I noticed that (almost) all of the plastic bollards along Central Parkway have been removed, which makes it even more confusing where cars can (and can't) park. Does anybody know if that's permanent, or just temporary? I was at an interesting (sad) meeting where folks from <a href="http://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/dote/">DOTE</a> and <a href="http://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/public-services/">Public Services</a> both tried to deny responsibility for cleaning those bike lanes. Public Services said that the protected bike lanes are "a DOTE project... we're not touching it." Then DOTE said something to the effect of, "Street cleaning is on Public Service".  They were both sort of laughing about it, but I think it revealed a real reluctance to take ownership of the bike lanes, which is understandable when the mayor is so openly hostile towards them.

I noticed that (almost) all of the plastic bollards along Central Parkway have been removed, which makes it even more confusing where cars can (and can't) park. Does anybody know if that's permanent, or just temporary? I was at an interesting (sad) meeting where folks from <a href="http://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/dote/">DOTE</a> and <a href="http://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/public-services/">Public Services</a> both tried to deny responsibility for cleaning those bike lanes. Public Services said that the protected bike lanes are "a DOTE project... we're not touching it." Then DOTE said something to the effect of, "Street cleaning is on Public Service".  They were both sort of laughing about it, but I think it revealed a real reluctance to take ownership of the bike lanes, which is understandable when the mayor is so openly hostile towards them.

 

I know the snow plow trucks knocked a lot of them over when getting the snow out of the way.  Maybe it's just temporary until they get some all new ones or find a better way to divide the bike lane.

The bike lane is in a profound state of disrepair just one year after having been built.  I live right by it and saw very little use after the initial novelty wore off. 

The bollards are gone through attrition from vehicles and the elements- that's one thing the critics have been right about.  But it's still a great project.  I think usage will pick up once the construction on Central Parkway at the Hopple interchange is complete and it becomes a passable route to Northside. 

Not to mention new Bike Share stations at Cincinnati State and Hoffner Park. The bike lane will get more use than ever this summer.

What will the city do to fix the Central Parkway bike lane?

Chris Wetterich - Staff reporter and columnist - Cincinnati Business Courier

 

Bad weather, bad driving and bad installation methods have led to 60 percent of the white bollards lining Central Parkway to mark its protected bike lane being toppled over the winter, but city officials say they have a way to fix the problem.

 

The city's transportation department installed 500 bollards – they're basically short, white poles – along the bike lane last summer and about 300 have been toppled, broken or lost, said city transportation director Michael Moore. The bollards cost $50 each.

 

The bike lane was the subject of discussion at Wednesday's council transportation committee, with Robin Imaging owner Bill Johnson telling council it is dangerous to bikers and drivers.

 

Cont

Regarding the Central Parkway bike lane, I agree with all of this:

One traffic lane in each direction of the parkway is now used for parking during non-rush hour periods, leading to a lot of rear-end or near-miss rear-end car crashes, Johnson said.

"It's not what people expect," he said.

...

"One thing that didn't happen is that change in the lanes didn't create traffic problems," Mann said.

 

To fix the current situation, they should simply allow for on street parking at all hours (including during rush hour) and stripe the lanes accordingly (solid white line to separate traffic from parking lane). Currently it feels "wrong" to park in the lane next to the bike lane, so only 1 or two cars usually do it, leading to those "near-miss rear-end" situations. One lane of traffic in each direction is sufficient for Central Parkway since it doesn't have much traffic anyway. Having cars parked next to the bike lane at all hours will be good for businesses as well.

Not only was Mann's Bend an unnecessary waste of money, it adds way more confusion about which lanes are for driving and which are for parking.

I'm always amazed at the psychological power of a curb. I walk halfway across Liberty Street all the time. When I stop and the tiny little curbed median on Vine the cars have no problem. When I stop in the middle of the much wider painted median at Walnut cars always freak out and stop in the middle of a green light to let me cross. It's a very odd, but real reaction to the built environment.

 

Central Parkway operates no different in its current configuration to many of Cincinnati's other arterials. The big difference is the lack of a curb.

 

I know it would be expensive to build a curb the whole way, and it would also trap bicyclists in the lane if there's an obstruction, but if they were to lay a series of parking lot curbs or cement potted plants it would effectively resolve that conflict people are having.

I've never met a rush hour restricted parking lane that appropriately allows traffic to move. I think we should stop pretending and just let people park there during rush hour.

Unfortunately, unlike any other streetcar system I've seen, there is widespread use of "double-tracks" in Cincinnati which cause a much more dramatic channel than I've seen anywhere else:

 

 

Yes I know these are going to be filled in, but at the finished depth they still present a mild danger to anyone with skinny tires.  If you have a mountain bike you won't have any issues. 

The double track is only being used around curves and special track work (such as the switches), so it should not be a major issue. Any bikes should completely avoid Henry Street which will not be open for thru traffic once the streetcar opens.

I saw this red bike on the W. Clifton hill...I don't know if they climbed or if they coasted down.

http://m.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2015/04/06/red-bike-lands-major-sponsor.html

AJ Green rode by me on a Red Bike today around lunch time at Sawyer Point! Pretty cool that even our local celebs/athletes are using the system!

The Millcreek trail extension created this very weird situation on the extraordinarily obscure Mill Creek Ave. bridge...so the formerly 2-lane bridge is now one lane with stop lights at either end. 

 

That's weird. How does it work on Spring Grove Avenue? Have they made the connection yet?

I was on my way to the airport the other day at the early hour of 4:00 AM and noticed the Central Parkway bike lanes being cleaned. There was a street sweeper wedged between the curb and bollards cleaning away debris.

That's weird. How does it work on Spring Grove Avenue? Have they made the connection yet?

 

No they haven't made a solid connection.  There is a break of a few hundred feet with no obvious indication that the trail continues.  If you look at the map you will see that it continues, but not everyone is going to do that. 

 

^ This is just weird. I really can't see any improvement on just leaving it the way it was.

 

 

I was expecting that the sidewalk would be widened to accommodate a bike path separated by a barrier. As is right now (and then), it seems that you somehow have to hop on the sidewalk, continue down along traffic on space meant for walking pedestrians and find the unmarked connection.

Well there wasn't a paved trail of any kind in that area until about 2010 or 2011.  Piece-by-piece the trail is reaching a decent length, but right now it's only a functioning length for joggers.  And I don't think it's going to get a lot of use until it's significantly longer, if only to reach a few places where it's visible.  Right not it doesn't have a single section that is advertising its existence to the rest of the city. 

http://www.fastcoexist.com/3046345/how-copenhagen-became-a-cycling-paradise-by-considering-the-full-cost-of-cars

 

When the city decides on a cycling project, it compares the cost to that of a road for cars, and it includes not only the upfront amount, but also things like the cost of road accidents to society, the impact of car pollution on health, and the cost of carbon emitted to the atmosphere. After including these factors, it comes to a rather startling calculation. One kilometer driven by car costs society about 17 cents, whereas society gains 18 cents for each kilometer cycled, the paper finds. That's because of factors like the health benefits of cycling and the avoided ill-effects of cars.

The announcement that the proposed park levy will fund construction of the Ohio River, Mill Creek, and Wasson paved bike trails is huge.  Also, we will finally get the Mt. Airy Forest mountain bike trail, which has been proposed for at least 5 years. 

The bike lanes along Riverside Dr. currently have traffic counters. Cranley looking to build a case to remove them?

^^ there's also one on northbound Central Parkway between 12th and 13th, or thereabouts

Anyone want to get together and ride bikes in a circle over them for a couple hours?

Your assumption was sadly correct:

 

http://local12.com/m/news/features/top-stories/stories/Mayor-says-it-s-time-to-scrap-Central-Parkway-bike-lane-168780.shtml#.VaupSnPD9nE

Has the entire federal grant been exhausted?  Or has some been held back for Phase 2?

 

There are three main problems with this bike lane project as it exists and I assume that we'll have more of the same issues when and if Phase 2 is built. 

 

1. The bollards are ugly and need to be replaced by a permanent curb, a series of plantings, or something else that doesn't make the parkway look like a construction site.  Obviously the grant alone couldn't fund that.  But for such a high-profile street, it was worth waiting until the project could be done right.   

2. The parking needs to be made permanent (not the current rush hour configuration) with parking meters, signage, and perhaps light poles brought out to the permanent divider that doesn't currently exist. 

3. Come-lately bike advocates -- many of whom don't really ride bikes all that much and didn't ride at all until about five years ago -- need to chill the hell out.  They're totally falling into Cranley's trap.  Instead of recommending a compromise and improvements, they're insisting that the existing character of the road is perfect when it isn't. 

 

Also, as much of the extension as possible from Marshall Ave. north should be on the old rapid transit right-of-way.  I have heard that some stipulation of the federal grant prevented that from happening.  If that is the case, use the grant money elsewhere or give it back so that this thing can be built the best way. 

 

 

^Another problem is that a street sweeper and snow plow cannot fit in the bike lane, so lots of snow and debris collect in the bike lane.  Lots of the markers/bollards were damaged in the winter and had to be replaced.  This will be an annual expense?

 

The huge construction mess at Hopple Street makes the bike lanes much less viable, because intrepid bikers are unlikely to ride through that area from Northside but will more likely use Spring Grove Ave.

^Another problem is that a street sweeper and snow plow cannot fit in the bike lane, so lots of snow and debris collect in the bike lane.  Lots of the markers/bollards were damaged in the winter and had to be replaced.  This will be an annual expense?

 

The huge construction mess at Hopple Street makes the bike lanes much less viable, because intrepid bikers are unlikely to ride through that area from Northside but will more likely use Spring Grove Ave.

 

I have seen street sweepers driving down the bike lane before. They're about the same exact width. The city also has smaller pickup trucks equipped with snow plows that could be used on the bike lanes if need be (these are the trucks that occasionally plow my street in the winter, if I'm lucky and report the unplowed street on the City Hall app enough times).

 

The solution isn't to scrap the idea, but complete it. It's half assed right now, but it's still better than not having a bike lane. Spending money to remove it would be asinine, especially as that money could be put toward making some of the modifications Jake mentioned above.

 

My biggest concern is that there are drivers out there who are oblivious enough to not only ignore street signs and giant pavement markings, but to slam into the back of parked cars. It’s one thing to be dumb enough that you park in the bike lane, but it’s another to crash into a stationary object because you were driving in a parking lane.

And how is this any different than other streets with curb parking and rush hour restrictions?  Aside from that, any traffic counts are bunk because of the Hopple Street interchange construction.  I've avoided Central Parkway because of that alone, and the bail-out point is Marshall Avenue, which has just as much construction going on so it's equally bad to bike on. 

The big problem with the parking is that people don't park up against the bollards as they would a curb.  So when you're driving down the parkway, the parked cars are often in the center of the lane or close to it.  This has fooled me more than once and I've had to make a less-than-casual lane change.  This is something I don't think anyone anticipated but it's a major problem that would go away on its own if a curb were installed. 

 

I've also seen quite a bit of insane behavior by both bicyclists and vehicles in the bike lane.  One time I was going south in the bike lane and had to get up on the sidewalk to avoid a Metro bus that had pulled over to the curb in an area where the bollards had been destroyed.  I passed the stopped bus and hopped down the curb back into the bike lane to almost collide with a metro service vehicle that abruptly barreled into the bike lane to park.  So apparently the bus was broken down and the bus driver was waiting for a maintenance vehicle or a replacement driver.  The series of events was completely random but because the bus itself didn't stop in the parking lane, then the service vehicle didn't either. 

 

 

 

^Speaking of insane behavior, a few weeks ago I saw a guy on a full-sized motorcycle charging southbound in the northbound bike lane near Marshall. Who in their right mind would think that's a good idea?

^Another problem is that a street sweeper and snow plow cannot fit in the bike lane, so lots of snow and debris collect in the bike lane.  Lots of the markers/bollards were damaged in the winter and had to be replaced.  This will be an annual expense?

 

The huge construction mess at Hopple Street makes the bike lanes much less viable, because intrepid bikers are unlikely to ride through that area from Northside but will more likely use Spring Grove Ave.

 

They make plows to handle that, but when you have an a-hole who doesn't support urbanism, your not going to get it: http://www.peopleforbikes.org/blog/entry/how-to-stop-snow-from-being-bike-lane-kryptonite

^Speaking of insane behavior, a few weeks ago I saw a guy on a full-sized motorcycle charging southbound in the northbound bike lane near Marshall. Who in their right mind would think that's a good idea?

 

Go on the Loveland bike trail on a crowded day if you want to see plenty of total nonsense and near-wrecks...this stuff isn't limited to bike lanes in cities.  The big problem with dedicated bike infrastructure of any kind is that everyone assumes a false sense of safety because they're out having fun.  It's a lot like all of the bad behavior you see boating.  Since people are out on the water they don't think anything is going to go wrong and if it does it won't "hurt".  Or people are so worried about drowning they don't think about getting their hands pinched or getting hit by a boat while swimming with a life vest. 

 

The big problem with the parkway bike lanes from a biker's perspective -- if we briefly ignore the bad behavior by other bikers or other people using the lanes -- are all of the points where bikes can get nailed by cross traffic.  There should be rumble strips in the bike lane that force bikers to slow down and pay the hell attention to what might be turning into or out of a driveway.  It's totally unrealistic to assume that drivers are going to be able to notice people on this bike lane when they might be obscured by a parked delivery truck or other vehicle.  A bike lane by its nature instills a false sense of security in the bicyclist and so leads them to assume that drivers see them and will stop even if the bicyclist has the legal right-of-way. 

 

 

From the inimitable P. Casey Coston- http://www.soapboxmedia.com/features/072815-soapdish-central-parkway-bike-path-debate.aspx

This garbage reminds me why it was a really good idea that I left Cincinnati.  I'm cheering for you Cincy but God do you suck at so many things that are easy for others to get. I commute regularly on the most heavily used cycle track in the US it's not that hard to adjust to this change.

 

I'm really happy Casey is talking some sense into this provincial controversy

 

New Red Bike station in Northside:

 

There is also a new one just uphill from Cincinnati State.  It is on a new concrete slab at the corner of Ludlow & Lafayette. 

Northside needs a few Redbike stations. Probably one at The Comet, Mayday (once it reopens), Hoffner Park, Urban Artifact, St. Boniface area, Colerain/Blue Rock (once Dojo opens there), and Chase/Hamilton. Having a single Redbike staation isn't going to generate nearly enough ridership as having multiple stations in the neighborhood. Hopefully this is a first step.

I agree and am a little concerned about Red Bike's expansion strategy. They have added a few additional stations in the basin and Uptown to fill in the gaps and make it much more convenient to use as a means of transportation. But by adding one single station in Northside they are re-enforcing the false idea that it's a toy, something you check out and ride around for awhile and then return to the same station. I know it's due to funding and they would like to add more when possible.

 

The NKY expansion seems to be doing well, and I think each city at least has a few stations. This also demonstrates the benefit of having Red Bike run by a non-profit rather than directly owned and operated by the City of Cincinnati's DOTE.

Chris Wetterich took Red Bike and the Central Parkway bike lane from Clifton to Downtown and then Newport. You can read about it here

 

I Tried It: Red Bike and the Central Parkway bikeway

 

Normally when I’m on Central Parkway I’m driving my car, but I was curious how well two of the city’s newer transportation options – the Central Parkway bikeway and bike sharing service Cincy Red Bike – could be combined to form a commuting alternative.

 

Doing so could reduce my impact on the environment and allow me to get some exercise on my daily commute.

Wetterich notes that the weight of the red bikes is ridiculous, because it is.  It makes climbing hills a total pain and it puts a ton of wear on the brakes when coasting downhill.  These bikes to have a pretty smooth ride when riding straight-ahead, but the handling is floppy and dangerous when turning or doing any sort of maneuvering.  Any number of dedicated commuter bikes in the $400 range manufactured by Specialized, Giant, Trek, etc. are leaps and bounds better bikes.  Anyone can climb our hills with a modern commuter bike that weighs about 25 pounds.  If you get a carbon fiber road bike that weighs around 17 pounds it's like the hills aren't even there.   

 

In local bike store news I have made a point of visiting as many of the city's bike shops as I can over the past few years.  I have shied away from Montgomery Cyclery in favor of the many independents and was previously only familiar with their Montgomery and Loveland locations, which are pretty weak.  I was blown away when visiting the unassuming West Chester location recently.  It is where Montgomery Cyclery's warehouse is and where they assemble the bikes for the entire chain.  Their in-store selection is insanely deep compared to any other bike store in the area.  To say it's 2X is a gross underestimate -- it's more like 5X larger than any other bike shop in Cincinnati.  They have pretty much every model by every manufacturer in multiple sizes in stock and ready to test.  There are certainly at least 250 and perhaps 500 assembled bikes in that store ranging from entry level to $5,000 pro road and mountain bikes.  If you want to compare a $1,500 mountain bike by one manufacturer against its competitors, it's the only shop in town where you can do that with 3-4 competitors.  Usually you are lucky to have just one competitor with which to make a comparison. 

 

Down the road, West Chester Cyclery is an independent shop and the guys are really helpful.  That shop carries pretty much just Felt and Raleigh and I think Surly.  Montgomery Cyclery does not carry either of those brands.  They have Specialized, Giant, Cannondale, Cervelo, and probably one more that I'm forgetting.  They do not carry Trek anymore because Trek has had its own stores for several years. 

 

My various visits to the Trek store in the Voice of America shopping center have been met with a semi-incompetent staff.  They weren't jerks or anything (which you get occasionally from Campus Cyclery), they just literally don't know what they're talking about.  The store is large but has a fairly low selection of bikes since they're only selling...Trek.  What they do have in stock which is very rare is a touring bike, so if you want to see Trek's touring bike they usually have it on display.  You pretty much never see a touring bike for sale in any bike shop since they're lucky to sell one every five years. 

 

Trek is a bit of an obnoxious company but I would consider buying one of their high-end bikes because they are manufactured in Wisconsin.  Their aluminum and steel frames (including the touring bike, I would guess) are all manufactured overseas.  Unfortunately all other "American" bike manufacturers with distribution like Felt do all of their production in Asia.  I have to assume that doing production in Wisconsin does save Trek some money since they don't have to send their engineers overseas all the time, but they are probably able to pull it off only because their volume is so high.   

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

^ so who has the best selection in the City or at least in Hamilton County.

Wetterich notes that the weight of the red bikes is ridiculous, because it is.  It makes climbing hills a total pain and it puts a ton of wear on the brakes when coasting downhill.  These bikes to have a pretty smooth ride when riding straight-ahead, but the handling is floppy and dangerous when turning or doing any sort of maneuvering.  Any number of dedicated commuter bikes in the $400 range manufactured by Specialized, Giant, Trek, etc. are leaps and bounds better bikes.  Anyone can climb our hills with a modern commuter bike that weighs about 25 pounds.  If you get a carbon fiber road bike that weighs around 17 pounds it's like the hills aren't even there. 

 

Valid points, but B-cycle is aiming at the rather large market comprised of people that either A) don't want to spend $400+ on a bike or B) want to be able to ride somewhere quickly, ditch the bike, and never look back.  They aren't meant for climbing hills or serious biking, so they're good enough for their intended use.

 

Trek is a bit of an obnoxious company but I would consider buying one of their high-end bikes because they are manufactured in Wisconsin.  Their aluminum and steel frames (including the touring bike, I would guess) are all manufactured overseas.  Unfortunately all other "American" bike manufacturers with distribution like Felt do all of their production in Asia.  I have to assume that doing production in Wisconsin does save Trek some money since they don't have to send their engineers overseas all the time, but they are probably able to pull it off only because their volume is so high.   

 

Just out of curiosity, what do you think of the bikes Shinola is making up in Wisconsin and Michigan?

^ so who has the best selection in the City or at least in Hamilton County.

 

I can't say for sure.  There are a ton of small bicycle shops in this area (maybe 20 or 25) and I haven't set foot in many of them.  I've never been inside Resor in Newport, the place in Hyde Park, or the one in Milford, for example, and I haven't been in the old Schwinn store I grew up going to on Colerain in about 20 years! 

 

The advances in bikes of all kinds in the last 10 years have been amazing.  It doesn't seem like you can go wrong with anything as long as you're spending about $400.  The main problem with choosing a bike is that you never get a chance to try out all of them because there's no store that has every manufacturer.  The sizing and feel of bikes is kind of like trying on athletic shoes.  You have to try on a few before you find the one that's best for your frame. 

 

Last year I went biking with someone I went to high school who brought his Giant mountain bike he bought around 1994. I rode that bike to work when we were roommates 2001-2002 so I knew that bike pretty well.  I got on the thing last year and couldn't believe how harsh the ride quality was compared to anything for sale today.  And even now I know that the new $400 commuter bikes are much better than the $400 one I bought in 2007 and still ride.  When I visit a bike shop I find myself wishing that thing would get stolen so that I have an excuse to buy a new one! 

Trek is a bit of an obnoxious company but I would consider buying one of their high-end bikes because they are manufactured in Wisconsin.  Their aluminum and steel frames (including the touring bike, I would guess) are all manufactured overseas.  Unfortunately all other "American" bike manufacturers with distribution like Felt do all of their production in Asia.  I have to assume that doing production in Wisconsin does save Trek some money since they don't have to send their engineers overseas all the time, but they are probably able to pull it off only because their volume is so high.   

 

Just out of curiosity, what do you think of the bikes Shinola is making up in Wisconsin and Michigan?

 

I haven't seen them so I can't say.  There are a dozen or more small companies making bikes in the United States but Trek is the only one that has a fairly large production facility here.  I believe they only make their carbon fiber road bikes at their factory in Wisconsin but they might also make the carbon mountain bikes, assuming they make them. 

 

Trek makes a ton of great bikes but so does everyone else.  The difference is that Trek seems to have hired top-shelf marketing and design people from other industries.  Frankly they seem to be modeling themselves after Apple.  The Trek stores are more attractive than most independent bike shops and their bikes -- especially the new road bikes -- are incredible pieces of design.  But the premium people are paying for those beautiful bikes don't add up to higher performance.  The 2016 Madone is probably the most visually impressive production bike ever built but I doubt that its much-touted aero design is 60 seconds faster in 100 miles of riding as compared to last year's non-aero Madone. 

 

 

 

I came to a red light at a major intersection on a bike trail in Cincinnati. I stopped at the red light, and was surprised to see two Cincinnati bicycle police officers pass me and run the red light!

The Jimmy John's on Calhoun St. has had bike delivery guys for about ten years.  But I've noticed in recent weeks that they appear to be sending regular kitchen staff out on red bikes to make deliveries.  I'm still seeing dedicated bike delivery guys who put the food in backpacks, but the kitchen staff uses the red bike baskets.