Bike Improvements

Cities are starting to think about the next round of bicycle improvement grants from C/CAG and other organizations because applications are due April 16th.  The SF Examiner is discussing the minimum grant size that some cities are struggling with.  Burlingame has done quite well in recent years since the mayor became the first local official ever to join the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee.  We never got any money before because we weren't in the game.  The Examiner notes 

Jane Gomery, programs manager for Burlingame, said her city, too, is having difficulty finding projects that fit C/CAG’s criteria.

“We’re hoping to pull a lot of projects together,” Gomery said. “We’re trying to make sure we pick projects that target requirements.”

Gomery said Burlingame has made a number of improvements during the past several years, including “sharrows” that were added to the length of California Avenue from downtown Burlingame to the Millbrae BART station and a lane over U.S. Highway 101 at Broadway. Sharrows are painted on the road to encourage vehicles to share the road because it’s not wide enough for an actual bike lane.

Howard Ave. is an example of the striping that can occur when there is enough room on a route.  It is surprisingly expensive because it has to hold up to the wear and tear of the traffic.

Comments

[David McCulloch]

I'm not clear on the C/CAG criteria, but I grew up in the Netherlands (a cyclist's dream) and in comparison with the advance state of bike paths there, there is PLENTY we could still do to improve bike safety in the B'game area! For example, the Dutch (rather than think of bike lanes as a part of the road marked with a line of paint) actually build separate lanes, and demarcate them from the road with a slightly raised stone barrier. See below for an example. How about adopting this approach in Burlingame to REALLY do something about bike safety.

http://www.mobielvlaanderen.be/convenants/artikel.php?id=288&mbnr=46&nav=8

[Ron Fulderon]

I like the line "It is surprisingly expensive because it has to hold up to the wear and tear of the traffic."

Here's how I imagine that story went:

City Bureaucrat (CB): We'd like to paint these lines all over the city to save children's lives. We know from studies that every line mile we paint has the potential to save .2 lives. But we really don't have the funds based on the budget cuts.

Reporter (R): That is terrible. How much does it cost to paint white lines on ground for eight blocks on Howard Ave.

CB: We calculate $4732.18 per block.

R: My goodness, that is really expensive. How can that be?

CB: (thinks a minute, recalling the five guys on the job, one guy putting down the paint, two guys at each end of the street, one guy in the office back at city hall, and one manager at a conference about bike safety in Luxemborg.) The paint is very very expensive.

[Karl]

I ride almost every day from Burlingame Terrace to Millbrae CalTrain to take the Baby Bullet to SF. My ride is partially along the Paloma Avenue bike route and the rest on California Avenue. The Paloma stretch is okay, but the stop signs work against maintaining momentum as they're almost all 2-way and California Avenue is frankly not safe for bicyclists - no "sharrows" that I've ever noticed, overhanging plants that force riders out into the lane on the northbound side, a lack of lighting and speeding motorists.

Burlingame can and should do a much better job for bicyclists - I agree with David - separate paths are best, but at least provide actual lanes rather than expect bikes to share lanes with cars.

[pat giorni]

B'game received a TDA Art.3 grant to paint sharrows on California Drive between Oakgrove and the Millbrae City Line. That grant will be spent before the end of this fiscal year to place the sharrows. For the past couple of years it was determined by our traffic engineer that it would be a waste of that funding to paint the sharrows because major street repair had to be done at Oakgrove, and parts of California Dr had to be repaved. Now that most other work has been completed, Public Works is waiting for the rain to end, and the weather to warm before it schedules the placement...otherwise the paint won't stick..and thus a waste of money.

As to bike lanes on California? From Broadway to the city line at Murchison there is no room to add them unless thc City purchases the east side property from the SMC Transportation Authority/Caltrain, or eliminates the trees and sidewalks on the west side of the street.

The Street's Dep't is pretty good about keeping the overhanging foliage cut back. If you find that it impedes your ride let the Traffic Engineer know [email protected] or use Citizen Connect link on the Burlingame.org home page

[Holyroller]

I usually see the Park Dept out there every spring cutting back the trees.
They do a good job.
Call them as well.

[pat giorni]

Read entire article at:
http://edition.pagesuite-professional.co.uk/pdfspool/f5ccd2a9-e42f-408e-9d7f-6b241bcc681b.pdf
County encourages cycling with workshops

By Andrea Koskey
Examiner Staff Writer

To help address any fear and encourage safe riding,

the Peninsula Traffic Congestion Relief Alliance is helping

San Mateo County host free workshops to encourage

commuting to work via bicycle.

Christine Maley-Grubl, executive director of the alliance,

said the group’s main goal is to help workers find

alternatives to driving.

“We encourage people to try biking,” she said. “It’s a

part of our mission.”

Though there has not been an increase in safety concerns

over bicycle commuting throughout San Mateo

County, Maley-Grubl said these workshops are meant to

answer questions about safety and rules of the road.

During the workshops, the alliance tries to answer

safety questions and focuses on sharing the road with

cars and safe maneuvering in traffic, according to the

brochure “How to bike safely in San Mateo County.”

“Be predictable,” the brochure says, “follow traffic

rules, motorists will come to respect bicyclists as drivers

of vehicles.”

According to the San Mateo County library officials,

the cycling workshops are a part of the countywide

effort to “go green.”

[email protected]
Bicycle safety Tips and schedules for scheduled bicycle-safety workshops:

TRAFFIC SAFETY RULES

WHILE BIKING

■ Be predictable

■ Be smart

■ Be confident

■ Communicate with drivers

BICYCLE SAFETY

WORKSHOPS

■ East Palo Alto Library:

Thursday, 6:30 p.m.

■ Belmont Library: April 25,

3 p.m.

■ Brisbane Library: May 4, 7 p.m.

■ Millbrae Library: May 5, 7 p.m.

Source: Peninsula Traffic

Congestion Relief Alliance