Bike transportation in Downtown?

[cline]

Do you think that's a bad thing?

[TPC]

I don't think the Sobi bike system would really work downtown, we don't really have the density or demand for some something like this. I would see the early adopters of this being the younger generation who are a bit more tech savvy using their smartphones etc.. and that group seems to already own bikes.

It's an interesting idea but I just don't see it working Downtown.

As far as riding Downtown goes, I've never had any issues, I think people should avoid riding on sidewalks, there for pedestrians. Ride on the rode so cars see you and make your presence known.

[Tacachale]

Wait, why sharrows on the Acosta? Why not bike lanes? At any rate, obviously either would be better than the current situation.

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

really?  I ride on the streets downtown all the time

As do I and several hundreds of other people.

I also tear the tags from mattresses while in the store.  Eat from a dip bowl after watching someone double dip.  Routinely go beyond 3,000 miles between oil changes.

I am rebel.

Edit:

Just to add, I routinely ride my bike with a large, 100lb weimeraner running beside me.  I stay on the road (bike lane if available) and he stays on the median between the road and sidewalk.  Sure, I see the news reports of cyclists getting hit everyday, but I also see reports of bank robberies, shootings, car-jackings, etc.  But I let that dissuade me from doing what I want. 

As TPC stated, if more people would just do it, the drivers would be forced to be more aware.  It honestly pisses me off when I see people 'commuting' on the sidewalk when I'm driving because I know that they're hurting the cause of awareness more than anything.

[CityLife]

I'd like to see all this energy on biking lead to the creation/designation of an "Urban Core (Or In Town) Bike Trail" for both pedestrian and recreational uses. With the costs to acquire land, it couldn't possibly be a stand alone trail (entirely) and would have to be incorporated into our existing infrastructure. The costs to do so would likely be minimal relative to the impact of the trail, because a lot of the infrastructure is in place. The Riverwalk creates a great spine down the center and from there you can fan it out and make necessary improvements. I know the Mobility Plan has a lot of bike/ped funding opportunities in it, so you can use that as the groundwork for where to make improvements and create a connected network.

It doesn't have to be the worlds best bike trail/network at first. Just somewhere that you can show on a map and connects Jacksonville's In Town neighborhoods. Somewhere that people know they can safely ride and also get a cool perspective of the city. Then you can let it grow organically and add things like public art, markers, etc. If the user demand is there and it becomes popular the city would have no choice but to pump a lot of money into it and make it a destination.

People drive from all over to ride the Baldwin Trail. A flat piece of land set amongst mediocre subdivisions, with a few nice spots here and there. Imagine how many more would ride The Urban Core Trail set amongst the backdrop of the city, the river, and its finest neighborhoods. Not to mention the residents of In Town neighborhoods who would use it for transportation and recreation.

[dougskiles]

really?  I ride on the streets downtown all the time

I do too.  In fact, I find downtown to be one of the safest places to ride a bike in Jacksonville.  Mostly because the speeds are lower.  Secondly, because there is so much going on at street level, the drivers are more aware of pedestrians, cars pulling out, etc.  I feel safer downtown than I do when I'm riding in the suburbs where you know that many of the drivers are looking down at their phones while going 45+ mph.

[tufsu1]

Wait, why sharrows on the Acosta? Why not bike lanes? At any rate, obviously either would be better than the current situation.

the bridge itself is wide enough (the shoulders will double as bike lanes)....but there isn't enough room on some of the ramps for a dedicated bike lane

[tufsu1]

and here's some hard data from FHWA on what bike lanes and other infrastructure does to ridership

Our Federal Highway Administration, for example, just released a report on its Nonmotorized Transportation Pilot Program, a four-year effort required by Congress to construct a network of sidewalks, bicycle lanes, and pedestrian and bicycle trails connecting directly with schools, residences, businesses, recreation areas, transit centers, and other community activity centers. FHWA launched the program in four communities--Columbia, MO; Marin County, CA; Minneapolis, MN; and Sheboygan County, WI--and it has proven to be a great success:

•Over four years, people in these four communities alone walked or bicycled an estimated 32 million miles they would have otherwise driven;
•The communities saw an average increase of 49 percent in the number of bicyclists and a 22 percent increase in the number of pedestrians;
•The percentage of trips taken by bike instead of car increased 36 percent, and those taken on foot increased 14 percent;
•While each pilot community experienced increases in bicycling and walking, fatal bicycle and pedestrian crashes held steady or decreased in all of the communities; and
•The pilot communities saved an estimated 7,701 tons of CO2 in 2010.

http://fastlane.dot.gov/2012/05/bike-month.html

[acme54321]

It's not that I wouldn't ride on the street downtown, my wife is another story.  When there are no bike lanes and no shoulder a lot of people are not going to be confortable riding in traffic.  Generally they are going to be slower riders and in that case I think the sidewalk is the best option.  The alternative is to put someone who is inexperienced and nevervous up against cars.  There's no real good answer there.

Good news about improvements to the Acosta.  Those grates are annoying, especially when riding on skinny tires.  I think it might also be wise of them to mark the shoulder as a bike lane top of the bridge in addition to the sharrowed ramps.  Getting the city to run a street sweeper up there on occasion wouldn't hurt either.

[peestandingup]

It's not that I wouldn't ride on the street downtown, my wife is another story.  When there are no bike lanes and no shoulder a lot of people are not going to be confortable riding in traffic.  Generally they are going to be slower riders and in that case I think the sidewalk is the best option.  The alternative is to put someone who is inexperienced and nevervous up against cars.  There's no real good answer there.

And thats really what a lot of us are missing arguing about streets vs sidewalks. Certain situations call for different methods to get where you're going since its such a broken system. And also, some are just simply not comfortable riding with traffic & with no shoulder. And they probably never will be. I'm not blaming those people or think they're "hurting the cause" when the city they live in isn't providing them with any alternatives. And I'm including myself in that camp.

Sorry, but I'm not gonna subject myself (or my child) to the risk just to support "the cause", esp in a city that's brain dead when it comes to stuff like this & will take 20 years of dodging cars to turn it around. Mean mug all you want at me, but fuck that. Its never going to happen. Not in a city that's ranked at the top for pedestrian injuries/deaths & at the bottom for bike infrastructure.

[mtraininjax]

In slower urban areas where the traffic speeds are less, I have no problem biking, I do it around Avondale, with little issue. Obviously at night you MUST have flashing red lights at the rear and a flashing white strobe at the front, otherwise, you are an IDIOT and you deserve to get hit, when (2) 10 dollar lights will save your life and keep you from getting a ticket.

You have to be crazy to ride a bike on Mandarin road though, you might as well get the best insurance possible for your loved ones, cause you will get clipped on that road with no bike lane and too much texting while driving going on.

But the sidewalks were made for pedestrians NOT Bicycles. If you don't feel safe riding on the street, I sure as hell don't feel safer having you barrell down the sidewalk at me with my dog on a leash next to met. Get out in the street where you belong you idiot!

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

And thats really what a lot of us are missing arguing about streets vs sidewalks. Certain situations call for different methods to get where you're going since its such a broken system. And also, some are just simply not comfortable riding with traffic & with no shoulder. And they probably never will be. I'm not blaming those people or think they're "hurting the cause" when the city they live in isn't providing them with any alternatives. And I'm including myself in that camp.

If you're going to use the sidewalk, get off the bike.  It's pretty simple, cause or not. 

Why are you uncomfortable riding on the roadway with no shoulder?  Lack of doing it? 

I'm worried about putting my motorcycle on the interstate, because I haven't been riding for very long - do I bitch about the speed limits being too fast?  No.  I take a safer - LEGAL - route that I feel comfortable with until I'm ready. 

If you're uncomfortable riding your bike down Park St. (heavy traffic, no medians, lots of on-street parking and blind driveways) then just jump over a few streets to Riverside or Oak until you're ready.  What's the problem?  Why should every street cater to everyone when there are other viable options withing a few hundred feet of each other?

Sorry, but I'm not gonna subject myself (or my child) to the risk just to support "the cause", esp in a city that's brain dead when it comes to stuff like this & will take 20 years of dodging cars to turn it around. Mean mug all you want at me, but fuck that. Its never going to happen. Not in a city that's ranked at the top for pedestrian injuries/deaths & at the bottom for bike infrastructure.

I would never put my kid or my dog in harms way intentionally.  When I'm with either, I stay off of the main thouroughfares.  When I'm on my own, I pretty much ride where I want.  If you're going to get hit, you're going to get hit.  It won't matter if you're on Blanding, Riverside or King St.  there are bad drivers everywhere.

[acme54321]

At the end of the day it's perfectly legal to ride your bike on the sidewalks in Duval as long as you yield to pedestrians.  So until the law changes there's really nothing that's going to stop people from doing it.

[Adam W]

At the end of the day it's perfectly legal to ride your bike on the sidewalks in Duval as long as you yield to pedestrians.  So until the law changes there's really nothing that's going to stop people from doing it.

You're right. When I was a kid, I believe it was illegal. Or so a cop told us when he visited my elementary school in 1980. And to be fair, you can't really blame people for riding on sidewalks when there are practically no bike lanes.

[mtraininjax]

At the end of the day it's perfectly legal to ride your bike on the sidewalks in Duval as long as you yield to pedestrians.  So until the law changes there's really nothing that's going to stop people from doing it.

Or until someone is injured and Eddie and Chuck come calling....