LexRides

roller · d'oh! Joined: 17 May 2008 Posts: 294 Location: duncan park

Strong event fellas. The enthusiasm for biking from members here really accelerated the event. It was palpable, especially in bashing Louisville, and otherwise it was a love-in for bikes and trails issues in general.

A few folks here were in the audience and asked questions such as the protocol for striping bike lanes and made comments about how vibrant the biking community is.

Shane explained his great work on campus (didn't know that you guys put down the new path markers) and Tim detailed the fire that is Lexrides...the simple and genuine notion that a group people could say, hey let's have fun with bikes, and it could become a force in the community. He really made folks appreciate polo and it helps when you have a local rocknroll icon that is a sexy centerfold in various magazines.

Of course Brad, as chairperson for the Task Force, was a great host & facilitated a nice round of discussion. He opened the event with an intro to Mayor and asked Peggy Littrell of Bluegrass Cycling Club to give the mayor a BCC jersey. What's up with that bro? Didn't give him a skully or a mallet?

alex · Posted: Wed May 06, 2009 8:10 am Post subject:

or a cockpunch?

elzie5000 · cutter Joined: 25 Oct 2007 Posts: 1177

Security might have objected if they'd held him down and given him a skully tat.

brokebike · cutter Joined: 21 Oct 2007 Posts: 2434 Location: local

I'm still not ready to be in the same general vicinity of the Mayor, much less the same room.
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sailorjames · cutter Joined: 15 Nov 2007 Posts: 329

Are there any notes anywhere on the event? I missed it due to previous engagements, i'm particularly interested in what was said on line-painting protocol

roller · d'oh! Joined: 17 May 2008 Posts: 294 Location: duncan park

so everyone here hates the mayor b/c centerpit? i respect that. What if he said last night that in light of this boondoggle, he was adding more bike lanes, facilities, and trails to help downtown be much more pedestrian friendly? A little give and take? He didn't say it directly, but with maybe he could.

roller · d'oh! Joined: 17 May 2008 Posts: 294 Location: duncan park

brokebike · cutter Joined: 21 Oct 2007 Posts: 2434 Location: local

elzie5000 · cutter Joined: 25 Oct 2007 Posts: 1177

Newberry can fly a kite.

I'd like to see him try.

roller · d'oh! Joined: 17 May 2008 Posts: 294 Location: duncan park

metro biking · Posted: Thu May 07, 2009 5:59 pm Post subject: Public Forum Follow Ups

Roller and Others,
Here are some of the considerations for prioritizing striping lanes that a bike planner should look at:
1. Width of the pavement. Are they 10 foot, 11 foot or 12 foot lanes and do the lanes end at the gutter with a curb two feet to the right? Are there shoulders wide enuff for riding?
2. Posted speed limits. Bikers can ride in a 10-12 foot lane - cars need about 7-8 feet - for example if the speed limit is 25. A 12 foot lane w/ a speed limit of 35 tho gets a little scarier and at 45 mph, like our major downtown feeders Nich-ville Rd., TC Rd., H-burg Rd. or Rich Rd. cyclists watch out. Posted speeds limits are not what people drive tho. 85%tile traffic - which is most people - is usually 5-7-10 mph over posted limit.
3. Traffic volumes. Nich-ville Rd. and others handle over 50k cars/trucks a day in sections - a high volume with a high % of trucks which increases bikers' risk.

It is common sense. Narrow lanes and higher speeds = low bikeability
Wide outside lanes with moderate speeds = OK
Shoulders on 55 mph rds like Newtown or Winchester Rd. outside NC Rd. are OK if the Agencies would keep them swept. But watch out for the NC Rd. ramp on-off locations.

Time of day riding is also a factor. I ride Harrodsburg Rd. from Beaumont area to Virginia Ave. frequently but is is during off-peak time i.e not 6:30a-8:30a or 4p-6p. 9-11 in morn, for example, H-burg is safe and OK to ride for the experienced.

Some specific solutions? Look for parallel neighborhood streets. If it has a yellow middle stripe it is 35 mph, if not it is 25 mph. These are usually low volume streets also.

Some are Malibu Dr. - Lexington's original bike route - to Bellefonte to the Arboretum cut through, but watch out for the hill and curve situation inbound past Reynolds Rd. near Redding road. Fontaine Rd. but it is pretty narrow with curb and gutter and rough stretches of pavement and you have to be inside NC Rd.

My daily commute includes Southview Dr. from Clays Mill/Stone Rd. - I take the lane when going over the hill on Stone Rd. so fools don't try to pass without being able to see over the hill. Then Southview to my house a block from Marrika's. To get into town I go from Southview and take Cherry Bark by the fire station to Rosemont to Hiltonia to the Central Baptist cut through to University to Huguelet and into town via a couple of different routes.

So, there are alternates to the major thoroughfares and you can find safe ones. When you do let us all know.
Mike @ Metro Biking
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Metro Biking

metro biking · Posted: Thu May 07, 2009 9:13 pm Post subject: Correction to My Earlier Post

Roller and All,
Earlier I wrote that Malibu Dr. was Lexington's original bike route.
I did not mean Malibu Dr. but Lansdowne Dr. starting at Wilson Downing Rd. The route runs on Landowne Dr. and connects to Bellefonte Dr. after the NC Rd. overpass. Bellefonte Dr. runs into the Arboretum near Commonwealth for those unfamiliar with the area.
This is a good connection from the Fayette Mall part of town outside NC Rd.
See you on he road.
Mike
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Metro Biking