I don't see separated bike lanes being installed throughout the city so having it for five blocks is a waste. Plus bicyclists ride wherever they choose irregardless of bike lanes.

They didn't feel that 9th St. was a good venue for a Class I facility for two basic reasons: turning traffic volume and heavy pedestrian usage.

They thought that though there are exactly 8 intersections/mi., that number represents the MAXIMUM number, and is still far more than what would make a pleasant cycling experience, with Ocean Parkway and its 7-1/2 intersections/mi. feeling too chopped up (in their opinion). The high percentage of vehicles making turns off of 9th St. exacerbates this.

Plus, along 9th St., they pointed out that there is intense foot traffic that could lead to conflicts, especially the number of people exiting cars and busses.

I get the sense that we're not going to see any Class I facilities proposed along any streets that have crossing traffic from this staff at DOT. They do make the case that there are actually more chances for conflict at intersections when you have a Class I lane than with a Class II lane, and that is tough to refute.

Still, asking the question served to shift the discussion from "this is all about the bikers" to "DOT is proposing a less-radical plan."