[Lincolnparkdc] Fwd: Observations on Advisory Bike Lanes.

Sun Nov 1 13:01:18 EST 2020

             The crosswalk planned across 100 block of 13th

Gina,

   I hope you don't mind. I'm going to piggyback on a comment you made below to ask everyone a question that i've wanted to ask for awhile now.

   I address this particularly to residents of 100-200 blocks of Kentucky, 100 block of 13th and 1200/1300 blocks of Independence.

   Do you want/need the pedestrian crosswalk across 100 block of 13th which was added to this project a few weeks ago?  If this is an oft-requested pedestrian connector, reduces peoples' temptation to just run across the road illegally, relates to safety, coincides with longfelt resident desires....then it seems important. So, if all feel that way, say it. Because it does come with a price tag.

  As John has stressed more than a few times, there is a high localized cost to this component that also lays out a case not to do this. The changes to curbside parking for John and his neighbors, unless the new diagrams are very different, will probably result in  loss of 4-5 parking spaces... constituting all the spaces in front of their houses). They don't, i believe, have off-street parking. In addition to the inconvenience and the cascading effect in an area with limited parking, John and his neighbors argue that this becomes a personal safety problem particularly for Seniors.

None of us have an unconditional right to park in front of their house or even on their block. And yes, cars have to go away. But what the best strategy is to get there is a question. And, every change comes with costs. The problem with cost-benefit analysis is often that the benefits accrue to some and the costs accrue disproportionately on others. It's always going to happen. And, no matter how much the phrase is manipulated, there is stll, at the end of the day, something called "the greater public good". So, is this a greater public good?

(Sidenote: Why do I say 4-5 spaces? The project team says 3 parking spaces. However, as i've flagged before, DDOT uses a standard measure of 22 feet which is what Will Handsfield means when he says "parking space". I urge anyone to go out of their house with a tape measure and count off 22 feet against the line of parked cars at the curb. What you'll find, unless there's a Silverado pickup truck, big SUV, or a 1970s cadillac parked there,  is that 22 feet is the equivalent of a bit under 1.5 parked car lengths.)

My point is not to jump in against the crosswalk. My point is a plea  to weigh the specific costs and benefits of individual components of the proposed changes and have a transparent and civil dialogue (from a neighborhood point of view). And wherever you come down on an issue, continue, as many have been doing, to try to understand and reflect on why some, from their prospective, come to different conclusions.

Fyi, we're still waiting for the revised diagrams. I'm hoping DDOT will send them tomorrow. Am particularly waiting to see how the pilons/flexposts are being reduced in the design.
Best,

Steve

Steve Holtzman
ANC 6b05

________________________________
From: lincolnparkdc <lincolnparkdc-bounces at lincolnparkdc.info> on behalf of KnappMarketing <amy at knappmarketing.net>
Sent: Sunday, November 1, 2020 11:40:12 AM
To: lincolnparkdc at lincolnparkdc.info <lincolnparkdc at lincolnparkdc.info>
Subject: Re: [Lincolnparkdc] Fwd: Observations on Advisory Bike Lanes.

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Sorry for the irrelevant question I just asked, Gina.  I am reading my email from top to bottom and just now saw your email, which I guess says you do work there.
I do not find John shrill.  I think he is calm but insistent.  And correct - the pylons are a travesty of urban planning, especially in a historic district.  I have not observed this intersection (that I live directly on) being unsafe for anyone, including pedestrians and bicyclists.
Amy
161 Kentucky

Sent from my iPhone.  Please excuse typos and brevity.

On Nov 1, 2020, at 11:08 AM, citymom92 at gmail.com wrote:

John I haven’t “chosen to ignore” that fact and frankly I take your shouting and aggressive tone extremely insulting to me as a neighbor and as a professional transportation planner.

When I first posted about these lanes I did not think we would lose parking. I know now that we will, and as I have stated multiple times, as a driver and long time resident of this block, I’m okay with that.

Some loss of parking is resulting from flexposts at the end of the blocks where 1. People routinely speed in the turn, or 2. The sight lines of peds is obstructed by cars way too close to the intersection. Have you ever found yourself creeping around a parked car to check to make sure that a car is not speeding down the street prepared to run the red light? Yeah that’s a problem.

Other parking spaces are being lost due to installation of a oft requested crosswalk at 13th and Kentucky (north side) and two more where the intersection of Kentucky, Indy, and 13th also intersect because actual licensed safety engineers who work daily to make streets safer for pedestrians recommended it. (Two spaces are even actually illegally IN the intersection and were flagged by our road safety team)

For me, road safety is a mission and a passion for me, personally as well as professionally. Having watched a child get hit by a car once by Watkins, thanks to cars parked at the very end of the blocks, I’d like to prevent that from happening ever again. So again, my limited time personal convenience of easy parking in front of my house will not trump safer road conditions for many more people than me and my family, decades into the future.

Gina Arlotto, AICP
DDOT Transportation Planner
123 Kentucky, resident since 1994

On Nov 1, 2020, at 10:33 AM, Peter R <CapHillPeter at doofuscorp.com> wrote:

To help visualize how an advisory bike line works or looks like, see these videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zdDIvKXMxY (animated)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vabFhdPSmsc (animated)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzFPl94pXy0

Or go to YouTube<https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=advisory+bike+lanes> and search for “advisory bike lanes”.  You will find some videos pro and con, in addition to explanations.

--Peter--

From: John Hirschmann <uygp-hs47 at DoofusCorp.com>
Sent: Sunday, November 01, 2020 10:20 AM
To: lincolnparkdc at lincolnparkdc.info
Cc: Will Handsfield <will.handsfield at dc.gov>
Subject: Re: [Lincolnparkdc] Fwd: Observations on Advisory Bike Lanes.

Gina

There is very critical point you have chosen to ignore. It was done on E Street by my personal observation WITHOUT REMOVING ANY PARKING SPACES I could observe.

In contrast the proposal for Kentucky Avenue involves removing approximately 12 parking spaces. That is a primary reason so many people are speaking up.  You chose to ignore the increased risk to personal safety that creates.

Also except for just the 1200 block of E street, which is on the side of Watkins ES and its playground, it’s out side the historic district.  That includes the Safeway location you mention. In contrast Kentucky Avenue north of South Carolina is within the historic district and the rules of a historic district apply. That includes the intersection with Independence.

John

John F Hirschmann

hirschj154 at gmail.com<mailto:hirschj154 at gmail.com>

Sent from my iPad

On Nov 1, 2020, at 09:42, citymom92 at gmail.com<mailto:citymom92 at gmail.com> wrote:

This is a graphic I sent around early on in this thread. As I mentioned at that time, it’s a design of mostly paint with flexposts at the corners to protect sight lines for pedestrians and bicyclists. You can see it as installed on E Street SE by the safeway.

Here's an image that helps explain advisory bike lanes more clearly:

<image.png>

Gina A.

On Nov 1, 2020, at 9:25 AM, Lucia DiVenere <lucia.divenere at gmail.com<mailto:lucia.divenere at gmail.com>> wrote:

Very interesting, John, thanks for sharing.

Are you able to also share a way for us to see the non traditional bike lanes under consideration?

Lucia

On Sun, Nov 1, 2020 at 9:12 AM John Hirschmann <hirschj154 at gmail.com<mailto:hirschj154 at gmail.com>> wrote:

Since we‘re in the spirit of sharing and I‘m very appreciative of the work Lucia shared yesterday, here is another contribution.  What is below is what I wrote up regarding how Advisory Bike Lanes were being implemented on E Street SE. I never got a response to my query.

That is what is now being proposed for Kentucky Avenue, not traditional bike lanes. I’m now also hearing it is also being proposed for at least the 100 block of Tenneessee and now 12th Street SE, presumably from East Cap to Pennsylvania. At least for Kentucky Ave. it appears to be part of a study being supported by US DOT, so that may be impact DC DDOT‘s flexibility to modify the plans in response to community input.

I sent this note on October 7, which was a week before DC DDOT revealed its detailed plans for Kentucky Avenue pljust before th ANC met the evening of October 13.  It asked questions about how it was recently implemented on E Street SE.  It’s noteworthy it was done there WITHOUT REMOVING PARKING SPACES.

John

John F Hirschmann

hirschj154 at gmail.com<mailto:hirschj154 at gmail.com>

Sent from my iPad

Begin forwarded message:

From: John Hirschmann <hirschj154 at gmail.com<mailto:hirschj154 at gmail.com>>
Date: October 7, 2020 at 11:31:06 EDT
To: Will Handsfield <will.handsfield at dc.gov<mailto:will.handsfield at dc.gov>>
Subject: Fwd:  Observations on Advisory Bike Lanes.

Also sent this message.

John F Hirschmann

hirschj154 at gmail.com<mailto:hirschj154 at gmail.com>

Sent from my iPad

Begin forwarded message:

From: John Hirschmann <hirschj154 at gmail.com<mailto:hirschj154 at gmail.com>>
Date: October 7, 2020 at 10:59:02 EDT
To: Kirsten Oldenburg <6b04 at anc.dc.gov<mailto:6b04 at anc.dc.gov>>
Cc: Will Hansfield <will.hansfield at dc.gov<mailto:will.hansfield at dc.gov>>, Chander Jayaraman <6b08 at anc.dc.gov<mailto:6b08 at anc.dc.gov>>, Steve Holtzman <6B05 at anc.dc.gov<mailto:6B05 at anc.dc.gov>>
Subject: Observations on Advisory Bike Lanes.

As a result of request for comments on adding Advisory Bike Lanes to Kentucky Avenue SE, I realized I needed to educate myself.

 I’m shareing with just you some reactions with you after googling to see what is an Advisory Bike I’m going to write up something separately on adding Advisory Bike Lanes to Kentucky Avenue, but first I thought I’d share with just you some reactions with you after googling to see what is an Advisory Bike Lanes.  I had not realized until the exchange of emails last Thursday that it was different than traditional bike lanes. Clearly a whole lot education of drivers should happen since most people have no idea how to behave, where to go, who yields to whom, etc. In fact does any relevant legislation been enacted. Presumably relevant if tickets should be written, insurance companies need to sort out liability, etc.

I also learned that it is a fairly new phenomenon throughout the country and E Street SE, is one of few, if any, other places it has been done in DC. Also, most if not all other places it has been done are not nearly as developed as the E Street from 12th to 14th SE. So I’m really surprised that DC and US DOT agreed  to  put it in those two blocks. I’m also very surprised there has been no or very little education  to explain to people how it works. See altaplaaning.com<http://altaplaaning.com>  as to how other places have handled it.

Those two blocks are anything but residential. Starting at 12th Street SE you have a CVS on the SE corner with metered parking on E Street that had heavy use pre COVID.  On the other side is Watkins ES and it would have school buses lined up every afternoon. Across the street is a church that creates

a huge overflow of parking on Sundays as it appears most of its congregation does not live on the hill.

Behind Watkins, you have an improved sports complex which has many competitions on it that draw both competitors and spectators from afar who need a place to park. It sees competition on it almost every day.

On the 1300 block, the new Safeway just opened which is drawing more traffic to those blocks. The 325 units above it just started leasing. The entrance to its parking garage is from an alley behind it which you access via E Street. It is also how the 53 foot trailers that serve the Safeway get to the loading dock.  Shortly after it opened, I saw three of them there at one time. The way the loading docks are designed, they have to approach from E and exit on D.

Across the street, two other large apartment/town house complexes have either just opened or are opening. Again the access to their parking is from an alley you access off E Street. So even more traffic is coming.

Was this really a good place to do an  experiment?

John

John F Hirschmann

hirschj154 at gmail.com<mailto:hirschj154 at gmail.com>

Sent from my iPad

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