It seems that bike lanes are now a hot topic of conversation in town. Actually they have been around for many years on the southern portion of Bill Pickett Trail. While they are not marked as such, there are lines painted on the street marking the shoulder and “NO PARKING” signs posted up and down each side. Although, they are not labeled as a bike lane, they are a much safer route to the grocery stores, as I’ve been using them for years, safely. The developer, I’m sure recognized that with a school across Carlos Parker a bike lane would be a benefit to the neighborhood.
Had we, the City, striped Mallard lane accordingly, would we still be having this discussion? In retrospect, I believe this might have been a more elegant, less intrusive, and less expensive option for Mallard. Although the current bike lane on Mallard cost less than 6% of the total budget. But is is a safe option for bikers? I was riding east on the Mallard bike lane last weekend when an approaching vehicle swerved into the bike lane for a few yards as the driver and I were watching each other. Was it intentional, I’ll give him him the benefit of the doubt; but I noticed his spouse on the passenger side was quite alarmed. The point is, I don’t believe the current design on Mallard to be that much safer; now, if we were to pour a concrete barrier instead of the poles and street titties, now that might make a difference.
Four years ago,we began a discussion to develop a new vision to protect the character of our town while also encouraging sustainable growth. The need for streets that are safe for pedestrians and cyclists came up many times during the open houses and public comment sessions. It is because of that input that our comprehensive plan and land development code calls for bike lanes where practical on our city streets. The final comprehensive plan mentions bicycles and bike lanes more than 20 times.
Our three major east-west arterial residential streets: Lake, Mallard, and TH Johnson, are often race tracks. This is a common complaint from those that live along these streets. There are only a few ways to deal with this issue.
We could add more stop signs, but too many stop signs and the street is no longer an arterial.
We could station mare police officers along these streets but that’s expensive and can’t imagine anyone would really like that. And there are other more congested areas that really need their attention.
Or we could add traffic calming elements to the streets that force drivers to slow down. Features like bike lanes and bump outs have proven to slow traffic and make the streets safer for everyone, cyclists, pedestrians, and drivers. It makes the adjacent neighborhood a much safer and pleasant place to live. And isn’t that what everyone really wants?
Are bikes important to the future of Taylor? Have you noticed an increase in traffic congestion? Every time you see a biker on the street, that is one less automobile.