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Home My WebLink About05-11-2007 Luecke announces first 11.4 miles of bicycle lanes OF SOUTH PE 4 CF. fe iHtl� il- Office of the Mayor NEWS RELEASE May 11, 2007 7:30 a.m. Luecke announces first 11.4 miles of bicycle lanes Contact: Mikki Dobski, Director of Communications&Special Projects, 235-5855 or 876-1564 Bicyclists soon can ride from the University of Notre Dame's doorstep to the St. Joseph County 4-H Fairgrounds, from IUSB to the Farmer's Market, or from Belleville Park to the Pulaski Park neighborhood—all on new painted lanes or signed routes for bicycles. Mayor Stephen J. Luecke announced today(Friday, May 11, 2007)that the city has identified 11.4 miles of lanes that will be painted with lanes or designated with "Share the Road" signs in the first year of a five-year, 50-mile implementation plan. When complete, this system of lanes and routes will create an interconnected transportation network with the Riverwalk and other bike lanes throughout the region. Joined by bicycle commuters and bike-lane advocates on the eve of Bike to Work Week, the mayor made the announcement today at Indiana University South Bend, where the first new lanes are being painted along Mishawaka Avenue. The Mishawaka Avenue route, in particular, will tie together IUSB and John Adams High School with the Mishawaka Avenue business district; the Farmer's Market and access to the Riverwalk along Northside Boulevard; Potawatomi Zoo and Park, the conservatory and greenhouses. "South Bend residents identified the need for alternate transportation like bicycle lanes as the No. 2 priority of the entire City Plan process. With gas prices exceeding $3 per gallon and our nation struggling with the high costs of health care and unhealthy lifestyles, there's not a better way for the city to address so many significant issues so economically," Luecke said. `Bicycling to work or school, to the market or the park, enhances our quality of life. These lanes and routes will help contribute to a renaissance of South Bend's community life." A citywide system of bicycle lanes represents a key priority identified in City Plan, South Bend's comprehensive plan for 2025. Luecke issued a directive in his 2007 State of the City address to create a 50-mile network over the next five years, implementing at least 10 miles each year. This -more- Page 2. network does not include a second State of the City directive —to create in the same timeframe a paved Riverwalk along the entire course of the St. Joseph River in South Bend from Logan Street to Darden Road. Lanes being painted or routes designated with signs in 2007 will include: • Mishawaka Avenue—East from the city limits at Logan Street to Beyer Avenue (at the Farmer's Market). — 1.9 miles • Ford Street—West along Belleville Park on Meadow Lane from Lombardy Drive, south on Parkway Street to Dogwood Drive, northwest on Dogwood to Ford Street, north on Ford across Sample Street, east on Ford to Walnut Street. —3.4 miles • Twyckenham Drive— South from South Bend Avenue to Ridgedale Road. —3.7 miles • York Road—South from Twyckenham to Hilltop Drive, south on Hilltop to Hillsdale Road, west on Hillsdale to Springbrook Drive, south on Springbrook to Byron Drive, west on Byron to York Road, south on York to Jackson Road. —2.4 miles "This plan will provide a safer alternative for children, students and workers to use their bicycles to access their desired destinations, whether it is a park, school or their place of employment," said Judith Robert, chair of the Paint the Town ... With Bicycle Lanes Coalition. "As bicyclists begin to use these routes, they will find the grid an easy way to get across the city. Motorists will get used to the idea of seeing bicyclists on these routes, making it a safe and familiar system for all users. For visitors unfamiliar with the city, this grid will provide opportunities to access points of interest and get to know the city." Bike to Work Week, May 13-19, will feature special events on Thursday, May 17. A gathering on the gridiron at the College Football Hall of Fame will include bicycle inspections by mechanics, a drawing for a bicycle and other items, information about bicycle safety, live music and free drinks and snacks. At 5:30 p.m., the mayor will join cyclists in a public ride beginning and ending at the Hall of Fame. Significant stretches of Mishawaka and Twyckenham are anticipated to feature painted bicycle lanes in each direction, especially where the width of the road allows for two traffic lanes and curbside parking. City officials and bicycle-lane advocates have met to date with more than 15 neighborhood groups about the bicycle lanes and still plan other meetings with neighborhood residents and business groups along many sections of the proposed lanes. Several neighborhood groups already have written formal letters of endorsement. "We on the board of the North Shore Triangle Neighborhood Association enthusiastically support the work of the Coalition and highly encourage the City of South Bend to do all in its power to foster a pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly urban environment,"wrote board members Cecilia Lucero and Richard Mah. "Research in other communities has also found that motorists slow down in areas that have designated bicycle routes. Adding bike lanes throughout South Bend would make our neighborhoods safer for children." The bicycle lanes are expected to have a traffic-calming effect, in which motorists reduce their speeds because they perceive a narrower road. Slower speeds improve public safety, and motorists begin to notice shops and other attractions. -more- Page 3. Representatives of Grace United Methodist Church, which is along the Twyckenham route, advocated for painted bicycle lanes for where only a signed route has previously existed. "We believe the benefits of bicycle lanes outweigh our parking considerations: fighting pollution, encouraging healthfulness, promoting neighborhood awareness — and possibly even encouraging attendees to ride their bicycles to church,"wrote Virginia Black, chair of the congregation's task force on church and society. Painted bicycle lanes would put cyclists between parked cars and traffic lanes as they did in 1994 on the first painted lanes on Twyckenham between South Bend and McKinley avenues. Following graphic standards developed by the City of Chicago, which marked 107 miles of lanes over the past decade, the lanes disappear at intersections and railroad crossings. In 1998, only 1 percent of all U.S. trips took place by bicycle, compared with double-digit percentages in Europe reaching as high as 30 percent of all trips in the Netherlands, according to the International Bicycle Fund. Individual Chinese cities post figures as high as 77 percent of all trips. (Americans lead the world in trips by automobile, 84 percent, while lag behind in all other forms of transportation, including walking, 9 percent.) "Many neighbors who have indicated that they would likely commute by bicycle do not do so, specifically because of anxiety over traffic and safety," wrote the Near Norwest Neighborhood's Mary Turgi, board president, and Karen C. Ainsely, executive director. "The bikeways plan would bring a much-needed positive change to our urban transportation needs." "This could be the incentive some need to get out and ride,"wrote Martha Lewis, president of the Howard Park Neighborhood Association. "Many of the members ride their bikes as the main means to navigate around the city. ... This project certainly adds to the quality of life here in South Bend. ..." The city plans to designate north-south and east-west routes each year. As routes and lanes are designated in future years, the city plans to work toward interconnectivity among the lanes themselves and with the Riverwalk and other bicycle paths. Indeed, bicyclists could follow the Twyckenham route from the fairgrounds to north of the Notre Dame campus along a paved bike path, except for a short connector that won't be complete until the state finishes the Ind. 23 reconstruction project. Although there is distinct public preference for the 10-foot wide, paved, off-road paths featured in the Riverwalks, the bicycle lanes have a dramatic cost advantage. It costs about $1 million to build each mile of Riverwalk path, compared with about $1,000 to $3,000 for each mile of signed route or painted lanes. The city has established a bike lane hotline for residents to offer their comments,feedback and suggestions on the proposed bicycle lanes. The number is (5 74) 235-9953. Callers who leave a phone number or e-mail address will receive a reply within 1 to 2 business days. - 30 - 3 po un � 6 A fp �r $ 4� 8 5 maeq� 3 c E m k � O O µ. N wcl r. y U RNi y 'E W T a d a d C O O O y U N Vl Vl Vl