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October 4, 2010 in City
City analysis notes bike route’s potential for snarled traffic
Pedestrians cross Second Avenue in downtown Spokane on Friday. Crews may have to wait until next year to put down the arterial’s final layer of pavement.
(Full-size photo)
Removing a lane for cars in favor of one for bicycles along Second Avenue downtown would cause longer traffic backups during rush hour in at least two locations, Spokane officials said last week.
The engineering analysis is part of the growing debate about the future of city street design.
City leaders generally have agreed to install bike lanes along roads when they don’t cause much impact on motorists. If the city’s traffic analysis is correct, moving ahead with a bike lane on Second Avenue would mark a turn by improving travel for bicyclists while potentially lengthening commutes for motorists.
Creation of a bike lane along Second Avenue is on the city’s bicycle plan. Even so, original plans for the reconstruction of the street didn’t include the lane. After lobbying among bicycling advocates, however, City Engineer Mike Taylor said in the spring that he was open to redesigning the street to accommodate a bike lane.
Dr. Bob Lutz, who resigned last month as chairman of the city’s Bicycle Advisory Board, said the study assumes that traffic volumes will continue to increase. That’s a faulty assumption, he said, because gas prices likely will rise, encouraging more people to drive smaller cars, ride the bus, or bike. The study also doesn’t consider that adding a bike lane may lead more people to ride, he said.
“They don’t factor anything other than vehicle traffic,” Lutz said.
Taylor said the bike lane concept remains under review, but that the analysis indicates it likely would need approval from the Washington Department of Transportation to ensure it wouldn’t cause cars to back up onto Interstate 90, and from the Spokane Regional Transportation Council to check how backups would affect air quality.
Dallas Hawkins, chairman of the Citizens Streets Advisory Commission, said he would discourage installation of a bike lane if it caused an intersection to fail. Besides air pollution and traffic jams, a failed intersection could spark a political backlash against further bike improvements, he said.
“Wouldn’t you find that some motorists would be frustrated if modifications resulted in the failure of an intersection?” Hawkins said.
The city traffic study shows that removing a lane of traffic in favor of a bike lane would worsen traffic enough that during rush hour, the intersection of Second and Monroe would earn a failing grade on a scale widely used by cities and devised by the Institute of Traffic Engineers. Second and Browne would receive a D.
Lutz noted that the traffic analysis shows most intersections would continue receiving B’s or C’s and that Monroe and Second would only earn the failing grade during rush hour. He also said he’s frustrated that removal of some street parking hasn’t been considered more seriously, because it likely would allow the bike lane to be installed without causing car backups.
He said the goal of the final project should be to “move people using multiple modes of transportation.”
“The argument is and continues to be, ‘We are and will continue to focus on moving cars’ ” Lutz said.
Taylor said the city will analyze the possibility of removing parking, but the idea may be opposed by some adjacent businesses.
City Councilman Bob Apple said the city should forget the bike lane on Second and focus instead on plans to install bike lanes on Fourth and Fifth avenues, where traffic is lighter.
“Would you want your teenager riding a bike down a major arterial with semitrucks?” Apple said. “It’s just not safe.”
Apple has been vocal in his opposition to the proposed bike lane. Earlier this year, Apple also opposed a nonbinding resolution advocating construction of “complete streets,” a concept that advocates greater consideration for bicycle and pedestrian use.
In a widely circulated, heated e-mail exchange between Apple and a constituent who supports the bike lanes on Second, Apple said: “I also remember that I work for a whole community and not a select group of rude people I will choose to ignore through the end of my public service term and beyond.”
City Councilman Jon Snyder said adding the bicycle lane on Second would provide an important link between the Ben Burr Trail near Liberty Park and the Fish Lake Trail, which starts near the Sunset Highway and Government Way.
“It’s on the master bike plan, and we should honor the master bike plan,” Snyder said.
MAC faces angry crowd 
__Dan__ on October 04 at 6:55 a.m.
If a bike lane on 2nd will look anything like the so-called lane I witnessed on Spokane Falls Blvd near City Hall yesterday, we’ll be able to mark its success by the number of tombstones at the cemetary. As a parent and sometime rider…cyclists need to be off the pavement downtown, and off the arterials elsewhere.
__Dan__ on October 04 at 6:55 a.m.
If a bike lane on 2nd will look anything like the so-called lane I witnessed on Spokane Falls Blvd near City Hall yesterday, we’ll be able to mark its success by the number of tombstones at the cemetary. As a parent and sometime rider…cyclists need to be off the pavement downtown, and off the arterials elsewhere.
arroyoribera on October 04 at 7:09 a.m.
I hate to say this as I am a believer in us getting off our increasingly fat tailbones, walking, taking the bus, and, yes, riding a bike. After having had equally fat tailbones, two abreast (mixed metaphors, sorry), lycra covered rearends, and just simply true asses nearly run my mid-70s year old, extremely fit mother and I off the Centenial Trail on repeated occasions on repeated days between Flora and Barker, I am not at all sympathetic to Spokane area bike riders. Not to say I trust motorized vehicle drivers here either and I must say I am appalled that a pedestrian in Spokane would even think of crossing a street here without keeping their eyes glued to the nearby cars, since, as we all know, drivers who run over pedestrians in this town are seldom if ever prosecuted. So I am sorry, until the jackassess on the Centennial Trail learn the rules (single file passing, announcing your approach with “on your left”) you have no sympathy from this guy that for years road his bike to work from Pines and 27th to 2nd and Arthur.
I must admit, I don’t exactly get the bike thing in Spokane since 5 months of the year there are some half dozen people in Spokane riding their bikes in the winter (including the one who took a horrendous spill coming down the South Hill in recent years). And I have to admit, I just don’t see the South Hill elite (and yes, if you are blogging here, that is probably you) and the elite wannabees (or at least wanna live in their safer, whiter part of town) riding their bikes up and down that hill. At least, I have yet to see it in any great numbers, be it winter, spring, summer or fall.
By the way, Councilman Snyder, the next time I see you and your son violating traffic laws on your bikes downtown, you will loudly hear me calling you out on it right then and there.
liarsinnews on October 04 at 7:13 a.m.
Lutz, forgets the city can not remove any parking meters for at least 20 years. The meter revenue is given to the owners of the Spokesman Review to pay for the River Park Square parking garage heist. And one more thing, I was downtown Friday and one bicycle was holding up traffic in a one lane only, caused by a street rehab and detour. If the Spokesman Review staff would open their eyes and report some of the crazy problems it would enlighten the subscribers to the puppy trainer about the stupid idea. It ain`t workin. Oh, well, its only federal money. Yipes, that`s taxpayer money being pissed down the drain.
Smokie on October 04 at 7:55 a.m.
arroyoribera, can’t say that I am elite, but I ride my bike up and down the south hill just about every day. I do this all year long. The only time when I don’t is when the snow is too deep, then I walk.
You have to add a few minutes to your commute time, but parking is always easy.
A good part of my property taxes goes to road building and maintenance. The miles I travel on the roads of Spokane are probably two-thirds bike and one-third car.
Bicyclists belong on the road, whether there are bike lanes or not. If you ride a bike on the sidewalk, you are looking to be hit by a car when you zip across on the appropriately named “cross walk.” Plus you put pedestrians at risk.
Bicyclists can be jerks just as much as drivers, walkers, runners or dog sledders. The big difference is the amount of pain and suffering a driver can do when he takes out his personal problems on a bicyclist or walker.
Automobiles cost us a lot. The infrastructure dedicated to autos makes a city twice as large (distance wise). Road upkeep is very expensive. Automobile ownership is expensive, especially for those of us who don’t use them too much. The health cost to society and individuals caused by a sedentary lifestyle is staggering too. Diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart problems are all directly related to how we transport ourselves.
eagleproducer on October 04 at 8:58 a.m.
Why do we continue to design our entire lives around a piece of machinery? They are supposed to serve us, not the other way around.
The automobile, worst invention ever.
Find a copy of Orson Welles’ superb film “The Magnificent Ambersons” and view it for a most prescient look at how the automobile set its roots to take over our culture.
de3 on October 04 at 9:13 a.m.
The health costs of cycling are pretty high too, having suffered 4 broken bones in 4 separate bike crashes, one of which was a severe injury. Everyone I know - and I mean *everyone* - who has done cycling for a long time has been seriously injured while cycling.
American Family Physician had a journal article in 2001 where they wrote “Bicycle crashes rank second only to riding animals as a sports- or recreation-associated cause of serious injury;” (http://www.aafp.org/afp/2001/0515/p2007.html)
Twenty years ago, 1.2 million bike related injuries were seen by doctors every year. That number would be much greater today. And these cost society a lot in direct costs and lost work.
I still ride a bike. But riding a bike for “health benefits” must be balanced against the high rates of injury and medical service usage.
jddavis on October 04 at 9:15 a.m.
Dr. Lutz uses a faulty assumption to identify a faulty assumption…classic!
Over what period of time has vehicle traffic actually decreased? If you replace 1000 SUVs with 1000 sub-compacts, doesn’t the math tell you the traffic volume would stay the same? A lot people do not live close to a bus route let alone work near one.
The answer is leave 2nd Ave designed for motorvehicle traffic and advocate for increased tolerance between drivers and bikers.
biker on October 04 at 9:22 a.m.
Wow…Cyclists not allowed on arterials or roads downtown as suggested by Dan. I ride arterials and downtown roads every day and I hold my ground with traffic. I rarely feel threatened but I do ride very defensively and always have a rear facing mirror. Unless one rides regularly for utilitarian or commuting purposes it is likely you will never “get it”. Conversely, I do not believe separate bike lanes or paths are always the answer. On Second Ave. it would be sufficient to paint bike sharrows along the right hand lanes and put up a few “Share the Lane” signs along the route. This would remind drivers of their responsibility to share the roadway and give them plenty of time to move to the other (speedier) lanes if desired. As for rush hour traffic….believe me, a bicycle moves much faster in those situations than the flow of traffic.
lewis8457 on October 04 at 9:34 a.m.
Due to physical limitations I cant ride a bike, and I pay property taxes too. So why am I paying for plates,tabs,insurance and fuel tax to run my car on the roads when a bicycle gets their own lane for free? Making me spend more money on fuel as I wait in traffic when 1 guy is using the bike lanes?
If the city wants to move towards lower usage of automobiles then they need to build a lite rail that runs through the city and out to neighboring areas like Portland has.
When I lived in Portland i rarely drove my car downtown, it was easier to park outside the city and ride the lite rail in.
Bicycles are not the answer, because the entire populace cant not use them.
spokanesausage on October 04 at 9:37 a.m.
I ride my bike a fair amount. Sometimes to commute, but mainly to run back and forth to the store. The issue I have here is that there appears to be a small group of bike commuters who are pushing their own bike agenda and routes.
Should we have marked bike routes. Ya. On main arterials? No. By doing that you automatically limit users to the commuters only. For the average bike rider, arterials just don’t feel safe.
I’d like to see bike likes on adjacent streets, but clearly marked for bikes. I’d probably ride my bike more.
The belief that cars will go the way of the wagon wheel are just illogical. High gas prices might force a few more to public transit, but personal mobility will always be valued.
Smokie on October 04 at 9:47 a.m.
de3, Been commuting on my bike since 1982. Haven’t had a serious accident yet. I know the potential is there.
Walking is probably the best mode of transportation to stay healthy, I suppose.
Lewis, bicycles are not the answer, but they are part of the answer. I pay plenty in taxes for the amount of road infrastructure I use. In fact, I am footing the bill for you because my bike causes much less wear and tear on the roads. I am also footing the bill for you because I am paying higher insurance premiums to cover people who have less healthier lifestyles or “physical limitations.” And I am happy to do it, too.
I think being part of a society means being as responsible as you can for your own actions and helping those whose life choices, or through no fault of their own, have made their lives difficult.
notaSmartBombsFan on October 04 at 10:00 a.m.
Isn’t the City of Spokane running a huge deficit? How is this project going to help balance the budget?
MrNatural on October 04 at 10:11 a.m.
Hey Doc…if a frog had wings…
I’m not against having a safe bicycle access to downtown. I do think Second Avenue is wrong for it is too busy a thoroughfare. As for changing the car culture in America…HA! …show me an example of any city in the U.S. that has pulled this off…heck I think Spokane with the Centennial Trial-Fish Lake etc is more to the forefront than most cities of similar or larger size.
I ride my bike on occasion into town but I confess that I mostly ride on the sidewalks because I am too concerned for my safety and I don’t want to anger anyone because I ride slowly. I’m not sure why it is so wrong to ride carefully and courteously on the sidewalks…after all that’s what our mothers used to demand “stay on the sidewalk”. Also as a daily walker through Riverfront Park I must concur with the opinion about getting run off the trail by bicyclists. I have a bell on my bike announcing my approach why can’t they make this as mandatory as a helmet. Additionally bicyclist should be held to a safe speed limit when in Riverfront Park.
I have met many ardent bicyclists who go about riding about town as if they are in the Tour de France. This effete misconception is one of the problems. This is not how they ride in Thailand or The Netherlands. We will need some serious culture shift to accommodate cycling as an urban form of transportation.
horse_feathers on October 04 at 10:25 a.m.
I love the automobile and the plane, they are among the best inventions ever conceived.
fishinjay on October 04 at 2:55 p.m.
@Lewis
You assume that bike riders don’t own cars. Bike riders pay exactly as much as you do in plates, tags, and licensing.
mikeme on October 04 at 3:58 p.m.
Umm… I can not stand the bicyclists in this town. They absolutely feel like they OWN the road. It’s interesting how they pass on the right hand side while I’m parked waiting at a red light, all this with not a bike lane in site (so shouldn’t they need to stay in line with traffic). How is this legal?? I now slide all the way to the right of the road to ensure they will not and can not jack up the right turn lane in front of me, plus it pisses them off. :)
Another thing, most of them ride in the middle of the auto lane when there is a clearly marked “bike” lane on the right of the street for them to utilize. Not only do they ride in the middle of the freaking road, they do it at a snails pace and cause issues for EVERYONE on the road.
IMO: BIKERS SUCK!!!
gmorton on October 04 at 4:18 p.m.
Spoketucky wrote,
“Why do we continue to design our entire lives around a piece of machinery? They are supposed to serve us, not the other way around.”
Because they do serve us. Why do you think 90% + of commuters use them?
Or do you imagine they are driving themselves?
jlilly on October 04 at 4:21 p.m.
Why the hatred against bikers? Keeping cars off of bike paths is irrelevant, because cars are not designed to go on bike paths. road bikes, however, ARE DESIGNED TO TRAVEL ON ROADS! Stating one example of this one crazy biker is invalid, because that is ONE crazy biker. Let’s talk about how many crazy drivers we know, and how much more damage a driver can do than a biker. Furthermore, I never thought I would encounter so much animosity for staying healthy and reducing my footprint as I travel! I want to avoid the chronic heart conditions and Type 2 diabetes that tax our healthcare system, but I guess I’m in the minority on that initiative. Did I forget to apologize?
jlilly on October 04 at 4:23 p.m.
“I have NEVER seen a bicyclist obey the laws of the road. NEVER. It’s hard to sympathize with them when they get hit if they aren’t going to take responsibility for their actions.”
…sweet point. I am a biker, and I obey the rules of the road. You write impertinent quotes and apparently have road rage.
jlilly on October 04 at 4:23 p.m.
“I have NEVER seen a bicyclist obey the laws of the road. NEVER. It’s hard to sympathize with them when they get hit if they aren’t going to take responsibility for their actions.”
…sweet point. I am a biker, and I obey the rules of the road. You write impertinent quotes and apparently have road rage.
jlilly on October 04 at 4:26 p.m.
“Everyone I know - and I mean *everyone* - who has done cycling for a long time has been seriously injured while cycling.”
I’ve been cycling my whole life, and I am 100 percent injury free. And I won’t get diabetes!
mikeme on October 04 at 4:26 p.m.
Hmmm.. perhaps a gym membership, a nice brisk jog, a sporting game, eating healthy, etc. can do all the same things (ya know, help you to avoid the chronic heart conditions, Type 2 diabetes that tax on our healthcare system) Just a thought.
jlilly on October 04 at 4:27 p.m.
riding a bike is free, and I’m getting exercise while you’re sitting. just a thought.
mikeme on October 04 at 4:29 p.m.
@jlilly:
he said everyone HE knows. Does he know YOU?? :-/
hhmmpphhh talk about impertinent.
jlilly on October 04 at 4:29 p.m.
And, yes, I do want to get to more things in Spokane than are found along the Centennial trail. you have road rage too.
mikeme on October 04 at 4:30 p.m.
Bike’s cost money, unless you stole one.
jlilly on October 04 at 4:31 p.m.
The leading causes of death are heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes, not riding a bicycle. His point about everyone he knows means nothing. It is a gross generalization, sort of like if I said “everyone I know hates people who make their icon a photoshopped-anti-guy-on-a-bike”. pertinent.
jlilly on October 04 at 4:34 p.m.
Average gas/car cost for an American: $8,758*
Bike cost: $100
Defeating bigotry: Priceless
*source: visualeconomics.com
jlilly on October 04 at 4:35 p.m.
Any questions?
mikeme on October 04 at 4:36 p.m.
Eh, no more time for this. I have to go now and ride my bike home ;)
mikeme on October 04 at 4:37 p.m.
Wish my car was that cheap.
jlilly on October 04 at 4:42 p.m.
My bike is! share the road, it’s the law ;)
mikeme on October 04 at 4:45 p.m.
I’m sure you’re bike was um, “free”. Don’t steal, it’s against the law.
jlilly on October 04 at 4:48 p.m.
I would never steal. I should say my bike has saved me over $16,000, after I purchased it. Road biking is a steal, but I didn’t steal it.
liarsinnews on October 04 at 6:51 p.m.
When Jilly says she has saved over $16,000.00 she does not tell us over what period of time. Arbitrary comes to mind. But then again, she may be back to qualify her number. I wonder if she knows how many comments to this story she has posted without looking???
jddavis on October 04 at 8:19 p.m.
I wonder if all the years jlilly has been biking has prepared her/him for the kind of keyboard workout done today…
jscrivner on October 04 at 8:27 p.m.
Have you folks never been to Portland? Bike lanes every where fit into car lanes without removing the car lanes. There are some bad car drivers and some bad bicycle riders. Some ride their bikes often to get around town, some not so much. From the many towns I have seen, Spokane is backwards in its bike lane development. Ever heard about becoming foreign oil independant? Can’t we all just get along on the road and be courteous? If you can’t then just stay home and watch TV.
jlilly on October 04 at 9:39 p.m.
‘When Jilly says she has saved over $16,000.00 she does not tell us over what period of time. ’
Average gas/car cost for an American per year: $8,758*
Bike cost: $100
Defeating bigotry: Priceless
*source: visualeconomics.com
two years’ time.
jlilly on October 04 at 9:41 p.m.
“I wonder if all the years jlilly has been biking has prepared her/him for the kind of keyboard workout done today…” Again, offensive remarks only remind me that you cannot come up with anything better to say. Thanks
jddavis on October 05 at 10:12 a.m.
jlilly if my workout comment offended you, you need to toughen up a little. My point is 13 of 41 posts on this thread are yours…excessive or compulsive?
eagleproducer on October 05 at 6:28 p.m.
http://thethingsrepublicanshate.com/?p=353
Too funny.