It basically “works” if as a cyclist you go faster than the bus. That way, you control when you pass the bus.
For those who don’t go as fast as the bus, they are dangerous and don’t encourage cycling.
They are all over Paris… Even though they are working to put dedicated infrastructures when possible.
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I think the combined lane could work for local service, but this is BRT. It’s supposed to be RAPID. Nothing more rapid than a high-capacity bus getting stuck behind a bike going 15 MPH.
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That’s just awful. That poor woman.
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Yeah- I’m a fairly confident cyclist and I would not be a fan of this at all. Part of the reason why I would choose to bike over drive somewhere is because it’s enjoyable. Once you start adding buses into the equation it adds a level of urgency and stress which really takes that enjoyment away. It’s no longer a leisurely bike into downtown to grab some lunch where the bike ride is part of the fun. Plus, if I have to pedal hard then I’m going to get hot and sweaty and that’s also less enjoyable hahaha
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Seems like I always have kinda a struggle turning from the Salisbury bike lanes to the Morgan bike lanes. The past couple times were buses - seemed like they created wider turns that was harder to figure out what ground they were covering.
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My understanding from watching the presentation at BPAC was that this is only going to be applied for about 2 blocks on Blount and maybe a block on Morgan where there isn’t enough space to put the multituse path on the sidewalk. I agree that it’s not an ideal treatment long term as buses (hopefully) get more frequent and more BRT lines come online, but for now since this is in downtown the buses won’t be going very fast anyway. That said, it’s not a final design, only 60%, and I believe it could still be changed based on community feedback.
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If it’s only for 2 blocks, eliminate the row of on street parking in these two blocks. problem solved.
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Not saying I don’t agree but playing devils advocate. The businesses on that block wouldn’t go for it.
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Removing on street parking for that section seems like a decent compromise for everyone’s safety. That section of downtown has lots and lots of off street parking available.
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Yeah I am sure they will complain about loosing 10 or so parking spaces. But they need to not think about customers lost because they have maybe to park a little further away, but how much that would be offset (or gained) by having a bike path and BRT bus stop right in front of their business.
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Very good point. I’m sure many of us feel the same if I’m walking or biking and see an interesting store or restaurant I’ll be way more likely to visit or at least have it catch my eye than if I’m driving. So maybe they would rather have a path in front of them than parking.
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Several studies were made in Europe about that and they often have the same conclusions:
- business owners often over estimate the number of clients that came by car and under estimate the number of people that were pedestrians / cyclists
- pedestrians and cyclists will spend more money than people that came using cars
Obviously this only apply to “downtown type” areas vs suburban malls only accessible by car…
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If you are willing to put forth your own physical energy and time to go to a store, I’d suspect that you aren’t just window shopping. 
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There’s probably an endorphin effect - being ina store after walking/biking probably creates a positive feedback loop between the positive feelings the shopper is feeling and the environment their in
Window shopping is an American past time. Jump in your car, head to Crabtree and walk around without having a notion of buying anything. Maybe you will buy something, but maybe you won’t?
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I asked about this on the Urban Planning Reddit and it seems like most people’s experiences with shared bus-bike lanes have not been that great (due to the speed differences). Now this is only over a few blocks so it’s not like it’s the worst thing possible and there are multiple other parallel routes but yeah there is also parking on the left side that can be eliminated for those few blocks.
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Caught hot dog George using one of my photos against the new bike lane on West. I haven’t been in years and if you’re fan, great, but it’s probably not the lanes that are causing people to go elsewhere for food. It has to be the new food options popping over the years. Come on now.
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I don’t think anyone is coming downtown and physically parking on the street just to get a hot dog? Wouldn’t enhanced biking experience and increased foot traffic help him in theory. He Seems to be mad at the wrong thing.
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I get it - George is from a different generation. That being said, I love The Roast Grill and hope they reopen soon.
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perhaps it’s competition?
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