tcs

I guess this intersection is about as finished as it's going to get for the next 30 years or so. It is minus some promised traffic safety signs and pavement markings, but nothing has changed for over a month now so IIWII.

I hope no one was expecting any type of bicycle transportation infrastructure that was integrated in any way with anything else, including the realities of riding in Plano. However, for west-side cyclists who want to get to the Archerwood DART station, and who aren't ballsy/vehiclular enough to take a lane up and over the Parker (40mph posted speed limit) bridge, the SPUI actually kinda helps.

The SPUI has marked non-motorist lanes across on both its north and south sides. The north side path ends in a narrow sidewalk and an on-coming right turn lane along the old Circuit City property on the east, and at a curb (drop off) at the parking lot of the Sherwin-William store on the west. The Sherwin-Williams parking lot is curbed off from the Jack-in-the_Box parking lot, which is curbed off from the Ruisseau Village strip mall parking lot.

It's better for cyclists on the south side - well, it would have to be, wouldn't it?

The pathway on the south side of the SPUI ends at a curb-cut (ramp) at the Target entrance off Parker on the west and ends at a curb-cut at the 7-11 parking lot on the east. Unlike the sidewalks on the old Parker bridge, it's easily wide enough to safely pass a pedestrian or another cyclist coming the other way if they want to share - well except for the shrubbery that blocks about half the path width in front of the 7-11. It crosses the right turn lanes (E bound Parker to S bound Central; N bound Central to E bound Parker) in striped off crossings at curb-cuts HOWEVER these right turn lanes do not stop, there is NO signage for either the motor traffic or the path users and what safety that might exist is very much the creation of the cyclist/path user.

The pathway crosses the SPUI left turn lanes in striped off crossing at curb-cuts with signal lights (walk-don't walk). These signals are not tied to the red light/green light signals of the motor traffic lanes - they are only operated by pressing the customary crosswalk push buttons which refreshingly are mounted conveniently for cyclists (probably an ADA thing).

So to ride to the Archerwood DART station from the west side, the semi-non-vehicular cyclist could leave the Chisholm Trail at Garner Ln, take either Wimbledon or Lakestream to Alma, cross to Lexington, enter and cross the Target parking lot, take the SPUI path to the 7-11 parking lot, cross the liquor store parking lot, exit to Archerwood and go a half block down to the DART station.

As I said, not integrated, and the west side cyclist who wants to ride beyond the DART station on to the hills and trees of the east side will still have to take a lane on either Parker or Park for a couple blocks to get to the neighborhoods.

I think I like this better than taking the Chisholm to 16th and riding thru downtown to get to the Haggard Park DART station - if for no other reason, you get better seats on the light rail if you board @ Archerwood.