Bike Lanes

Transportation topics in KC
swid
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Re: Bike Lanes

Post by swid »

shinatoo wrote: Fri Jul 17, 2020 2:40 pm Now how do we get that info into Google maps so when I want bike directions it actually uses bike paths???
Google Maps' edit turnaround times have been glacial since the start of the pandemic - I submitted an update on May 20 to add the trail connection between Cliff Drive and Columbus Park. I just checked on it and it's still pending. :roll:
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normalthings
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Re: Bike Lanes

Post by normalthings »

DaveKCMO wrote: Thu Jul 16, 2020 9:18 pm Gillham:

Image
Its amazing to use but I am blow away by the high costs. Why are these so expensive and how can we make it cheaper? What prevents us from having some Boy Scouts start installing these on side streets?
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DaveKCMO
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Re: Bike Lanes

Post by DaveKCMO »

normalthings wrote: Tue Jul 21, 2020 1:51 am
DaveKCMO wrote: Thu Jul 16, 2020 9:18 pm Gillham:
Its amazing to use but I am blow away by the high costs. Why are these so expensive and how can we make it cheaper? What prevents us from having some Boy Scouts start installing these on side streets?
Traffic engineers that don't want them. KC over-engineers or waters down bike projects, which raises the price and simultaneously sets them up to fail.

Other cities that have more progressive and bike-friendly staff find ways to implement projects successfully and many are quick-build to reduce costs and learn fast what works and what doesn't. This stuff evolves often and more quickly than traditional traffic engineering.
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DColeKC
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Re: Bike Lanes

Post by DColeKC »

I rarely see the bike lanes on Grand being used. Why is this?
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Re: Bike Lanes

Post by flyingember »

DColeKC wrote: Tue Jul 21, 2020 2:20 pm I rarely see the bike lanes on Grand being used. Why is this?
Not protected, too many people parking in them, paint faded quickly (not theromplasic???), no connecting cross routes, too many parking lots/few public destinations compared to other streets, too close to the streetcar to draw method choice (can hop on the train to cover the same distance), not enough bike racks along the route
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DaveKCMO
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Re: Bike Lanes

Post by DaveKCMO »

DColeKC wrote: Tue Jul 21, 2020 2:20 pm I rarely see the bike lanes on Grand being used. Why is this?
Everyone says this but if you take counts you'll find they are used quite often (relative to other unprotected on-street bike lanes in KC).
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DColeKC
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Re: Bike Lanes

Post by DColeKC »

DaveKCMO wrote: Tue Jul 21, 2020 4:17 pm
DColeKC wrote: Tue Jul 21, 2020 2:20 pm I rarely see the bike lanes on Grand being used. Why is this?
Everyone says this but if you take counts you'll find they are used quite often (relative to other unprotected on-street bike lanes in KC).
I could be missing something to be fair. I can see Grand from my office and do the most walking up and down Grand, rarely see a bike.
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Re: Bike Lanes

Post by kboish »

Back when i used to go downtown for work I saw people using them. Considering they offer you zero protection, I’d say people use them regularly. If they were a cycle track like whats on Gilham, they would be busy all the time.
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beautyfromashes
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Re: Bike Lanes

Post by beautyfromashes »

DaveKCMO wrote: Tue Jul 21, 2020 9:40 am Traffic engineers that don't want them. KC over-engineers or waters down bike projects, which raises the price and simultaneously sets them up to fail.

Other cities that have more progressive and bike-friendly staff find ways to implement projects successfully and many are quick-build to reduce costs and learn fast what works and what doesn't. This stuff evolves often and more quickly than traditional traffic engineering.
What is the process for hiring city staff? Would hiring a younger, more progressive city manager from a new urbanism city help in who we hire or is it so entrenched that it would take decades to see a change?
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DaveKCMO
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Re: Bike Lanes

Post by DaveKCMO »

I spotted one cyclist on my brief walk in Grand this evening. I got anecdata.
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Re: Bike Lanes

Post by flyingember »

beautyfromashes wrote: Tue Jul 21, 2020 8:26 pm What is the process for hiring city staff? Would hiring a younger, more progressive city manager from a new urbanism city help in who we hire or is it so entrenched that it would take decades to see a change?

This is from the job description:
The City is comprised of 16 departments – with 14 of them reporting directly through the City Manager. The 14 departments include Aviation, City Planning and Development, Convention and Entertainment Facilities, Finance, Fire, General Services, Health, Human Relations, Human Resources, Law, Municipal Court, Neighborhoods and Housing Services, Public Works, and Water Services.

The easiest is to take roles out of departments and form more common services. Like pull all engineering and design services into a new common service group with a new innovative boss. No one loses their job, no new people are hired past maybe one, and when you promote someone or they retire you rethink their positions.
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DaveKCMO
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Re: Bike Lanes

Post by DaveKCMO »

By total coincidence, I had to stay in a hotel because our AC is being replaced. These were taken over about 2 hours from the Ambassador Hotel (where I can *only* see the southbound bike lane):

Image

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Image

Image

Image
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grovester
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Re: Bike Lanes

Post by grovester »

Which one of those is DColeKC?

I vote #4.
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Re: Bike Lanes

Post by kboish »

You know what I don't see? Vehicles using Grand. Why are we using money to fund all these roads when no one is driving on them?
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rxlexi
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Re: Bike Lanes

Post by rxlexi »

Cool pics, thanks Dave. Those lanes have nearly faded into non-existence in spots. There's gotta be a better/more permanent solution than this...
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DaveKCMO
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Re: Bike Lanes

Post by DaveKCMO »

rxlexi wrote: Thu Jul 23, 2020 10:53 am Cool pics, thanks Dave. Those lanes have nearly faded into non-existence in spots. There's gotta be a better/more permanent solution than this...
The next phase from Parks is to protect the bike lanes. KCMO could simply refresh the paint with their existing paint crews (which, coincidentally, have repainted the crosswalks in this corridor quite recently).
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Re: Bike Lanes

Post by KCPowercat »

DaveKCMO wrote: Thu Jul 23, 2020 3:36 pm
rxlexi wrote: Thu Jul 23, 2020 10:53 am Cool pics, thanks Dave. Those lanes have nearly faded into non-existence in spots. There's gotta be a better/more permanent solution than this...
The next phase from Parks is to protect the bike lanes. KCMO could simply refresh the paint with their existing paint crews (which, coincidentally, have repainted the crosswalks in this corridor quite recently).
The annual repainting of the ladder crosswalks is apprecaited but it sure does feel like a waste of money over putting down more permanent marking materials.
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Re: Bike Lanes

Post by gfenn11 »

While I have never had too many issues with buses on Grand, I had my closest call this AM with an inattentive MAX driver- so I am now team make it all protected or get rid of it. I don't care if the bandaid fix is the stupid ramps around a stop like the 2 NB stops, but the constant cutting off of bikers, parking in the bike lane, etc. has got. to. stop.
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taxi
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Re: Bike Lanes

Post by taxi »

It's my experience that the only people who understand and/or pay attention to the painted markings are other bikers. If it's not a protected lane, bikers are smarter to take streets with less traffic.
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chaglang
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Re: Bike Lanes

Post by chaglang »

The southern section of the Gillham cycletrack is really nice. Anecdatally, it's better used than the Armour lanes.
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