Mitch, First, "diamonds" are the symbol for High Occupancy Vehicle Lanes according to federal guidelines:
http://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/services/publications/fhwaop02090/hovmarkings_lgvie w.htm and imo should not be used to mark bus/bike/right turn only lanes, though the city continues to repaint those diamonds on the square over my objections at many previous PBMVC meetings. Second, it's not as simple as making the right lane for right turns only, because in a couple of instances the right lane has to be a through lane so that the left lane can be a dedicated left turn lane. WB traffic on West Wash turning north onto one-way NB Broom Street, e.g. has a left turn lane. At least that's the way it's used. I can't remember if it actually has a left turn arrow on it or not. And EB traffic on West Wash turning south onto one-way SB Basset St also has a left turn lane (though, again, it may or may not be "official"). Obviously, the city needs to paint the street to make it clear what the cross section really is. chuck ________________________________ From: Mitchell Nussbaum [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Friday, December 10, 2010 11:45 AM To: STRAWSER, Charles Cc: [email protected] Subject: Re: [Bikies] How was your bike ride today? I drive on West Washington pretty often, and I'm amazed to hear that TE sees it as a two-lane street. It certainly looks a lot like a four-lane street to the uninitiated. I don't bike on West Washington very much -- I don't like the traffic and I'd rather avoid the hill, if possible -- but Google Maps tells me it's the preferred bike route up to the Square, and I think it ought to be more bike-friendly than it actually is. I'd suggest making the right lanes diamond lanes, for right turns, parking and bicycles. If that's what those lanes are supposed to be for, it would be good to let drivers in on the secret. ________________________________ From: [email protected] I admit to riding on the sidewalk on part of West Washington because I max out at about 4 miles an hour going uphill on that behemoth. But it was all legal sidewalk riding thanks to postage-stamp lawns. Kathryn Kingsbury --------------------------------- I have asked city Traffic Engineering several times in the past to repaint West Washington (east of Bedford to Henry or Fairchild) to accurately show the lanes, since they claimed that it is only a two lane street with parking on both sides and turn lanes at the intersections with Bassett and Broom (rather than a four lane road with parking on both sides, which is how motorists perceive it and use it). Since I have been told repeatedly by Traffic Engineering that there is only one through lane in each direction, I don't feel any guilt at all (though in this weather I might feel some trepidation) about riding at least 3 feet from the parked cars, which of course prevents motorists from using the street as the four lane that they perceive it to be. They often get upset about that, because they see me as "blocking traffic" (which of course I would not be even if it WAS a four lane road, since I'm only required to ride as far right as practicable), but it fuels resentment that could easily be avoided with a little paint that I see Traffic Engineering refusing to apply. It's something I tried to bring up to the PBMVC at least once a year, but eventually I gave up. Perhaps it's time to revisit it. Chuck _______________________________________________ Bikies mailing list [email protected] http://lists.danenet.org/listinfo.cgi/bikies-danenet.org
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