Ballard Bridge

A quick post on The Slog about the new curb cut on Ballard Bridge. Savage makes a good point saying that this much discussed filter of southbound cycles back into traffic is just one tiny piece of what is scary about the bridge; he also makes the point that Ballard is a prime ride to/from downtown, with no hills. 15th Ave W & the bridge need dedicated bikes lanes if we are going to keep pushing all residents to bike; even experience & aggressive riders avoid it.

Image via Subsetsum.

New York Biking Infrastructure

I spent Labor Day weekend in Manhattan. It was a great time filled with friends, celebration, and taking in the city; my only regret was that I didn't get myself on a bike (fail). Now, I'm not the type of person to get to critical when it comes to political moves or city infrastructure - to me, anything is better than nothing. I also realize that we should be making smart decisions upfront that work towards a better system, not just appease the immediate & waste money. My point here, is take this with a grain of salt.

New York was covered in bike paths, many buffered with street markings & parrallel parking. Many larger avenues (specifically 8th Ave & soon 1st & 4th) have new lanes with bike lights at most intersections & a wide pathway. Some areas use the green paths & bike boxes, other simply have marked bike lanes in both directions. While I didn't see as many glamour girls as I thought I might, I did see all walks riding their bikes - some carrying pizza, some on their cell, some in heels, etc etc. New York has made it easy. For more information about the NYC Bike Master Plan, click here.

SDOT Bicycle Improvements

Seattle Department of Transportation has been busy this summer, visit here to learn about Seattle Bike Infrastructure, wayfinding and paving markings. There are some quick explanations how to behave and what the intentions are.

You can also view or download a Fact Sheet or Bike Facilities by Neighborhood Sheet from the West Seattle Herald, each talking about city-wide improvements.

Seattle Sharrows

There has been a lot of street painting in the last few months (apparently not helping Nickels all that much). It seems that every day I notice a new street with Shared Lane Pavement Markings or sharrows, most recently I saw the little white bike on 15th Ave E. Taken from SDOT, "Shared lane pavement markings (or “sharrows”) are bicycle symbols that are placed in the roadway lane indicating that motorists should expect to see and share the lane with bicycles. Unlike bicycle lanes, they do not designate a particular part of the roadway for the use of bicyclists." This is all a part of the Bicycle Master Plan; sharrows will make up 1/4 of the planned routes.

Some residents will argue that it doesn't do much for bicycle advocacy or make riding in Seattle that much easier - I disagree. There is an interesting discussion over at Totcycle. At this point motorists still need to be made aware of cyclists & more people need to feel comfortable & safe riding in Seattle (as if the hills aren't intimidating enough, safety makes it even scarier). In an ideal world, Seattle streets would look like Stockholm; with seperated cycletracks, three sets of lights at intersections (pedestrian, bike & motorist), & people of all walks would be riding their bikes. Until then, I'm happy about the sharrow boom. It's just a little more proof that I (cyclists) deserve my part of the road.

Cheshiahud Lake Union Loop

The Cheshiahud Lake Union Loop is a six mile multi-purpose trail that stays surprisingly flat here in Seattle. Taken from the website, "The loop will create safe and attractive access to the lake for all Seattlites - connecting Gasworks and Lake Union Parks, linking more than 35 pocket parks, street ends and waterways that ring the lake, and improving access from adjacent neighborhoods, downtown, and the University of Washington."

You can download a great map available from Seattle Parks & Recreation; pointing out places of interest as well as the best roads to take if you want to shoot off to another neighborhood.

Berlin Cycle Chic

At first, I thought that Berlin didn't share the cycle love, but after 2 minutes I realized that it was there. The streets are faster & the traffic is faster, but Berlin has made significant efforts to make biking an easy form of transportation with most roads having bike lanes & many intersections hosting bike-specific traffic lights.

I also noticed that biking in Berlin is definitely a lifestyle decision that young & old are making. You see people walking their bikes when they meet friends without, people riding quickly to get somewhere on time, people riding at a slow pace enjoying the day. It takes all walks, all subcultures & demographics to make up the population on bikes in Berlin. Here is a collection of some of my favorite bikers, or at least the ones I got pics of.

A Sunny Ride Through the English Garden

The English Garden in Munich is the perfect spot to go for a casual bike ride, lay in the sun with friends & grab a liter in the beer garden. I was lucky enough to make a friend in Stockholm that connected me with her sister in Munich. Felizitas met me with a sweet little cruiser & showed me all around.

Riding in Munich was totally unintimidating, but it is clear that locals don't ride the way Copenhagen, Stockholm & the Netherlands might. I always assumed that city planning was a result of high bike traffic, but it's clear that bike planning is a default in Europe (a lesson we could learn in the states) - even if it isn't a city known for its cycle culture.

City Bikes

Copenhagen hosts 2000 free bikes, known as City Bikes. These bikes are located for anyone to use - for free! Simply place a 20 Kroner coin in the bike to release it from its chain & get your coin back when you return it to any of the 110 racks.

Riding in Stockholm

Cycling in Stockholm is easily the most fun I've had in a long time (our hostel had wonderful cruisers to rent free of charge). It has me thinking about riding in Seattle & what the main differences & commonalities there are. First, let me just say - yes, Stockholm is flat people, the largest hill I rode up didn't even compare with one city block on my way home from work each day in the states. With that said, I do think that there are two things to examine: urban planning & life style.

Urban Planning:
Stockholm recognizes biking as a preferred form of transportation; cyclists are not forced to choose between sidewalks & streets or pedestrians & motor vehicles. All roads contain bike lanes, often up on the sidewalk when streets or main boulevards have heavier traffic. At major lights, bikes have their own traffic light situation & a counted as a part of the situation. Paths & signage is clear & easy to follow. This recognition is the reason I think that cycling works in Stockholm.

Life Style:
The cyclists in Stockholm place an emphasis on biking for transportation, they do not seem to be in a hurry. For comparison, people in the states that walk to work, they do not run. It's the same with biking here - people ride casually & without a rush. I only saw a handful of hardcore cyclists with the full gear & road bikes. Is it really necessary to make it to work in 10 minutes instead of 15? I think that we need to place a focus on biking as something that everyone can & should do - not something that only the fittest & richest can accomplish.

I'll dive further into these points more as my trip continues on, but for now - it's time to switch laundry & catch a drink before heading to Copenhagen tomorrow.