San Diego bicycling and cycling throughout the southern Pacific Coast looks like it may be getting even better.
San Diego’s soon to be finalized transportation plan may greatly expand bicycle paths and work towards designing a friendlier environment for pedestrians.
Transportation planners have proposed spending $2.58 billion building bicycle paths and improving streets for pedestrians in San Diego County over the next 40 years. […] The draft transportation plan, which is nearly ready for public scrutiny, calls for a regional bikeway, some of it cobbled from the existing 1,340 miles of county roads and trails identified for bicycle use, from El Cajon to the coast and Oceanside to the border. [1]
Cities all around the USA have been improving cycling by installing bike lanes, bike safety markings, and facilities for bikes such as bike racks and commuter lockers.
Los Angeles is also pushing forward on a large bike plan.
The 2010 Plan designates 1,680 miles of bikeway facilities and proposes three new bicycle networks (Backbone, Neighborhood and Green). Additionally, the 2010 Bicycle Plan includes a Technical Design Handbook that will assist both City staff and residents in selecting and designing facilities for future bikeways that are safe and consistent with current standards and guidelines. [5]
Long Beach, already has 60 miles of bike paths. Long Beach will launch fully separated bike lanes in their down town area soon. [3] Of course, New York City already enjoys many miles of these separated bike paths. Portland, Oregon is also experimenting with a separated bike path design idea. Both the normal bike lane and the new design of the buffered bike lane are good news for cyclists. The fully separated bike lane design comes from Europe where they have had better results improving safety for pedestrians and bicyclists.
The fully separated bike path design idea places the bike lane next to the sidewalk instead of car parking being right next to the curb. Parked cars occupy the space between the bike lane and the car lane, and add an extra barrier of protection to cyclists. A buffered zone also exists between the parked cars and the bike lane for exiting and entering motorists. The idea is that bicyclists are not sharing space with cars nor pedestrians. Pedestrians have the sidewalk but do have to walk further to enter the roadway, which some fear may present visibility problems and lead to pedestrian accident rates increasing.
Many other cities are experimenting with similar ideas for separated bike paths. New York City has greatly increased both their bike lanes and the miles of fully separated bike paths.
Many other cities are experimenting with similar ideas for separated bike paths. New York City has greatly increased both their bike lanes and the miles of fully separated bike paths. While bicyclists are happy, not all are enthusiastic. In New York City the fully separated bike paths are controversial [4] and are being blamed for causing increased traffic congestion and some feel that the majority are not being served, even going so far to wanting to pull out the bike paths.
Proponents of the work to improve bike paths and pedestrian safety say that in New York City, fewer bicycle and pedestrian deaths have occurred than at any other time in the city’s history.
RESOURCES CITED
1. Billions proposed for bike lanes, pedestrian-friendly streets Air quality issues factor in plan calling for more ‘active transportation’
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/feb/25/bicycles-big-part-future-transportation-plans/
2. Bike Long Beach – Separate Bike Path Planning FAQs
http://www.bikelongbeach.org/Planning/Read.aspx?ArticleId=19
3. Long Beach Bike Paths – City website on their 60 miles of bike paths
http://www.longbeach.gov/park/recreation/sports/bike_paths.asp
4. For City’s Transportation Chief, Kudos and Criticism
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/06/nyregion/06sadik-khan.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss
5. Los Angeles Bike Plan
Bike plan and maps are available here: http://cityplanning.lacity.org/cwd/gnlpln/transelt/BikePlan/B1Intro.htm
San Diego Bicycle Accident Attorney
I am a skilled and experienced bicycle and pedestrian accident attorney. San Diego personal injury attorney with experience and demonstrated results and client testimonials illustrate that I have and will fight every step of the way for my clients, and doing so has won substantial settlements for my clients. Bicycle and pedestrian accidents can be very complicated, especially if a contributing factor of your injury is the fact that the road design is itself dangerous.
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