new rules for sharing the road - cloudinary · sharing the road transportation des moines added...
TRANSCRIPT
Bus
ines
s R
ecor
d |
busi
ness
reco
rd.c
om |
Tw
itter
: @bu
sine
ssre
cord
16
Oct
ober
18, 2
013
sharing the road
transportation
Des Moines added just over 4 miles of bike lanes and lanes shared by bikes and cars downtown this summer to encourage bicycle commuters and to safely bring riders into the city core from its recreational trails. But do cyclists and motorists know the rules for safely sharing the road? Even avid bicyclists and conscientious drivers may be confused about new symbols or how to handle conventional bike lanes, let alone the left-side bike lanes, contra-flow lanes and “sharrows.” The Business Record staff searched for an easy local guide of traffic do’s and don’ts regarding bike lanes but couldn’t find one. We created this one for you, so regardless of how you get to work, you can get there safely.
Photo by duane tinkey
a guide for navigating downtown des Moines’ new bike lanes
FOCUS: TRanspoRTaTion
BY anne carothers-kaY
New rules for
Carl Voss is chairman of the Des Moines Bicycle Collective. Voss has been commuting by bicycle since 1971, and he also served as chairman of the Des Moines Traffic safety Committee.
Mike ring is the principal traffic engineer for the city of Des Moines. He also rides his bike to work a few times a week and uses the bicycle lanes on Ingersoll Avenue.
our eXPerTs
there are lots of people who are comfortable with the trail system, but we all know that trails don’t lead to jobs and coffee shops and hardware stores and libraries, So we’ve got to get out on the street.
Carl Voss, chairman of the Des Moines Bicycle Collective
17
Bus
ines
s R
ecor
d |
busi
ness
reco
rd.c
om |
Tw
itter
: @bu
sine
ssre
cord
O
ctob
er 18
, 201
3
Third Street and Grand Avenue: When traveling West on Grand, the bike lane changes from the right (north) side of Grand Avenue to the left side of the street, with the aid of a traffic signal. Cyclists can push a button on the signal at Third Street to stop vehicle traffic from all four directions, so they can cross to the left-hand bike lane.
Fifth and Court Avenues: Cycling north on Fifth Avenue, requires some unexpected maneuvers to safely cross this unusual intersection by bike. Here’s what to do: Merge into the left-hand bike lane at the stoplight at Fifth and Cherry Street. When the stoplight turns green, bikes continue north in the left-side bike lane, bending with the curve but stopping or slowing at the entrance to Court Avenue. Check traffic from the east and west and when it is clear, signal a left turn to head north, once again in a right-hand bike lane.
Grand Avenue at 17th Street: When traveling west on Grand, the bike lane suddenly ends at 17th Street, leaving cyclists few good options. However, you can move to the far left lane, get onto the sidewalk and cross Grand Avenue using the crosswalk if you plan to connect to the bike lanes on Ingersoll Avenue. Even better would be to employ the same tactic two blocks earlier at 15th Street, because a recreational trail goes north on 15th to connect with Ingersoll’s bike lanes going west.
DART Central Station: Bike lanes were created just to connect the recreational trail that runs along the south side of Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway to DART Central Station via Southwest Sixth and Seventh streets. Be aware that, riding north, you will have to merge onto the sidewalk on Sixth Avenue just before the railroad tracks.
East Village: The bike lanes and sharrows on Grand and Locust end at East Fourth Street instead of at Southeast Sixth Street, where there is a recreational trail heading south.
E 15 th
S t
W Martin Luther King Jr Pkwy
SW 5th
St
Ingersoll Ave
6th
Ave
SW 3rd
St
E Walnut StFl
eur D
r
SW 2nd
St
Mar
ti n Lu
the r
King
Jr Pk
wy
SE 6th
St
Center StE Grand Ave
19th
St
9th
St
SW 7th
St
Ingersoll Ave
3rd
S t
2nd
Ave
Grand Ave
Tuttle St
SE 14
th St
SW 14
th S t
Fleu
r Dr
Hartford Ave
SE 6th
St
Cottage Grove Ave
SW
3rd
St
SE 14
t h S t
SW 9th
St
Fleu
r Dr
Fle u
r Dr
Thomas Beck Rd
E 7t
h St
Laurel St27
th St
Elm St
Hartford Ave
SW 1s t St
E 14
th St
Grand Ave
E 9t
h St
E Gray St
SW 8th
St
WI235 Hwy
Co
u rtla
nd Dr
19th
St
14t h
St
Pioneer RdSunset Rd
SW W
a ter S
t
SE 8t h
Ct
Bancroft St
Olinda Ave
E Jackson Ave
SE 9t
h St
Dey St
E 14
th Ct
Maple St
Walker St
SE 8th
St
Penn
s yl v
ania
Ave
EI235 Hwy
Fulton Dr
Terrace Dr
Wabash St
Atkins St
17th
St
Day St
Center St
SE 1s
t St
School St
9th St
Monona Ave
Scott Ave
E Railroad AveClay Ave
Crocker St
Murphy St
Pleasant St
SW 23
rd S t
Center St
Day St
E Hillside Ave
Olive Ave
Park St
SE 13th
St
SE 4th
St
SE 9th
St
Livingston Ave
Buchanan St
SE 7th
St
E 15th
St
Tuttle St
26th
St
SE 10th
St
SE 5th
St
SE 11th
St
E 4th
St
5th
Ave
SE 12th
St
18th
St
Gratis Ave
7th
StSW
4th St
Keosauqua Way
Maury St
E Walnut St
E Court Ave
E 13th
St
E 10th
St
Vale StShaw St
Raccoon St
8th
St
E 11th
St
Drake Park Ave
E Locust St
SE 6t
h St
E Grand Ave
E Fulton Dr
Lyon St
9th
St
29th
S t
SE 2nd St
SE 14
th St
Taylor St
Forest Dr
E 8t
h St
Line Dr
28th
St
SW 7th
St
23rd
St
E Livingston Ave
11th
St
SW 9th
StMorgan St
30th
St
1 5th
St
E 6t
h St
Ingersoll Ave
Park Pl
SW 2n
d St
E Columbus Ave
SE 3r
d St
Gray St
South U
nion St
Kingman Blvd
Cottage Grove Ave
Rollins Ave
Rutland Ave
School St
16th
StSE
6th St
E Edison Ave
E Granger Ave
6th
Ave
E Dunham Ave
20th
St
12th
St
Linden St
Indi
anola Ave
25th
St 24th
St
Woodland Ave
12th St
Davis Ave
Des Moines St
3rd St
E Martin Luther King Jr Pkwy
Indianola Rd
E 12th
St
2nd
Ave
30th
St SE 14
th Ct
W Martin Luther King Jr Pkwy
Dart Way
Z w art
Rd
E Olinda Ave
Terrac e R
d
SW 11th
St
High St
SE 8t
h St
Garden Rd
Oakridge Dr
Van Buren St
E Kirkwood Ave
SW 3rd
St
F leu
r Dr
SE 14
th St
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGeeeeeeeeeeeeoooooooorrrrrrrrgggggggggr eeeeeeeegg FFFFFFFFFFlllllllaaaaaaaaaaggggggggggggggggggggggggg PPPPPPPPPPkkkkkkkkkkkwwwwwwwwwyyyyyyyyy
W Ri
ver D
r
Thom
as Beck Rd
BotanicalCenter
CheatomPark
ColumbusPark
DrakePark
GoodPark
River HillsOpen Space
StewartSquare Park
WhitmerPark
St. AmbroseCemetery
WoodlandCemetery
ChamberlainPark
Pioneer-ColumbusCommunity Center
Gray'sLake
CohenPark
WesternGateway
Park
MacRaePark
NollenPlaza
AllenPark
PrincipalRiverwalk
CrivaroPark
WaterworksPark
PrincipalPark
Jim MutoRecreation
Area
Cyclists fare best when they act and are treated as drivers of vehicles.
John Forester, author of “Effective Cycling,” considered
to be the bible for bicycling
TOP TRAFFIC TIP: Cars and bicycles are bound by the same traffic rule: Do not turn across lanes of traffic. Cars should never turn across a bike lane to make a turn. Instead they should check the lane for bicycle traffic then merge across the bike lane to the far-right or far-left turning lane. Dotted bicycle lane markings leading up to most intersec-tions are signals to merge for drivers and cyclists.
HOT SPOTS 1
2
3
4
5
1
234
5
New dOwNTOwN bike laNeS
E 15th
St
W Martin Luther King Jr Pkwy
SW 5th
St
Ingersoll Ave
6th
Ave
SW 3rd
St
E Walnut St
Fleu
r Dr
SW 2nd
St
Mar
tin Lu
the r
King
Jr Pk
wy
SE 6th
St
Center StE Grand Ave
19th
St
9th
St
SW 7th
St
Ingersoll Ave
3rd
St
2nd
Ave
Grand Ave
Tuttle St
SE 14
th St
SW 14
th St
Fleu
r Dr
Hartford Ave
SE 6th
St
Cottage Grove Ave
SW
3rd
St
SE 14
th St
SW 9th
St
Fleu
r Dr
Fleu
r Dr
Thomas Beck Rd
E 7t
h St
Laurel St
27th
St
Elm St
Hartford Ave
SW 1s t St
E 14
th St
Grand Ave
E 9t
h St
E Gray St
SW 8th
St
WI235 Hwy
Co
u rtla
nd Dr
19th
St
14th
St
Pioneer RdSunset Rd
SW W
a ter S
t
SE 8t h
Ct
Bancroft St
Olinda Ave
E Jackson Ave
SE 9t
h St
Dey St
E 14
th Ct
Maple St
Walker St
SE 8th
St
Penn
s ylv
ania
Ave
EI235 Hwy
Fulton Dr
Terrace Dr
Wabash St
Atkins St
17th
St
Day St
Center St
SE 1s
t St
School St
9th St
Monona Ave
Scott Ave
E Railroad AveClay Ave
Crocker St
Murphy St
Pleasant St
SW 23
rd S t
Center St
Day St
E Hillside Ave
Olive Ave
Park St
SE 13th
St
SE 4th
St
SE 9th
St
Livingston Ave
Buchanan St
SE 7th
St
E 15th
St
Tuttle St
26th
St
SE 10th
St
SE 5th
St
SE 11th
St
E 4th
St
5th
Av e
SE 12th
St
18th
St
Gratis Ave
7th
St
SW 4th
St
Keosauqua Way
Maury St
E Walnut St
E Court Ave
E 13th
St
E 10th
St
Vale StShaw St
Raccoon St
8th
St
E 11th
St
Drake Park Ave
E Locust St
SE 6t
h St
E Grand Ave
E Fulton Dr
Lyon St
9th
St
29th
S t
SE 2nd St
SE 14
th St
Taylor StForest D
r
E 8t
h St
Line Dr
28th
St
SW 7th
St
23rd
St
E Livingston Ave
11th
St
SW 9th
St
Morgan St
30th
St
1 5th
St
E 6t
h St
Ingersoll Ave
Park Pl
SW 2n
d St
E Columbus Ave
SE 3r
d St
Gray St
South U
nion St
Kingman Blvd
Cottage Grove Ave
Rollins Ave
Rutland Ave
School St
16th
St
SE 6th
St
E Edison Ave
E Granger Ave
6th
Ave
E Dunham Ave
20th
St
12th
St
Linden St
Indi
anola A
ve
25th
St 24th
St
Woodland Ave
12th St
Davis Ave
Des Moines St
3rd St
E Martin Luther King Jr Pkwy
Indianola Rd
E 12th
St
2nd
Av e
30th
St
SE 14
th Ct
W Martin Luther King Jr Pkwy
Dart Way
Z w
art
Rd
E Olinda Ave
Terrac e R
d
SW 11th
St
High St
SE 8t
h St
Garden Rd
Oakridge Dr
Van Buren St
E Kirkwood Ave
SW 3rd
St
F leu
r Dr
SE 14
th St
George Flagg Pkwy
W Ri
ver D
r
Thom
as Beck Rd
BotanicalCenter
CheatomPark
ColumbusPark
DrakePark
GoodPark
River HillsOpen Space
StewartSquare Park
WhitmerPark
St. AmbroseCemetery
WoodlandCemetery
ChamberlainPark
Pioneer-ColumbusCommunity Center
Gray'sLake
CohenPark
WesternGateway
Park
MacRaePark
NollenPlaza
AllenPark
PrincipalRiverwalk
CrivaroPark
WaterworksPark
PrincipalPark
Jim MutoRecreation
Area
Downtown Des Moines Facilities for Proposed Funding [Existing Trail
Existing Bike Lane
Facility Proposed for Funding
Existing Bike LaneExisting TrailNew Bike Lane, 2013
Bus
ines
s R
ecor
d |
busi
ness
reco
rd.c
om |
Tw
itter
: @bu
sine
ssre
cord
18
Oct
ober
18, 2
013
Conventional bike laneGenerally a 5-foot-wide lane marked with solid lines on one or both sides and a bicycle icon. Bike lanes are designated space for bicycles. The solid lines are signals to cars to stay out of the bike lane.
DotteD line markings on bike lanesUsually before an intersection, about 100 feet of dotted lines replace the solid lines on bike lanes. These dotted lines indicate that cars can cross the bike lanes OR that bikes may need to merge into another lane to turn. Specifically, cars that are traveling adjacent to a bike lane, should never turn across the bike lane to make a turn. Instead they should check the lane for bicycle traffic then merge, in the dotted lines space, across the bike lane to an interior turning lane.
left-siDe bike lane A traffic signal enables bicylists to switch from right- to left-side bike lanes at Third Street and Grand Avenue. Traffic engineers generally prefer bike lines to flow with traffic and to be on the right side of traffic. However, from Third to 17th streets, the Grand Avenue bike lane is on the left side of the one-way traffic street. Des Moines Traffic Engineer Mike Ring said this is because DART buses use the right side of Grand and engineers felt that dodg-ing buses would be more dangerous for bicyclists. http://bit.ly/167FKCF
Anne Carothers-Kay is the Business Record’s managing editor, who sometimes bicycles to or from the Business Record’s office in the former downtown train depot. You can read about her experiences testing bike lanes for this story at http://bit.ly/167FKCF.
Glossary:
Contra-flow laneA contra-flow bike lane is one that goes against oncoming traffic. Like highways, there are double-striped yellow lines to separate cyclists from oncoming traffic and to signal oncoming bicycle traffic to motorists. Ring said the contra-flow lanes, at six feet, are a little wider than normal bike lanes. The bike lane going north on Fifth Avenue from Mulberry Street to Crocker Street is a contra-flow lane.
sharrow The sharrow symbol describes a shared lane for bikes and cars in a roadway. The lane is marked periodically with a bicycle symbol with two chevrons over it. Because Locust Street is not as wide as Grand Av-enue, traffic engineers designated one traffic lane as a sharrow, rather than adding a bike lane. The bike-chevron symbol is painted in the middle of the lane to suggest that bicyclists ride there, rather than along the right side of the lane. Why? Because drivers opening left-hand doors to exit from parked cars are a significant danger for bicyclists.