Charleston: Rookie Mayor throws wrench in Ashley River pedestrian bridge plan
"The Ashley River Crossing project – already designed, vetted, approved and funded for about $80 million after years of painstaking community work – is expected to begin construction next month...The freshman mayor’s proposed changes could delay the construction — and likely cause a big price hike in costs, observers say."
Philadelphia has a plan for concrete-protected bike lanes in Center City, officials tell residents
"After months of outcry from cyclists in the wake of a crash that killed a Children's Hospital of Philadelphia doctor...the city's Office of Transportation and Infrastructure Systems (OTIS) is recommending additional protection, including concrete curbs and potentially planters, for bike lanes on Pine Street and Spruce Street."
#BikeLanes #UrbanPlanning #Philadelphia
Philadelphia has a plan for concrete-protected bike lanes in Center City, officials tell residents
Atlanta's Spring Street bicycle and pedestrian upgrades in the works
"The project calls for remaking one southbound lane on Spring Street—also known as Ga. Highway 9, and U.S. Highway 19—between Peachtree Street and 17th Street. Three southbound travel lanes will remain open for vehicles."
Too bad they couldn't make it two-way though. I hope there's another street with a similar plan?
#Atlanta #BikeLanes #UrbanPlanning
Images: People-friendly redo of major Midtown street begins soon
Memphis Catch-22: Public Transit and Transportation
"Memphians have to buy cars because there's no public transportation because Memphians are always buying cars"
A classic case of induced demand. Come on Memphis, design for the city you want, not the city you have!
#Memphis #UrbanPlanning #transit
Memphis Catch-22: Public Transit and Transportation | Smart City Memphis
The Corner Store Comeback
"Up until the middle of the 20th century, urban neighborhoods typically displayed a mix of uses — even in residential areas. Houses were interlaced with corner groceries, basement bars and storefronts offering a range of goods and services.
That approach ended with the postwar emergence of strict zoning codes and car-centric planning, which steered commercial activity to shopping strips and centers."
Gratiot Avenue’s $12.5M Transformation Brings Safer Streets for Detroiters
"Gratiot Avenue has seen a troubling amount of pedestrian accidents in recent years. The new funds will allow for a range of safety measures, including better crosswalks, clearer lane markers, and a redesigned street that calms traffic to reduce speeds. The goal is simple—fewer crashes, fewer injuries, and fewer deaths."
Bike Rack Map
"Too many times, an establishment provides a rack that is difficult to lock to, or installed too close to a wall, or inadequately attached to the ground (always test a rack before you lock your precious bike to it, in case its bolts are loose and easily removed!). Bike Rack Map has a rating system whereby users can give a rack between one and five stars – five stars are of course reserved for only the most wonderful"
Where Can a Body Safely Park a Bike? - Streetsblog California
Maple Avenue: Dallas’ most dangerous street to be redesigned
"Maple Avenue, from Oak Lawn Avenue to Mockingbird Lane, has been identified by city officials as the most dangerous street in Dallas for pedestrians....Plans include reducing car travel lanes, adding bike lanes, adding lighting, moving bus stops, closing one cross street completely, adding a traffic light and pedestrian warning signals and curb and median improvements."
#Dallas #UrbanPlanning #BikeLanes
Why U.S. Nightlife Sucks
"Many of my young friends have been moving to the Bay Area and settling in downtown Oakland. Their refrain is always the same: downtown is dead after 6 PM."
The answer? Cars, mostly. You can't go out partying if you have to drive five miles home afterwards. And there are hardly any nice nightlife areas to visit that don't have four-lane highways going right through them.
#UrbanPlanning #CarsRuinEverything
City of Indianapolis and IndyGo awarded $19.9M to improve road safety:
* Post Road between Washington Street and 38th Street
* East 30th Street between Rural Street and Franklin Road
* Lynhurst Drive between Morris Street and West 22nd Street
* East 42nd Street between Franklin Road and Mitthoefer Road
* Franklin Road between 30th and 42nd Street
* Thompson Road between East Street and Madison Avenue
New Orleans: The most walkable city in the country?
(Spoiler: The writer doesn't think so)
"It’s true that New Orleans is more walkable than your average American city. It is old, founded in 1718, around a century before the advent of the Model T, and we benefit from a transportation network and footprint that were largely established before the arrival of the car."
#NewOrleans #UrbanPlanning #CarsRuinEverything
https://americawalks.org/new-orleans-the-most-walkable-city-in-the-country/
Skywalk a controversy in new convention center
What do we think about this, urbanists? Is this really a deal breaker?
"The design should not include ‘skywalk’ connections …, which would limit convention attendee opportunities to interact with and patronize downtown businesses. Skywalks would also undermine the quality of public space in the downtown, in contradiction to city plans and goals."
@bloomington_in #UrbanPlanning
Convention center expansion takes steps ahead with sharp words from 2 Bloomington councilmembers
St. Louis’ Sad Suburban Design
"I once thought that driving would grant me a newfound freedom to get around St. Louis’ suburbs, but I’ve since realized that driving (and financing) a metal and glass box is a confining necessity, one that takes away from urban life. When I drive down stretches of Olive, Manchester, and Lindbergh, I feel empty and out of place."
Our Overbuilt Road Network Costs Americans Trillions in Lost Housing Opportunities
"America has poured enough asphalt to build its sprawling auto-centric road network to cover the entire nation of the Netherlands, according to a new study — and in the process sacrificed trillions of dollars worth of land that could have been put to better uses like housing."
Our Overbuilt Road Network Costs Americans Trillions in Lost Housing Opportunities — Streetsblog USA
Indianapolis bike lane building
These numbers are so bad I wonder if they're even accurate. Indy has been averaging around two miles of new bike lanes a year and four miles of greenways and trails. This needs to be vastly expanded.
How the Much-Maligned Porch Supports Walkable, Sustainable Communities
"There is a clear distinction between porches people will sit on and ones they won’t, and it’s based on how close the front edge of the porch is to the sidewalk, and how far above the sidewalk it is."
I noticed this in reverse, visiting Lexington. There were several houses with high porches that had been converted to shops. A bit intimidating to climb up!
How the Much-Maligned Porch Supports Walkable, Sustainable Communities
The Secret to a Better City? More Places To Sit.
I've considered buying a light camp chair to put in my bike pannier just so I can sit wherever and whenever I want.
"You won’t find benches (or much of a need for one) along the freeway or a stroad to the suburban strip mall. But urban design that effectively fosters walking and biking naturally requires a place to sit....A walkable and sittable city means an inclusive, thriving place"
Denver’s next big bike lane strategy: more protected lanes on busier streets
"City planners are floating a draft update to their long-term bike infrastructure plan that calls for more than 230 miles of new bike lanes — many on car-dominated major arterial roads like Speer, Leetsdale, Broadway, Colorado Boulevard and others across the city."
#Denver #BikeLanes #UrbanPlanning
https://denverite.com/2024/08/08/denver-bike-lanes-busier-streets/
Chicago Advocates are Demanding a People-Friendly Lake Shore Drive
"At the Save Our Lakefront Rally, hundreds of people called on the Illinois and Chicago transportation departments to halt plans to rebuild North DuSable Lake Shore Drive as a car-choked eight-lane barrier...Preferably the highway would be converted to a more people-friendly surface boulevard that would make it easier to walk, roll, bike, and take buses to the beach."
YIMBYana Press Release: Opposition to Green Acres Conservation District Proposal
"The group is concerned that the proposal will limit new infill housing in Green Acres, a neighborhood close to Indiana University’s campus, thereby increasing housing costs and reducing availability. This could force students and other residents to seek housing further from campus, exacerbating affordability and accessibility issues"
The contradictions in Winnipeg's new transportation plan
"The whole “new roads” angle really reads like someone wrote a good plan and then someone else came up behind them with a red marker to insert road expansions as a key priority in order to justify what they already want to do. It’s completely incoherent in the context of the rest of the plan."
#Winnipeg #Transportation #UrbanPlanning
Talk Is Cheap: How One City Hid Its True Intentions in the Fine Print
Dedicated bus lanes improve safety
"They studied the impact of BRT infrastructure on vehicle speeds and found significant decreases along the corridor, even without buses running. Overall, 85th percentile speeds dropped 11.5% from 32.3 mph to 28.6 mph. This suggests, “that the BRT infrastructure is especially effective at limiting excessive speeding"
San Fran Mayor pressures SFMTA to kill Chinatown bike lanes after backlash
"The addition of bike lanes would likely take away street parking spots, sparking protests from merchants concerned about losing customers."
Aside from the article not pointing out that study after study has shown that this is not an issue, I wonder what can be done to discourage driving in this sort of neighborhood?
#SanFrancisco #BikeLanes #UrbanPlanning
Texas is using technology to curb high pedestrian fatality rates
"Together, the data helps traffic engineers see, for example, where drivers are slamming on their brakes or hitting the gas pedal. That, in turn, allows them to determine where safety improvements should be made"
They only talk about the software rather than any of the safety improvements. I suspect they could have done better just by talking to, you know, an actual pedestrian.
How one state is using technology to curb high pedestrian fatality rates
Seattle: Shoreline Council Gets Cold Feet Over Broad Rezone Allowing Fourplexes
One of their councilmembers is quoted as saying, "Less dense housing has been shown to have better health outcomes, both mentally and physically,"
That's a new one on me. Anyone heard this before?
Shoreline Council Gets Cold Feet Over Broad Rezone Allowing Fourplexes - The Urbanist
Nashville DOT launches tactical urbanism program
"NDOT has launched a new tactical urbanism program that supports and facilitates community-led installation of temporary transportation projects in neighborhoods.
Also known as “planning by-doing” or “pop-up urbanism,” NDOT notes tactical urbanism has been present in Nashville, Tenn., during the past decade."
Best takeaway from "Killed by a Traffic Engineer": Responses to a crash are usually the three E's: Education, Enforcement, Engineering. Authorities either start a "Be safe!" campaign of some sort (Education) or send out police to watch the location for violations (Enforcement). Neither one of those has any lasting effect. A permanent fix requires changes to the street design (Engineering).
Speed humps, brighter crosswalks, better sidewalks improving street safety in Pittsburgh neighborhoods
"The city’s Department of Mobility and Infrastructure is using its discretionary funds to pay for relatively inexpensive improvements such as sidewalks, speed humps, crosswalk improvements, parking restrictions near intersections, and bump-outs to shorten the crossing distance for pedestrians at intersections."
Baltimore: Funding Awarded for Projects to Reduce Emissions, Improve Pedestrian Safety
$10M awarded overall. $3M goes to EV chargers, but still a lot of interesting projects. Bike/ped improvements on Maryland 190, new bikeshare stations and paths in Rockville, Magruder Branch Trail, a shared use path in Gaithersburg.
#Baltimore #UrbanPlanning #BikeShare #cycling
Funding Awarded for Projects to Reduce Emissions, Improve Pedestrian Safety
Bloomington 4th on Most Improved Cities for Biking list
"In 2023, Bloomington reduced speed limits for all neighborhood streets to 25 miles per hour, contributing to a 17-point increase in its City Ratings score. In recent years, Bloomington also expanded its network of neighborhood greenways and constructed numerous road-adjacent shared-use paths and protected bike lanes like the 7-Line."
@bloomington_in #cycling #UrbanPlanning
Kansas City knows which streets are most dangerous. Now, it’s trying to fix them
"Four-lane roads in Kansas City are a relic of urban sprawl in the 20th century. Now they’re emptier than ever, and traffic experts say that encourages dangerous driving...The Kansas City Council passed a resolution in October 2023 directing the city manager to study an automatic process for road diets on the city’s most dangerous streets."
#KansasCity #SafeStreets #UrbanPlanning
Kansas City knows which streets are most dangerous. Now, it’s trying to fix them
Federal dollars speed up work on safe streets, but money isn’t the only roadblock
The other roadblock is people whining about parking. I wish we could get more information about real support/oppose numbers, instead of just reporters feeling they have to find an opposing viewpoint for "balance".
I wonder how we reach the people that think going faster and parking closer are more important than safety.
Federal dollars speed up work on safe streets, but money isn’t the only roadblock
Louisville Creates its First Municipal DOT
"The new department, which is expected to launch next January, will be responsible for public way infrastructure, including planning, design, construction, maintenance and management. He added that Louisville DOT will also work on enhancing the safety, efficiency and sustainability of the city’s transportation network."
I will be interested to see how car-centric the new department is.
Louisville is creating its first-ever Department of Transportation
I-375 redo in Detroit should be about flow, connecting neighborhoods and synergy
"We know what to do: We see in Midtown and Corktown and other lively urban districts that what works well is mixing public amenities — public art and bike lanes and greenspaces — with housing and commercial and civic activities.
And we know what not to do: We ought not let auto traffic and parking decks and blocky anonymous buildings overwhelm the cityscape"
I-375 redo in Detroit should be about flow, connecting neighborhoods and synergy | Opinion
I will be in Cambridge, England next week. Anything I should for or read in the context of urbanism or biking there?
Honolulu developers still providing parking even without mandates
It shows that ending parking mandates isn't enough, if you're not providing any alternatives to driving. There aren't enough Honolulu bike lanes, much less protected ones, and the light rail is pretty minimal. Buses go all over the island, but not nearly often enough.
The City Stopped Mandating Parking In New Urban Housing. Builders Are Providing It Anyway
Boston: Massive Economic Benefits to Building the North-South Rail Link
I'm not sure I understand this project. Any Bostonians help me out?
"The Rail Link is a less than 3 mile tunnel that would finally unify Massachusetts: enabling electric Regional Rail for all of Eastern Massachusetts, frequent service to Springfield, Pittsfield, and Albany, transfers with MBTA rapid-transit, and Amtrak service from Maine to New York. "
Wouldn't it be nice if the process for safety improvements was as simple as the process for street maintenance?
Compare them: http://blog.benfulton.net/2024/06/wouldnt-it-be-nice-if-process-for.html
Indiana Avenue redesign
So I did go to the Indiana Avenue public meeting, but they didn't have any concrete plans to share. They did have a cool model to play with, though 😀
I'm always there to tell them to build more bike infrastructure, but there's a dull sameness to these meetings. A lot of people on bikes agreeing with me and a few people to complain about losing parking and bikers not stopping for stop signs.
@bloomington_in #biketooter #UrbanPlanning
Indy is in a 'pedestrian safety crisis.' Can a Vision Zero traffic safety plan save lives?
"A Vision Zero plan has been on the table for nearly a decade. Now, several city-county council members plan to present a proposal in July and the city has sent out a request for proposals for a study that would examine how a Vision Zero plan could operate in Indy. "
#Indianapolis #UrbanPlanning #VisionZero
Indy is in a 'pedestrian safety crisis.' Can a Vision Zero traffic safety plan save lives?
More cities are banning right turns on red in response to rising pedestrian deaths
Not a great article. NPR interviews one person who says the sun is out, and one person who says it's raining, but they don't look out the window.
#UrbanPlanning #CarsRuinEverything
More cities are banning right turns on red in response to rising pedestrian deaths
Washington DC: Connecticut Avenue redesign is an utter failure
A 60-foot road, four lanes for cars, two lanes for car storage. Bike lanes to be removed.
"The above falls far short of what we expect for a major corridor, and is an abrupt change from the complex, but well-socialized, plan that DDOT has promoted to the public for the past five years...combined with the removal of the bike lane, will make travel by all modes worse."
Washington and Bloomington Work With Lime on Mobility
"The Mobility Insights Competition was designed to select two communities to better understand their biking issues, including equity and safety...Bloomington’s application charted a plan to use shared micromobility data to help with the city’s first Safe Streets for All Action Plan."
@bloomington_in #UrbanPlanning #bikeshare
Washington, D.C., Bloomington, Ind., Work With Lime on Mobility
The Definition of Great BRT Is Changing Fast — And Most of the U.S. Isn’t Measuring Up
"To even be eligible for ITDP’s best-BRT rankings, operators have to incorporate at least a few other basic design elements aimed at speeding vehicles, like off-board fare collection so passengers aren’t caught fumbling for change at the door, and boarding platforms raised to the level of bus doors"
What the Dutch Think of America’s Roundabout Capital
"YouTuber BicycleDutch visited one of the few American cities to embrace the roundabout with open arms: Carmel, Indiana. And along the way, he explores how the city’s 150+ (!) roundabouts feed into an impressive walking and cycling network, what impact it’s had on the local economy, and how on earth all this stuff got built in conservative, small-city America."
#CarmelIN #cycling #UrbanPlanning
Friday Video: What the Dutch Think of America's Roundabout Capital — Streetsblog USA
Spending money on making Indiana cities nice results in economic boom
"We tested the effects on total employment and on employment in construction, arts/entertainment/recreation, and accommodations/food services. We also compared wages in each of these industries as well as total population, gross domestic product and county home prices.
Across the board, we found positive effects on both overall employment and construction employment."
Making a trip to #Nashville next month. What should I look out for or read in the context of urbanism or biking there?
Bicycling grew more in Chicago than in any other major American city in the last five years
"According to an analysis sponsored by CDOT, bicycling has grown more in Chicago than in any other major American city in the last five years. The study showed a 119% increase in biking between fall 2019 and spring 2023, marking the largest jump among the country’s 10 largest cities."
Donors from outside the district are pouring money into a Baltimore city council race where the hot-button issue is bike lanes.
"In one of the few areas where her campaign language gets specific, Bruner-Settles says she’ll get rid of the bike lanes that Dorsey ushered in on Harford Road and Walther Avenue as well as the bus lanes that were added to the Harford Road Bridge."
#cycling #UrbanPlanning #Baltimore
An intense City Council race breaks out in northeast Baltimore | Baltimore Brew
I see what Lexington is trying to do: provide bike/ped infrastructure as long as it doesn't inconvenience drivers in any way. So they've got nice wide downtown walking places next to three lanes of one-way traffic going 40 miles an hour. It's sad because they must have some political will for bike/ped, but all the cars makes downtown very uncomfortable. #LexingtonKY #UrbanPlanning
Torched: The failure of LA’s 28 by 28 plan
"LA leaders began appending additional Olympics deadlines across agencies and departments. Major subway expansions would be complete, a train would finally go to the airport, popular museums and tourist destinations would get much-needed makeovers...But now, with four years until the opening ceremonies, it's clear that many of these things aren't happening at all."
Indy to spend $40M to upgrade County Line Road
I drove down the road this weekend, thought a tornado hit it. Trees down everywhere. The extra lanes are a pain, but the biking path looks nice.
https://dailyjournal.net/2023/03/01/indy-to-spend-40m-to-upgrade-county-line-road/
Freeway covers are an expensive way to create new urban land
This does seem like a foolishly expensive bandaid. Not sure what the alternatives are though (other than not building freeways, which would be ideal)
Freeway covers are an expensive way to create new urban land
Austin's Bluff Springs Road improvements
"The city reconfigured what was a four-lane road into one with just one travel lane in each direction, plus protected bike lanes and a center turning lane."
#Austin #UrbanPlanning #cycling
https://www.axios.com/local/austin/2024/03/28/high-crash-road-changes-complete
A Walkable Downtown Memphis
"There is a reticence to follow recommendations in City of Memphis’ study after study calling for cars to be last when it comes to city priorities – after pedestrians, bicycles, and public transit. What’s needed is an understanding of the successful city these reports would create."
Plans Call For A Walkable Downtown; Time To Make It Happen | Smart City Memphis
Phoenix: A Review
"Phoenix, Arizona is sometimes derided as a suburban hellscape. Just an endless sea of sprawl that reaches for miles in all directions, sucking up the few resources that surround it, resulting in never ending conversations around drought and water supply. Yet, while it receives harsh critiques, many of which are warranted, there are signs that things are changing and a more sustainable version of the Valley may be on its way."
The Valley of the Sun - A Land of (Sub)Urban Extremes — Thomas Bardenett
Why American cities are squalid
"What I see is that, in the US, larger cities are basically two-tiered. A wealthy downtown professional class relies on inexpensive labourers who can’t afford to live near their workplace or drive a car; who are forced into long commutes on public transport systems in terminal decline."
"Having garbage-strewn subways that effectively serve as mobile homeless shelters is no way to run a public transit system. "
#UrbanPlanning
https://unherd.com/2024/01/why-american-cities-are-squalid/
Maryland's High Injury Network
In Montgomery County, the High Injury Network is where most serious and fatal crashes tend to occur. It's just 3% of the county’s non-interstate roadways, but 41% of its most serious and fatal crashes. Vehicle speed as well as distracted and aggressive driving are blamed for most road fatalities, safety advocates say.
Nearby residents include many non-English speakers without resources to request changes.
The Designer Who’s Trying to Transform Your City Into a Sponge
"If engineers can slow the flow of that water and allow it to soak into the Earth instead of running away—using rain gardens, spreading grounds, permeable pavers, and urban wetlands—that simultaneously reduces flooding and refills underlying aquifers. That’ll be increasingly critical as the planet warms and droughts intensify: Sponge cities aim to bank water for a rainy day"
The Designer Who’s Trying to Transform Your City Into a Sponge
Ann Arbor seeking to take over four streets from the state
North Main Street, Washtenaw Avenue, Huron Street and Jackson Avenue.
"A transfer of ownership would give the city complete control over roadway design and operations, including possible automobile lane reductions, adding bicycle lanes, crosswalk and transit improvements and lowering speeds."
Apparently MDOT is on board with this?!
Consultants advise Ann Arbor to ask state for $82M if city seeks takeover of 4 roads
Fairhaven Candidate Questionnaire
I think Fairhaven is in Massachusetts. This writer is asking candidates to answer his questions on housing, stroads, biking, and parking with the intent, presumably, of posting the answers on his site. It will be interesting to see what the results are!
Paris to showcase what a real bicycle city looks like during Summer Olympics
"In the lead-up to the Games, at least 415km of cycle routes are due to be added and available for locals and visitors in time for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and as a legacy for the city following the completion...poised to introduce “pedestrian hearts” in each district...this initiative reserves areas for pedestrians, cyclists, and public transport"
Terre Haute, Indiana mayor Brandon Sakbun goes off on walkable cities
"Cities like Terre Haute have got to chase density and urbanism. Can you eat live work play all within a mile? Are you walking distance from a grocery store?"
"Our community right now is not as walkable as it should be. And infill housing density urbanism helps bring that to the city of Terre Haute and solve some of those problems."
Ask The Mayor: Terre Haute's Sakbun on eclipse, negligent landlords, casino
Will Brent Spence and other projects make Covington, Kentucky more or less safe for cyclists and walkers?
I can answer that. The giant new bridge for cars and trucks over the Ohio River will make things less safe. The current 4th and 11th Street bridges over the Licking River to Newport couldn't be less safe if they tried, so just about anything would be an improvement. But the (minimal) plans I've seen look nice.
Will Brent Spence and other projects make Covington more or less safe for cyclists and walkers?
Arlington looks to curb crashes caused by fast left turns with new pilot program
"Hardened centerlines are designed to make intersections safer for pedestrians by encouraging drivers to make wider, “safer and more predictable” left turns at slower speeds"
From the comments: "If they don't want folks flying through intersections maybe they shouldn't call it "pilot program" 😂
Make Safe Streets a Culture War and We All Lose
"Making a fight against SUVs part of the culture wars is a dumb, ultimately losing, strategy. Dumb, dumb, super dumb.
There is so much shared experience to build from. Lean into that—don't do anything to distract from it."
The author suggests redesigning roads to be safer as a better solution. To be sure, but a lot more expensive and difficult one as well.
#UrbanPlanning #CarsRuinEverything
Woohoo, Los Angeles passes HLA by a nearly two-to-one margin!
"Measure HLA requires Los Angeles to re-engineer some of the region’s most storied boulevards, reducing traffic lanes, building more space for bicyclists and buses, and providing better protections for pedestrians. It calls for 238 miles of protected bike lanes, hundreds more unprotected lanes"
Next we'll see how serious the administration will be about actually doing it.
#LosAngeles #UrbanPlanning
Voters in car-centric L.A. approve Measure HLA to make room on streets for bikes, buses
Bloomington plucking David Hittle from Tippecanoe County to direct Planning and Transportation Dept
Any folks from Lafayette have an opinion on him? Will we be getting lots of new highways and parking lots?
Trades district goes up in front of the Redevelopment Commission tonight
"The Trades District is a transformative urban redevelopment project located in the heart of Bloomington, Indiana. This 12-acre development, representing the city's vision for a dynamic, innovative, and sustainable mixed-use district that encourages economic development, creativity and collaboration."
@bloomington_in #UrbanPlanning
Progress Updates 2/27/24 - The Trades District
Firefighters contend a Los Angeles complete streets ballot measure would cost lives by slowing down fire trucks.
But drivers killed 336 people in L.A. last year, compared to 14 who died in fires.
"What's especially bonkers about the firefighters' opposition to HLA is that they are almost alone. The list of groups that have endorsed it is not just long -- it's also among the most diverse you could ever imagine in Los Angeles."
Portland: PBOT erects concrete barricades to deter drivers – and vandals – on NE 72nd Drive
"In a bid to prioritize bicycling and walking on this section of the street that’s considered a lynchpin of the 70s Neighborhood Greenway, PBOT installed signs and poles late last month. But anti-PBOT local residents repeatedly destroyed the infrastructure and used power tools to saw off heavy-gauge traffic poles and signs."
City Planning’s Greatest Innovation Makes a Comeback
"This grand experiment has resulted in cities that are unaffordable, stagnant, segregated, and sprawling. Walk into any planning office today, and you’ll be hard-pressed to find the street and park plans of yore...reams of zoning rules listing permitted and prohibited uses, maximum building heights, minimum yard depths, required lot dimensions, limits on unit numbers, and required parking."
Los Angeles: How Hard Some City Leaders Are Fighting Against Safer Streets
"When CAO Szabo says that if HLA passes, the city would pay $2.5 to $3.1 billion dollars repairing and upgrading city sidewalks and adding bike and bus lanes over the next decade, my first thought is, "Can I get that promise in writing?"
It would be really cool if this measure passes. Biking in LA would become a lot nicer.
How Cleveland Built a City Devoted to Parking—and How It’s Trying to Undo the Damage and Win Over Skeptics
"Since the 1960s, any single thing built in its borders was ordered by city code to include space for cars. The most glaring headache for developers—other than extending build time —is that parking lots and urban garages are, and have always been, insanely expensive"
Newly installed medians along Houston Avenue intended to improve safety for pedestrians will be torn out starting Monday.
District H Councilmember Mario Castillo: "If something isn't working with the project, modify it, don't waste taxpayer money,"
"Public Works told me the whole thing was getting ripped up, and it was starting on Monday," Castillo says. "That's warp speed for the City of Houston"
https://www.axios.com/local/houston/2024/02/05/whitmire-houston-avenue-pedestrian-safety
Safe Streets Connecticut: Lessons from mapping pedestrian and cyclist deaths
"A heat map showing where pedestrians and cyclists were killed since 2020...from the process reconfirmed some obvious known facts, and came upon a few other trends. I’m sharing these observations to add context to the heat map"
(The author titled the piece "Lessons From Mapping Death"...catchy, but a bit clickbaity for my taste)
https://www.realhartford.org/2023/12/08/lessons-from-mapping-death/
New Complete Streets policy under discussion in Columbus
The Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) is planning a Complete Streets policy to set a vision and requirements for all new road projects and repairs.
This writer graded the policy 43 out of 100, which sounds bad unless you know that the Ohio average is 36.
https://goodworkscolumbus.substack.com/p/good-works-columbus-february-5-2024.
More Indianapolis roadways converted to two-way in an effort to improve travel and safety
"A stretch of College Ave from Market Street to St Clair Street will be open to drivers headed north or southbound in February...Two more downtown roads to receive two-way upgrades include stretches of New York and Michigan streets. $20 million will be invested to convert the streets between College Avenue and Ellenberger Park."
More Indianapolis roadways converted to two-way in an effort to improve travel and safety
Cincinnati Streetcar backers will unveil nine new potential routes
"If the entire system were built, it would serve 16 Cincinnati neighborhoods, as well as six Covington neighborhoods and nine in Newport."
“All nine could be built, and there wouldn’t be duplicative efforts. We’ll have an overall system map that could be the 30-year goal,” Matt Butler said"
Urban Planning, But Add Some Afrofuturism
"From food deserts to tree inequity, racist planning practices have left Black neighborhoods devoid of amenities that promote health and well-being.
But a new crop of urban planners is rising up to change that, using a blend of imaginative vision and practical solutions with roots in Afrofuturism. In reimagining our cities, Afrofuturism expands beyond being an artistic or literary genre."
Fairfax County, Virginia drops some road widening projects from long-term, regional plan
And here's another one!
"transportation plan that no longer includes widenings of Route 29 in the Merrifield area, New Braddock Road...at the same time, the county added some projects, including Orange and Yellow Line Metrorail extensions and the Route 7 bus rapid transit (BRT) system, that it hopes will pave the way for a less car-centric future."
Instead of widening the Long Beach 710, LA Metro plans to upgrade streets, bike lanes and bus stops on nearby roads
I suspect there will be more pushback, but this is pretty great. It might include priority bus lanes, bike and pedestrian improvements, public greenspaces and more on Long Beach Boulevard, and bus stop improvements such as solar-powered arrival time displays, shelters and drinking fountains
Jasper wins Strongest Town contest
"Once the necessary underground work was complete, locals returned to the square to find it a welcoming gathering place. The new, fresh design now features narrowed driving lanes; wider sidewalks; “outdoor rooms” with benches, street trees, and potted plants; a social fire pit; music; painted alleys to compliment the center area; and many detailed elements to make the square an enjoyable third place."
This Town Actually Gets Things Done. What Makes It Different?
A mid-century relic of Virginia’s pedestrian infrastructure, next to the church-gas station, is coming down this summer
"One of Rosslyn’s few remaining skywalks is set to come down as part of an effort to realize a walkable corridor from one end of the neighborhood to the other...demolishing a skywalk over N. Nash Street, near the Arlington Temple United Methodist Church building and Sunoco gas station dubbed “Our Lady of Exxon.”
Traveling near and far toward low-carbon cities
In his book Near to Far, vehicle designer Dan Sturges suggests that we need to distinguish local, low-speed, lightweight vehicle travel, what he calls Tier 1, from long-distance, high-speed, heavy-vehicle travel, what he calls Tier 2. A third, Tier 3, involves going to airports and flying on jet planes
Why Cities Need to Invest in Active Mobility for the Climate and Economy
"A report from ITDP and the World Bank that calls on urban stakeholders to acknowledge the importance of active mobility infrastructure...the report emphasizes the need for a holistic approach to active mobility, focused on infrastructure networks that are supported by complementary elements such as bikeshare programs, bicycle parking, and capacity building"
#UrbanPlanning #BikeLanes #BikeShare
https://www.itdp.org/2024/01/02/why-cities-need-to-invest-in-active-mobility-for-the-climate-and-economy/
I've heard about the "Missing Middle" in housing lots of times, but I've never seen this nice graphic.
When it comes to safe streets, Springfield, MA has done everything wrong.
"If I had the opportunity, I would fire the entire senior staff and start over. If state law allowed, I’d support litigating them into bankruptcy. This is the definition of gross negligence, the worst incompetency I’ve seen, and I’ve traveled to every state meeting with engineers, traffic safety officials, and advocates."
Just Another, and Another, and Another Pedestrian Killed on State Street
Rushville receives infrastructure safety grant
"In October 2023, Rushville received a $787,600 award to create an action plan along SR 3 that addresses surrounding safety and infrastructure concerns, with a goal of reducing the rate of serious and fatal accidents. The grant will allow the city to hire a full-time employee to coordinate and manage the project and engage community stakeholders in the planning process."
#Rushville #UrbanPlanning #Infrastructure
SS4A grant to address safety in tri-county area traffic corridor
The Future Isn’t What It Used To Be: Changing Trends and Their Implications for Transport Planning
This is a very technical report with lots of charts and graphs detailing trends in transportation over the last hundred years. I think the biggest takeaway is that Peak Car happened about 15 years ago.
#UrbanPlanning #transportation #cars
New design for Building Trades Park
Looks nice! 2nd Street traffic between the park and Hopewell is going to be problematic if they don't do something about it though.
@bloomington_in #UrbanPlanning #parks
Building Trades Park Master Plan Concepts by Mader Design, Dec. 7 2023
"To me, jaywalking signals an unmet need..the rising death toll demonstrates what’s at stake. Darting across the street to catch the bus might not signal the need for a new crosswalk, but it speaks to how a bus’s (in)frequency innervates risk-taking. Families crossing mid-block signals a need for more access points and slower speeds, best expressed through physical interventions and not just a bright yellow sign."
I think the single most uncomfortable spot on the Lafitte Greenway is where it crosses under I-10. They should tear that monstrosity down like yesterday.
A New Orleans neighborhood confronts the racist legacy of a toxic stretch of highway
Caltrans and the state of California held a major media event on Malibu Monday, but a city clamoring for changes to Pacific Coast Highway was left empty handed.
No new speed study has been conducted, or will be conducted soon.
No change in the speed limit.
No changes in design.
Caltrans safety manager Lee Haber said right now, that the state cannot lower the speed limits on PCH.
This is interesting. Carmel, IN diverting money from the parks department to build downtown green space. The city's master plan prioritizes more suburban parks instead.
#UrbanPlanning #parks #CarmelIN
Paywalled article:
Highway Expansion Project Not Approved by California Transportation Commission
"While we're putting passenger vehicles and light duty trucks onto express lanes, we're then creating more capacity for trucks to go on those lanes, but the [environmental analysis assumes] that there will be no more trucks. ...it will and can induce truck traffic. Those truck impacts are ignored"
I'm curious to know what kinds of safer roads this guy designs. No mention anywhere of separated bike lanes or traffic calming devices, but lovely platitudes about legislation and wearing bright clothing.
#cycling #Florida #UrbanPlanning
Distracted driving can be deadly for bikers, pedestrians | Commentary
Okay, this is a new one on me.
Pissoirs in America: The Essential Role of Public Facilities
"A practical and innovative solution to this issue lies in the introduction of pissoirs - simple, semi-private, open-air restrooms. Originally a European concept, pissoirs offer a discreet and environmentally friendly option for public facilities, helping to alleviate the immediate problem."
https://millennialdream.substack.com/p/pissoirs-in-america-the-essential
New Orleans 'Bonnabel Greenway' will connect the lake to Metairie Road. Some worry it's not safe.
"Van Vrancken said the “Bonnabel Greenway” path, which weaves around the oak trees on the neutral ground, was a fitting compromise. Though it is technically a walking path, it was designed to so it can easily be expanded into a bike path when more money becomes available."
#NewOrleans #cycling #UrbanPlanning
The 'Bonnabel Greenway' will connect the lake to Metairie Road. Some worry it's not safe.
How Chapel Hill and Carrboro are going car-optional
"There are currently 25 miles of greenways and 15 miles of bike lanes to help people get where they need to go in Chapel Hill and Carrboro."
"Chapel Hill Transit provides free bus services for the community, students, and workers including a senior shuttle that provides transportation to various assisted living communities."
#NorthCarolina #cycling #UrbanPlanning
https://www.southernenvironment.org/news/how-chapel-hill-and-carrboro-are-going-car-free/
Not finding any good articles on #daylighting on here, so here's one.
NACTO: "Intersection design should facilitate eye contact between street users, ensuring that motorists, bicyclists, pedestrians, and transit vehicles intuitively read intersections as shared spaces.”
#UrbanPlanning 
How to Daylight Your City’s Intersections (and Why It Matters)
Indiana law now allows open beverages in designated areas.
Hoosier cities have to create their own Designated Outdoor Refreshment Areas, or DORAs.
Jasper and Mishawaka are eyeing some new DORA's.
Michigan and Ohio already allow this, so it's good that Indiana is hopping on board too.
#HoosierMast #UrbanPlanning #beer
https://stateline.org/2023/11/06/i-felt-so-naughty-new-open-carry-alcohol-laws-boost-downtowns/
Which comes first in East Lansing: Parking or affordable housing?
"A clash between surface-level parking and affordable housing ended in favor of the former as the City Council voted 3-2 against a mixed-used development at 530 Albert St., the site of a paid surface-level parking lot...with the exception of the six Saturdays each fall when MSU hosts home football games, there is enough space for visitors"
#EastLansing #UrbanPlanning #Parking
Which comes first in East Lansing: Parking or affordable housing? - City Pulse
Progress toward a driverless future hits the brakes
"Autonomous vehicles could make cities more livable, equitable and safe. Cruise and its competitor Waymo say their data shows these cars perform better than human drivers."
Just to be extra safe, though, they should put them on rails and maybe make them a lot bigger so they can carry a lot of people at once.
#Transport #UrbanPlanning #DriverlessCars
Strong Towns has a program where they go back and analyze crashes and recommend changes to the street design to avoid them in the future.
https://actionlab.strongtowns.org/hc/en-us/categories/11667330940948-Crash-Analysis-Studio
The single most deadly roadway for bike riders in Los Angeles and Orange counties, the Pacific Coast Highway, claimed the lives of four Pepperdine students on Tuesday.
"The overly wide traffic lanes, high speed limits that were nearly universally exceeded, slip lane right turns and roadside parking were all necessary to prevent excessive traffic congestion, or so we were told."
Discouraged by pushback from the car culture set? Read this:
"Millennials and Gen Zers, who will soon dominate policy-making circles, want walkable communities and lives without cars. That’s good news for the future, but sets up a clash with the naysayers who still have a grip on power (and community boards).
But the revanchists should be aware: their culture war risks backfiring. The abortion fight is a telling example."
Hey, Bike Haters, You Will Lose the Culture War You're Starting - Streetsblog New York City
Listening in on Bike/Ped commission again. Couple of people last time objected to speed humps on Saratoga; the city got lots of emails supporting them though. Morningside Greenway design passes.
Then the Hillside/Olive intersection is being considered. There is definitely a consensus that crossing Hillside on foot or wheel is a pain.
Bloomington City Council Hamstrings Award-Winning Bike Lanes
"Going west, the hill between Dunn and Walnut isn't nearly as much fun. It's a bit of climb, but at least you can focus on pushing the pedals and not losing momentum as you go up. That is, until the new stop signs are implemented. These will force bikes to stop dead, a third of the way up the hill, and stop dead again two thirds of the way up."
#cycling #BloomingtonIN #UrbanPlanning
http://blog.benfulton.net/2023/10/bloomington-city-council-hamstrings.html
Beverly Hills plans some paint-only bike lanes on Beverly Boulevard...still better than the sharrows that traffic commission chairman and self-described "avid cyclist" Ron Shalowitz suggested instead.
The plan calls for bike lanes to be added to either side of the 0.3-mile stretch of Beverly Boulevard between Santa Monica Boulevard and Doheny Drive, as laid out in the city's 2021 Complete Streets Plan.
#bikelanes #BeverlyHills #UrbanPlanning
East Lansing is seeking input for bike lanes and pedestrian paths. A link to the survey in the article below.
#EastLansing #BikeLanes #UrbanPlanning
East Lansing is seeking input for bike lanes and pedestrian paths
Now what's up in Dallas? 55 miles of planned trails suddenly removed from city plans without explanation.
#Dallas #trails #UrbanPlanning
https://lakehighlands.advocatemag.com/2023/10/02/dallas-55-mile-bike-trail/
Road Diets and Older Adults
"Overall, implementing road diets resulted in slower speeds on each of the three streets...drivers with amyloid plaques in the brain drove more slowly than drivers without. What was surprising, though, was that implementing a road diet caused the healthy (amyloid free) drivers to slow down but there was no slowing of the drivers with amyloid plaques."
#RoadDiet #UrbanPlanning #STLouis
Added the BikePortland and No More Freeways feeds to my feed reader. They are great but...I don't live anywhere near Oregon. Where are the feeds for the Midwest?
In Memphis, Tennessee, a remarkable new public park has just opened. Filling 30 acres along the edge of the Mississippi River with active, social, ecological, and architectural spaces, it could reframe the city’s fading connection to the riverfront. It could also set a new standard for what waterfront parks can do.
Speed limits don't matter
"While crash frequency and severity did correlate with higher speeds, the most statistically reliable trends that emerged had nothing to do with property damage or personal injury. It was enforcement outcomes that were most demonstratively impacted. In other words, when speed limits go up, fewer people get tickets; when they go down, the opposite happens."
#UrbanPlanning #bancars #SpeedLimits
Traffic engineering claims another victim
"John Rearick's death was a result of by-the-book traffic engineering and road design, and he wasn’t the first victim on this corridor. It turns out, 18 other pedestrians had been hit by drivers.
The absence of sidewalks forced pedestrians to walk perilously close to speeding vehicles, putting their lives at constant risk. And the presence of five car lanes encourages drivers to floor it."
https://speakeasy.substack.com/p/traffic-engineering-claims-another
This writer uses a wheelchair and wants more bike lanes
"The comments sections of every social media post about these upgrades are littered with insincere cries about the removal of car parks...Well planned, inclusive and accessible infrastructure benefits all members of society, especially the marginalised. Lack of cycle infrastructure is negligent, ableist and ageist. "
Sticks Not Carrots Needed To Get Drivers Out Of Cars, Say Climate Scientists
“The most effective thing we can do to reduce cars in cities is to use carrots and sticks to reduce car use and increase public transport, walking, and cycling. But carrots alone are not sufficient to overcome the entrenched infrastructure and incentives, which today favors car use.”
#UrbanPlanning #BanCars
Sticks Not Carrots Needed To Get Drivers Out Of Cars, Say Climate Scientists
What Will it Take to Close Cleveland's Market Avenue to Cars for Good?
"In the four years since Market Ave.'s brief identity as a pedestrian street, questions as to how to try again to close the avenue off are resurfacing in earnest, as the support for the avenue's permanent closure grows in its collective intent. But, as in 2019, quagmires continue to arise."
The US Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices is getting a new edition. NACTO says to look for these changes (I can't figure out, though, if these are expected changes or just hoped-for changes.)
* Elevate the goal of eliminating serious injuries and deaths
* Don't set speed limits by looking at how fast cars go
* Reform signals to make street crossings safer
* Remove restrictions on colored paint for crosswalks
Hillside & Olive/Weatherstone Intersection Improvement Project
Bloomington will begin the public outreach process for a lower stress crossing at the Hillside & Olive/Weatherstone intersection. There's a drop-in meeting at the intersection August 16 from 4:30-6:00pm.
#UrbanPlanning @bloomington_in
Hillside & Olive/Weatherstone Intersection Improvement | City of Bloomington, Indiana
Data suggests fears of bike lane-induced vehicle traffic nightmare on Old Georgetown Road are unfounded
"Overall traffic flow has been unaffected: “In the northbound AM and PM peak directions, travel times along the entire corridor increased by about 60 seconds since implementation of the bike lanes...Southbound, travel times initially increased, but have since reduced to the levels before the bike lane project.”
City of Bloomington Announces Installation of 50+ Parking Corrals to Enhance Micro-Mobility and Pedestrian Safety
They're setting up places to put scooters and e-bikes, and apparently users will be required to start and end trips in them. Probably a good idea, but I hope they won't take away a lot of sidewalk space for them. It would be better to devote a couple of parking spaces instead.
North American cities need to push for secure bicycle parking
"As more professionals opt to bike to work, the question looms: where do these bikes go during the workday? Many downtown office buildings and commercial spaces lack the infrastructure to accommodate this influx. Without adequate facilities, these bicycles end up chained to poles, stacked against walls, or worse – left at home."
https://momentummag.com/north-american-cities-need-to-push-for-secure-bicycle-parking/
I mean, who would want a nice park when you could have an off-ramp instead? San Diego City Council approves diverting park improvement funds to freeway off-ramp repairs
San Diego City Council approves diverting park improvement funds to freeway off-ramp repairs
In 2012, Smart Growth America rated Indianapolis’s Complete Streets policy the best in the nation. So why were 150 pedestrians killed by cars in the last five years?
#Indianapolis #UrbanPlanning #CompleteStreets
https://www.planetizen.com/blogs/124523-whats-incomplete-about-complete-streets
Interesting point comparing multi-use paths to stroads: "MUPs often try to serve both people enjoying a place (like with streets) and people trying to get somewhere else (like with roads). If the path gets crowded, has poor visibility around corners, and people moving at significantly different speeds, then it fails as both a recreational amenity and a transportation route."
Still, I'd rather bike lanes be added to roads without MUP's first.
Are Multi-Use Paths the “Stroads” of Active Transportation Infrastructure?
We Need a Department of Sidewalks
"Local departments of sidewalks would shift power and financial costs away from adjacent property owners, restoring efficient, equitable, and accountable maintenance. And they would consolidate all the functions currently scattered across agencies, creating more coherent and navigable regulation."
The Dramatic, Necessary Change We Need to Make to America’s Sidewalks
Monroe County's Fullerton Pike to be extended over Clear Creek
"The 524-foot structure—which will feature a 6-foot median, a 10-foot multi-use path and a 5-foot sidewalk—will span Clear Creek Trail and the creek itself...the construction project is expected to start after April of 2024, and take until the end of 2025 to be completed."
This will be handy for access to the nearby middle school and library branch.
#BloomingtonIN #UrbanPlanning #BikeLanes
$8M in county bridge bonds OK’d, library sidewalk connections won’t be as late as feared
Bike lanes along El Camino? Caltrans proposal catches city off balance
Not sure exactly what's going on here, but certainly a bit of paint next to 50 MPH traffic isn't going to do anything to encourage biking. The article screams "CALTRANS REPLACING PARKING WITH BIKE LANES!" so we know where they stand. Anyone have more insight into this?
#PaloAlto #CalTrans #UrbanPlanning #BikeLanes
Bike lanes along El Camino? Caltrans proposal catches city off balance
Pedestrians gain space as Seattle closes part of Pike Street to traffic
"The decision to close off this segment of Pike Street is aimed at creating a “green and healthy” street, according to city officials. While the closure began last week, Seattle Department of Transportation officials still need to install street furniture and other planned upgrades to make the space even more pedestrian and cyclist friendly"
In praise of walk-up windows: A coffee window in Minneapolis
"What makes Roundtable’s window so great is its deceptively simple space, both well-thought out and subtle. The brick wall shades the window until the afternoon, a key for summer days...the roof of the one-story building drains into a custom rain garden that Person had installed."
#minneapolis #coffee #UrbanPlanning
In praise of walk-up windows, an emerging trend in the Twin Cities - MinnPost
How the city plans to address Indianapolis' dangerous trail crossings
"the City-County Council introduced a proposal on June 5 that would create greenway crossing zones. They would be similar to school zones.
Poor lines of sight, fast driving speeds, high traffic volume, and designs that don't adequately discourage reckless driving are some of the problems at trail crossings, cyclists and pedestrians said."
Baltimore Close to Approving $70 Billion Transportation Plan
The region’s proposed long-range plan includes over $11 billion for transit projects, but also billions in road widening projects. Seems positive overall though.
Time for the design presentation for College and Walnut!
Apparently they had a lot of people saying, "NO BIKES!"
Split into four districts: South, Downtown, North, and Miller Showers
Pine tree concept: Replace one lane with a protected bike lane.
Elm Tree concept: Protected one-way bike lane, two-way car lanes
Sycamore Tree concept: Two-way bike lanes, two-way car lanes
Oak Tree concept: Bike lanes on either side of two-way car lanes
This is a weird street design. A single car lane to handle both directions, with bike lanes on either side that the cars jump into in case of conflict, and a car storage area:
storage -> bike lane - car lane - bike lane
Seems a lot safer to have a two-way bike lane separated from the cars:
bike lane -> bike lane -> storage -> car lane
I suppose the car lane would need to be a bit wider to accommodate car conflict getting through.
#BikeLanes #cycling #UrbanPlanning
New Road Design Seems Like A More Efficient Way To Kill Cyclists
This will be a huge change to the downtown if anything significant comes of it. Interesting comments, both yea and nay, here:
College-Walnut corridor study: Thursday meeting set to continue with “starter ideas”
Bloomington, IN hears public input on College and Walnut corridor study
"The study aims to identify improvements needed to ensure safer passage for pedestrians and bikers and make mass transit more efficient while facilitating safe and efficient passage for drivers of cars.
The city has floated the idea of changing the parallel roads to two two-ways, an option suggested in 2018 by contractor Toole Design Group to reduce driving speeds."
City hears public input on College and Walnut corridor study
@IndyStar_Unofficial Not too sure about these two-lane roundabouts. Don't they cause crashes when drivers need to switch lanes?
Correcting the myths and misinformation regarding Toronto’s bike lanes
"A number of mayoral candidates are not only threatening to rip up existing protected bike lanes that keep cyclists safe, but also adding oxygen to anti-bike arguments and sentiments that are not accurate and create “bike lash” situations...we decided to check in with Alison Stewart, the director of advocacy and public policy at Cycle Toronto"
#Toronto #cycling #UrbanPlanning
Correcting the myths and misinformation regarding Toronto's bike lanes
This is nice. A one-way, one lane road for cars with a two-way bike path next to it. It's only for a few blocks for a connector though. #BloomingtonIN #UrbanPlanning #BikeLanes
City has put up a nice public comment summary on the planned High Street multiuse path. Very much looking forward to this project!
https://bloomington.in.gov/sites/default/files/2023-06/High%20St%20Project%20update%202023-06-07.pdf
In bid to protect pedestrians, Indy defies state lawmaker to push no-turn-on-red proposal
Republican Senator Aaron Freeman calls local government "stupid" so I think the city council should pass a resolution saying, "I know you are but what am I?"
In bid to protect pedestrians, Indy defies state lawmaker to push no-turn-on-red proposal
Study looks at next stage of Indianapolis highway development
"The study will focus on I-65 and I-70 routes that crisscross the city. INDOT will engage the public by reaching out for ideas and solutions. Transportation upgrades will include considerations of quality of life, economic mobility and equity.
Conversations with a wide variety of key stakeholders and community representatives are planned to generate ideas."
Study looks at next stage of Indianapolis highway development
Sent in my feedback on the College/Walnut corridor study #BloomingtonIN #UrbanPlanning
http://blog.benfulton.net/2023/05/college-and-walnut-survey-responses.html?m=1
How Tennessee's lack of public transportation is failing immigrants
#UrbanPlanning #Memphis #PublicTransport
Little article on Why Cars Are Bad, but it's always nice when one of these slips out into a non-specialized site #UrbanPlanning #BanCars
The Road to Nowhere
Planners envision grand global boulevard along US 1
"The Miami-Dade Transportation Planning Organization (TPO) has wrapped up a US 1 multimodal and roadway intersection analysis in Coral Gables and has presented recommendations with the grand vision of transforming US 1 into a boulevard."
Sounds really cool, but I have a hard time believing it will ever make it past the planning stage.
Missed this entirely: Bloomington is requiring its scooter companies to provide 25% sit-down scooters or e-bikes.
"Throttle-powered, seated vehicles are favored by older riders, women, and people with disabilities. Many of these traditionally underrepresented riders prefer seated vehicles because they provide a greater sense of comfort and don’t require the need to stand or pedal"
Level of Service: the destructive force behind deadly street design
"Level of Service (LOS) is used to grade intersections as acceptable or unacceptable. It’s the key to traffic analysis and it has nothing to do with safety. LOS is a metric about how long you sit at a light, a stop sign, or how long it takes you to zip through a corridor. The longer it takes you to drive, the “worse” the LOS."
https://speakeasy.substack.com/p/level-of-service-the-destructive
Corridor study for Bloomington's College and Walnut Streets underway
"The adjacent one-way roads are a key north-south connection. But between 100 and 200 crashes happen on the roads every year."
Pretty straightforward that they need to be two-way streets, as was recommended by the consultant the last time this was studied. There's a lot more precedent for that now though.
City Limits: Corridor study for College and Walnut Streets underway
Culver City to bike and bus riders: drop dead.
The highly successful Complete Streets project received overwhelming public support going late into the night at Tuesday’s council session.
Yet they still voted 3 to 2 to remove the protected bike lanes in favor of a shared bus and bike lane, in order to add another traffic lane so more drivers can go zoom, zoom to their hearts content.
Grading some cities for visiting bikers:
Orlando: D-. No bike share, no bike lanes. Sidewalks with cut-throughs every fifty feet.
Memphis: B-. Most of the city is pretty awful, but the downtown is nice, lots of paths and some streets that are closed to cars. Bike share with ebikes
Lexington: C. They've made an effort to provide some wider paths for pedestrians and bikers, but the traffic is horrendous. Badly needs a few blocks closed to cars. No bike share
NIMBY's in Florida...who would have guessed?
"The Gainesville City Commission has voted to pass three new ordinances that undid the fall 2022 zoning laws that allowed for more multifamily housing in different places across the city."
#UrbanPlanning #Gainesville #Florida
Gainesville commissioners continue undoing single-family zoning laws
This Florida Town Rode a Rail Trail to an Economic Revival
"Winter Garden made the locally controversial decision to route the West Orange Trail directly through the middle of downtown. Plant Street was reconfigured with the trail running through a large center median (which would become the base for several civic projects to come)."
It's near Orlando, which is lousy for biking as far as I can tell. But I'll visit it if I have a chance!
Culver City, CA considering ripping out their complete streets project
Erie, PA fighting plans for a bike path
Brooklyn Academy of Music fighting a nearby protected bike lane
DC pauses plans to install a protected bike lane on a major six-lane boulevard
*sigh*
Bloomington City Council will introduce an ordinance giving themselves veto power over neighborhood resident-led traffic calming programs.
A coworker found this article: https://nacto.org/docs/usdg/review_lane_width_and_speed_parsons.pdf
Seems to show that there's not much relationship between lane width and speed.
Bloomington had a new stop sign put in to slow drivers down. City narrowed the lanes on that road, expecting drivers to slow down that way, but they didn't. Anyone have any research that shows narrower lanes slows drivers down?
Traffic calming devices to go up on Maxwell between Woodlawn and Henderson this summer. Should make for a nice ride!
#biketooter #TrafficCalming #UrbanPlanning #BloomingtonIN
Award-Winning Complete Street Just Another Deadly Stroad
"As we examined this location, I reacted with shock to the conscious indifference the design demonstrates to the safety of anyone outside of an automobile. It was only later that I was informed that multiple industry organizations have recognized Ager Road with some of their highest awards."
The Ohio legislature doesn't understand induced demand
"The interchange proposal, added to the final version of the state’s $13.5 billion transportation budget bill passed by the legislature, will supposedly ease congestion in heavily developed areas of Strongsville around the South Park Mall at State Route 82 and I-71."
This Dallas Coffee Shop Wants to Build Community. The City Wanted It to Build Parking Spaces.
"Due to an outdated parking code regulation, Sierra was required by the city to have 18 parking spots to accommodate its more than 1,600 square feet of restaurant space (which includes 400 square feet of a detached garage). Current city code requires at least one parking space for every 100 square feet for restaurants."
A two-way protected bike lane on the north side of 2nd Street from the B-Line to Walker Street is in the works. The bike lane plan is hidden under the title "Modernization and Safety Improvements" so I hope they can do it quick before the NIMBYs notice!
#BloomingtonIN #BikeLanes #UrbanPlanning
West 2nd Street Modernization and Safety Improvements | City of Bloomington, Indiana
Looking forward to @Streetsblog reporting on new bike/ped infrastructure this spring and summer. Seems like there's been nothing recently!
They won't be taking Claiborne down in New Orleans, unfortunately. But $500k is a pittance for upgrading, so at least they shouldn't be widening it.
#NewOrleans #ReconnectingCommunities
#UrbanPlanning
A highway split a Black New Orleans neighborhood. How can it heal? - Marketplace
"The intersection of Rockville Road and Girls School Road is in the top one percent for crash rates in the state."
Maybe they should have the traffic, I don't know, GO SLOWER or something.
Just got an email from the Kerry Thomson campaign touting her accomplishments in blocking the elimination of single-family zoning and building lots of Habitat for Humanity houses. I wonder how far the city had to sprawl to get those built while still making sure the rich people got to keep their fancy plots? #BloomingtonIN #UrbanPlanning #KerryThomson
Bloomington mayor asks city council to consider road closure in Lower Cascades Park. I don't see this happening. It's a nice idea but pretty unpopular; and the park isn't reachable in 15 minutes by foot from...anywhere, really.
#HoosierMast #BloomingtonIN #UrbanPlanning #RoadDiet
Hamilton asks city council to consider road closure in Lower Cascades Park
Thank you, Bloomington City!
In April of 2021, the Bloomington City Council voted unanimously to add nearly 80 “No Turn on Red” signs in the downtown and campus areas to increase safety. Both the Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Commission and the Traffic Commission endorsed the measure, which was taken to protect pedestrians and cyclists, the most vulnerable users of roads, in the areas of heaviest pedestrian and bicycle traffic.
Let's go Brandon! Brandon Johnson in the runoff for Chicago Mayor. Here's what he said about biking:
"We also need to install more well-designed, dedicated bike lanes, so that cyclists feel safe on our streets. By investing in viable alternatives to automobiles, we can reduce congestion and make getting around Chicago faster and more pleasant for everyone."
@jchyip Betteridge's law applies here, which is a bit unfortunate as it is a careful, thoughtful essay. The final paragraph reads:
"At the end of the day, EVs are a net positive for the climate. However, we need smart, targeted policies to maximize the benefits of EVs and reduce the need for automobiles in the first place."
Indiana has two different housing problems: oversupply in rural counties; undersupply in the cities. Better transit would seem to be the ideal solution, but the legislature has plans to subsidize builders instead, because who ever heard of transit giving campaign contributions?
#HoosierMast #UrbanPlanning #INLegis
Plenty not to like about Brent Spence Bridge project
A big slab of federal dollars is going into replacing this bridge between Cincinnati and Kentucky, with all kinds of road widenings and car-friendly improvements. Can a small pro-transit organization stop the juggernaut?
Opinion: Plenty not to like about Brent Spence Bridge project
Five Simple Fixes for a Deadly Intersection in Indianapolis
They analyzed an intersection in Indianapolis, Indiana, where a cyclist was killed when a driver ran a red light.
A. Connect Shopping Centers
B. Close the Redundant Entrance
C. Close Redundant Entrances and Connect Properties—Yielding an Incubator
D. Widen Median—Resizing Travel Lanes
E. Reduce Excessive Entrance Widths
#UrbanPlanning #Indianapolis #HoosierMast
Here's a question I was asked if any #UrbanPlanning experts know the answer:
"I lived in Geneva for 4 months. Walking to the nearest grocery store was a walk across a one-lane street, and no more than 2 minutes.
How do these small stores and shops afford to function in an area with some of the highest real estate prices in the world? Is retail space availability required by regulation or are the economics different?"
Union Avenue in Memphis: A perfect example of how not to design a road.
(1) Design can be more influential on behavior than speed limits
(2) Other streets regularly intersect Union, but lack crosswalks or signals
(3) Numerous destinations means that more people will be present
(4) Marked, signalized crosswalks are located as much as 0.4 miles apart
(5) Sidewalks exist, but as an afterthought
Kalamazoo replacing vehicle lanes with bike lanes on Michigan Avenue
"The city of Kalamazoo is planning to add a bike lane, protected by a row of parking, on West Michigan Avenue from South Westnedge Avenue to Portage Street...a one-way street that is five travel lanes wide in some places -- will be reduced to three lanes"
#Kalamazoo #cycling #UrbanPlanning
Michigan Avenue losing vehicle lanes, adding bike lane in upcoming project
Maine is considering rebates for ebikes. That's good!
But they're worried that they may be replacing bus rides instead. That's...what?
Michael Stoddard, executive director of the Efficiency Maine Trust: "It would save little or no energy or carbon if an e-bike simply displaces another bicycle, or a ride on a transit or school bus." 🤔
Bloomington power grab by a bunch of NIMBY's
#BloomingtonIN #HoosierMast #cycling #UrbanPlanning
Referred to committee: Should city council remove member of Bloomington’s traffic commission for “posting obscene and inappropriate statements…”?
Indianapolis has won a grant to help fast-forward the build-out of their mobility networks.
"(Indy) will receive $50,000 in Accelerated Mobility Playbook (AMP) technical assistance...this assistance includes a community-specific mobility audit of the city’s current state of practice and an action plan for improved implementation and partnership."
Sooo..Anyone know anything about this?
Engaging Local Governments Effectively
"Local government is composed of elected and appointed officials that you probably know. They are your neighbors, friends, former classmates, or even co-workers. They rely on professional staff to advise them. The local government staff are accessible and their job description includes tasks that require them to be pathfinders in the process."
Hellscape on Hesperian: Streetsblog shreds the new Hesperian Boulevard Project in San Lorenzo.
I'm not sure whether to laugh at the bad design or encourage them for at least attempting *something*.
#SanLorenzo #UrbanPlanning #cycling
Eyes on the Street: Hellscape on Hesperian - Streetsblog San Francisco
A Nashville Vision Zero 15-member task force will convene for the first time on Jan. 30. I was interested in this quote from the article:
"Everyone wants to slow down cars, and the city knows how to do it."
I sure don't think everyone wants to slow down cars in my city!
How New Orleans Revived — and Improved — Bike Share
"They proposed that Blue Bikes be run by a new nonprofit called Blue Krewe. The city would provide space for bike racks and waive permit fees...the City Council unanimously agreed. By September 2021, residents were kicking their legs over 500 shiny new rides in neighborhoods throughout New Orleans. Since then, they’ve made more than 289,000 trips."
#UrbanPlanning #cycling #NewOrleans
@broad Even better would be providing transit, housing, and complete streets so they don't have to drive themselves to work.
My neighborhood has a walk score of 4, but I've just realized there is somewhere I can walk to in 15 minutes.
The gas station.
North Carolina’s Republican House speaker says he’ll only OK Charlotte’s $13 billion transportation plan if it focuses on widening roads instead of bike lanes.
"Moore stated that Charlotte officials should focus more on “road capacity” if they want the state legislature to endorse the city’s plan"
"It isn’t about the bikes, it’s about being able to get from Point A to Point B without dying. That shouldn’t be such a hard ask."
#Charlotte #UrbanPlanning #BikeLanes
Advocates, Lawmakers at Odds Following Cyclist's Death | Queen City Nerve
A Richmond councilwoman asked the city to look into maybe dropping the city speed limit to 20MPH. They told her it would cost $2.5 million to do that 😂
"The administration’s legal team interprets the law to require a new 20 mph speed limit sign posted on every block that doesn’t currently have one, requiring hundreds of copycat signs which astronomically drive up the cost of the change."
Good op-ed from the Los Angeles Times on dumping parking minimums.
"Rather than minimum requirements for parking, cities should be enforcing maximum limits for parking spaces per building. The state took action to improve density of development around transit stops. It’s now up to Los Angeles to end parking minimums more broadly, as cities such as San Jose, San Francisco and San Diego have already done."
#UrbanPlanning #parking #LosAngeles
Op-Ed: L.A. should stop requiring developers to waste space on parking
This really depresses me. I had the idea that once cycling infrastructure was in place, people would be happy with it. Seems like it's as much a battle to stop it from being taken back out though.
"An online petition calling for the bicycle lanes to be removed "without delay" has received more than 5,000 signatures since it was launched last week."
#cycling #UrbanPlanning #Maryland #BikeLanes
'Disastrous Mess': Drivers Complain About Bicycle Lanes In North Bethesda
@chronicallydave A lovely bike route down 7th and Rollo wants to ruin it with stop signs every block. I sure hope he doesn't get reelected.
Ann Arbor's Transportation Commission wants to bump the bike and pedestrian infrastructure budget to 20% of the overall transporation budget, up from 5 percent.
Ooh, I bet the NIMBY's will be up in arms about that! Love to hear the city council debating it.
#AnnArbor #Michigan #transport #UrbanPlanning
Does Ann Arbor need more protected bike lanes? Issue at center of budget talks
Exciting changes in store for #Louisville !
The multimillion-dollar 'Reimagine Ninth Street’ Plan will transform the six-lane thoroughfare into a street that's more pedestrian friendly with dedicated bus lanes and green space. The ‘Broadway All the Way’ project will work to improve one of the busiest streets in the Metro by adding bus rapid transit and enhancing pedestrian and bus shelters.
Louisville secures $24 million in federal funds for major transportation projects
The Bus Rapid Transit Act would allocate $12 billion per year for five years to BRT projects, funneling dollars directly to transit operations and helping cities invest in the design and construction of new BRT systems, including overhauls of current bus routes.
What do planners think about city governments providing free Uber rides for places and times where the buses don't go?
Raising some awareness of walkability issues by framing it as a senior citizen's issue
"Many seniors may choose not to drive or be unable to drive due to various physical and mental challenges.
However, those seniors who are active and mobile – but do not have transportation – may experience more issues in these living communities."
#UrbanPlanning #Walkability #HoosierMast
What issues may senior living communities that lack transportation face?
The Reckless Driver Narrative Is Reckless. Stop Spreading It.
"What has changed dramatically is the number of times that the reckless driver is in a high-risk situation. Before the pandemic, most daily trips were made during periods of high congestion...Now, with pandemic conditions and then expanded work-from-home moderating congestion levels, most trips are made at unsafe speeds in environments filled with randomness."
The Reckless Driver Narrative Is Reckless. Stop Spreading It.
It occurs to me that a "hashtag synonym" feature might be usefully added somewhere. #BuiltEnvironment #UrbanPlanning #UrbanDesign #CityPlanning #CityDesign
Minneapolis Wants to Be the ‘Bus Rapid Transit Capital of North America’
"In Minneapolis, BRT buses like the D Line operate mostly in traffic, with some signal prioritization to trigger green lights when they’re falling behind schedule. Allowing riders to prepay fares reduces idling time as well. Metro officials say the BRT lines run about 25 percent faster than the regular bus."
#UrbanPlanning #BRT #minneapolis
Minneapolis Wants to Be the ‘Bus Rapid Transit Capital of North America’
Attended a public input meeting for a new Greenway, but had to leave. I can't bear listening to the NIMBY's tell us why we can't have the cars drive any slower.
How to Fix the Most Dangerous Streets in America
"There should be only two types of throughfares: streets and roads. Streets are for local wealth generation and welcome traffic only at slow speed, because high speeds destroy the value of place. Roads are for moving vehicles quickly, and should be kept free of businesses...Our mistake over the years is that we have allowed streets to become half roads and roads to become half streets."
Cincinnati passes Complete Streets ordinance
"Under the new law, the Department of Transportation and Engineering (DOTE) will have a checklist to consider before moving forward with road improvement projects.
The list includes five categories: bike facilities, sidewalk and curb ramps, traffic calming, safety improvements and comfort enhancements. Within those categories are things like bike lanes, sidewalks and speed humps."
#Cincinnati #UrbanPlanning #Cycling
"Portlanders can be placed into one of the four following groups based on
their relationship to bicycle transportation: “The Strong and the Fearless,” “The
Enthused and the Confident,” “The Interested but Concerned.” The fourth group are non-riders, called the “No Way No How” group."
I note this represents _adult_ cyclists, or at least teens. There probably needs to be a separate category for children.
What's a good story I can tell to overcome the NIMBYs ? #UrbanPlanning #NeighborhoodMeeting #PublicComment #Cycling
Dave Rollo wants to give himself veto power over all biking improvements
"City staff shall present the resolution and report to the Common Council for action. If the resolution is not adopted by the Common Council, the project does not proceed to installation."
#UrbanPlanning #BloomingtonIN #cycling
https://bloomington.in.gov/onboard/meetingFiles/download?meetingFile_id=11083
The community feedback process is an inconvenient annoyance that brings out the worst in people. It is also at the heart of why U.S. cities can't build new housing or transportation.
Bike-lane plan for Ann Arbor neighborhood sparks controversy
Bike-lane plan for Ann Arbor neighborhood sparks controversy
Coming to think of accounts on various servers as "aspects". Like my #UrbanPlanning aspect is different from my #EcoEvo aspect. Then it feels weird when the wrong aspect is following an account 😬
Polling place was at Bloomington High School North, a dangerous bike ride up Kinser Pike. Wish they could have found somewhere else until the new Dunn Street multi-use path is built. #voting #UrbanPlanning #cycling
Extensive discussion of the genesis of the new Bloomington greenway #cycling #urbanplanning
