Originally Posted by
jputnam
"Bicycle-friendly" Seattle has reportedly established a 10 mph design speed for its latest "protected bike lane".....
I'm not some militant anti-facilities VC fundamentalist, half my commute is on properly-executed separated paths that have good sight lines and competent intersection designs. But 10 mph design speed isn't suitable for casual adults on cruiser bikes, let alone commuters.
I agree that the design speed is very low, but it
might be appropriate, depending on the intended purpose of the path. While most experienced riders ride faster than that, I believe that the realistic average is nearer 12-13 mph than some of the figures you stated.
If this is intended as a transit path, I agree that the speed is too low, and experienced riders will shun it. OTOH if this is a recreational path designed for casual riders and families taking their children out for a day in the sun (you do get sun there once in a while, don't you?), then getting faster riders to shun it might be part of the design goal.
We have several park cycle paths here (Westchester Cty, NY) and while they're rideable for the most part a good speeds, they have curves that can't be taken at much over 10mph (if that) and it works because they're too full of children to be ridden fast safely. So while it's not a speedway the path here is still interesting riding off peak.