protected bike lanes

[Dashing Dan]

In fact, one of the larger engineering firms here in Jax. advertises their complete streets program with a picture of a 6-lane arterial w/ bike lanes and sidewalks next to the curb....wow, so innovative!

If a large local engineering firm thinks they can get clients by claiming to have complete streets expertise, then they might help with the adoption of a complete streets policy.

There's no doubt in my mind that a complete streets policy would help with the re-introduction of a mobility fee.  I just don't agree with the skeptics about the prospects for this policy.

[toi]

Instead of focusing on how to achieve a massive change in the way streets are and how to pay for it through additional taxes, why not find one street, a few blocks, where the cost to add a protected bike lane would involve little more than paint and plastic bollards, and ask for it.  Let the government figure out the money.  Look at the effort in NYC for a protected bike lane along Prospect Park, as documented on streetfilms.org and elsewhere.  It wasn't always pretty (some wanted the parking spaces back) but it got done.  Anyway, Happy New Year!

[Dashing Dan]

There is no cost associated with a complete streets policy. 

The money will be spent anyway. 

The policy just says that when you design the street, you have to look at all of the types of travel that might happen on that particular street.

Downtown they picked out Laura Street as a showcase for a redesign, and it didn't work out so well.  Hendricks was rebuilt with bike lanes but the bike lanes on Hendricks are dangerous.

The engineers who design these streets need to have a better understanding of what the design requirements are for cyclists and pedestrians.