[Carfreeliving] Residential Driveways restrictions

[Dan Krause]

Dave,
 
Do you have any pictures of the bike lanes you saw in Berlin?  Might be
helpful to this discussion.
 
______________________________
Dan Krause
Managing Director, Rescue Muni
105 San Jose Ave.
San Francisco, CA  94110
415/826-1219 (p)   415/826-3362 (f)
dankrause at rescuemuni.org
www.rescuemuni.org <http://www.rescuemuni.org/> 
 
 <http://www.rescuemuni.org/> 
 <http://www.rescuemuni.org/> 

All good points. When I saw it in Berlin, it *seemed to* work, with very
few if not zero driveways, and plenty of space so that passengers could
open their doors without banging cyclists, and adherence to the parking
lane without having to put up barriers. That might not work here.

 

Dave, even if there are 0 driveways (not sure how we'd achieve that in a
city that is nearly 100% built out) putting a bike lane/path between
parked cars and the sidewalk is a questionable idea at best.  Every
intersection, you have cyclists popping out from behind a row of parked
cars, reducing their visibility and creating even greater conflicts with
turning vehicles and vehicles crossing perpendicularly at the
intersections.  Also, trash accumulates more easily in that space and is
more difficult to clear, especially since you'd have to put up a barrier
along the left of the lane to keep parked cars out.  If a passenger
opens their door, where does the cyclist veer to avoid that if there is
a raised sidewalk or street furniture/trees to their right?  Pedestrians
will spill into the space, along the midblock sections as they stroll
along and at the intersections while they stand in the street/on the
path waiting to cross.  Making left turns legally and predictably is
more difficult.  Cyclists who use the street to avoid these conflicts
will be pressured to "use the path!"

The problems this design creates outnumbers the problems it solves.
Mike



Dave Snyder <dave at livablecity.org>
Sent by: Carfreeliving-bounces at livablecity.org


04/26/2005 03:46 PM

To

Carfreeliving at livablecity.org

cc

Subject

[Carfreeliving] Residential Driveways restrictions






Look what they're considering in Philadelphia! This would be a good
thing to consider in SF, especially on bike routes, particularly
where we might want to consider putting the bike lane between the
parked car and the sidewalk. Such a treatment would add danger at
every driveway, but if you didn't have any driveways, it could add
safety and comfort, not to mention improve the sidewalk experience.

Dave


>
>We are starting to grapple with the possibility of limiting front
garages
>and driveways for new residential development.  I'm talking about
rowhouses
>or twin houses here, not single-family detached.  Often the most
compelling
>argument against driveways is that they convert public parking spaces
into
>private ones.  However, I also want to make the argument that having
too
>many driveways diminishes the pedestrian quality of the sidewalk.  I
seem
>to remember hearing somewhere that a significant share of child
pedestrian
>injuries occur in driveways.  Can anyone confirm this?
>
>*********************************************
>Deborah Schaaf
>Senior Planner
>Philadelphia City Planning Commission
>One Parkway Building, 13th floor
>Philadelphia PA 19102
>
>Phone: 215-683-4643
>Fax: 215-683-4630
>debby.schaaf at phila.gov


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