Why not put Fleur on a road diet?
02-16-07, 08:56 AM
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Why not put Fleur on a road diet?
I understand the concern over losing grant funding. But if the city in their infinite wisdom, 
, decides otherwise & the funding is lost why not put the Fleur on a road diet? I know this area well & it is very risky to cross from Water Works Park over to Gray's Lake with out getting plastered form cross traffic on Fleur Dr. A tunnel is not a bad idea to make this safer. Fleur is a 4 lane divided roadway. Why not put it on a road diet by removing the medians & taking it down to 3 lanes? A travel lane on each side with a turn/merge lane in the middle & sidewalks & possibly BL's as well. This would make Fleur more bicycle friendly for one, right now it is not. This would cost less then a tunnel & make Fleur a Complete Street.
https://www.bikeiowa.com/asp/hotnews/...sp?NewsID=2001
, decides otherwise & the funding is lost why not put the Fleur on a road diet? I know this area well & it is very risky to cross from Water Works Park over to Gray's Lake with out getting plastered form cross traffic on Fleur Dr. A tunnel is not a bad idea to make this safer. Fleur is a 4 lane divided roadway. Why not put it on a road diet by removing the medians & taking it down to 3 lanes? A travel lane on each side with a turn/merge lane in the middle & sidewalks & possibly BL's as well. This would make Fleur more bicycle friendly for one, right now it is not. This would cost less then a tunnel & make Fleur a Complete Street.https://www.bikeiowa.com/asp/hotnews/...sp?NewsID=2001
02-16-07, 09:49 AM
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Why not just put in a traffic light? How will bike lanes help you cross the street easier?
Last edited by joejack951; 02-16-07 at 11:13 AM.
02-16-07, 10:27 AM
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N_C, road diets have been proven to increase pedestrian safety at signed and unsigned crosswalks, provide bicyclists a more visible road position, and increase annual daily traffic counts.
beneficial for autos, bikes AND pedestrians. the proven benefits of road diets say go. check www.cascade.org to mine for effects of road diets; not sure you can find the documentation there, but one of the advocacy folks there would surely provide links. cascade bicycling club- the largest local cycling club in america.
beneficial for autos, bikes AND pedestrians. the proven benefits of road diets say go. check www.cascade.org to mine for effects of road diets; not sure you can find the documentation there, but one of the advocacy folks there would surely provide links. cascade bicycling club- the largest local cycling club in america.
02-16-07, 10:35 AM
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Originally Posted by joejack951
What not just put in a traffic light? How will bike lanes help you cross the street easier?
02-16-07, 10:37 AM
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Originally Posted by N_C
BL's would only benefit traffic on Fleur, not help when crossing. There already is a light there, not that it does any good. It does not last long enough for peds. or cyclists. And motorists run it all the time.
02-16-07, 10:49 AM
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ha. your overly simplistic view of traffic flow dynamics and community design do not flatter you, joe.
or anyone else with a view of better design for more livable communities, but i digress.
or anyone else with a view of better design for more livable communities, but i digress.
02-16-07, 11:12 AM
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You don't think that $573,000 could be better spent than by building a tunnel so that people don't have to use the crosswalk to cross the street?
02-16-07, 11:23 AM
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It is simple - either the city builds the tunnel or it loses the grant. The grant was awarded based on plans for the tunnel. If other plans look more attractive now, great, but funding will not come from this particular grant.
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"Let us hope our weapons are never needed --but do not forget what the common people knew when they demanded the Bill of Rights: An armed citizenry is the first defense, the best defense, and the final defense against tyranny. If guns are outlawed, only the government will have guns. Only the police, the secret police, the military, the hired servants of our rulers. Only the government -- and a few outlaws. I intend to be among the outlaws" - Edward Abbey
02-16-07, 01:02 PM
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Originally Posted by joejack951
You don't think that $573,000 could be better spent than by building a tunnel so that people don't have to use the crosswalk to cross the street?
02-16-07, 02:52 PM
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Originally Posted by joejack951
Ok, so get the cycle adjusted to be longer to allow peds to cross. $573,000 saved. Can I have it?
As for the roadway, I'd leave the median even if a lane is removed, as long as the remaining lane (or lane plus bike lane) is plenty wide for trucks overtaking cyclists and disabled vehicles. The median provides a refuge island for pedestrians, making it more convenient and safe for them to cross the road mid-block by doing so in two stages. I've seen a number of road diets with medians plus wide lanes or travel lane + wide bike lane.
-Steve Goodridge
02-16-07, 02:59 PM
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Originally Posted by sggoodri
It might need ped heads and buttons. About $30-50,000 all corners inclusive. A little more if you add countdown timers, which make pedestrians more comfortable and confident about the amount of time they have to finish crossing, without increasing collision hazards.
As for the roadway, I'd leave the median even if a lane is removed, as long as the remaining lane (or lane plus bike lane) is plenty wide for trucks overtaking cyclists and disabled vehicles. The median provides a refuge island for pedestrians, making it more convenient and safe for them to cross the road mid-block by doing so in two stages. I've seen a number of road diets with medians plus wide lanes or travel lane + wide bike lane.
-Steve Goodridge
As for the roadway, I'd leave the median even if a lane is removed, as long as the remaining lane (or lane plus bike lane) is plenty wide for trucks overtaking cyclists and disabled vehicles. The median provides a refuge island for pedestrians, making it more convenient and safe for them to cross the road mid-block by doing so in two stages. I've seen a number of road diets with medians plus wide lanes or travel lane + wide bike lane.
-Steve Goodridge
