17%
75%decreaseinaverageriskofaseriousinjurytocyclistsfrom2001to2013
Cyclistinjuryriskhasgenerallydecreasedonpro-tectedbicyclelanecorridorswithinthisstudyascyclistvolumesriseandcyclistinjuresdecrease6
Government is charged with keeping its residents safe - Protected Bike Lanes provide the greatest safety on high traffic volume roads. Whilesomelocalgovernmentshavepassedlawsrequiringbicy-clehelmets,arecentstudyshowsthatgoodbicyclefacilitiescontributemuchmoretopublichealththanhelmetlaws.ANovember10,2015CityLabarticlepointsout,Atapersonallevel,ifthatswhatittakestogetyouriding,byallmeans,helmetup.Butatthelocalgovernmentlevel, its time to recognize that other safety measures have far greater public health benefitsin particular, well-designed infrastruc-ture that separates riders from general traffic.1
Protected Bike Lanes feel safer,especiallyfortheinterestedbutconcerned.96%ofpeopleusingprotectedbikelanesintheU.S.believetheyincreasedsafetyonthestreet.2
InWashingtonDC,90%ofuserssaytheyfeelsaferbicyclingonPennsylvaniaAvebecauseofthenewprotectedlanes.3
Studies demonstrate Protected Bike Lanes are safer for people who walk, drive and ride bicycles. InVancouverandToronto,ProtectedBikeLanesreducebike-relatedintersectioninjuriesbyabout75%comparedtocomparablecrossingswithoutinfrastructure.4
Becausetheyshortencrossingdistances,controlturningconflictsandreducetrafficweaving,NewYorkCitysprotectedbikelanesreducedinjuryratesforpeoplewalkingontheirstreetsby12to52percent.5
One-way parking-protected bike lane in Chicago.
1 City Lab, November 10, 2015 - The Latest Evidence that Helmet Laws Dont Help Bike Safety2 Monsere, C., et al., 2014 - Lessons from the Green Lanes (National Institute for Transportation and Communities)(via Green Lane Project article)3 District Department of Transportation, 2012 - District Department of Transportation Bicycle Facility Evaluation4 Harris et al, 2013 - Comparing the effects of infrastructure on bicycling injury at intersections and non-intersections using a casecrossover design. Injury Prevention5 NYCDOT, 2013 - It turns out that protected bike lanes are fantastic for walking safety, too (via Green Lane Project article)6 NYCDOT, 2014 - Protected Bicycle Lanes in NYCPhoto: The Green Lane Project
SAFETY AND PROTECTED BIKE LANES
New York Citys protected bike lanes reduced injury rates for people walking on their streets by 12 to 52 percent.
10
PROTECTED BICYCLE LANES SUPPORT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Theresnodenyingthetremendouseconomicbene-fitsthatprotectedbikelaneshavegeneratedwhencitieshaveimplementedthem.Forexample,
OnSaltLakeCitysBroadway,replacingparkingwithprotectedbikelanesincreasedretailsales.Ageneralstreetupgraderemoved30%oftheautoparkingfromnineblocksofthemajorcommer-cialstreetbutimprovedcrosswalks,sidewalksandaddedprotectedbikelanes.Inthefirstsixmonthsofthenextyear,retailsaleswereup8.8percentoverthefirstsixmonthsoftheprioryear,comparedtoa7percentincreasecitywide.Afterthechanges,59%ofbusinessownersonthestreetsaidtheysupportedthem;only18%opposed.1
Protected bicycle lanes have helped to in-crease the tax base.ThevalueofpropertieswithinoneblockoftheIndianapolisCulturalTrailincreased148percentafterconstructionmorethandoublinginvaluefrom2008to2015.The$63millionpublicandprivateinvestmenthelpedcreate$1billioninadditionalassessedpropertyvalue.1
Protected bike lanes can be part of street re-designs that greatly boost retail performance.Aftertheconstructionofaprotectedbikelaneon9thAvenue,localbusinessessawa49%increaseinretailsales.Onotherstreetsintheborough,theaveragewasonly3percent.1
1 People for Bikes; Green Lane Project - Statistics Library: www.peopleforbikes.org/statistics/category/protected-bike-lane-statistics2 CityLab: www.citylab.com/commute/2015/10/the-poor-bike-the-rich-bike-share/413119
PROTECTED BIKE LANES ADDRESS EQUITY
1in4householdsinourcitydonothaveaccesstoacartogettowork,thedoctor,orshopforgroceries,andwemustprovideinfrastructuremakesitsafeforpeopletowalkandridebikes.Nationaldatatellsusthatpeoplewithlowerincomeridebicyclesfortrans-portationathigherratesthanhigherincomepeople.2
Protected Bike Lanes make riding a bicycle accessible to more people, which in turn lowers household transportation costs, strengthens individual autonomy, and increases access to grocery stores and clinics for low-income and no-car households. TheMadisonAvenueRoadDietcorridorincludes
twojobcenters(CollegeofSaintRoseandAlbanyMedicalCenter),manymedicalanddentalofficesincludingSt.PetersDentalClinic,andtwogrocerystores.Peopleofallincomelevelsusethecorridortogetwheretheyneedtogo.TheProtectedBicycleLaneCoalitionseesMadisonAvenueasastartingpointforourcitytobuildprotectedbicyclelanes,andwillcontinuetoadvocateforprotectedbicycleinfrastructureonhightrafficvolumeroadsinneigh-borhoodswithhighpovertyrates.
11
THE HIGH COST OF BICYCLE INJURIES IN ALBANY
Tri-StateTransportationCampaignanalyzeddatafromNYSDepartmentofHealthintheirAugust2015article,The High Cost of Bicycle Crashes in Albany.1ThebelowexcerptsdemonstratethatinjuriestopeoplewhoridebicyclesinAlbanycomewithaheftypricetag.It is important to note that the below costs do not even touch the surface of the cost of sending local emergency responders to crashes that could be prevented by building safer infrastructure.
DatacompiledforTSTCbyNYSDOHsBureauofOccupationalHealthandInjuryPreventionfoundthatemergencyroomandhospitalcoststotreatbicyclecrashvictimstotaledinexcessof$2millionoverathree-yearperiod(2010-2012)inAlbanyCounty.Approximately13percentofbicyclistsinvolvedincrashesinthecountycometoemergencyroomswithaTraumaticBrainInjury(TBI).TBIpatientsaccountfor42per-centofbicyclistshospitalizedfortreatment.Themeanchargeperbicyclistemergencyroomvisitis$1,838,andacyclistwhohastobehospitalizedwillincurawhoppingchargeof$56,442.
Whiletwomillionisalargenumber,itdoesnotaccountforawholehostofotherpubliccosts.Medicalandotherexpensesofcyclistswhodiedincrashesarenotincluded.Norarethecostsofrehabilitation,lostmobility,emotionalduressorlong-termdisability.Non-healthrelatedexpensessuchaspoliceandemergencyworkercosts,legalfees,lostworkproductivityandtaxrevenuesandfamilyimpactsarealsonottakenintoaccount.
GiventhatbicyclistsaredisproportionatelypeopleofcolorandlowerincomeandthattheNYSDOHdatashowschildrenarethemostlikelygroupofcycliststomakeERvisitsinAlbany,thesemassivecostsareanobviousequityconcernthatcouldbelargelyremediedbytheimplementationofprotectedinfrastructureforbicyclists.
...aportionofMedicarebills(whichcovermed-icalexpensesforlow-incomeresidents)mustbepaidbylocalgovernmentlocalgovernmentpays25percentofacutecarecostsandninepercentoflong-termcarecostsincurredwithincountyborders.
Albanyseesasignificantnumberofcrashesinvolvingpedestriansandbicyclistseachyear,andtheMadisonAvenuearterialisnoexception.TheCityofAlbanysJune2013MadisonAvenueTrafficStudy/RoadDietFeasibilityStudy,pre-paredbyCreightonManningEngineering,found481crashesintheMadisonAvenuecorridoroverathree-yeartimeperiodfromNovember2008toOctober2011,ofwhich32involvedpedestriansorbicyclists.Atleast16.4percentofallcrashesinthecorridorresultedininjury,andthereweretwofatalities.
1 blog.tstc.org/2015/08/14/the-high-costs-of-bicycle-crashes-in-albany
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THE MADISON AVENUE ROAD DIET AREA IS THE PERFECT CORRIDOR FOR ALBANYS FIRST PBL
Madison Avenue connects with 8 CDTA bus lines, linking key areas of Albany.
Despite (or perhaps because of) ample parking and highway-like automobile capacity, Madison has had a steady supply of vacant storefronts. PBLs could change that.
TheMadisonAvenuecorridorfromLarkStreettoSouthAllenconnectsdiverse,densely-populatedneighborhoodsofthousandsofpeople,manywithoutaccesstopersonalvehicles.Theneighborhoodswouldbewell-servedbyhighquality,safeProtectedBicycleLanesthatconnectthemtoplacestheyneedtogo.
Thecorridorishometo4businessdistrictsalongtheAvenue,includingtheburgeoningParkSouthareaoffNewScotlandAvenue.AlbanyMedicalCenter,ourregionslargestprivateemployerisacoupleofblocksofftheAvenue.TheCollegeofSaintRosescampusincludestheavenue,employshundredsofpeopleandeducatesthousandsofstudents.Itconnectstomanyrestaurants,2super-markets,andourcitysbeautifulWashing-tonPark.
Thehightrafficvolumecorridorconnectsmanypeopleto8buslines:10,11,13,18,734,100,114,138
AProtectedbikelaneonMadisonAvenuewillserveasamodelforotherPBLsonhightrafficvolumeroadsinthecity.
Photos: Albany Bicycle Lane Coalition; Capital District Transportation Authority
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WHAT ARE THE MADISON AVENUE OPTIONS?
This is not a preferred option of the Protected Bicycle Lane Coalition. There is no protected space for people on bicycles and the very
wide travel lanes do not promote slow, safe city driving. The width of the parking lane in this design alternative is 8 ft, however some
of the other design options have a 7 ft parking lane. It has been our experience when measuring City of Albany parking lanes that
they are generally 7 ft. lanes.
The Protected Bicycle Lane Coalition does not support Alternative A.
Alternative A: Marked Shared Lanes [Sharrows]
InJuly2015,thecityofAlbanyheldameetingwhere5designoptionsfortheMadisonAvenueRoadDietwereunveiled.Twoofthedesignsincludedprotect-edbicyclelanesTheProtectedBikeLaneCoalition
supportseitherofthoseoptionsasthepreferredtreatmentforMadisonAvenue.
Belowareouranalysesoftheproposedoptions.
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This is not a preferred option of the Protected Bicycle Lane
Coalition. In city after city, the white lines of paint to separate
people on bicycles from motorized traffic that constitute
conventional bicycles lane have not encouraged those people
who are interested in bicycling, but concerned about sharing
space with motorized traffic to start riding a bicycle. Additionally,
this option puts the bicyclist in the door zone which also puts
them at risk of getting hit by cars pulling out of parking spots.
A 2014 study showed that even when cities design wider
conventional bike lanes adjacent to parked cars, very few
bicycle riders ride outside the door zone1. An article about
the report notes, The on-street tests demonstrated that a
six-foot-wide bike lane offers no advantage over one thats
five feet wide, or even four feet wide. Regardless of the width,
bicyclists still ride in the center of the lane within the radius of
a typical car door swinging open. Dooring crashes are common
in urban areas like Chicago: In 2012, the last year for which data
is available, 18 percent of reported bike crashes were doorings.
While protected bike lanes werent studied in this research,
the authors observations show how proximity to moving traffic
contributes to doorings. For instance, the study concluded that,
as traffic volume increases, bicyclists move away from vehicles
in the travel lane and position themselves closer to parked
vehicles or the curb. Researchers observed the same response
as truck traffic increased in the travel lane. This puts bicyclists
in the door zone but with protected lanes, cyclists dont have
to ride next to motor vehicle traffic, and this isnt a problem.
Concerns about conventional bicycle lanes on roads with
parked cars are also expressed well in these excerpt from a
Cambridge, MA report2:
While bicycle lanes are an important component of the
bicycle network and can serve some users well, especially on
lower volume and lower speed routes, they are not comfortable
for riders of all ages and abilities on streets with higher traffic
volumes.... Providing facilities that separate bicyclists from
moving vehicles on routes with faster moving traffic that serve popular destinations, residential areas, schools, parks and employment centers will help encourage more bicycling for transportation.
.... Where on-street parking is present, bicyclists often do not feel comfortable riding outside of the door zone on busy streets closer to moving motor vehicle traffic, and may not have quick enough reaction times to avoid an opening car door when riding in the door zone. Although less common, passenger side doorings in bicycle lanes remain a risk, especially with
passengers exiting or boarding taxis. Even the most extensive educational and outreach efforts are not as effective as infrastructure design that eliminates the conflict altogether. Crash data in the City of Cambridge from 2004 to 2009 shows
that 20% of all crashes involve bicyclists being doored by
motorists, 87% of which are from the driver side door opening.
The Protected Bicycle Lane Coalition does not support
Alternative B.
Alternative B: Conventional Bicycle Lanes
1 Streetsblog Chicago, 2014 - Study: To Keep Bicyclists Outside the Door Zone, You Need a Buffer2 City of Cambridge, 2014 - CycleTracks: A Technical Review of Safety, Design and Research
NOTE: The Protected Bicycle Lane Coalition recognizes that conventional bicycle
lanes are needed in order to create a bicycle network on Albany streets and it
supports the addition of conventional bicycle lanes on appropriate streets. If the
city incorporates conventional bicycle lanes on lower traffic volume streets without
significant amounts of short term parking and frequent rates of parking turnover it
will demonstrate the citys commitment to becoming more bicycle-friendly.
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Alternative C: Two-Way Separated [Protected] Bicycle Lanes
This is a preferred option of the PBL Coalition. This Protected
Bike Lane option, provides protection for the person on a bicycle
in a parked car protected bicycle lane. This option preserves the
center turn lane for motor vehicles and maintains a significant
amount of parking for cars. The trade-offs for this option are
that the bicycle lanes are not as wide as in other designs and the
bicycle lanes are only on one side of the street, while there are
places to go on both sides of the street.
The Protected Bicycle Lane Coalition supports Alternative C.
PREFERRED
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Alternative D: One-Way Separated [Protected] Bicycle Lanes
This is a preferred option of the PBL Coalition. This Protected Bike
Lane option, provides protection on each side of the street for the
person on a bicycle in a parked car protected bicycle lane.
We have concerns about the motorized vehicle lane widths in
this option and encourage a redesign to include a center median to
reduce the motorized vehicle travel lanes to about 10 ft, a narrower,
more appropriate width for a city street. This concern is exacerbated
by the repeat of an 8 ft parking lane in this design which will likely
not be taken up by 8 ft wide vehicles. As stated previously, it has
been our experience when measuring City of Albany parking lanes
that they are generally 7 ft. lanes. Adding a center median can
serve to assist emergency vehicle travel, intermittent loading and
unloading, utility work and other temporary uses.
While the citys consultants have noted that this option has a
greater parking impact when compared to 3-lane alternatives,
our parking demand analysis demonstrates that there is enough
parking available at peak times of day within a reasonable walking
distance of destinations along the corridor. The PBL Coalitions
parking demand analysis is described in detail later in this report.
We also note that much of the reduction in parking in Alternative
D is directly related the addition of a left turn bay at intersections
to facilitate optimal traffic flow. Every intersection along the
road diet corridor does not experience an equivalent amount
of left turning motorized traffic, therefore the amount of
parking impact should not be assumed to be the same on each
intersection in the corridor. In some cases, variations on left turns
are directly due to road design for instance, there are two one-
way streets along the corridor as well as two streets where there
is only an intersection on the south side of the road. However,
there are also some intersections where we have observed and/
or anticipate higher volumes of cars turning left in peak driving
times necessitating more parking removal, while there are other
intersections where we continually observe very low volumes
of left turning cars during peak and non-peak times of day. For
example, in the current lane configuration it is very rare to see
even one car waiting to turn left when driving eastbound on
Madison and making a left onto Quail Street going north.
The Protected Bicycle Lane Coalition supports Alternative D.
We encourage the addition of a painted center median, and left
turn bays that reflect actual and anticipated left turns at each
intersection.
PREFERRED
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Alternative E: Buffered Bicycle Lanes
This is not a preferred option of the Protected Bicycle Lane
Coalition. While this option moves the bicycle out of the door
zone of the parked cars, it is not a design that provides a
physical barrier between the motorized traffic and the person
on a bicycle. Though not noted by the consultants, it appears to
us that the lack of a center turn lane may result in vehicle delays
outside of the intersections.
The Protected Bicycle Lane Coalition does not support
Alternative E.
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EMERGENCY VEHICLE ACCESS & TRAFFIC FLOW
Albanysmajorthoroughfareshaveservedthecitywellinemergencysituationsinallseasons,manywithsmallerdoor-to-doorwidths(fromparkedcarononesideofthestreet,toparkedcarontheoppo-sitesideofthestreet)thanthoseproposedineitherofthePBLoptionsforMadison.
DOOR-TO-DOOR LANE MEASUREMENTS:
Delaware Ave: 22 ft
Western Ave: 24 ft
Madison Ave (Alternative D): 25 ft
New Scotland Ave (at Holland Ave): 31 ft
Infact,the12.5ftlanewidthsinAlternativeDarewiderthantheFHWArecommendedrangeof10-12ft.Theadditionofapaintedcentermedianwouldallowforgenerouspavementwidthforemergenciesandsnow,aswellasroomforprotectedbikelanes,allwhilekeepingthetravellaneswithintheFHWAguidelines.
PAINTED CENTER MEDIAN:
OVERCOMING PERCEIVED OBSTACLES
Illustrations: Jim Maximowicz/APBLC
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PARKING
TheProtectedLaneBicycleCoalitionspositionhasalwaysbeenthatparkingonbothsidesofMadisonAve.wouldbemaintained.Infact,theanalysisofvarioustypesofphysicalbarrierstoseparatecarsfromcyclistsshowsthatparkedcarsarethebestchoicebecausetheyprovidethemaximumamountofprotectionforthecostofimplementationi.e.paint.Thisisthereasonthatthecoalitionchoseparkinglaneprotectedbikelanes.Thatsaid,theCoalitionquestionstheestimated
lossofparkingspacesonMadisonresultingfromProtectedBikeLanes.Questionsinclude:
1. DotheavailablespacesonMadisonestimatedbytheconsultantsincludeonlythosethatarelegal,meaning20backfromintersections?ThefactisthatifNewYorkStateandCityofAlbanylawsareenforced*,almostallintersectionsalongMadisonwouldlosefourparkingspaces(Seetableatright).
2. WhatarethenumberofspaceslostforPBLscom-paredwiththeotherdesignsbeingconsideredbytheCity.
3. HavetheconsultantssurveyedthevacantspacesonstreetswithinareasonablewalkingdistancefromMadison?
4. HavetheconsultantsconsideredthedataincludedintheCityofAlbany,SustainabilityAdvisoryCom-mitteeReport2015thatsaysstudiesshowpeoplearewillingtowalk5minutes,orabout1/4miletowork,shoppingorotherappointments.Peopletendtobewillingtowalkalittlelonger,upto1/2miletobettertransitservices...andtorecreationalfacilities.
New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law
Title VII, Article 32, 1202(a)
2. [No person shall] Stand or park a vehicle, whether
occupied or not, except momentarily to pick up or
discharge a passenger or passengers:
a. In front of a public or private driveway;
b. Within twenty feet of a cross walk at an intersection,
unless a different distance is indicated by official signs,
markings or parking meters.
c. Within thirty feet upon the approach to any flashing
signal, stop or yield sign or traffic-control signal
located at the side of the roadway,
The City of Albany Code
Article II, 359-22
Parking, Standing and Stopping Restrictions
Except as otherwise designated by official signs, signals or
markings, the following restrictions will apply in the City of
Albany. Except when necessary to avoid conflict with other
traffic or when in compliance with law or the directions of
a police officer or official traffic control device, no person
shall:
B. Stand or park a vehicle, whether occupied or not, except
momentarily to pick up or discharge a passenger or
passengers:
(1) In front of a public or private driveway.
(2) Within 20 feet of a crosswalk at an intersection unless a
different distance is indicated by official signs, markings
or where parking meters are installed.
* The Albany Police Departments Traffic Safety Committees Traffic Engineering subcommittee recommended that key intersections in the City be day lighted for the
safety of all users. Why this is a recommendation from the Albany Police Department rather than a directive to enforce existing laws is a question for APD to answer.
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The APBLC survey shows ample parking during peak weekday hours of 9am, noon, and 4pm.
PARKING (CONTINUED)
InAlbany,lollipopmetersarebeingreplacedbyki-oskpaystations.ThischangehasbeenimplementedonthesouthsideofMadisonfromS.AllentoW.Lawrence.AllalongMadison,thestreetmarkingsforparkingspaceshavedisappearedandhavenotbeenrepainted.Accordingtostandardguides,parkinglengthforparallelparkingis20perspace.AspotsurveybytheCoalitionshowsanaverageof18onstreetswithoutparkinglines.A2reduction(from20to18)resultsina10%increaseinthenumberofavailablespaces.
TheProtectedBicycleLaneCoalitionsurveyofavailableparkingplacesinthefour-blockstretchofMadisonAve.betweenWestLawrenceandQuailStsshowsthatevenduringpeakweekdayhoursof9am,noon,and4pm,almost50percentoftheon-streetparkingplacesareunoccupiedandavailable.Thissurvey,basedontheactualnumberofcarstakingupspacesratherthanona20spaceforeachcar,andnotincludingavailabilityofspacesonadjacentsidestreets,indicatesthattheimpactofestimatedlossofparkingmaybeexaggerated.
Map: Map data 2015 Google
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DEALING WITH SNOW
TheProtectedBikeLaneCoalitionquestionstheCitysseeminglyinsurmount-ableobstacleofadditionaloperatingcostsofsnowremovalfromprotectedlanes,consideringthattheproposeddesignsdonotincludeaddingcurbs,anddorecommendplasticbarriersthatcanandshouldberemovedinthewinter.Weeklymoveovernightsandsnowemergenciesrequiringalternateside
ofthestreetparkingprovideunobstructedaccesstoprotectedbikelanes.WerecommendtwooptionsfordealingwithsnowremovalonProtected
BikeLanes.
OPTION 1: Roll maintenance costs (street sweeping and snow removal) into Citys operational budget.
Expertstellusthatthisistheoptionmostcitieschoose.Theincrementalcostsarenothighunlessthecitypurchasesspecializedequipment.Manycitiesthataremakingaseriouscommitmenttobuildingouttheirbikenetworksareupdat-ingtheirfleetwithsmallerplowsandsweeperstohandlethechangingneeds.ProtectedBikeLanesincreasepropertyvaluesandprofitsforlocalbusiness--
thusincreasingthetaxesfortheCity.Thisincrease,overtime,willoffsetmainte-nancecosts.
OPTION 2: Public-private partnership by raising funds from area businesses and tax-exempt organizations.
TheFederalHighwayAdministration,initsMay2015SeparatedBikeLanePlanningandDesignGuidecitesexamplesofpublic-privatecollaborationforstreetcleaningandsnowremoval.TheProtectedBikeLaneCoalitionpledg-estoresearchthoseexamplesandactivelyworktoraisemoneyfromprivatesources.OncelocalbusinessesseetheincreaseinprofitgeneratedbyProtect-edBikeLanes,theywillbemotivatedtocontributetothecostofkeepingthemopeninthewinter.
The immediate
increase in
operating
costs for snow
removal will be
outweighed
by the long-
term economic
benefits of
protected
bike lanes for
businesses and
home owners
and savings due
to a reduction in
the number of
accidents.
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CONCLUSION
ThisreporthasdiscussedthetransformationalopportunitythecityofAlbanyisfacinginthedesignselectionfortheMadisonAvenueRoadDiet.Theeconomic,safety,fairness/equity,healthandenvi-ronmentalbenefitsofthe2PBLoptions(Alterna-tivesCandD)areloudandclear.Carefulanalysisrevealsthatalloftheproposed
alternativesthatlackPBLsareseverelydeficientandwillnotencouragetheinterestedbutconcernedtoridebicyclesathighrates.ThesharrowsofAlternativeAoffernoprotectedspaceforpeopleonbicycles,andtheexpansivetravellanesencouragedangerouscitydriving.AlternativeBsconvention-albicyclelanesputbicyclesdirectlyinmotoristsdoorzone,thespaceinwhichacyclistisindangerofgettinghitbyanopeningcardoor.Onacom-mercialstreetwithfrequentparkingturnover,thisisasignificantsafetyhazardfordriversandcyclistsalike.ThebufferedoptionofAlternativeEdoesnotofferaphysicalbarrierfromtrafficforthepersononabicycletopromoteeconomicactivityatthelevelofaProtectedBikeLane.
Concerns about loss of parking and costs of snow maintenance must be looked at in context: Parking.Ourdetailedsurveyofavailablepark-ingplacesinthefour-blockstretchofMadisonAve.betweenWestLawrenceandQuailshowsthatevenduringhighparkingdemandtimes,al-most50percentoftheon-streetparkingplacesareunoccupiedandavailable.
Snow.Thereareviableoptionsforaddressingsnowremoval.Short-terminvestmentinsnowremovalcanberecoupedbytheeventualre-turnsinincreasedpropertyvaluesandprofitstolocalbusiness.
TheProtectedBikeLaneCoalitionwillraisefundsforashort-termpopupProtectedBikeLanetotakeplacenextspringtogatherfeedbackfromAlba-nyresidents,businessownersandvisitors.ItisclearthatProtectedBikeLanesaretheright
choiceforMadisonAvenue.TheProtectedBikeLaneCoalitionurgesMayorSheehanandherstafftomakeaboldmoveforthefutureofthiscityandselectaProtectedBikeLaneoptionfortheMadisonAvenueRoadDiet.
The Protected Bike Lane Coalition urges Mayor Sheehan and her staff
to make a bold move for the future of this city and select a Protected
Bike Lane option for the Madison Avenue Road Diet.
Albany Protected Bicycle Lane Coalition
The Albany Protected Bicycle Lane Coalition thanks People For Bikes Green Lane Project for being
such a valuable resource for information about the benefits of Protected Bicycle Lanes.