Comments on: Vancouver Gives a Bridge Lane to Bikes http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/07/22/vancouver-gives-a-bridge-lane-to-bikes/ Covering the New York City Streets Renaissance Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:07:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Limo Vancouver http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/07/22/vancouver-gives-a-bridge-lane-to-bikes/comment-page-1/#comment-132991 Limo Vancouver Mon, 12 Oct 2009 09:14:00 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=14921#comment-132991 A good Vancouver limousine service will help you do just that: by providing the best transportation available to you, you can make sure that such life-changing events will be made as memorable as possible. A good Vancouver limousine service will help you do just that: by providing the best transportation available to you, you can make sure that such life-changing events will be made as memorable as possible.

]]> By: Corey Burger http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/07/22/vancouver-gives-a-bridge-lane-to-bikes/comment-page-1/#comment-86441 Corey Burger Wed, 22 Jul 2009 23:33:18 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=14921#comment-86441 This isn't the first time that Burrard St. Bridge had a lane dedicated to bikes. In 1996 they tried very much the same thing. Given how left-leaning the whole Vancouver City Council is currently, I am cautiously optimistic. This isn’t the first time that Burrard St. Bridge had a lane dedicated to bikes. In 1996 they tried very much the same thing. Given how left-leaning the whole Vancouver City Council is currently, I am cautiously optimistic.

]]> By: gecko http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/07/22/vancouver-gives-a-bridge-lane-to-bikes/comment-page-1/#comment-86351 gecko Wed, 22 Jul 2009 21:36:47 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=14921#comment-86351 A cantilevered elevated veloway on the Brooklyn Bridge would be real nice and make a statement about our committment to sensible transportation. But, getting the streets safe and ready for a New York scale public bicycle system should be the highest priority. There really does not seem to be enough bicycle traffic across the bridges to justify major expenditures at this time although the Brooklyn Bridge walkway seems to be a major tourist draw and the city might find considerable advantage in developing it further to capitalize on increased revenues from tourist dollars; such as veloway and or cycle rail crossings. A cantilevered elevated veloway on the Brooklyn Bridge would be real nice and make a statement about our committment to sensible transportation.

But, getting the streets safe and ready for a New York scale public bicycle system should be the highest priority.

There really does not seem to be enough bicycle traffic across the bridges to justify major expenditures at this time although the Brooklyn Bridge walkway seems to be a major tourist draw and the city might find considerable advantage in developing it further to capitalize on increased revenues from tourist dollars; such as veloway and or cycle rail crossings.

]]> By: mcsladek http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/07/22/vancouver-gives-a-bridge-lane-to-bikes/comment-page-1/#comment-86281 mcsladek Wed, 22 Jul 2009 19:47:21 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=14921#comment-86281 The Brooklyn Bridge ALREADY HAS a bike/ped path. It is lovely. The Verrazano-Narrows, on the other hand, which connects Staten Island to Brooklyn, is a tolled two-level, twelve-lane, autos-only bridge. Giving it a bike/ped lane would allow non-drivers exponentially easier access to Prospect Park, Coney Island, and the Rockaways, cutting out the transfer into Manhattan. It would also increase cycling as a free means of getting across the Verrazano. http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-3139-NY-Bicycle-Transportation-Examiner~y2009m7d22-VerrazanoNarrows-Bridge-needs-a-bicyclepedestrian-lane Let's do that instead. :) The Brooklyn Bridge ALREADY HAS a bike/ped path. It is lovely.

The Verrazano-Narrows, on the other hand, which connects Staten Island to Brooklyn, is a tolled two-level, twelve-lane, autos-only bridge. Giving it a bike/ped lane would allow non-drivers exponentially easier access to Prospect Park, Coney Island, and the Rockaways, cutting out the transfer into Manhattan. It would also increase cycling as a free means of getting across the Verrazano.

http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-3139-NY-Bicycle-Transportation-Examiner~y2009m7d22-VerrazanoNarrows-Bridge-needs-a-bicyclepedestrian-lane

Let’s do that instead. :)

]]> By: Vern On http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/07/22/vancouver-gives-a-bridge-lane-to-bikes/comment-page-1/#comment-86241 Vern On Wed, 22 Jul 2009 18:33:03 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=14921#comment-86241 Does the roadway on the Pulaski Bridge have big crappy expansion joints on it? maybe the long narrow kind with little nobby rivets? Is it doable with skinny tires? Been on it a bunch of times but can't remember. Does the roadway on the Pulaski Bridge have big crappy expansion joints on it? maybe the long narrow kind with little nobby rivets? Is it doable with skinny tires? Been on it a bunch of times but can’t remember.

]]> By: Angus Grieve-Smith http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/07/22/vancouver-gives-a-bridge-lane-to-bikes/comment-page-1/#comment-86201 Angus Grieve-Smith Wed, 22 Jul 2009 16:31:11 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=14921#comment-86201 Thanks to all who've joined the Group so far - we've doubled our membership this morning! Please contribute thoughts, links, blog posts, discusssions. One about Larry's suggestion upthread would be particularly helpful. J, I know it <i>looks</i> like they're car lanes, but they're actually <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTGwnvyIw1I" rel="nofollow">trolley trackbeds</a>. Thanks to all who’ve joined the Group so far – we’ve doubled our membership this morning! Please contribute thoughts, links, blog posts, discusssions. One about Larry’s suggestion upthread would be particularly helpful.

J, I know it looks like they’re car lanes, but they’re actually trolley trackbeds.

]]> By: I \v/ NY http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/07/22/vancouver-gives-a-bridge-lane-to-bikes/comment-page-1/#comment-86171 I \v/ NY Wed, 22 Jul 2009 16:06:39 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=14921#comment-86171 similar project under construction now in portland oregon converting a morrison bridge lane into a bike path. similar project under construction now in portland oregon converting a morrison bridge lane into a bike path.

]]> By: J http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/07/22/vancouver-gives-a-bridge-lane-to-bikes/comment-page-1/#comment-86141 J Wed, 22 Jul 2009 16:03:22 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=14921#comment-86141 DOT has already done this on the Queensboro Bridge. The biking/walking path on the north side of the bridge is simply a car lane that was rededicated to biking and walking. The corresponding space on the south side of the bridge still functions as a car lane. DOT has already done this on the Queensboro Bridge. The biking/walking path on the north side of the bridge is simply a car lane that was rededicated to biking and walking. The corresponding space on the south side of the bridge still functions as a car lane.

]]> By: Angus Grieve-Smith http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/07/22/vancouver-gives-a-bridge-lane-to-bikes/comment-page-1/#comment-86091 Angus Grieve-Smith Wed, 22 Jul 2009 15:27:05 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=14921#comment-86091 Let me repeat the invitation to join the Livable Streets Group <a href="http://www.livablestreets.com/projects/brooklyn-bridge-cycle-track-advocates/summary" rel="nofollow">Brooklyn Bridge Cycle Track Advocates</a>. The more people join, the more likely we'll be able to accomplish something! Let me repeat the invitation to join the Livable Streets Group Brooklyn Bridge Cycle Track Advocates. The more people join, the more likely we’ll be able to accomplish something!

]]> By: Moses Gates http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/07/22/vancouver-gives-a-bridge-lane-to-bikes/comment-page-1/#comment-86061 Moses Gates Wed, 22 Jul 2009 15:10:48 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=14921#comment-86061 The Pulaski bridge, where Bike/Ped conflict is just as bad but where the auto lanes are extremely underutilized, is a good place to try this as a PILOT program. The idea has been brought to DOT already, hopefully they'll try it out. The Pulaski bridge, where Bike/Ped conflict is just as bad but where the auto lanes are extremely underutilized, is a good place to try this as a PILOT program. The idea has been brought to DOT already, hopefully they’ll try it out.

]]> By: Larry Littlefield http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/07/22/vancouver-gives-a-bridge-lane-to-bikes/comment-page-1/#comment-86041 Larry Littlefield Wed, 22 Jul 2009 14:59:02 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=14921#comment-86041 "In New York, the Brooklyn Bridge -- where pedestrian-bicyclist conflicts are constant and sometimes ugly -- would be the obvious place to try giving a traffic lane to bicyclists." Makes sense to me, but my wife told me if she had to ride right next to the noise and fumes of the motor vehicles, she wouldn't want to ride to Manhattan anymore. And to be fair, I found the walk/bike path on the GW Bridge to be rather unpleasant for that reason, compared with the East River bridges. A more expensive solution would be to build an elevated bike path on an inner lane above the traffic, but below the pedestrian path (putting cyclist's heads below the beams). That would help to restore the historical use and look of the bridge, when what is now the inner lanes held the cable railway. “In New York, the Brooklyn Bridge — where pedestrian-bicyclist conflicts are constant and sometimes ugly — would be the obvious place to try giving a traffic lane to bicyclists.”

Makes sense to me, but my wife told me if she had to ride right next to the noise and fumes of the motor vehicles, she wouldn’t want to ride to Manhattan anymore. And to be fair, I found the walk/bike path on the GW Bridge to be rather unpleasant for that reason, compared with the East River bridges.

A more expensive solution would be to build an elevated bike path on an inner lane above the traffic, but below the pedestrian path (putting cyclist’s heads below the beams). That would help to restore the historical use and look of the bridge, when what is now the inner lanes held the cable railway.

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