Very soon the city of Lincoln could be putting in a two way protected bike lane on N St. connecting the Antelope trail on the east of downtown and the new Arena trail to the west. This east to west connection will be Lincoln’s first protected bike way, or “green lane”.
You may remember last year, BicycLincoln, along with members of the downtown community, the Mayor’s Pedestrian Bicyclist Advisory Committee, Great Plains Trails Network, general commuters, and a good deal of others lobbied for the N St. protected bike way. The council voted in favor of the bikeway, but there were a few grumblings that could have derailed the project. And I am sure there are some members of Lincoln’s populace that question why Lincoln is investing in green lanes. I hope, in my humble way, to answer some of those questions.
Bikers should be part of traffic and not divided from it.This one surprised me a bit because it came from some members of our own great cycling community. And, well, I agree. We do have the right to ride on the street. We should be part of traffic and should act and be treated as such. As a League of American Bicyclist certified bike safety instructor, President of BicycLincoln, a board member of GPTN, and bike shop employee, I want everyone to ride comfortably and safely with traffic.
Comfortably and safely… And that’s just it. For myself and those cyclists with this concern we are the 1%. We are the “strong and fearless” riders. We have no problem being part of traffic on our bikes, we’ve been doing it for years. Then there are the 7% of riders who are the “enthused and confident”, the young professional who’s just starting to commute by bike, or the rider just getting back into biking after not for so many years. There is the 33% that just can’t or won’t bike. But the other 60% are the “interested but concerned”. Why don’t the 60% bike more? Because their top concern is safety. They are scared to ride in traffic on busy streets. And yes, Lincoln’s downtown has a relatively low accident rate between bike riders and drivers, I also know it can be about perceived safety for the 60%. I have had the luck to work in a bike shop for ten years and I get to talk every day to all levels of cyclist and everyday folk just riding bikes, and for those that I talk to, they want bike friendly infrastructure to comfortably ride their bikes more often.
Green lanes offer convenient, comfortable, and safe places for people of all ages and abilities to travel by bike. And roads with green lanes become safer not just for people on bikes. After New York City installed their green lanes on Columbus Ave, speeding, sidewalk riding, and the total number of crashes all decreased (on.nyc.gov/Ls3jZR).
There is a small group of the 1% here in Lincoln that think that green lanes are unsafe for the rider. Transportation Secretary Ray La Hood doesn’t think bikeways are unsafe. Either does peopleforbikes.com and the League of American Bicyclist, who invited Mr. La Hood and the Green Lane Project to speak at this years Bike Summit in Washington DC. Here are some of the safety stats they shared at the summit – http://greenlaneproject.org/stats/#safety
A review of 23 studies on bicycling injuries found that bike facilities (e.g. off-road paths, on-road marked bike lanes, and on-road bike routes) are where bicyclists are safest.
Reynolds, C., et al., 2009, The impact of transportation infrastructure on bicycling injuries and crashes: a review of the literature, Environmental Health, 8:47
When protected green lanes are installed in New York City, injury crashes for all road users (drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists) typically drop by 40% and by more than 50% in some locations.
Wolfson, H., 2011, Memorandum on Bike Lanes, City of New York, Office of the Mayor, 21 March 2011
The installation of many miles of new bike lanes in New York City did not lead to an increase in bike crashes, despite the increase in the number of cyclists.
Chen, L., et al., 2011, Evaluating the safety effects of bicycle lanes in New York City, American Journal of Public Health, November 17, 2011
A study found that bicycling on separated facilities like green lanes is safer than riding on streets without bicycle facilities. Cyclists were also 2.5 times more likely to ride on the green lanes than on the streets.
Lusk, A., et al., 2010, Risk of injury for bicycling on cycle tracks versus in the street, Injury Prevention, December 1, 2010
A study found that separated bike paths have better air quality than traditional bike lanes.
Kendrick, C., et al., 2010 in Maus, J., 2010, The impact of bicycle characteristics on bicyclists exposure to traffic-related particulate matter, in press, in “Study: Separated bikeways mean better air quality for bikers, walkers,” BikePortland.org
Eighty-six percent of respondents feel “safe” or “very safe” riding on Chicago’s Kinzie Street green lane, compared with just 17 percent in traditional bike lanes.
Chicago DOT, 2011, Initial Findings: Kinzie Street Protected Bike Lane
Protected green lanes reduce bicyclist injury risk up to 90 percent.
Teschke, K., et al., 2012, Route Infrastructure and the Risk of Injuries to Bicyclists: A Case-Crossover Study
New York City’s protected bike lane on 9th Avenue led to a 56 percent reduction in injuries to all street users, including a 57 percent reduction in injuries to people on bikes and a 29 percent reduction in injuries to people walking, as well as an 84 percent reduction in sidewalk riding.
NYC DOT, 2012, Measuring the Street
Ninety percent of users say they feel safer bicycling on Pennsylvania Ave because of the new green lanes.
District Department of Transportation, 2012, District Department of Transportation Bicycle Facility Evaluation
After New York City installed a protected green lane on Columbus Avenue, traffic crashes, speeding, and sidewalk riding all decreased.
New York City Department of Transportation, 2011, Columbus Avenue parking-protected bicycle path preliminary assessment
Nearly two-thirds (65%) of Americans who don’t bicycle say they would like to ride more often.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2008., National Survey of Bicyclist and Pedestrian Attitudes and Behavior
– See more at: http://greenlaneproject.org/stats/#safety
A review of 23 studies on bicycling injuries found that bike facilities (e.g. off-road paths, on-road marked bike lanes, and on-road bike routes) are where bicyclists are safest.
Reynolds, C., et al., 2009, The impact of transportation infrastructure on bicycling injuries and crashes: a review of the literature, Environmental Health, 8:47
When protected green lanes are installed in New York City, injury crashes for all road users (drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists) typically drop by 40% and by more than 50% in some locations.
Wolfson, H., 2011, Memorandum on Bike Lanes, City of New York, Office of the Mayor, 21 March 2011
The installation of many miles of new bike lanes in New York City did not lead to an increase in bike crashes, despite the increase in the number of cyclists.
Chen, L., et al., 2011, Evaluating the safety effects of bicycle lanes in New York City, American Journal of Public Health, November 17, 2011
A study found that bicycling on separated facilities like green lanes is safer than riding on streets without bicycle facilities. Cyclists were also 2.5 times more likely to ride on the green lanes than on the streets.
Lusk, A., et al., 2010, Risk of injury for bicycling on cycle tracks versus in the street, Injury Prevention, December 1, 2010
A study found that separated bike paths have better air quality than traditional bike lanes.
Kendrick, C., et al., 2010 in Maus, J., 2010, The impact of bicycle characteristics on bicyclists exposure to traffic-related particulate matter, in press, in “Study: Separated bikeways mean better air quality for bikers, walkers,” BikePortland.org
Eighty-six percent of respondents feel “safe” or “very safe” riding on Chicago’s Kinzie Street green lane, compared with just 17 percent in traditional bike lanes.
Chicago DOT, 2011, Initial Findings: Kinzie Street Protected Bike Lane
Protected green lanes reduce bicyclist injury risk up to 90 percent.
Teschke, K., et al., 2012, Route Infrastructure and the Risk of Injuries to Bicyclists: A Case-Crossover Study
New York City’s protected bike lane on 9th Avenue led to a 56 percent reduction in injuries to all street users, including a 57 percent reduction in injuries to people on bikes and a 29 percent reduction in injuries to people walking, as well as an 84 percent reduction in sidewalk riding.
NYC DOT, 2012, Measuring the Street
Ninety percent of users say they feel safer bicycling on Pennsylvania Ave because of the new green lanes.
District Department of Transportation, 2012, District Department of Transportation Bicycle Facility Evaluation
After New York City installed a protected green lane on Columbus Avenue, traffic crashes, speeding, and sidewalk riding all decreased.
New York City Department of Transportation, 2011, Columbus Avenue parking-protected bicycle path preliminary assessment
Nearly two-thirds (65%) of Americans who don’t bicycle say they would like to ride more often.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2008., National Survey of Bicyclist and Pedestrian Attitudes and Behavior
– See more at: http://greenlaneproject.org/stats/#safety
A review of 23 studies on bicycling injuries found that bike facilities (e.g. off-road paths, on-road marked bike lanes, and on-road bike routes) are where bicyclists are safest.
Reynolds, C., et al., 2009, The impact of transportation infrastructure on bicycling injuries and crashes: a review of the literature, Environmental Health, 8:47
When protected green lanes are installed in New York City, injury crashes for all road users (drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists) typically drop by 40% and by more than 50% in some locations.
Wolfson, H., 2011, Memorandum on Bike Lanes, City of New York, Office of the Mayor, 21 March 2011
The installation of many miles of new bike lanes in New York City did not lead to an increase in bike crashes, despite the increase in the number of cyclists.
Chen, L., et al., 2011, Evaluating the safety effects of bicycle lanes in New York City, American Journal of Public Health, November 17, 2011
A study found that bicycling on separated facilities like green lanes is safer than riding on streets without bicycle facilities. Cyclists were also 2.5 times more likely to ride on the green lanes than on the streets.
Lusk, A., et al., 2010, Risk of injury for bicycling on cycle tracks versus in the street, Injury Prevention, December 1, 2010
A study found that separated bike paths have better air quality than traditional bike lanes.
Kendrick, C., et al., 2010 in Maus, J., 2010, The impact of bicycle characteristics on bicyclists exposure to traffic-related particulate matter, in press, in “Study: Separated bikeways mean better air quality for bikers, walkers,” BikePortland.org
Eighty-six percent of respondents feel “safe” or “very safe” riding on Chicago’s Kinzie Street green lane, compared with just 17 percent in traditional bike lanes.
Chicago DOT, 2011, Initial Findings: Kinzie Street Protected Bike Lane
Protected green lanes reduce bicyclist injury risk up to 90 percent.
Teschke, K., et al., 2012, Route Infrastructure and the Risk of Injuries to Bicyclists: A Case-Crossover Study
New York City’s protected bike lane on 9th Avenue led to a 56 percent reduction in injuries to all street users, including a 57 percent reduction in injuries to people on bikes and a 29 percent reduction in injuries to people walking, as well as an 84 percent reduction in sidewalk riding.
NYC DOT, 2012, Measuring the Street
Ninety percent of users say they feel safer bicycling on Pennsylvania Ave because of the new green lanes.
District Department of Transportation, 2012, District Department of Transportation Bicycle Facility Evaluation
After New York City installed a protected green lane on Columbus Avenue, traffic crashes, speeding, and sidewalk riding all decreased.
New York City Department of Transportation, 2011, Columbus Avenue parking-protected bicycle path preliminary assessment
Nearly two-thirds (65%) of Americans who don’t bicycle say they would like to ride more often.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2008., National Survey of Bicyclist and Pedestrian Attitudes and Behavior
– See more at: http://greenlaneproject.org/stats/#safety
Losing parking is bad business. Yes, some parking will be removed for the green way, but not as much as some think. A good part of N street’s on street parking was going to be lost do to an extra lane being added to the west part of N St. So on street parking was being removed bikeway or not. And is losing that parking really bad for business? New York City found that protected green lanes had a significant positive impact on local business strength. After the construction of a protected bike lane on 9th Avenue, local businesses saw a 49 percent increase in retail sales. In comparison, local businesses throughout Manhattan only saw a 3 percent increase in retail sales.
NYC DOT, 2012, Measuring the Street
For my own family, when we drive downtown we drive around looking for parking, find a spot and park, go to our destination, then drive home. But when we bike, we get rock star bike parking right in front or on the same block of our destination. If we see a place we want to stop at after visiting our original destination, we simply ride over. And we linger longer downtown when we bike, and then usually spend more!
Portland State University researchers found that customers who arrive by bike spend 24% more per month than those who arrive by car.
Clifton, K., et al., 2012, Business Cycles: Catering to the Bicycling Market
Traveling by bike encourages more frequent stops than a car. In a study of Toronto merchants, patrons arriving by foot and bicycle visit the most often and spend the most money per month.
The Clean Air Partnership, 2009, Bike Lanes, On-street Parking, and Business
Stats like this prove the greatest benefit of having a bikeway. It is not just for the 1% and 30% cyclist or for even the 60% folks on bikes, but for all Lincolnites. Don’t we all want a strong and vibrant downtown? Don’t we all want Lincoln to be able to attract business, corporations, and university programs? Bikeways and cycling infrastructure are one of the things they are looking for when shopping for cities when relocating. And a bike friendly city can also help stem the “brain drain” Lincoln has. Lincoln should have less relocating to Minneapolis, or Portland, or New York, or any other city that has invested in bikeways and the like.
I love Lincoln Nebraska. And that is the first reason I want a bike way on N street.
image from Green Lane Project
Great post. I have talked to so many people who don’t bike commute to work because they are scared to bike downtown. Hopefully this is a start to overcoming that!
Karin–I’m sorry to hear that people are scared to bike downtown. As one who rode through downtown for 36 years, I can tell them that they have nothing to fear if they take the lane and obey the law. Statistics confirm the safety of biking on the street downtown. Over a 5 year period, there were only 19 collisions between cars and bicycles ridden in the street downtown.
I missed this reply a while ago, so I’ll just reply now.
Anyone who says “they’ll be fine if they just take the lane” has obviously never been struggling to go 8 mph while a car is honking behind you. When I was starting out, I got honked at and yelled at by drivers. And honestly, I can understand their frustration – getting stuck behind someone going less than 10 mph is frustrating when the speed limit is 25.
After three years of fairly frequent cycling, I can boost my speed downtown so I can sort of keep up with traffic (though I still only average 10mph, because I’m just not a fast rider). But many can’t. And yeah, they might not actually get hit by a car while going 8mph down the street and taking a lane, but it’s definitely not a pleasant experience, and not one you’d want to repeat daily on a commute. It *feels* scary, even isn’t isn’t, and who wants to put themselves through that when they could just hop in a car?
Thanks for posting this Damon. During the National Bike Summit I was finding a lot of articles to read and videos of speakers talking about the increased spending when people bike like you mentioned and how young people want to be able to ride to work. This is a very forward looking project and cities all over are moving in this direction.
“Separate but equal” is not equal. We already have huge networks of roads that cyclists who are simply taught to use the roads can use quite well.
Educating these cyclists is far more cost-effective than building separate water fountains, er, lunch counters, er, pathways, as many of those cyclists also drive motor vehicles, and in turn influence other motor vehicle operators.
Tom, should we then just nix any sidewalks as well? By your logic, keeping pedestrians walking on a separate walkway is unethical and immoral. I think your desire to bring a racial separation in to a conversation about 2,000 pound vehicles traveling at 35 miles an hour is a bit of a stretch. These lanes are designed to facilitate safe traffic movement for all involved. I do however agree that education cannot be left out of the equation. Education for the bikers that a red light is a red light for them as well…but also education for drivers that the road should be shared with bikers by giving them at least 3 feet as you pass.
I notice that the picture shows a right-hook opportunity built into the “protected” lane. The cyclists are in a driveway opening, where they are completely unprotected and more vulnerable than they would be if they were taking the lane. I think we can assume the design of the new facility will be just as fatally flawed as the pictoral example.
I want the protected bike way as well.
This project is a good thing for downtown Lincoln. I’ll take a bike over driving around downtown in a hunt for parking any day. The idea of a designated lane that can safely shuttle groups, families or individual cyclists from the bike trail, through downtown and into our developing Haymarket is forward progress for our fine city.
I love having a downtown business and I love riding my bicycle to work. I also love the idea of taking my family to the Haymarket by bike and knowing we all have a safe route that is at least somewhat free from road rage and texting while driving.
The brutal truth is if Lincoln can’t agree on this type of city development, I’ll never commit to putting down roots. We have the opportunity to be so much more than a “college town” but we NEED (re)developments like this to attract future entrepreneurs, young professionals and beginning families or at the very least, keep them here.
Over the 15 years (not consecutive) I have biked to a downtown job my only accident was when I was struck by another cyclist. The idiot was riding on the sidewalk and blindsided me as I was exiting an alley onto a one-way street. Dangers to cyclists are everywhere and taking cars off of that list for people who are hesitant to ride downtown is called “progress”. For those who like to compete with traffic, Lincoln has no shortage of places for you to engage our fine drivers.