Bicycle networks should be the next great American transit project

[finehoe]

Experts say that for cycling to truly blossom in the United States will require networks of cycletracks — bike lanes separated from vehicular traffic by vertical barriers — so that bikers of all ages can ride without fear of serious harm.

Plopping a "cyclists may use full lane" sign on a street with a 40 mph speed limit is like inviting someone to swim with sharks. Creating bike lanes, denoted with paint, is better, but still isn't always appealing to someone who cherishes a peaceful commute. To become a truly bike-friendly country means building robust networks of cycletracks throughout U.S. cities.

The National Institute for Transportation and Communities looked at bike traffic on nine U.S. roads after cycletracks were added. Across the board bike traffic grew, ranging from 21 to 171 percent. This jibes with research showing that cyclists say they are motivated to ride when routes are buffered from traffic noise and pollution, and paths separated from traffic.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/innovations/wp/2015/06/22/why-cycletrack-networks-should-be-the-next-great-american-transit-project/

[Adam White]

My employer has shower rooms for us - so, as a solution, it's not beyond reason. But I totally agree - the climate in Jacksonville would limit the distance I'd be willing to commute via bike.

[jaxlore]

I am back to biking downtown again took me a while to get back into my groove after changing jobs.  I am using the anytime fitness downtown for $35 a month to shower. My old job used to have showers but most people didn't take advantage of them. If we could get the riverwalk to expand down to ortega hell I would shoot over and take that all the way down. Now I come down college from Willowbranch cut through the park and hop on the riverwalk for the last leg.

[Adam White]

I am back to biking downtown again took me a while to get back into my groove after changing jobs.  I am using the anytime fitness downtown for $35 a month to shower. My old job used to have showers but most people didn't take advantage of them. If we could get the riverwalk to expand down to ortega hell I would shoot over and take that all the way down. Now I come down college from Willowbranch cut through the park and hop on the riverwalk for the last leg.

You really could get a decent set of bike paths in Riverside/Avondale/Downtown if they linked the parks up and extended the Riverwalk (and maybe closed some streets downtown or put in segregated bike lanes.

[ProjectMaximus]

Spent a week in Minneapolis this month and I'm fully on board the bike wagon/train. Even if I don't utilize it for commuting purposes, I would love to have the community have that option. Greenways, bike lanes, bike share...I want to see it all, even if our weather is unbearable during the summer.

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

I am back to biking downtown again took me a while to get back into my groove after changing jobs.  I am using the anytime fitness downtown for $35 a month to shower. My old job used to have showers but most people didn't take advantage of them. If we could get the riverwalk to expand down to ortega hell I would shoot over and take that all the way down. Now I come down college from Willowbranch cut through the park and hop on the riverwalk for the last leg.

You're totally missing out on an incredibly fun, high speed right turn coming off of the viaduct onto Water St.!

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

I am back to biking downtown again took me a while to get back into my groove after changing jobs.  I am using the anytime fitness downtown for $35 a month to shower. My old job used to have showers but most people didn't take advantage of them. If we could get the riverwalk to expand down to ortega hell I would shoot over and take that all the way down. Now I come down college from Willowbranch cut through the park and hop on the riverwalk for the last leg.

You really could get a decent set of bike paths in Riverside/Avondale/Downtown if they linked the parks up and extended the Riverwalk (and maybe closed some streets downtown or put in segregated bike lanes.

College and Post = dedicated bike raceways from McDuff to a San Marco if people would make it happen.

[Adam White]

I am back to biking downtown again took me a while to get back into my groove after changing jobs.  I am using the anytime fitness downtown for $35 a month to shower. My old job used to have showers but most people didn't take advantage of them. If we could get the riverwalk to expand down to ortega hell I would shoot over and take that all the way down. Now I come down college from Willowbranch cut through the park and hop on the riverwalk for the last leg.

You really could get a decent set of bike paths in Riverside/Avondale/Downtown if they linked the parks up and extended the Riverwalk (and maybe closed some streets downtown or put in segregated bike lanes.

College and Post = dedicated bike raceways from McDuff to a San Marco if people would make it happen.

That would be a potential game changer for cycling in Jax. If you had that and then a number of mapped "quiet routes" on side streets, you could have the beginnings of a decent cycle network in Riverisde/Avondale.