Photo by MyUrbanhood twitter feed of one of the downtown bike shelters being installed last week.  This one is going up on N. Front Street in front of the YMCA.

 

They certainly take up a lot of sidewalk space, although on Front that's less of an issue (less peds of course). Could've made them on-street bike shelters though and left room for people on two feet, especially on High along OSU.

That's what they get for not clearing it with Minneapolisite first. :roll:

I agree they should be in-street. Plus, that doesn't look like a convenient spot for bike parking. Why put it along a blank wall?

They should put the bike shelters in the street? You're kidding me, right? You all would have something to complain about no matter what. There's still plenty of room to walk on the sidewalk.

I agree they should be in-street. Plus, that doesn't look like a convenient spot for bike parking. Why put it along a blank wall?

 

It is just around the corner from the YMCA's front entrance.  I would guess that the downtown Capital Crossroads SID (who manages this project for the city) worked out the final location with the Y.

IMO that's a bad location. Should be in a parking spot right in front of the Y.

 

It might be like 20 feet away, but it makes a difference.

Photo from today's Dispatch of another bike shelter being installed near the corner of Third & Broad.

 

That's what they get for not clearing it with Minneapolisite first. :roll:

 

And for not clearing it with natninja. Or with any local cyclists. Why not place the shelter right in front of the YMCA if that's the target demographic for that sheltr? But then that's why less than ideal locations have been selected (Dunedin & High? Why?) for much fewer (read unnecessarily expensive) bike shelters in lieu of dozens of bike corrals whether on or off-street which would unquestionably have much greater positive impacts on Columbus cycling, simply because 10 shelters  providing an estimated 100 bike parking spaces, is demonstrably inferior to the estimated 75 bike corrals (going with the higher end figure of $4000 for each six rack corral) which could be providing 450 bike parking spaces. That's more than 4x better than the reality that Columbus cyclists have to live with. So the city clears the 4x worse option with you, especially since wind, which Columbus has plenty of, kinda negates the overhead roofs/additional $24,000 per shelter. Actually, you make a good point; the city really should have to clear such projects with me before they go forward. For a somewhat handsome fee, of course (fees are negotiable and payable through Paypal for their convenience).

 

And David, yes they should put them in the street where possible: see the 18th and Oak bike corral: same amount of bike racks on the street, but costs significantly less without the "shelter" part. Or take a trip to Portland where they already have 80 of these: all on the street and have found that they've been a positive asset for businesses.

Actually, you make a good point; the city really should have to clear such projects with me before they go forward. For a somewhat handsome fee, of course (fees are negotiable and payable through Paypal for their convenience).

I would like to believe you are kidding about this.  But given your track record and history of self-promotion on this site, I fear you are not.:roll:  Of course you do realize that was simply a gentle comment toward your propensity to find fault in every single Columbus project - whether it be public or private.

 

 

And for not clearing it with natninja.

I'm quite interested in the opinions of natininja.  Nati has not shown a bias or grudge against the City of Columbus.  Therefore, those opinions can be taken on a fair and reasonable basis.

 

 

Or with any local cyclists.

According to Columbus Underground article 'More Bike Shelters Coming Soon to Downtown', previously posted in this thread here, those shelters were developed with the assistance of the local biking group Consider Biking. (more about Consider Biking from their website)

 

 

And David, yes they should put them in the street where possible: see the 18th and Oak bike corral: same amount of bike racks on the street, but costs significantly less without the "shelter" part.

The key point being "where possible", or more accurately "where feasible".  The commercial cluster in the OTE neighborhood at 18th & Oak is obviously far different from the downtown commercial district.  At 18th & Oak, sidewalks are residentially narrow.  Even installing U-racks would have made the ADA clear path on those sidewalks too narrow (and actually illegal via ADA law).  The City used an appropriate solution at that location, which was posted here and here.  Even Minneapolisite would have to concede that a downtown commercial district has wider sidewalks to accomodate bike parking (whether simple U-racks or more elaborate shelters).  And that on-street parking is at more of a premium in the busier downtown commercial district.  Leading the on-street solution to be more appropriate and feasible in one area versus another.

 

But I guess I would just like everyone to see the broader view of the "U-racks vs elaborate shelters" issue.  It appears that the shelters are only one part of an overall strategy to raise the profile of biking in downtown, while providing accomodation for those bikers. 

 

According to the previously mentioned CU article 'More Bike Shelters Coming Soon to Downtown': "The six shelters being installed by Capital Crossroads are a part of a larger infrastructure project that is anticipated to cost the organization $450,000 and also includes bike lockers, 71 U-racks, a City of Columbus employee bike room and a Franklin County employee bike room enclosure." - An article I would encourage those interested to read. - Because it goes into some detail about the challenges of physically doing a large project like this in the real world.  A reality that includes addressing many different interest groups.  Some with divergent interests, others with convergent interests.  But all interests that must be addressed in order to do the project.

So, in the real world it's impossible to install bike corrals instead of bike shelters? Wouldn't the interests served be the same ones, especially since wind is going to negate the overhead "shelter" portion? It's not my fault that the city of Columbus in this case made a glaringly large misstep.

 

The argument that downtown parking is too scarce to sacrifice for any bike corrals is just another tired fallacious suburbanism sadly posited by somewhat pro-urban Ohioans. To that I point out that Portland's downtown has many more destinations to attract more motorist traffic than Columbus and could have used such an argument (too many destinations, too few parking spaces) to not build any bike corrals in Downtown or in several other dense commercial concentrations elsewhere. However:

 

City of Portland's Existing On-Street Bicycle Corral Locations

 

Downtown

 

SW 3rd Ave & SW Pine St, Bijou Café, Stumptown, September, 2008

SW Broadway & Morrison, Abercrombie & Fitch, September, 2009

SW Broadway & Pine St, Saucebox, November, 2009

SW Salmon & SW Park, South Park Seafood Grill & Wine Bar, September, 2009

SW Stark St and SW 10th Ave, Ace Hotel, September, 2009

SW 2nd Ave & SW Ankeny St, July, 2011

 

http://www.portlandoregon.gov/transportation/article/250076

 

There you see results instead of excuses. It pays to remember that it's not just about whether a sidewalk could accommodate racks, but the progressive statement made by choosing to take away a parking spot and giving an official stamp of approval for bikes being valued enough to be parked on a city street alongside motor vehicles. In fact, a coffee shop similar to Cafe Brioso which also enjoys popularity with local bike messengers has this out front and as you can see it's a totally different statement than if there were bike racks on the sidewalk which obviously could accommodate them.

 

Bike Portland

And why not be serious about getting my seal of approval? I mean, it's never going to happen but you'd have over 4x more places to park your bike city-wide and still $150,000 left over for the bike lockers,etc and Columbus would be the only city in the county to be on par with Portland's bike corral infrastructure which would certainly get some positive national recognition whereas the same cannot be said for what the city of Columbus went with and no, Consider Biking does not accurately represent Columbus cyclists who wouldn't have known that the city was planning to spend hundreds of thousands on bike parking until well after the fact. You're free to post any efforts the city made to reach out to local cyclists about getting their input on how to spend that bike parking money to prove otherwise.

Oh, and as far as "biased" views of the not-so-high quality of Columbus' cycling infrastructure I can assure you there is no "grudge" as unbiased sources simply confirm the sad state of bike infrastructure in the city; that I point out the many shortcomings shouldn't be confused with ill will. How about Bicycling Magazine's ranking of Columbus which places it 34th out of 50 cities of 100,000+? It shares company with Kansas City (33rd) and Tulsa (35th): not exactly bastions of progressive urban policies or bike infrastructure (notice a correlation here?). How about Consider Biking's stunt earlier this year to put pressure on Columbus due to a study, which I'm not affiliated with in any way, where Columbus ranked 2nd to last for presence of downtown bike lanes? Or how about the League of American Bicyclists which awarded Columbus with a lowly bronze ranking? There's no bias necessary to simply point out what is simply a fact.

So, in the real world it's impossible to install bike corrals instead of bike shelters?

That's not what I said.  Please re-read my post.  You might also re-read the Columbus Underground article 'More Bike Shelters Coming Soon to Downtown' which explains how the six shelters being installed by the downtown Capital Crossroads Special Improvement District are a part of a larger infrastructure project that includes bike lockers, 71 U-racks, a City of Columbus employee bike room and a Franklin County employee bike room.

 

 

"Quite alot about the City of Portland..."

Great stuff . . . for the Portland bicycling developments and news thread.

 

 

And why not be serious about getting my seal of approval?

Which is why I said before it would be great to believe you are kidding about this - but are likely not, given your track record and history of self-promotion on this site.

 

 

I mean, it's never going to happen but you'd have over 4x more places to park your bike city-wide and still $150,000 left over for the bike lockers,etc and Columbus would be the only city in the county to be on par with Portland's bike corral infrastructure which would certainly get some positive national recognition whereas the same cannot be said for what the city of Columbus went with...

There's that self-promotion again.

 

 

Oh, and as far as "biased" views of the not-so-high quality of Columbus' cycling infrastructure I can assure you there is no "grudge"

Just because almost all of your posts dump on Columbus doesn't mean you are "biased" or harbor a "grudge".  It could just be a coincidence.

 

 

How about Bicycling Magazine's ranking of Columbus which places it 34th out of 50 cities of 100,000+?

According to your Bicycling Magazine source: "There are many important things a city can do to gain our consideration for this list: segregated bike lanes, municipal bike racks and bike boulevards, to name a few.  If you have those things in your town, cyclists probably have the ear of the local government—another key factor.  To make our Top 50, a city must also support a vibrant and diverse bike culture, and it must have smart, savvy bike shops.  If your town isn’t named below, use this as an opportunity to do something about it.  Already on the list?  Go out and enjoy a ride."

Plus, there are 285 U.S. cities with over 100,000 population and there are 342 U.S. metro areas with over 100,000 population.  So was Columbus 34th out of 285 or was Columbus 34th out of 342?  Or was Columbus 34th out of the Top 50 Bike-Friendly Cities out of those 285 cities or 342 MSA's in the U.S.?

 

 

How about Consider Biking's stunt earlier this year to put pressure on Columbus due to a study, which I'm not affiliated with in any way, where Columbus ranked 2nd to last for presence of downtown bike lanes?

But didn't you just say...

Consider Biking does not accurately represent Columbus cyclists

 

 

Or how about the League of American Bicyclists which awarded Columbus with a lowly bronze ranking?

Bronze ranking?  You mean like a bronze medal at the Olympics?  That's awesome!!!

 

 

There's no bias necessary to simply point out what is simply a fact.

That's good advice.

So, to summarize your reply: you're happy to settle for less. And that's probably because you don't bike. 

 

Anyway, in other biking news Columbus takes one step forward by not repeating the Morse Rd bike lane blunder and is going to install a separated shared-use path parallel to 161. However, based on incidents in other cities, if enough people use it you're going to have dangerous interactions between peds and cyclists,but I'm guessing they're not expecting a high volume of users due to its location, otherwise separated paths for cyclists and pedestrians are the default treatment. Being located 28 ft from the street does raise safety concerns since that's a good deal away from the street lights.

 

http://publicservice.columbus.gov/uploadedImages/Public_Service/DOMO/Bikeway_Program/BikeProjects/CrossSectionSR161SawmillRdSawmillPlBlvd.png[/img]

 

City of Columbus Department of Public Service

 

And then the city takes one step back: Sullivant from Grubb in Franklinton to Hague in th Hilltop, 2.3 miles, the city is going to reduce lanes to on in each direction with a turn lane in the middle. Sharrows are the planned treatment and obviously out of place. Motorists are used to speeding over 40MPH and now they're expected to safely share the same lane for over 2 miles with bikes going 12-15MPH? Needless to say, this treatment is a joke and is only being done so that th city can claim that all of Sullivant is a "bikeway" despite no proposed changes to the road design for any speed reduction. I look forward to Columbo's youtube video of how great this ride is going to be. I've biked this length of Sullivant a few times myself and would not want to ride the new version having to share one lane with impatient drivers.

 

City of Columbus Department of Public Service

So, to summarize your reply: you're happy to settle for less. And that's probably because you don't bike. 

 

Wrong and wrong.  Neither I nor anyone else here at UrbanOhio needs to prove anything to you.  So cut the attitude.

You don't need to prove anything; the steep population decline of the inner-city populations already did that for me.

 

Whoops. Forgot the link for the plan on Sullivant Ave. Seriously you can't make this stuff up: it's like they're playing right into my hands!  >:D . Page 20 holds the most juicy, tender morsel: I'm surprised I forgot to point out how much worse this is than the other 2.25 miles.

 

City of Columbus Department of Public Service

 

 

Yes, that's right: 3/4 of a mile + no passing lane, toss in a some West Side drivers in pickups, put some cyclists in front of them with nowhere pass, and you have a recipe for disaster. As long as no one gets hurt I'll be having a good laugh once the Dispatch article details the accounts of frightened cyclists who thought the sharrows and signs would save them. Notice there's nada about any sort of traffic calming measures to slow motorist traffic, so according to Google Maps a motorist typically drives this stretch in 2 minutes and when you switch to cycling it doubles to 4 minutes. Not a huge difference, expect when you think about having a driver on your tail honking and revving at you for a full 120 seconds and no lane to pass (unless they pass the solid lines if there's no oncoming traffic, but there probably would be some traffic that they'd swerve in front of to avoid sitting behind you) Here it is again so you don't have to scroll up and because even now looking at this I can't believe it's real:

 

City of Columbus Department of Public Service

 

This so perfectly and concisely demonstrates in a clear manner who the city sides with when push comes to shove. If ensuring cyclists' physical well-being means inconveniencing motorists', their convenience ranks higher than a vunerable non-motorist's safety. What's most important is to appear bike-friendly without the infrastructure having to actually having to function as such.

You don't need to prove anything; the steep population decline of the inner-city populations already did that for me.

You sure act like alot of people have alot to prove to you.  But it's good to see you don't harbor a "grudge" or are not "biased" against Columbus.  Just because almost all of your posts dump on Columbus doesn't mean you are "biased" or harbor a "grudge".  It could just be a coincidence.

 

 

it's like they're playing right into my hands!

Why? Because it's all about you?

 

 

What's most important is to appear bike-friendly without the infrastructure having to actually having to function as such.

You still haven't answered the pending question about Bicycling Magazine's ranking of Columbus which places it 34th out of 50 cities of 100,000+?  Which you claim is terrible.  However, according to your Bicycling Magazine source: "There are many important things a city can do to gain our consideration for this list: segregated bike lanes, municipal bike racks and bike boulevards, to name a few.  If you have those things in your town, cyclists probably have the ear of the local governmentanother key factor.  To make our Top 50, a city must also support a vibrant and diverse bike culture, and it must have smart, savvy bike shops.  If your town isnt named below, use this as an opportunity to do something about it.  Already on the list?  Go out and enjoy a ride."

Since there are 285 U.S. cities with over 100,000 population and there are 342 U.S. metro areas with over 100,000 population.  Was Columbus 34th out of 285 or was Columbus 34th out of 342?  Or was Columbus 34th out of the Top 50 Bike-Friendly Cities out of those 285 cities or 342 MSA's in the U.S.?

Since Keith M. (aka Minneapolisite) has shown himself to be a questionable source for information and analysis, here are two recent local media articles about the projects he posted:

 

---

Columbus to consider placing path on south side of road

By GARY SEMAN JR., ThisWeek Community News

Wednesday, August 22, 2012 - 10:54 AM

 

Columbus is open to the possibility of placing a shared-use path on the south side of West Dublin-Granville Road.  The city has taken a closer look at crossing options, land acquisition, environmental concerns and other major issues on the south side of the roadway.

(. . .)

The 2.2-mile path, which would cost $2.5-million, would extend between Sawmill and Linworth roads.  It is part of the Columbus Bicentennial Bikeways plan and is designed to link other bike paths in the area.

 

READ MORE: http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/northwest/news/2012/08/21/west-dublin-granville-road-columbus-to-consider-placing-path-on-south-side-of-road.html

 

---

Sullivant Ave. plan ill-timed, some say

By Mark Ferenchik, The Columbus Dispatch

Saturday, September 22, 2012 - 6:18 AM

 

The timing of a proposal to reduce the number of lanes on Sullivant Avenue has perplexed some Hilltop neighborhood leaders.

 

Traffic in each direction would be reduced from two lanes to one on sullivant between Hague Avenue on the Hilltop and Yale Avenue in Franklinton.  The 2.3-mile section would also get a new center turn lane and "sharrows", symbols that tell drivers that bicycle riders are encouraged to use the same lane.

 

The proposal would also ban parking along the north side of Sullivant between Hague and Yale.

 

READ MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2012/09/22/sullivant-ave--plan-ill-timed-some-say.html

 

This project was posted previously.  But this GIF they added is neat:

 

From City of Columbus - King Avenue Bike Lanes:

 

Didn't see this project listed among on the Current Bike Projects page by the City of Columbus.  But a new bike trail was added on an abandoned rail line in the Harrison West neighborhood.  From looking at the MORPC Interactive Bike Map, Google Map and the Franklin County Auditor GIS Map, it appears the new Harrison West Rail Trail is as follows:

 

 

It looks like this new bike trail starts on the north side of Goodale/Vine Street, just east of an under construction 5-story, 174-unit apartment project called 600 Goodale.  It continues north and goes over the SR315 to I-670 freeway lanes using the former railroad bridge.  And ends at Ingleside Avenue (which is just off the above County GIS map).  Ingleside Avenue then goes past a number of recently built Wagenbrenner infill apartments in the Harrison West neighborhood.

 

Columbus Underground's Construction Roundup: September 2012 Part 1 has a couple of photos of this new Harrison West Rail Trail. 

 

 

       

EDIT: There was one more photo of the new Harrison West Rail Trail from the reused railroad bridge looking north at Columbus Underground's Construction Roundup: September 2012 Part 2:

This project was posted previously.  But this GIF they added is neat:

 

From City of Columbus - King Avenue Bike Lanes:

 

 

The GIF makes it very clear why this is preferable to two sharrowed travel lanes with a turn lane. Cyclists in the after pic probably wouldn't want to be in front of the 35MPH  jeep or bus like they would be on Sullivant and on King there's no worry about adequate bike lane width next to parked cars since there will be none, at least west of the Olentangy. The sooner this connects to High, the better. It'll be pretty big to have a continuous bike-friendly connection between 5th by NW and OSU/Short North.

 

You're about the only one finding me a "questionable source" on here, btw, what with my citing city documents and data so that everyone can check for any discrepancies. The Sullivant Ave plan is unequivocally bad and is made even more questionable in light of the superior treatment that King Ave is getting. Notice that within my criticism lies a solution; replicate the King Ave treatment here too. If you have a better idea to offer, put it on the table: I'd like to hear it. 

 

Regardless of which way Columbo would like to interpret the 34th place ranking by Bicycling Magazine, and let's say it places Columbus in the most favorable light out of the options given, it doesn't make Columbus a good or even great city for biking.

 

Go ahead and bike around Columbus: not bike-friendly by far and hey,that's a choice the city made, not me. On CU they're talking about possible bike boulevards in the inner-city and how Gay St is an example of a good design for shared lanes; just like we did back in 2008 when someone suggested an "expansive bike-boulevard system" and to "toss cyclists a bone when it comes to crossing a river or a highway". Both kinds of infrastructure are still very lacking. In the year 2012 you still can't even ride on designated bike infrastructure from the Short North to German Village. Maybe in another 4 years?

You're about the only one finding me a "questionable source" on here, 

Even your over-inflated ego shouldn't believe that.  But then you are the guy who said "And why not be serious about getting my seal of approval?" before any city project can begin.

 

 

Regardless of which way Columbo would like to interpret the 34th place ranking by Bicycling Magazine, and let's say it places Columbus in the most favorable light out of the options given, it doesn't make Columbus a good or even great city for biking.

Not interpreting anything.  Asking a question about a source that you provided.  Since you didn't answer it, I'll ask it you to explain for the third time. 

 

The pending question: Bicycling Magazine's ranking of Columbus places it 34th out of 50 cities of 100,000+.  Which you claim is terrible.  However, according to your Bicycling Magazine source: "There are many important things a city can do to gain our consideration for this list: segregated bike lanes, municipal bike racks and bike boulevards, to name a few.  If you have those things in your town, cyclists probably have the ear of the local government—another key factor.  To make our Top 50, a city must also support a vibrant and diverse bike culture, and it must have smart, savvy bike shops.  If your town isn’t named below, use this as an opportunity to do something about it.  Already on the list?  Go out and enjoy a ride."  So, since there are 285 U.S. cities with over 100,000 population and there are 342 U.S. metro areas with over 100,000 population.  Was Columbus 34th out of 285 or was Columbus 34th out of 342?  Or was Columbus 34th out of the Top 50 Bike-Friendly Cities out of those 285 cities or 342 MSA's in the U.S.?

 

 

On CU they're talking about possible bike boulevards in the inner-city and how Gay St is an example of a good design for shared lanes

It's a good discussion on a very fine website.  You should add your voice to that discussion over at Columbus Underground.  I'm sure they miss your insightful views since it's been two years since you have posted anything at CU.  It would also give you a chance to argue against your inclusion in the 'Most Infamous of Columbus Underground?' thread.

MODERATOR EDIT: Quotes and responses reordered from Keith M.'s original post for clarity.  At last as clear as it's gonna get.

 

You're about the only one finding me a "questionable source" on here, 

Even your over-inflated ego shouldn't believe that.  But then you are the guy who said "And why not be serious about getting my seal of approval?" before any city project can begin.

Oh dear, you're so predictable. Here we go with the personal attacks. That was in the context of my proposal which would result in infrastructure that would provide over 4x more of the same infrastructure with the same amount of money. In light of that, why not?

 

Regardless of which way Columbo would like to interpret the 34th place ranking by Bicycling Magazine, and let's say it places Columbus in the most favorable light out of the options given, it doesn't make Columbus a good or even great city for biking.

Not interpreting anything.  Asking a question about a source that you provided.  Since you didn't answer it, I'll ask it you to explain for the third time. 

 

The pending question: Bicycling Magazine's ranking of Columbus places it 34th out of 50 cities of 100,000+.  Which you claim is terrible.  However, according to your Bicycling Magazine source: "There are many important things a city can do to gain our consideration for this list: segregated bike lanes, municipal bike racks and bike boulevards, to name a few.  If you have those things in your town, cyclists probably have the ear of the local government—another key factor.  To make our Top 50, a city must also support a vibrant and diverse bike culture, and it must have smart, savvy bike shops.  If your town isn’t named below, use this as an opportunity to do something about it.  Already on the list?  Go out and enjoy a ride."  So, since there are 285 U.S. cities with over 100,000 population and there are 342 U.S. metro areas with over 100,000 population.  Was Columbus 34th out of 285 or was Columbus 34th out of 342?  Or was Columbus 34th out of the Top 50 Bike-Friendly Cities out of those 285 cities or 342 MSA's in the U.S.?

It's not like you address the points I raise, but it seems like 34th out of the Top 50 Bike-Friendly Cities out of cities since they're using the term "cities" not metros. Once again, it doesn't make Columbus a great biking city either way since there's a sharp decline in widespread quality infrastructure after the top three and then another steep drop after the remaining top ten which even in Walkscore only rank as "bikeable". Treatments like the one proposed on Sullivant Ave and implemented on Morse Rd and Tamarack Circle will do very little to get Columbus to where it needs to be. But watch out Kansas City: you might get bumped down a spot or two in the next Bicycling Magazine rankings!

 

On CU they're talking about possible bike boulevards in the inner-city and how Gay St is an example of a good design for shared lanes

It's a good discussion on a very fine website..

That's the problem in Columbus: good transportation discussions simply get rehashed year after year (hello streetcars); we're talking about basic city necessities to become, dare I say, "world-class". The fact that the same conversation keeps occurring is indicative of the lack of ambition to move up. New denser infill and more cool bars are always nice, but those alone will never get the city to where it should be nor will the same status quo stance towards transportation alternatives: such as cycling infrastructure.

 

So to prove how cycling infrastructure is so not terrible in Columbus, be proud of what a great job the city has done investing in cycling and take a short ride from the Short North to German Village (or vice versa if that's more convenient) using the bike lanes. You could take the ones on Hi-, err Front. No wait...4th? Not quite. 3rd? Uh huh. Oh! Grant must...aww nuthin'. Well, at least they're sharrowed. Not even those? Seriously? Hahaha, oh man, look at the big changes I'm missing out on in this emerging cycling capital.  ::)

^ It's good to see your clarification that Bicycling Magazine did in fact rank Columbus 34th out of the Top 50 Bike-Friendly Cities in the U.S. (out of the 285 U.S. cities with populations over 100,000).  That really was a good source you provided after all!

Couple of older reports from Columbus Underground about bicycling in the capital city:

 

CU: Big Ideas: Trending Cycles

 

CU: Yay Bikes! Presents a Year of Yay Bike Rides

Reports about recent and on-going bicycling projects from various sources:

 

Columbus Underground: New Bike Shelters Installed Downtown

 

MKSK Design Studios: Bicycle Facilities Installed

 

Consider Biking: Bicycle Friendly Features

 

Consider Biking: Trail Construction Updates

Some information on two East-West Connector Trails that will connect the North-South Olentangy Trail and Alum Creek Trail.  Two PDF Links from City of Columbus Public Service Department:

 

OLAC North - http://publicservice.columbus.gov/uploadedFiles/Public_Service/DOMO/Bikeway_Program/OlentangyAlumCreek.pdf

 

Hudson-Mock Connector - http://publicservice.columbus.gov/uploadedFiles/Public_Service/DOMO/Bikeway_Program/BikeProjects/HudsonMockConnector.pdf

 

And finally, news about a bike share system that will be started in 2013.  The initial network will be in downtown and neighborhoods abutting the downtown in all four directions.  More about this from Columbus Underground and the Columbus Dispatch:

 

Columbus Underground: Columbus BikeShare System to Launch in 2013

 

Columbus Dispatch: Option for 2013: BikeShare rides - City will offer about 30 two-wheel rental sites

 

Some news about a different type of biking infrastructure being installed around Columbus this week from the Columbus Underground thread 'Bike Repair Station'.  A number of black tubes that contain wrenches, pry tools and an attached air pump are being installed downtown and in the OSU campus area.  Below are photos of two of the bike repair station locations from the CU thread.  The first is outside of the Experience Columbus Visitors Center on Nationwide Boulevard in the Arena District.  The second is across from the OSU campus at 15th and High Street.

 

 

Nice idea. Ripe for vandalism.

Some very nice new bicycle shelters along North High Street in Columbus.  These are just north of Henderson Road.

I really like the inclusion of maps.

Below is a link to a recent article in the Dispatch about the City of Columbus recalibrating its traffic light sensors to accomodate bicycles.  Most of the city’s traffic lights are connected to road sensors that detect the presence of vehicles at the intersections and adjust the lights accordingly.  But apparently bicycles don't trip these sensors.  The article explains that these road sensors are basically metal detectors and bicycles don’t have enough metal to trigger a light change.  So the City is recalibrating these sensors to detect bicycles.

 

Columbus Dispatch: Traffic sensors give bicyclists green lights - City recalibrates monitors to trip more easily

Another bike trail project is coming to the 600 Goodale area - the under-construction 5-story, 174-unit apartment project on the northern edge of downtown.  Last year, the City of Columbus converted an abandoned railroad line into a new bike trail just east of the 600 Goodale project - posted here.  Now, the Kaufman Development facebook page has posted information on another City of Columbus bike trail project set to take place near their 600 Goodale project.  It would be a ramp that connects the higher-level Goodale Street sidewalk with the existing lower-level Olentangy River Bike Trail.  Below is a rendering of the ramp project from the Kaufman facebook page.

 

 

This would go on the opposite side of the river across from the 600 Goodale location.  If you look at an aerial photo that was also posted at the Kaufman Development facebook page, you can see the Olentangy River Bike Trail at the top of that image.  This is the location of the ramp project.  Goodale Street is to the left in the aerial photo.  The previously mentioned rail-to-trail conversion is visible at the bottom of the aerial photo.

^ More info about this project from Columbus Underground:

 

Goodale Street Bike Improvements to Connect Multiple Urban Neighborhoods

^ One more article about this project from the Columbus Dispatch:

 

Bike ramp to link trail, Goodale St.

 

 

Locations Set for CoGo Bike Share System; Mid-Summer Launch Planned

By: Brent Warren, Columbus Underground

Published on May 31, 2013 - 11:45 am

 

Planning is starting to ramp up for CoGo, the newly-branded Columbus bike share system.  Organizers hope to have 30 stations installed and 300 bikes available for use by the end of July.  They have also released a map showing where the stations will be; the system will extend south to Schiller Park, west to COSI, east to Parsons Avenue and north to 4th Avenue in the Short North.

 

MORE: http://www.columbusunderground.com/locations-set-for-cogo-bike-share-system-mid-summer-launch-planned-bw1

 

 

CoGo bike-sharing system nears launch, with preview event Wednesday

By Evan Weese, Staff reporter

Business First - July 15, 2013, 2:14pm EDT

 

Downtown Columbus is about to become a whole lot more navigable, with the city’s CoGo bicycle-sharing system coming online by the end of the month.

 

The 30-station, 300-bike network in and around downtown will be introduced Wednesday with an 11:15 a.m. preview event at Bicentennial Park with full implementation likely the last week in July.

 

MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/blog/2013/07/cogo-bike-sharing-system-nears-launch.html

^ Very exciting! :)

The Columbus bike sharing program's website is up and running: www.cogobikeshare.com

 

More about the CoGo bike sharing program and last week's kick-off event for the program from Columbus Underground (linked below):

 

CU: First of CoGo Bike Share Stations Installed, Memberships Now On Sale

 

Mayor Coleman was there to lead last week's kick-off event.  Below is a photo of the Mayor leading the first group of CoGo bike riders to the docking station installed outside of City Hall:

 

The CoGo Bike Share system officially launched yesterday (July 30).  More about it from the Dispatch and Columbus Underground at the links below.  The Columbus Underground report has a good photo-tour of the various docking station locations:

 

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2013/07/30/Columbus-bike-share-program-up-and-running.html

 

http://www.columbusunderground.com/cogo-bike-share-launches-today

A Dispatch reporter also tried out the new bike sharing system on its first official day of operation yesterday and documented his experience.

 

http://www.dispatch.com/content/blogs/best-bike-blog/2013/07/riding-cogo-the-citys-new-bike-share-system.html

:clap: :clap: :clap:

 

YAY!!! A landmark event for Columbus and the state.

 

Now Cincy and Ctown need to step up their game.

So far, so good for the CoGo bike sharing program.  Nice tutorial video to go along with the report from Business First below:

 

Business First: CoGo going well in 1st month with 10,000-plus riders (Video)

Scioto Trail Connection on Track to be Completed this Fall

By: Brent Warren, Columbus Underground

Published on September 30, 2013 6:00 am

 

A key piece of the Scioto Trail is scheduled to be completed this fall, connecting an isolated section of the trail that runs from Fifth Avenue to Grandview Avenue to the main Downtown section of the trail that currently dead-ends across from the water treatment plant on Dublin Road.  The new section, which will feature two bridges and travel across a grassy peninsula adjacent to I-670, will also allow cyclists to travel from the Hilltop to Downtown via the recently-completed Hilltop Connector bridge.

 

Brad Westall, Greenways Planner for Columbus Recreation and Parks, said that weather will likely determine the exact date that the trail is completed and open to the public, but to expect a ribbon cutting some time in November. ... More information can be found online at http://publicservice.columbus.gov/bikeprojects/.

 

MORE: http://www.columbusunderground.com/scioto-trail-connection-on-track-to-be-completed-this-fall-bw1

For those missing the bike on this cold Thanksgiving.  Olentangy Trail.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7sTNWR43bk

For those interested in the Suspension Bridge update between Wolfe Park and Academy Park on the Alum Creek trail (10/29/13).......I checked back on 11/21 and no difference.........

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiF6_yVv-8k

Heart of Scioto Trail unlocked as miles of pathway open

By Rick Rouan, The Columbus Dispatch

Friday, December 6, 2013 - 4:57 AM

 

Cyclists and runners traveling along the Scioto River will have two new bridges to cross now that a key connector that links fragmented pieces of the trail has been completed.  The Ohio Department of Transportation’s $4.3 million project paved a new trail and added the two spans over the river between Dublin Road and Grandview Avenue, said spokeswoman Nancy Burton.  The new work links a section of the trail that extends west from the Columbus water plant on Dublin Road to the section that travels along the Scioto Mile.

 

“It’s like getting a whole new greenway-trail infrastructure with this opening of this one key missing link,” said Jody Dzuranin, spokeswoman for the local biking-advocacy group Consider Biking. “It’s opening many miles.”  The connector is about three-fourths of a mile, but it will connect parts of the West Side to the rest of Columbus’ trail system and the longer Ohio to Erie Trail that eventually will run between Cleveland and Cincinnati, Dzuranin said.

 

Trail users coming from the west will be able to jump on the Scioto Trail and access sections of the trail that head south, or turn north onto the 14-mile Olentangy Trail.  The Hilltop connector bridge off the trail will link up with the Camp Chase Trail to the west, too, said Alan McKnight, director of the Columbus Recreation and Parks Department.

 

MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2013/12/06/heart-of-scioto-trail-unlocked.html

 

Above is a location map of the new Scioto Trail segment;

Below is a view from that new trail segment looking west toward the downtown.

Report from Columbus Underground about dedicated bike lanes coming to two of the main north-south streets going into and out of downtown.  Below the excerpt are some conceptual renderings of what this might look like from CU:

 

Bike Lanes Coming to Fourth and Summit/Third Streets

By: Brent Warren, Columbus Underground

Published on January 9, 2014 - 8:00 am

 

A resurfacing project planned for 2015 could have a big impact on how cyclists travel through the University District, Weinland Park, Italian Village and Downtown.  The City of Columbus has finalized plans to replace one lane of traffic with a bike lane on both Fourth and Summit Streets, from Hudson Street to I-670.

 

Parking lanes will remain on both sides of each street, with rush-hour time restrictions removed.  The resurfacing and re-striping will be funded primarily by the Ohio Department of Transportation; work is scheduled to start in spring of 2015, with a fall 2015 completion date.  Still in the planning stages is the Downtown portion of the project, which will feature physically separated bike lanes on Third and Fourth Streets.

 

MORE: http://www.columbusunderground.com/bike-lanes-coming-to-fourth-and-summit-third-streets-bw1