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Home My WebLink AboutbikeSurveyResults C:\WINDOWS\Temporary Internet Files\OLK6815\RTBC Agenda Items - Complete.doc MEETING NOTICE JCCOG Regional Trails and Bicycling Committee Tuesday, November 25, 2008 – 4:00PM Iowa City Library – Meeting Room B AGENDA 1. Call to order; recognize alternates; consider approval of minutes 2. Public discussion 3. Discuss online bicycle survey results 4. Discuss JCCOG Metro Bicycle Master Plan public workshop results a. Public discussion specific to the Metro Bicycle Master Plan (20 minutes) 5. Discuss draft chapters of the JCCOG Metro Bicycle Master Plan 6. Update on JCCOG Metro Bicycle Master Plan timeline 7. Update on bicycle and pedestrian related collisions in the urbanized area 8. Update on 2008 JCCOG trail counts 9. Other business 10. Adjournment Attachments: 1. Draft minutes from the August, 5 2008 RTBC meeting 2. Draft Chapters 2-3 Metro Bicycle Master Plan 3. Memorandum on bicycle planning workshops 4. Memorandum on online bicycle survey 5. Memorandum on trail use 6. Bike Parking Guide 7. “12-for-1 Parking – Bike Corrals ,” CitiesGoGreen article 8. “JCCOG wants input on bike plan,” Press Citizen article Contact Kris Ackerson, JCCOG Assistant Transportation Planner, at 356-5247 or kristopher- ackerson@iowa-city.org with questions. m e m o C:\WINDOWS\Temporary Internet Files\OLK6815\RTBC Agenda Items - Complete.doc Date: May 13, 2009 To: JCCOG Regional Trails and Bicycling Committee From: Kent Ralston, Kris Ackerson; Assistant Transportation Planners Re: November 25, 2008 Agenda Items Agenda Item #3: Discuss online bicycle survey results Public participation is crucial in developing a bicycle master plan that meets the needs of current and future residents. In addition to two community workshops, JCCOG hosted an online survey to gather public input from residents regarding bicycling in the community. The survey was completed by 472 residents between October 20 th and November 6 th . Key Findings Seventy-five percent of respondents are from Iowa City and Coralville, and approximately half of respondents live on the eastside of Iowa City. Forty-five percent of respondents are over 40 years old. Approximately 1/3 of respondents ride for recreation or transportation once a week or less. Respondents ride equally on arterials, collectors, and neighborhood streets. Respondents rated bicycle facilities in the community as Average (54 percent), Poor (40 percent), or Excellent (4 percent). The top two factors that discourage respondents from bicycling are “Too many cars/cars drive too fast” and “Drivers don’t share the road.” Bike lanes are the most commonly requested bicycle facility (39 percent). According to respondents, more bike racks are needed at grocery stores (22 percent), shopping centers (19 percent), and restaurants (13 percent). The complete survey results are attached for reference. Please be prepared to discuss the survey results. Agenda Item #4: Discuss JCCOG Metro Bicycle Master Plan public workshop results In late September and early October, JCCOG staff hosted two community planning workshops to discuss the upcoming Metro Bicycle Master Plan and obtain public input for the plan. The purpose of the exercises was to generate consensus about how communities should focus resources to improve cycling in the JCCOG Urbanized Area. The format of both workshops was the same and included a brief presentation followed by two exercises. The workshops were introduced by local officials, including Tom Gill, Coralville City Council; Ross Wilburn, Iowa City City Council; and Tom Salm, Mayor of North Liberty. Approximately 75- 80 people attended each workshop for a total attendance of 150-160 residents. m e m o C:\WINDOWS\Temporary Internet Files\OLK6815\RTBC Agenda Items - Complete.doc Numerous sponsors donated raffle items for the events, including: Broken Spoke Geoff’s Bike and Ski Iowa Bicycle Coalition Iowa City Bicycle Library Johnson County Trails Foundation Scheels Sporting Goods Taproot Nature Experience World of Bikes A summary of the workshop results is attached for review. Please be prepared to provide feedback on the outcomes. Agenda Item #5: Discuss draft chapters of the JCCOG Metro Bicycle Master Plan The planning process involves several steps. An inventory of bicycle accommodations and determination of the level of service are the first steps. To date, JCCOG staff has met with Coralville, Iowa City, North Liberty, University Heights, the Clear Creek/Amana School District, and University of Iowa staff, including planners, engineers, and chiefs of police. Meetings are also planned with representatives of Tiffin and Johnson County. Draft chapters 2-3 are enclosed for your review and comment. Staff plans to submit a draft of chapters 1 and 4, including the following appendices, for your next meeting. Chapter 1. Introduction Chapter 2. Existing Conditions Chapter 3. Policies, Goals, and Objectives Chapter 4. Recommendations and Phasing Appendix A: Types of Bicyclists and Their Needs Appendix B: Summary of Community Workshops and Online Survey Appendix C: Types of Bicycle Facilities Appendix D: Funding Sources Appendix E: Sample Bike Parking Ordinance Please be prepared to discuss the draft goals, objectives, and benchmarks. Let me know at our November 25 meeting if you concur with this approach; and specifically if you concur with the goals and objectives as drafted. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at Kristopher- Ackerson@iowa-city.org , or by phone at 356-5247. Agenda Item #6: Update on JCCOG Metro Bicycle Master Plan timeline The following tentative project timeline has been developed for the Metro Bicycle Master Plan planning process. August 5th – Kick-off meeting with RTBC (complete) August/September – Meet with city staff (on-going) Late September – Coralville / North Liberty / Tiffin / Johnson Co. Workshop (complete) Early October – Iowa City / Univ. Heights / University of Iowa Community Workshop (complete) October – Online survey (complete) November – Meet with Tiffin, University Heights, and school districts staff (complete) Late November – Summary of community workshops and draft chapters for RTBC C:\WINDOWS\Temporary Internet Files\OLK6815\RTBC Agenda Items - Complete.doc Early February – Draft Plan, including recommendations submitted to RTBC for review March – Public comment period on draft April – Draft plan submitted to JCCOG TTAC and Board for adoption Early May – Public open house during Bike to Work Week Mid-May – JCCOG member entities adopt the Metro Bicycle Master Plan Agenda Item #7: Update on bicycle and pedestrian related collisions in the urbanized area At the February 26, 2008 JCCOG Regional Trails and Bicycling meeting, the committee requested data pertaining to bicycle/vehicle related accidents in our area. A group of University of Iowa graduate students is preparing a summary of data JCCOG obtained from the Iowa Department of Transportation. We hope to have this information prepared for our next meeting. Agenda Item #8: Update on 2008 JCCOG trail counts JCCOG staff has collected bicycle and pedestrian counts on regional trails over the last several months. We have attached a memo outlining the trail count data that we collected this season. If you have any requests for trail counts please let me know and we will add it to the program next spring. Agenda Item #9: Other business Agenda Item #10: Adjournment C:\WINDOWS\Temporary Internet Files\OLK6815\RTBC Agenda Items - Complete.doc Page 1 Date: May 13, 2009 To: JCCOG Regional Trails and Bicycling Committee From: Kristopher Ackerson, Assistant Transportation Planner Re: Agenda Item #3: Bike Master Plan Online Survey Results Details Online at www.JCCOG.org 472 Respondents Available 9/30/08 to 11/6/08 Where do you live? Iowa City (Eastside) 242/472 51% Iowa City (Westside) 79/472 17% Coralville 58/472 12% North Liberty 33/472 7% Rural Johnson County 28/472 6% University Heights 12/472 3% Other 14/472 3% Tiffin 4/472 1% How many people in your household? 2.70 people per household You are: Male 264/472 56% Female 205/472 43% What is your age? 51+ 113/472 24% 41-50 100/472 21% 31-40 140/472 30% 23-30 90/472 19% 19-22 31/472 7% 16-18 1/472 0% Under 16 0/472 0% What is your estimated annual household income? $75k 191/472 40% $50k - $75k 102/472 22% $25k - $50k 80/472 17% $10k - $25k 37/472 8% Less than $10k 28/472 6% How many miles is your daily commute (by any transportation mode)? 1-3 miles 149/472 32% 3-5 miles 117/472 25% 7+ miles 108/472 23% 5-7 miles 66/472 14% Less than 1 mile 31/472 7% m e m o C:\WINDOWS\Temporary Internet Files\OLK6815\RTBC Agenda Items - Complete.doc Page 2 Which of these phrases best describes you as a cyclist? Comfortable riding in some traffic 213/472 45% Comfortable riding in most traffic 205/472 43% Not comfortable riding in any traffic 34/472 7% Presently not a cyclist 20/472 4% Making my community more bicycle- friendly is important to improving my quality of life. Strongly Agree 388/472 82% Agree 67/472 14% Neutral 8/472 2% Disagree 9/472 2% Strongly Disagree 0/472 0% Bike facilities in my community are well maintained. Disagree 155/472 33% Agree 149/472 32% Neutral 144/472 31% Strongly Agree 22/472 5% Strongly Disagree 0/472 0% On which type of roads do you tend to ride to reach your destinations? Collectors 208/472 44% Local/Residential 162/472 34% Major Boulevards 96/472 20% How would you rate the urbanized area's performance in providing suitable bicycle facilities? Average 254/472 54% Poor 189/472 40% Excellent 21/472 4% Not Sure 6/472 1% I would ride my bike more often if my community had more: Bike Lanes 339/860 39% Multi-Use Trails 206/860 24% Bike Routes 128/860 15% Bike Boulevards 94/860 11% Sharrows 74/860 9% Bike Parking 19/860 2% Please indicate how many times between April and October that you: Walk for recreation/transportation Daily 140/453 31% Multiple times a week 197/453 43% Once a week 61/453 13% Once a month 45/453 10% Never 10/453 2% Ride the Bus Daily 10/426 2% Multiple times a week 35/426 8% Once a week 34/426 8% Once a month 98/426 23% Never 249/426 58% Bike for recreation Daily 47/453 10% Multiple times a week 209/453 46% Once a week 93/453 21% Once a month 74/453 16% Never 30/453 7% Bike for transportation Daily 128/448 29% Multiple times a week 159/448 35% Once a week 49/448 11% Once a month 47/448 10% Never 65/448 15% Drive a car Daily 167/462 36% Multiple times a week 182/462 39% Once a week 84/462 18% Once a month 12/462 3% Never 17/462 4% Other: taxi - Once a month run - Daily C:\WINDOWS\Temporary Internet Files\OLK6815\RTBC Agenda Items - Complete.doc Page 3 skateboard for transportation - Multiple times a week moped - Daily motorcycle - Multiple times a week ride scooter - Once a week walk or drive to work - Daily scooter - Multiple times a week motorcycle - Multiple times a week take train - Once a month teach bicycling - Multiple times a week run - Multiple times a week roller blade - Once a month bus - occasionally carpool - Multiple times a week carpool - Multiple times a week What key factors discourage you from bicycling? Too many cars/cars drive too fast 291/1318 22% Drivers don't share the road 279/1318 21% I am concerned with riding in the rain 138/1318 10% I have things to carry 124/1318 9% I have to dress up for work 116/1318 9% Destinations are too far away 77/1318 6% I travel with small children 69/1318 5% Less convenient than other options 64/1318 5% Topography 62/1318 5% Don't know safe routes to destinations 59/1318 4% Bicycling gives me 'helmet hair'20/1318 2% I don't own a bicycle 9/1318 1% Cost of cycling equipment 9/1318 1% I'm afraid of getting lost 1/1318 0% Other: Poor driving habits of autos at crosswalks live in rural area, have to get home before dark Gravel and cracks on side of road lack of bike lanes I am not discouraged to ride my bike There aren't bike paths that are direct, when biking to work I don't want to ride to hell and back Competition from others not a good direct route poor road conditions A palpable anti-cycling mindset by a few motorist (Cocking finger and thumb in a "pistol" position roads in bad shape safety/road maintenance No road shoulder on the way to work. It is dark when I go to work. Need transportation while at work and time is of the essence then. Street conditions janky pavement etc. lanes too narrow bad sight lines roads to major destinations hwy Drivers in IC harass bicyclists. I've been hit by cars and don't like it! Police do not discourage drivers who harass bicyclists Glass on the street and sidewalks, specifically after home football games roads are not plowed well enough in winter. Ice on the roads Poor biking route to work need "connectors between existing paths, PLEASE!! lack of safe bike lanes drivers/bikers don't seem to mix well here in Iowa City Lack of Driver/Cyclist Education Lack of designated bike lanes and bike paths streets and bike paths not being cleared of ice and snow encourage showers in businesses snow Lack of shower or room to change clothes bicyclists the ignore the rules, inattentive pedestrians, stupidity everywhere Because of a health concern I am not able to ride my bike to work at this time. Need car during business day Safety--see #17 below cold weather no safe way to get to work (highways, etc. to cross) transport kids to various activities intersection barriers C:\WINDOWS\Temporary Internet Files\OLK6815\RTBC Agenda Items - Complete.doc Page 4 Bike paths not being serviced during winter. Are you listening Coralville?! my health issues limit my biking. Time required for my commute, freezing weather nothing discourages me from bicycling! transporting and taking care of others dogs Drivers are not educated to the needs and limitations of cyclists--they cut me off, force to curb, e snow/ice Weather Lack of bike lanes time I used to commute by bike but haven’t in the past few years. No shoulder sand on the roads work schedule/not enough daylight Some drivers are hostile towards cycling traffic bad rain bike parking snow and ice cover Distance to/from work Time / work demands road debris forces me to ride more in the main lane of traffic and cars are not looking for cyclists THREATS from drivers! Unpaved roads hard to get thru downtown IC! no safe way to cross I-80 on Dodge Street Condition of roads drivers do not look for bikes in crosswalks. I have been hit twice by turning cars in crosswalks. Hwy 1 does not have a paved shoulder Lack of good route options to bike takes too long Open hostility of some drivers: yelling, beeping, cutting off, etc. TAKES LONGER THAN CAR Not enough room on the roads / or trail access Where would you like to see more bike racks? Grocery stores 176/796 22% Shopping Centers 155/796 19% Restaurants 105/796 13% Parking garages 85/796 11% Libraries 62/796 8% Where I work 56/796 7% University of Iowa 56/796 7% Parks, swimming pools, recreation areas 31/796 4% Govt. Centers 22/796 3% Apartment buildings 12/796 2% Community centers 14/796 2% Schools 9/796 1% Kirkwood Community College 4/796 1% Other: farmers market in IC parking generally not an issue Ped Mall, churches downtown Iowa City downtown downtown downtown (ped. mall area) everywhere Downtown IC Anywhere, just cover them!!! don't care if there are more all places My gym - Core Fitness More covered parking - bikes are more exposed to the elements nowhere downtown any covered area covered parking downtown Iowa City More *covered* parking Protected bike storage racks with shelter from rain Downtown not sure never full most bike racks are inefficient for locking up bikes - most people use trees and street signs not racks, bike check in like Wrigley Field. otherwise, too much vandalism C:\WINDOWS\Temporary Internet Files\OLK6815\RTBC Agenda Items - Complete.doc Page 5 Additional Comments: In general, there needs to be better crossing options for major arterial streets, such as Riverside Drive, Burlington St., Highway 6 in Iowa City and 1st Ave. and Second Street in Coralville. Also, the wide pathways along 2nd Avenue in Coralville are good, but frequently are blocked by cars pulling into traffic. There should be increased enforcement against such violators. I am very pleased to see this outreach / planning effort. I lived in Holland for 3 years and really enjoyed using a bike for most trips. More people need to be informed about bike path etiquette. I encounter pedestrians and other bikers who don't follow any rules. There needs to be more information published in the media and more signs on the trails. Painted dotted center lines would help, I think. Motorists also need more education about dealing with bikers. A front page article in the PC at the beginning of each season might help. When and IF there are improvement for safer walking/cycling routes that could give all us flexibility and many possible options to go anywhere in IC, I WILL LEAVE MY CAR IN THE GARAGE ALL THE TIME! I much rather to walk and cycle than drive, seriously. I see more and more bicycles on the road these days... this is good. However, I have seen a good deal of cyclists not sharing or obeying traffic signs. I think a bicyclist should have more right of way over cars just as pedestrians should have more right of way over both modes. I find it really annoying with bicyclists on sidewalks who fail to warn pedestrians and who ride way too fast on these routes. I think Iowa City/Johnson County Area has a great opportunity here to enhance pedestrian/bicycle/motor vehicle usage of our byways and highways. Much success... Larger, more crowded, and more congested cities have made commitments to cycling infrastructure, despite increased "inconvenience" to motorists. I enjoy the commute from my home in Coralville to UIHC via the Clear Creek Trail except for the hill at Finkbine Road. Way too steep. I think JCCOG should work to make our existing off-street trail system marketable and then market it by providing an integrated signage and mapping system available in multiple formats including large format, high-resolution maps to download and GPS maps available for sale (to offset the increased cost of this higher-utility service). Special designation for trail loops and throughways that match on maps and pavement markings, such as colors and symbols and numbers to indicate such things as trail difficulty, degree of encounter with traffic, destinations & connections, and urban vs. natural setting rating would make choosing a trail for recreation more enjoyable and less frustrating. The idea that the IC/Coralville area is trying to attain the status of a 'Bike Friendly' city is positively laughable. In fact, it is one of the least friendly areas I have EVER ridden in nationwide. Coming from Los Angeles, where the car rules, I find IC far, far more dangerous than riding the heavily congested traffic roads of Southern California. Obtuse and bizarre traffic intersections such as 3 way stops where 'opposing traffic does not stop' and merge lanes where cars don't stay in their own lane, but barge into other merge lanes are one of many issues that cyclist and drivers combined face. With the 3 hospitals in the area, and aging patients coming from rural Iowa to visit the hospitals, coupled with a large urban student population from the Chicago area provides a volatile mix on the cities roads...for CARS. Add bicycles to the streets, and it is, indeed, a frightening experience on my daily rides through the city. Additionally, you have a great number of UI student cyclists who think they are still riding in the suburb cul-de-sacs where they first learned on training wheels. These cyclist blow stop signs and traffic lights, and also go the wrong way on the bizarre, confusing network of one way streets and then ride on the sidewalk in heavily congested pedestrian areas. Bike Friendly?????? LAUGHABLE!!!!! However, it being easy to complain, and not offer solutions. My major advice, though broad in nature, would be for the City government to stop thinking of the bicycling as a 'recreation' but, to start thinking of it as TRANSPORTATION. Attempt to model IC in the same realm as Davis, CA; Portland, OR; Boulder, CO or some of the true "Bike Friendly' cities in The Netherlands or Europe. Thanks for listening. Nice to see that the cities are trying to work on bike issues. It has come a long way in the last 10 years but I would love for our community to be the small city version of something like Portland. I think it would be an economic plus if we where on the platinum list. Iowa City still has a long way to go to appeal to cycling, but it is on the right track and I can tell it is sincere in its approach to make the community more bike and pedestrian friendly. On that note, keep up the good work! If you need any assistance, I am part of the Bicyclists of Iowa City and we will gladly assist in anyway that we can. C:\WINDOWS\Temporary Internet Files\OLK6815\RTBC Agenda Items - Complete.doc Page 6 My wife worries about me on the road every day (I commute by bicycle daily and year-round). She's more anxious for my twice weekly recreational rides. When my oldest son rides his bike to Northwest Jr High, she holds her breath. And she's not nuts: she was a long-time bicycle commuter in Europe. The reality is that cars, drivers, a car-centric society, anti-bicycle police policies, and an infrastructure that discourages safe cycling make the world dangerous for cyclists. Cars are too big, too fast, and too hermetically sealed for children to be safe around them. A significant minority of drivers are too distracted, drug-addled, and busy cell-phoning to be allowed proximity to our children. So much more effort has to go into safely separating cyclists from cars, when possible. This is an expensive but necessary solution if we are ever to get kids off their butts. Moreover, police should specifically seek to educate drivers who routinely assume the right of way, fail to "see" cyclists, make rolling right turns on red, exceed safe driving speeds, buzz and harass cyclists, and impatiently bull their way through life. Rules of the road for cyclists need to be rethought along the lines of Oregon and other more cycling-friendly locales to purge the laws of anti-cycling bias (such as proscribing 2- abreast) and to heighten the visibility of bicycles (like bike boxes that allow bikes to pull ahead of cars - yes, pull ahead of them). As long as our culture supports the view that cars should be given free rein to zoom ever more rapidly to their destinations, who can wonder that kids don't bike to school? - - and that mothers worry when they do. I appreciate the trail systems in Iowa City, Coralville and North Liberty. Keep up the good work! Many trails still have a lot of sand from the flood. I put over 500 miles per month on my bicycle, much of it is on local (in town) trails, wide sidewalks and bike friendly roads. One of my pet peeves is to see cyclists using busy roads such as Riverside Drive when there is a wide sidewalk or trail nearby. The most difficult area to travel by bike is getting from the south, near Riverside/Benton, then going north past Burlington, Iowa, through the University Arts campus - and this was true BEFORE the flood. Obviously understand that the flood creates additional problems, but it has been bad in that area for a long time. Also has long been difficult to get around 1st Avenue in Coralville. Another difficult area is Highway 6 - getting out to the area of Fin & Feather, Walmart, etc. I have been to numerous Big Ten campuses. Ours is the worst for helping students bike to classes safely. It is of course the UI's issue but it is also the responsibility of the City of Iowa City (since so many students live off campus). My husband tries to commute by bike, but American Legion is a problem. I'd like to commute by bike, but won't even try from our home. It's too dangerous. This city needs to encourage sustainability in the form of transportation and create reforms in the structure as well as the accessibility of bicycles for those of lower incomes (like a free bike library the doesn't charge a down payment). I would like to see city government stand up for cyclists' rights, such as was not done in the case with Donald Baxter. If it is the goal to get more people to use bicycles for commuting, plans for trails, bike lanes, etc need to be planned from this point of view rather than solely from a recreational perspective. Many existing trails are not the most direct route to places where people would need to get for work or shopping. This forces cyclist to either travel farther than they would need to in a car or try to ride on streets without bike lanes, both options that likely discourage many individuals from biking to their destination. I feel that Johnson County is biker friendly. There are lots of road bike routes and trails in the Iowa City area. I get frustrated by cars just like most bikers. There isn't much we can do to change their habits. Defensive biking is the best policy to follow. I never assume anything while on the road. Iowa City needs to be bike friendly! Cycling is both a cheaper and an environmentally friendly alternative utilized by all ages--there are very small children to very old adults on the roads everyday. Driving is a privilege that many people cannot afford in the face of rising gas prices and a rapidly declining economy--cars are expensive. Bikes are not only convenient, but they are a healthy form of transportation. They promote transport free of greenhouse emissions while also providing a guilt-free workout. While bicycle safety should be stressed to those who choose to ride bikes, it is crucial that the drivers are subjected to the most scrutiny. Drivers constantly refuse to share the road--swerving, driving to close, and intimidating people who choose to ride their bikes. Cyclists are making a healthy choice and deserve to feel confident during the transition in moving from the sidewalks and into the streets. I don't think this survey will really get the information you need--there should be two sections: one for recreational biking and one for commuting. The area is much stronger for recreational biking than for C:\WINDOWS\Temporary Internet Files\OLK6815\RTBC Agenda Items - Complete.doc Page 7 commuting. We are far, far behind other communities with large universities in supporting biking for commuters. My bike is my main mode of transportation (despite owning two cars) and I travel 1500+ miles each year around town. Despite my biking experience, I know it is just a matter of time before I am hit and injured. When I and everyone else does not feel this way, we will have a bike-friendly community. This approach should be our collective goal; this is how the plan should be measured. Also, a joint effort between Johnson and Linn counties to have a path from CR to IC would be terrific!! I want to bike, but the traffic is terrible & no room for bikers. Please, please, bike lanes! If the streets are more inviting to bikers, you'll see far less traffic and far more bikers. Good for the environment, good for health of Iowans, good because you'll finally get a rating from the Bike Council. I am most interested in safe biking routes to the junior high and high school so that children can bike to school. 1st Avenue is very unpleasant for bikers but it is the major route to the east side schools. I would love for Iowa City to become more bike friendly, and I applaud your efforts to head in that direction. thanks for trying to improve our city Thank you so much for developing the Bike Master Plan. It is good for our community in so many ways including the benefit to public health. If biking and walking are "easier" (than driving) then more folks will choose these options and our community will become healthier due to increases in physical activity. Cyclists and drivers could certainly learn bike laws and those laws should be enforced. Lights on bikes when riding at night. Headphones should not be worn while riding a bike. Signals should be used. And how to properly turn in a turn lane. I can't tell you how many times I have nearly hit someone in my car because of one of these things. I think EVERYONE should be required to receive instruction on biking rules and courtesies, and then issued a license plate for their bike (BIK would be the perfect organization to administer this service, and I believe they would be happy to do so). When walking, I've nearly been hit and witnessed several near misses by bikers who race past people without letting them know they're approaching from behind. I believe the same licensing should be required for segway users. Riding a bike is great exercise, and a great alternative for transportation, and it would be nice to have more paved paths to ride on, so you wouldn't have to dangerously share the roadway with traffic. That this topic is even addressed in such an organized fashion is wonderful. There are many bikers here and the city does a wonderful job of trying to accommodate their needs. Encouraging local business to offer showers/ locker rooms for employees to change and clean up is also an important component to encouraging biking as a means for transport to work. I think be need more multi-use trails in the Coralville/North-Liberty area; expanding the ones we have may be a good option to go beyond the "urban" boundaries into the countryside more. These would not need to be concrete pavement; simply fine-packed gravel would be great (like Cedar Rapids). We should connect with Cedar Rapids and other surrounding areas (Tiffin, Solon, MacBride, etc...) with trails that are crushed-limestone The intersection of Dubuque Street and Park Road is very dangerous, especially around 8-9am because motorists coming off of I-80, traveling way above the speed limit, in a frenzy to get to work, make a right turn onto Park without the slightest care that pedestrians and cyclists are present, and often, via the pedestrian light, violate pedestrian the right-of-way across Park Road. There is a sign there that says motorists turning right must yield, but it is not readable from a car. I ride this route to work every day and it's terrible. Also, nobody seems to realize that this stretch of sidewalk along Dubuque is a BIKE PATH. It would be good to have some signage, for pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists alike, that this is a bike path, where cyclists yield pedestrians and motorist yield cyclists and pedestrians. Additionally, pedestrian traffic along this portion of Dubuque Street is high, what with Mayflower residence hall. Something should be done for these students who have to cross Dubuque Street from Mayflower, where the car traffic is going at ridiculous speeds both ways. Police presence should be here daily. The speed in which these cars are driving on Dubuque Street is ridiculous. There is a great need for driver education and more larger warning signs that indicate a bike route. Perhaps certain side streets could be designated as safe bike routes to and from town on both east and west sides. Any new or repaved streets should include bike lanes! C:\WINDOWS\Temporary Internet Files\OLK6815\RTBC Agenda Items - Complete.doc Page 8 I am very pleased to see this initiative being taken. Education for motorists about bicyclists’ rights is very important. I think if everyone knew cyclists were allowed on the same roads I wouldn't feel so unsafe. I ride more than 1000 miles a year all around the state and Midwest, mostly on trails. Many communities exceed Iowa City. An excellent multi-community trail can be found in the Quad Cities. It is called the Duck Creek Trail. Wisconsin has linked many communities by trail to Madison. I have ridden, almost exclusively, for several decades. I have commuted to work for over two decades, am a licensed racer, and I am familiar with cycling patterns in the CBD and rural Johnson County. Knuckleheads exist regardless of mode of transportation so we cyclists have no exclusivity to a moral high ground. However, riding on paved roads around and in Iowa City is almost always an adventure. At this time there are, without any doubt, motorists who will not share any paved surfaces. There is a mindset shared by some that bicycles are toys and any cyclist on the road, regardless of a paved, striped shoulder (Sand Road) is in the way. Please do not use the Sand Road shoulder as a prized model for car/cycle interaction. Going north out of Iowa City, the route the County wants to straighten (and the most popular north route for cyclists)could be made so much safer by simply lowering and/or enforcing the speed limit. This is a very scenic route and should not be converted to an arterial or collector as a result of development. Slow 'em down and let everyone enjoy the wind-y, up and down route. The colors are fantastic, lilacs in the spring. Cardinals all winter long. Let the developers (and new owners) incur the cost of a new, "quick, get me there", road. The interactive/annotatable Google map is *very* useful! I would recommend having something like this regularly available on cities' web sites, so people can easily make comments on potholes, traffic light issues, etc. Not good just for cyclists, but for anyone. Thanks for asking my input. Please don't hesitate to contact me if I can provide additional input. I commute everyday and try my best to be a good commuter. I follow traffic patterns; stop at lights and stop signs. I often see many bicyclists not following any of the rules of the road in the mornings and would actually like to more enforcement to improve the reputation of the bicycle commuters. Traffic on Muscatine Ave is a major obstacle to commuting, & it would be the best route. Alternate routes in that area are limited. more bike lanes on busy streets to make the streets safer so we CAN bike. Having grown up in 2 extremely bike-friendly communities (Palo Alto and Davis, CA), I find IC somewhat daunting. I think the most annoying thing is the amount of debris and glass on the road and the lack of established bike lanes/paths. In many cases, one needs to ride in the traffic lane on IC's narrow streets to avoid the debris. Regardless, to go from east to west, one is forced to ride through downtown. It would be nice to have a safer non-traffic, non-bus way of making it through the downtown area. Palo Alto closed some streets to through car traffic to create safer biking areas. Davis has wide roads and bike lanes. Both have wx that allows for year-round bike commuting so there is certainly more incentive for improvements. There are some great trails already in Iowa City/Coralville (build more!). I really like being able to ride all the way to North Liberty on trails or wide sidewalks. I DO NOT like to ride in traffic, and many pedestrians do not like bikes on the walk, it feels like a no win situation at times. I have seen extremely bad/dangerous behavior from both bikers and vehicle operators towards each other... I moved here in 1997 when I was a non-traditional student at UI and quit riding my bike at the same time. I have never felt I could find a safe place to bike in IC/Coralville/University Heights that actually went anywhere. I saw plenty of places that felt safe to bike for a short way, but then if you wanted to go any further you were dumped into some bike UN-friendly area to fend for yourself, until you could get to the next little bit of bike safe area on your route. I ride every day to work, and I pull my 4-year-old behind while my 6-year-old rides his own bike in front of me to school. We ride on sidewalks, because the street is too dangerous. Having bike lanes would make me feel safer. It would also be great for the kids, who would learn from an early age that they can use their bikes to work, and not always be in a car. Iowa City is such a small town, that biking should be highly promoted. It's almost there is no excuse. Just comparing to Madison, Wisconsin, it is pretty sad that Iowa City has not done more for his bicycler. There are three major problems with commuting by bike in IC. (1) Major one-ways are too crowded with no dedicated bike lanes. Bike ride on both sides (which is difficult for car drivers) and cracks in the road are dangerous for bikes. (2) Car drivers drive dangerously around bikes, passing them too close (esp. on major one-ways) and passing & cutting back in too close, esp. during morning & evening commute times (which is also my commute time). (3) Bike riders do not follow road rules, ignoring red lights, passing cars on the right (even near lights when cars are turning right and could C:\WINDOWS\Temporary Internet Files\OLK6815\RTBC Agenda Items - Complete.doc Page 9 run into the passing bike if they don't see it), and generally being dangerous. Because bike riders don't follow the road rules, car drivers understandably want to get around them and away from them as fast as possible, making it more dangerous for everyone. Small cities which have dedicated bike paths tend to attract energetic educated young people. We need share the sidewalk signs informing pedestrians on wide sidewalks that it is a multi use spot. That would inform them they do not have exclusive use and I am legal on that sidewalk. Bike lanes are not the only answer but without them too many drivers have the attitude that bikes don't belong on the street. Share the road signs are not enough, we need bike lanes on commuter routes to encourage folks to get out of their cars and to make it clear that bikes belong on the street. It also needs to be coordinated with the University so that people can commute to work on their bike across the river without endangering their own lives or the lives of pedestrians. Thank you for taking input from the community I want to thank you for this survey. I think Johnson County, Iowa City, Coralville, North Liberty and Tiffin can make great strides forward to a more bicycle friendly County by connecting many of the routes that have been started. I would like to see an effort to hard coat some of the gravel roads to provide routes for bicyclists a alternate route that is less used by automotive traffic. I love Iowa City and love to bike but feel it's too dangerous, especially when I'm with my kids (ages 6 and 9). I have friends who live in Davis, CA and they rave about the large number of safe bike lanes and bike paths they have there. It makes me wonder why Iowa City is lagging so far behind. Considering the costs of gasoline, all the problems related to obesity, and the traffic congestion, providing safe bike lanes and bike paths seems like a logical solution. In comparison to many other communities, I would rate Iowa City as above average in their support for cycling. That's not to say there isn't room for improvement of course. Being an experienced cyclist I have no reservations with riding in traffic, but I also realize I am in the minority and there needs to be a greater perception of safety to attract new cyclists and help those who are just starting out. It would be nice if the area had a central air station and a few covered parking locations. Also the downtown bike racks ( Iowa Ave.) are being taken over by motor scooters. I think scooters need a defined area- just for them! painted lines or a set aside corral. The bikes have too few options to be run out by scooters. I like to ride. The biggest problem is that some bikers do not obey the traffic laws. This makes it hard for the us. Others only see the problem riders and think we are all like them. Need to enforce the rules on the few to help the many. Thanks for giving me the chance for this input! We think cycling offers an important alternative to driving, and would like our metro area to be more friendly for both auto drivers and cyclists. One way to "legitimize" cycling as alternative transportation is to license cyclists through the same process as drivers. Doing so would help underwrite the costs of providing bike lanes and trails, and it would also train cyclists in safe driving - - training that is badly needed, not just (or even, in our experience, primarily) for student cyclists, but for cyclists of all ages. If the streets of Iowa City were better suited for bikes, the traffic in this town would be reduced significantly. I really want to ride my bike more for reducing gas, environmental and financial reasons, for exercise, etc. however.....it is hard to do that when you have a panic attack every time you put on a helmet and get on your bike. i think the bike "trails" are good in Iowa City. they just aren't where i need them to be. thank you for doing this survey! My main concern, being a year-round bicycle commuter, is travel along highways. I fear too much for my safety to ride alongside cars traveling so fast. The bike trail along Hwy 6 between Hollywood and the Iowa River is fabulously convenient. I would like to see that extended all the way to Mormon Trek on the West and Scott on the East. The new bicycle trail put in parallel to Friendly Ave on the eastside will encourage more recreational bicycling. I would like to see more projects like that throughout the city wherever possible. The main thing I would like to see is bicycle capacity on major N / S routes in Coralville; i.e. 12th Ave, 1st Ave, and Hwy 965. The addition of the trail along Hwy 6 has been great and makes the commute into Iowa City very quick. It would be nice to have a couple of trails that connect east and west Iowa City. also a couple of trails that would connect Iowa City to coralville and possibly north liberty. Check out the "Greenbelt" bike trail system in Des Moines/Clive/Waukee. This is a great example of what i would like to see johnson county do regarding bike trails/paths. C:\WINDOWS\Temporary Internet Files\OLK6815\RTBC Agenda Items - Complete.doc Page 10 More space for low-speed scooters, segways, rollerblades, etc. I am very concerned about bicyclists running red lights, stop signs, and ignoring traffic regulations. The message it sends is very negative, especially to motorists who especially don't like bicyclists. It affects us all. And it's not just students. More on winter...roads are not scraped to street, so a layer of ice often develops, making it very dangerous to bike! make the bikers follow the rules of the road if they are on the road. stop running through stop signs and riding up the sides of cars i've ridden a bicycle for all of the 60 years i have lived here. conditions for cyclists are much better than they were in 1950, but additional improvements, particularly regarding safety and dedicated bike-pedestrian routes such as those along the river in town, would result in more use of bikes. I have been riding my bike 3-5 times a week since July and thoroughly enjoy my 4 mile commute to work. I do find some motorists do not want to "share the road" and pass me too closely and I've had one person pull up to a light with his right tire on the curb, so I wouldn't get next to him. This isn't everyone, but I think with the price of gas more and more folks are going to be pedaling to work. Please make sure we plow so that slush and snow get removed before the roads become ice covered. Since retiring to the Iowa City area 5 years ago, we have enjoyed extended rides on the various available bike routes. Unfortunately, it often seems that we end up on busy thoroughfares which could be avoided if there were bike lanes, or other accommodations for bikers. bike lanes on major roads that are just marked and enforced would seem to be cheap and easy to do. ultimately bike trails throughout town, along right of ways like Ralston creek would really make commuting attractive. in the winter with snow its also risky as the street edges remain icy. another option is to but formal bike paths parallel to sidewalks. bicyclists need to follow the rules just like cars so we can all be more friendly to each other. glad you are doing this. We just recently moved to Coralville from IC's west side. I used to bike a lot more when I lived in town, but even biking through downtown felt dangerous - simply isn't a bike friendly culture, and a lot of aggression even comes from college students. I have biked in various cities and towns and I feel that Iowa City has a lot to offer if we had improved bike lanes and routes. I love Des Moines bike paths as you can travel many, many miles with out crossing major intersections and riding on heavy traffic roads. I hope that the City and County will do more to improve our bike paths and infrastructure I would like to see a safer manner to cycle on Penn Street west of North Liberty. Also, I would like to see a trail on Dubuque Street from NL to connect to the Dubuque Street trail that starts at the entrance to the res. Having recently moved to Iowa City from Texas, and Iowa City is already doing a fantastic job of keeping the town bicycle friendly. Keep up the good work! I would like to see the U.I. Cambuses have bike racks as do the Iowa City and Coralville buses. I think even signage reminding drivers to share the road is better than nothing. Car drivers tend to think that bikers are doing something wrong by being in the streets vs. the sidewalks. Keeping roads clean and pot holes/cracks repaired is also another problem. Thanks for looking into this! 1. Sweep the streets. 2. Cover the bike racks. 3. Sharrows are the future. I mean, I'm all for expensive, bicycle-only lanes and roads. I love the idea of complete streets. I would really like to see more showers required in newly-constructed commercial buildings. And I'd be thrilled with a platinum level BFC distinction. But those just aren't realistic goals right now in a place where city managers still believe it's okay to ride a bicycle on the sidewalk. Instead, let's start with these three very simple, relatively cheap, and extremely effective strategies to improve cycling in IC/CVille, and maybe then convince citizens that bicycling is a practical and indeed VIABLE alternative to driving. I am concerned with the number of cyclists not adhering to traffic signs. Several times in the past week, cyclists have run the stop sign at the intersection of Court and 7th Avenue and also at Glendale and 7th Avenue. Many of these times, I am stopped at the intersection and it is my turn to proceed. Although I appreciate the safety concerns of cyclists, we also need to adhere to the same responsibilities on the road. I DON'T FEEL BIKES SHOULD BE ON THE STREETS/ROADS WITH CARS. IT'S NERVE WRACKING FOR DRIVERS OF CARS TO HAVE TO WATCH OUT FOR BIKES, ESPECIALLY WHEN SOME BIKE RIDERS SHOW NO RESPECT FOR THE LAWS TO WHICH CARS MUST ADHERE.STOP SIGNS, ETC. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE BIKE PATHS SEPARATE FROM C:\WINDOWS\Temporary Internet Files\OLK6815\RTBC Agenda Items - Complete.doc Page 11 STREETS/ROADS OR ALONGSIDE OR ON WIDENED SIDEWALKS. I DON'T FEEL BIKES BELONG ON STREETS/ROADS. Although we do have a few nice trails, much of the area I ride in is surrounded by or intersects with busy streets. Many of these areas have less than adequate (if any) bike lanes. If there aren't bike lanes I ride on the sidewalk but this is difficult because most sidewalks aren't wide enough for walkers and bikers. We have enough bike trails. It is a waste of money. You've got to be kidding - two kids and band, soccer, football gear.....We would never bike to work or school. We commute over 30 miles each way, both north and south, every day. Get real. I would like to see more bike safety programs for children. My children do not ride their bikes as much as I did as a child as I don't feel it's safe due to traffic & they haven't been through safety programs. I'm guessing there are programs available but not advertised very well. Would be nice to send flyers to the schools w/bike safety education places/dates. Improved bike facilities are desirable, with wide-spread benefits, but the key beneficiaries are bikers. How will they help pay for and support the facilities? I love using the trails to recreate on my bike and to get to shopping that is close by. I would consider using my bike more to run more distant errands if I felt safer traveling along streets/roadways to get to the bank, grocery, downtown, etc. IC/Coralville is not a bike friendly community, which really surprised me when we moved here 2 years ago. I'd heard how progressive this college town was but was sorely disappointed in this regard. Let's get out front on this issue and really promote bike transport as a practical means of getting around. I'm a stay-at-home dad and pull my two kids (ages 1 and 3) in a bike trailer almost everywhere we go around town, but it's not easy. We need a big education campaign for drivers and bikers that promotes biking and discourages driving. More bikes and fewer cars means everyone wins on several different levels. Thanks My #1 one complaint regarding Iowa City: sand on the street, collecting on the sides of the road where bikes travel. This situation is understandable, given the winter sanding. But then it stays on the road year round. If you want to improve bicycling in Iowa City, start with the sand! Thank you. many roads have large cracks and pot holes which are dangerous to cyclists or potential cyclists I really wish the police would patrol the intersection of Dodge and Bowery for folks disregarding the stop signs. It's a dangerous intersection to cross on foot, much less on bicycle. If more was done to check the speed of motorists in this town, I'd ride more often. As it is, I feel like I'm navigating the Harbor Freeway as opposed to Burlington. I would like to see motor vehicles receive more (or any) tickets for running cyclists off the road, yelling obscenities and not observing traffic laws, like sharing the road. I would like to see more cyclists receive tickets for not observing stop signs, light, and rules of the road. I very much appreciate any interest in making the area more bicycle friendly I love to be active, but I can't seem to find a safe route to work or other places. I even have a shower at work, but can't find a reasonable route. I'd love to ride my bike daily. I appreciate all your efforts moving forward with this! I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE MULTI PURPOSE TRAILS, TO INCLUDE THOSE WHO ENJOY THE OUTDOORS, BUT DON'T LIKE BIKING. I live in Lone Tree. Hwy 22 is heavy with bikers and vehicles. I would love to be able to bike to Iowa City, but it is too far. The streets in Iowa City are often not cleaned well in the bike lanes. People blow grass on them. Rocks and sand are always present. I would like to see bicycling prohibited on rural roads without shoulders. Sanding during the winter often leaves soft edges, making these roads even narrower than planned. Repairing chip seal roads in the summer often leaves loose gravel along the edges, making it difficult for bicyclists to stay to the side. Living off of Rohret Rd., outside of city limits, bikers often ride three or more across the right hand lane. Rohret has a lot of hills and curves. I have had to come to a complete stop following bikers up hills and inclines, not being able to see around them. I drive a SUV, so sight distance is better for me than if I were in a smaller vehicle. This is not unusual. I feel it is the responsibility of bikers to be aware of road speeds and traffic patterns as well as it is the responsibility of car drivers to note unsafe conditions for bikers. As developers continually encroach on rural areas, they should also be held responsible to provide and promote bike routes within their developments. I would like to see bike lanes in town kept clean, so bikers could use them and stay in them. I understand it is not always safe riding on excess sand, or other debris, but it is then difficult for cars to go around C:\WINDOWS\Temporary Internet Files\OLK6815\RTBC Agenda Items - Complete.doc Page 12 them with oncoming traffic if they keep moving in and out of the bike lane. Lastly, I feel that bicycles should have identification markings that would allow car drivers to be able to report unsafe actions of bicyclists. Not all bicyclists are inconsiderate, but some certainly are and they do spoil the reputation of all by their acts and attitudes. i live in rural council bluffs area . i like the bike trails but i think the trails lack community support because they don't take cyclist to area business. The trails tend to go around the city. If local business owners could benefit from trail riders they would more likely support the trail system. Most of the time as a biker I feel I am in the way. Cars don't want me on the road and I don't feel bikers should be on the sidewalk yet I often am if I don't feel a particular road is safe. Also, bike parking is invariably on the sidewalk and can not be reached without walking the bike or riding down the sidewalk at the destination. There is no right place to be as a biker and yet Iowa City’s size lends itself to being a relatively conducive place to live as a biker. Safety is a serious problem on many Iowa City & Coralville main roads. Burlington Street, for example, is very dangerous at rush hours; Riverside Drive is almost always dangerous unless you ride the sidewalks; Hwy 6 in Coralville is only negotiable by bike because of the new wide sidewalks. I think having streets that are marked as bike trails will help keep folks off major streets (e.g. Burlington). And, as much as I hate to say it, enforcement of law in regards to use of sidewalk v. streets, use of head and tail lights at night, stopping at stop signs, etc. would help too. Please have all traffic engineers and planners in Iowa City read Tom Vanderbilt's new book "Traffic" and Donald Shoup's "The High Cost of Free Parking." Need more education for kids on safe routes to school and how to ride safely on the street High school aged kids think it is not cool to ride to school Thank you for working on making Iowa City a better community for cyclists! I race and am always looking for good safe road rides along with safe commutes around town. So much work is needed educating the public about sharing the road with cyclists and allowing a safe distance when passing. I've had many close calls and lots of "road rage drivers" yelling at me to get off the road. I do follow all traffic laws - stop at stop signs and stay to the right. I also believe that cyclists need training to follow the rules. Please allow the cyclist/pedestrian community a chance to provide this sort of input on an annual basis. Much appreciated. Also, ensure that both City and County are open to cleaning up debris on roads that makes safe passage difficult. # 11 showed no map, so my suggestions are ( in no particular order): 1) Connect new Creekside trail (Hurrah for it) with Westminister through Court Hill Park north of Friendship 2) Put a trail along Riverside from Old 218 to Hwy 1 3)Provide better (more efficient) crossing of the River for bicycles ie. an on street lane for bicycles on Burlington 4) Bicycle parking on Gilbert South of Burlington 5) Close College Street from Muscatine to Linn from 7-9 AM and 3-6 PM to cars; only busses, bikes and residents. I wish downtown Iowa City were better served by bike lanes and/or bike paths. It seems like all the bike trails are designed to get people away from downtown. If you're going TO downtown, all bike access stops blocks before you get downtown. I also strongly prefer bike lanes to separate bike paths. It seems to me, and I ride quite a bit, that a biker in a bike lane is noticed a lot more than a biker on a sidewalk/bike path. Bike paths that run next to roads have the problem of having cars blocking the bike path as they wait to get on the road (Hills Bank exit onto South Gilbert for example), and I don't think cars look for bikes on bike paths/sidewalks before they turn the way they would if a biker were in a bike lane. Having said that, the trail systems that do not run next to roadways are fantastic. I use the one that runs south from Grant Wood Elementary all the time, and it's great. My four year old rides his bike on that trail system as well. Thanks for doing this. I would love to ride my bike more, but I don't like to ride with car traffic (too dangerous) and I don't want to ride on the sidewalks as I feel these are for foot traffic. I would like to see Iowa City build dedicated bike lanes like in European cities. Your efforts as far as making a cycling accessible community are greatly appreciated. The efforts and energy to create and plan new paths and maintaining them are pretty excellent. If only Johnson County could enforce on Coralville to maintain their paths. They are NOT open minded to this and I have personally received multiple EXCUSSES as far as the reason not too. Iowa City AND North Liberty manage to keep their trails plowed. Coralville does not maintain theirs! I used to live on Mormon Trek and commute to the mall daily including through the insanely snowy last winter. Iowa City would keep the paths by Hawkeye Athletic fields plowed as well as on Camp Cardinal Road up C:\WINDOWS\Temporary Internet Files\OLK6815\RTBC Agenda Items - Complete.doc Page 13 to the Coralville points. After that they were almost impassible. Also they wouldn't even have the courtesy to plow the road section of Camp Cardinal making it safe enough for bikes and cars. Iowa City seems to at least make an attempt at this. Winter commuting is a big part of my commuting cycle. I thoroughly enjoy it. To be considered here would encourage proper riding habits that involve traffic laws. Like a little kid not getting enough attention, sometimes it's easy to be forgotten and to forget that we are considered motor vehicles as well. You should also look at alternative paths as well. Start out as access style woodchip or gravel access roads to keep things cheap and maybe look at developing them further depending on usage levels. I know more than a couple handfuls of people who would love to see more off road style trails leading from place to place. I frequently use off road or back road style ways of connecting to other paved paths not at all including cutting through peoples yards or properties. Why look at some of these as trespassing (on potentially unused county, city, or University owned property) when they could be "developed" into rideable paths. There are plenty of Rails to Trails type opportunities throughout the Iowa City/Coralville/North Liberty areas. This would be a highlight to the are and encourage a more scenic view of our area. we need a trail that will connect with the cedar rapids trails to waterloo. what a nice trip that would be! I understand that Minneapolis has divided their ped trails from their bike trails, to avoid the issues that arise when both share a trail (bikes go faster and sometimes surprise pedestrians or worse, collide with them). I think it would be wise to plan for two lanes on trails, allowing space at this time while putting in only one lane with the anticipation that adding a second lane to trails may well become desirable as people use them more. The trails that exist between Iowa City and Coralville are great as are the wider sidewalks on Highway 6. Why aren't the Coralville trails maintained (ie plowed) in winter? I've commuted between the north side of Iowa City and Coralville for nearly 5 years and appreciate the Highway 6 sidewalk improvements. I wish more people biked and walked. I think police should write more tickets to bicyclists who disobey the laws when they are on the streets. If they would obey stop signs and lights, I would more respect for them. Too many close calls when I am driving my car caused by them not obeying the traffic laws. I think there's a huge difference between the long distance road cyclist and the hobby/family cyclist regarding needs. Most road distance cyclists are comfortable sharing the road with respectful drivers and need to be able to go a speeds that often exceed what they as cyclist can move on bike paths we share with strollers, kids, and folks walking their dogs. Our needs are very different. I would suggest studying bicycle designs from cities that have already made bicycling easier for residents, i.e. Portland. If any new bicycle routes are built, making them as direct as possible from one main area of town to another is very important for encouraging their use. For example, if I need to go from my house (near Kirkwood Community College in Iowa City) to the Coralville strip, I am not going to take the bike path because it adds extra miles to my commute. Sand Road SW between Hills and Iowa City should be the model for how rural roads can be constructed to be safe for motorists and bikes. Someone needs to think about an overall plan in town- at least two major north/south and two east/west bike routes (safe ones) need to be designated thru Iowa City and Coralville if commuting is to be taken seriously. Share road signs, Sharrows, Safe zones at intersections, designated bike lanes, better paint/signage at cross walks all increase bike awareness. Also, police should ticket BOTH aggressive motorists who endanger cyclists AND cyclists who break rules or ride without appropriate safety equipment. thanks for looking into improvements if no bike lane is present, bikes should use the sidewalk. it is far to dangerous for bikes to be on the roadways. JCCOG is da bomb Thank you! I think Iowa City is well on its way to being a leader in bicycle friendliness. I hear Minneapolis is one of the best. I haven't experienced this myself but I understand they have bicycle freeways with entrance and exit ramps. I would love to see something like that in our community. Thanks for offering this survey! We just walked along the new Creekside Trail over the weekend. What a triumph! It's absolutely wonderful! Thank you! Coralville has some nice bike paths but they need to be maintained. From grass to leaves, rocks and glass, I've seen it all-but rarely have I seen it cleaned up. I think we should find a way to maintain C:\WINDOWS\Temporary Internet Files\OLK6815\RTBC Agenda Items - Complete.doc Page 14 what we have before we build more. I also ride during the winter. If these bike paths are actually for bikes, then why are they not taken care of in the winter? Consider providing bicycle lanes for future road planning for arterial streets - especially main commuter car routes from north such as 12th Ave and 1st Ave in Coralville and Dubuque Street in Iowa City. Thanks for being so involved in considering cycling as a mode of transportation. It is very dangerous for younger children to attempt to negotiate our city streets in order to ride their bikes to school/activities. Even experienced adult bicyclists have issues. as a cyclist, parent and business owner i would like to see facilities improved for Iowa City. i want to be able to feel comfortable riding with my kids and allowing them to ride by them selves to school, park, friends houses, etc. These improved facilities would also help with attracting new residents to the area, would reduce traffic congestion and help with our citizens health. I have two comments 1) There is no paint left on Market St anymore to indicate that a bike lane exists. 2) I would commute to CR during the summer a LOT more if I didn't feel unsafe on 965. It's a death trap with no shoulder. I hope that something great comes out of the bike master planning. Thanks for the wonderful effort! Education of drivers should also be a priority. I bike commute daily and get cut off by drivers at least once a week. I have been verbally abused by drivers on numerous occasions. I hope Johnson County continues to make great strides toward improving bicycling. There are some examples of great bike friendly cities - Fort Collin, CO - Madison WI are two that I've spent time in. Why can't Iowa City have similar infrastructure. Stop installing traffic islands - it give the cars nowhere to go. They always feel like they have to beat me to the narrow opening. Just plain dangerous for cyclists. Need bike lanes through downtown IC. Even Coralville (5th St.) has bike lanes on their main routes. Solon is a perfect commute - 15 miles each way - just enough to be a good workout. More and more people will realize this if we get the bike lanes connected. I applaud your efforts, but am not very optimistic you can do anything. One thing that wasn't on the survey is adopting Portland-like initiatives. Modeling after cities that have made things work makes sense. I like the bike pads at the intersections in Portland-makes a real statement that IC is bike friendly I missed one of the five somehow. 5th option would be a bike pane along hwy 6 from West Liberty to Oxford. I teach bicycling at the University of Iowa and promote cycling as a life style. Let me know how I can help. I will be giving slide shows next year of a 20,000 mile self-contained bicycle trek I took from Prodhoe Bay, Alaska to Ushuaia, Tierre del Fuego. Let me know if I can show this as part of a way to promote cycling. I also perform as a musician, singing songs about biking. email irene- schroeder@uiowa.edu or irene@themadriverband.com I love biking in Johnson County. These improvements would get a lot more people out biking. Interstate crossings and busy roads w/o bike lanes are the #1 reason people don't bike more. ticket businesses who do not shovel in the winter especially on hwy 6 in front of old Chicago and the chinese buffet wig and pen overall, a very bike friendly city. Wouldn't mind seeing more biking lanes. The low speed limits are nice, although not followed by all. Parking is ample. Please leave Sugar Bottom alone. Please recognize the difference between casual cycling on bike trails at low speeds say under 10 mph vs commuting - providing a couple cross town bike lanes that can be used to access less traveled routes vs high mileage recreational riders whose avg. speeds and distance are not suitable for bike trails and must be on shared roads with other vehicles. The needs and challenges of each are different. Thanks for doing this. Bike lanes would be so wonderful in this town. I'm increasingly frightened as a bicycle commuter in our town, primarily about too-fast cars and drivers who are careless or even hostile about biking safety...but also about bicyclists who clearly don't know that their bike is a VEHICLE and should be treated as such, by them, and by automobile drivers, and by police officers, and by pedestrians. The condition of surrounding county roads affects bicyclists. Gravel sections on rural sections of Rohret recently was a detriment. Benton is too narrow to bike, especially on the Roosevelt hill. Pairing bike trails and destinations is important. We bike with the kids to Dane's Dairy. We'd bike to Whitey's if we could do so without encountering so much traffic. Bike racks by various businesses, along with a safe way to get there, would be appreciated. C:\WINDOWS\Temporary Internet Files\OLK6815\RTBC Agenda Items - Complete.doc Page 15 I would be able to easily ride 7 days a week if Hwy 965 had a safe bicycle shoulder from Lake Vista (just north of Dan's Overhead Doors) to the North Liberty city limits. I would like to see the existing trails cleared during the winter months. For saftey for those who walk and those who commute on bicycle. I'd like to see Johnson County coordinate efforts with other counties in Iowa to make a comprehensive master plan (bikeways that end at city or county lines will most likely be under- utilized) Bike trails are too narrow. Bike trails in North Liberty are not properly cleared in the winter. No safe streets to ride on in Iowa due to drivers who think they own the road. Bikes need their own trail, or a bike lane that is fenced off like in China. Drivers do not look for bikes in crosswalks. If I am walking and a driver does not see me, I have time to stop before the car hits me, but if I am on a bike, I am moving too fast to stop before the driver passes me. That is how I have gotten hit twice by cars. I was not hurt, but I don't feel that it is safe to ride my bike on busy streets anymore. Although Iowa City has many good bike paths it is in the interest of the city to improve bike paths on the South and Eastside of town. I am talking about students at Kirkwood IC, employees at Proctor & Gamble all the way to Scott Blvd which has many businesses from one end to the other. A bike path where workers could ride to work. I don't mean share the road lanes but paths dedicated to bikers. Where bikers can pick up speed and make time to a work destination Really bicycle parking is the big issue, especially when you are taking kids or a bike trailer. I also think it would be helpful if the transit system had a little video link to show you how to load you bike on the front of the bus. I know it is supposed to be easy but I've never tried it becasue I am afraid to do it wrong and wind up delaying the bus. I really think that biking on sidewalks needs to be discouraged--with the exception of young (pre-12 year old) children. I think it is hard to ask cars to share the road and respect bikers when bikes are coming at them from every which direction. i enjoy biking to work, and for the most part, find the commute very bike friendly. the pedestrian bridges across riverside are especially useful. the most effective addition to the general biking situation would be designated routes and lanes for cyclists and quicker signal changes for crossing busy intersections. 1. More than enough bicyclists seem not to be unaware they are subject to the same rules as motorists when traveling on roadways. 2. More education to both on how to share/rules of the road. 3. For everyone's safety bicycling should be limited to city paths, sidewalks and bike trails. 4. Cycling should not be allowed on rural roads, as they are narrow, hilly (poor sight distance), no shoulder thus making these conducive to vehicle vs bicycle(scary encounters). 5. Bicycle clubs/bicyclists pose a significant hazard to themselves and others by not moving over as close as possible to side of road as as stated in code and as experienced on rural roads. Rural residents should not be afraid to travel home fearing the wrath of an angry contemptuous bicyclist. 6. Bicyclists traveling on roadways should have some identification (license plate) to report them if need for infractions on roadways or rage type acts (I have observed several). For example; a bicyclist kicking a dent in an elderly woman’s car as he passed by (I believe she do not see him). Accountability is needed!! Most motorists obey the rules too. Should they not, a means of identification is provided. Traveling on any public roadway is a privilege not a right - all citizens need to be mindful of this and act in a manner as not pose hazard of injury/death. Thank you. Bike Commuting: Though I live close to my employment, I believe there needs to be better options for those that cycle to commute. In regards to Iowa City, I would like to see 1 or 2 good routes in the East/West direction and the same in the North/South direction. We are also in need of a better commuting option between North Liberty and Iowa City. Biking for Recreation: 1) I would like to see the trail along the Iowa River completed. A little more construction and the trial would be linked up from the Water Plant on the north to the softball complex on the south. More specifically I would like to see the trail along the river completed from the I-80 bridge to the pedestrian bridge at the Iowa River Power Company and then the proposed footbridge built from the peninsula (dog park area) to Rocky Shore Drive. 2) Major biking recreation roads need better shoulders/bike lanes. A great example of a good road is the new Sands Road. Roads I would like to see something similar done with include the Sugar Bottom Loop, the old Hills highway, Hwy 1 between IC and Solon (at least the Johnson County part of that), Penn Street from 965 to I-380 (make more bike friendly in this heavily congested area), Dubuque Street between W Overlook Road and North Liberty. Major Project: I have dreamed for some time of converting the CR-IC rail line into a biking path or multi-purpose trail. I know getting a railroad to give up a right of way is challenging, but never ventured, never gained. C:\WINDOWS\Temporary Internet Files\OLK6815\RTBC Agenda Items - Complete.doc Page 16 This rail line is not heavily used. It is unsightly passing through town and the middle of a major university campus. Converting this to a multi-use trail would be VERY functional for commuting and recreation and would convert an eye sore into a thing of beauty. Maybe the Cities of Iowa City, North Liberty and Cedar Rapids; the University of Iowa and the Rails to Trails organization could all combine forces to effect such a change. On question 7 above, I voted for some of the more expensive options. I was limited by the number of options I could choose. I would like to add the "Bike Routes" and "Bike Boulevards" to the "Bike Lanes" and "Multi-Purpose Trails" options that I chose. I have suggested a lot. I doubt there is the budget for all this. But, I am someone that bikes a good bit, thus I think all the thoughts I provide are legitimate and deserve consideration in our long- term plans. Thank you for being interested in this regard. John Chase, Iowa City Lack of bicycle lighting is a serious problem in IC. Law enforcement is nonexistent. There are city and state ordinances mandating lights on bikes after dark. Bike shops should encourage the purchase of bike lights and anyone leaving without them should sign a disclaimer. A subsidized light program for low income children and adults might be a good idea. Police foot patrols downtown should ticket offenders downtown and offer coupons from bike shops to people walking bikes on the sidewalk. I could go on and on. I live by Tiffin and would bike to work on the Southeast corner of Iowa City if I had better access. Distance not a factor, but vehicle traffic scares me Major streets or nearby parallels need bike lanes: Burlington, Gilbert, Market, Jefferson, Rochester, Riverside (north to Coralville and South near the airport), Melrose west of Sunset, etc. it would be nice if main roads (Gilbert, Burlington) had bike lanes Thank you! Thank you for this convenient opportunity to provide input into an important community planning initiative. I think the community would benefit from a campaign of public awareness about bike safety, rights, and responsibilities. Drivers and cyclists both expect the other is out to give them a hard time. It's not uncommon to see bike riders in our town doing things that are illegal, dangerous, or simply inconsiderate, and this colors drivers' perceptions of cyclists as a group. I think the University could stand to promote the cause of riding right - if you ride in traffic, behave like traffic. Act predictably to stay safe. At the same time, drivers' perceptions of bikes in traffic need to improve, and the city visibly condoning and encouraging cycling might go a long way towards improving attitudes. More projects like Bike to Work Week, more "Share The Road" signs (perhaps, as in other communities, signs that read "bikes allowed full use of lane"?), more attention paid to sharing the road in our drivers' education curricula, etc. My biggest complaint are the roads themselves. They are so dangerous to travel on with a bike. I've damaged 2 rims in one year because of potholes. I've lived in 3 other parts of the country, all at big ten communities. Iowa City's roads are absolutely the worst. Fix the roads and you fix many of the bikers' problems. The size of Iowa City is ideal for biking -- most destinations are not too far to bike to. However, car traffic is not always amenable to bikers. The Minneapolis/St. Paul area has great biking infrastructure that Iowa City could take some ideas from. Also, greater awareness for mixed bike and car traffic would be great -- a lack of respect for bikers by car drivers is often a prohibitive factor for me. I would like to see better maintenance, especially debris cleanup along all trails in early Spring and Fall. Branches, leaves and nuts on trails create a significant safety hazard. The most important thing is to have arteries from all 4 directions with bike lanes or trails to access the University and Hospitals. Also make shopping more accessible by bike. Very few businesses on highway 6 can be reached safely by bike. I biked to the new Menards. It was not safe and they had no bike rack. A funny story is that my drive's license expired. I rode my bike to the East area and was surprised to find no bike rack! How many people drive there with no license? clear roads more for winter cyclists i think that biking in Iowa City is pretty good right now, enough people do it that most car-drivers are aware of bikers. the main problems probably comes from bikers that don't follow road rules, actually... Iowa City is the most bike-friendly place I've ever lived! new trail on East Side is GREAT, thank you! We need to better educate drivers (especially young drivers, and sadly, senior drivers) about sharing the road. This should be a mandatory part of driver's education AND license renewal. Even though C:\WINDOWS\Temporary Internet Files\OLK6815\RTBC Agenda Items - Complete.doc Page 17 the law doesn't recognize bicycles as vehicles, bicyclists must follow the same rules as motorists. We only ask that motorists drive with caution and courtesy. Iowa City would be a much more attractive place if biking on main streets(Burlington, Gilbert, Jefferson, Market) was encouraged by the city. We're close. I would use my bike more as a way to commute and travel around the Iowa City and Johnson County if there were more bike safe trails/lanes along the major streets, roads and highways. The bike paths are pretty good in the area already, compared to some other communities, but we definitely would bike more if the trails would be more direct and connected to each other. Especially, I would bike to work and shopping regularly if there were direct ways to bike, similar to those that the cars can use, or more direct. Thanks! Bike paths should be more clearly marked. Especially when the path goes on city streets for awhile. Hwy 1 north is almost impossible to bike on. Crossing high traffic roads is frightening (Mormon Trek, Benton, Hwy. 1, Melrose, etc.) Traffic moves too fast and drivers are not considerate of pedestrians or riders I work at the University of Iowa and appreciate the ability to use bike trails from my home in North Liberty all the way to work. It makes the commute a great way to start the day. I live by the Coral Ridge Mall. I am VERY pleased with the trails that run through Coralville and North Liberty, but these are recreational trails. I work at the University and bike in every day of the year and get discouraged by the fact that Coralville has bike lanes. I do not like riding on the sidewalk (and I don't think I am supposed to anyway), but sometimes I have to because of the lack of bike lanes. I think if there were more bike lanes, people might be more inclined to commute by bike. I ride all year long, and have for the past six years. Iowa City is better then Cedar Falls as far as rider safety, but it is far from perfect. Drivers need to realize that bicycles are not toys that people ride just to annoy them. I have had numerous close calls with cars in which either the driver was completely unaware that I even existed or assumed it was my fault because I am on a bike. I hope that in the future riding a bike will be considered a viable thing to do. I love the clear creek trail and sycamore greenway trail. I'd like to see more rural recreational trails like those. I don't know that all those trails need to be paved. I'm fine with crushed rock surface for biking and walking. I would really like to see bike lanes on busy streets! want a hybrid/road Other comments. The trails flood out in NL after a decent rain, why? The trees over hang and hit you in the head, who do we call? The trails we have now in Coralville and NL are awesome, but we need trails that connect the cities. I should be able to bike from North Liberty to Tiffin then Oxford then to IC and not be on a highway. No driver around here yields to bikers and we have too many accidents. It’s so unsafe to bike in North Liberty unless you are on trails. We need bike lanes too. EVERY WHERE! We need biking like St Paul Mn and Colorado have. People will move here for the biking. People leave because there is no biking. I’m a Triathlete and I bike everyday, I have few options with safety in mind. I’ll sit down anytime anywhere to talk about ideas to make this community better. 319-331-2899. khristopher.d.vickroy@verizonbusiness.com I would love to be on the board that plans bike trails too. C:\WINDOWS\Temporary Internet Files\OLK6815\RTBC Agenda Items - Complete.doc Page 1 Date: May 13, 2009 To: JCCOG Regional Trails and Bicycling Committee From: Kristopher Ackerson, Assistant Transportation Planner Re: Agenda Item #4: Bike Master Plan Workshops Summary This memorandum summarizes public input obtained at two bike planning workshops held on September 30 th and October 8 th in Coralville and Iowa City, respectively. The following summary includes results of the 5E’s Preference Exercise and On-Street Mapping Exercise. 5 E’s Preference Exercise The purpose of this exercise was to identify the most popular programs, policies, and facilities within each of the five E’s – Engineering, Education, Encouragement, Enforcement, and Evaluation. Six posters – one for each of the 5 E’s and one for on-street facilities – were hung on walls in the meeting room. The posters listed programs and facilities already offered by some of the communities in the urbanized area, as well as new ideas. Attendees used three stickers per poster to indicate their highest priorities. The posters contained common ideas, but attendees were encouraged to submit alternative ideas in a suggestion box. The following tables provide a summary of input from this exercise. Items submitted in suggestion boxes are listed below the corresponding table. On-Street Facilities Count Percent Bike Lanes (new streets) 118 32% Bike Lanes (existing streets) 96 26% Sharrows 65 17% Way Finding Signs 38 10% Bike Boulevards 28 7% Bike Routes 21 6% Signed "Share the Road" 8 2% Total 374 100% • Park Road on the West end of the road where it meets the IRCT trail needs a better crosswalk or “quick” bike crossing lights. o Duck creek trail in the quad cities has several of these “quick” crossing lights. o Duck creek is a stellar multi-metro area bike trail. Go see it! • IRCT behind Hancher and the Art Museum needs signage to indicate to pedestrians that [the road] is also a bikeway. o Many people from out of town use it … and are not looking for bikes o Maybe [place] a dotted line • In Toronto, they have designated lanes “for bikes only during 7-9 am and 4-6 pm”. I assume this was for rush hours. I rode all over Toronto on my bike and felt safe m e m o C:\WINDOWS\Temporary Internet Files\OLK6815\RTBC Agenda Items - Complete.doc Page 2 Engineering Count Percent Install more on-street accomodations 133 30% Adopt 'complete streets' policies 125 28% Focus on completing the regional trails system 112 25% Implement consistent bikeway signage to help cyclists find routes 43 10% Implement "Share The Road" signs on select arterials 12 3% Install speed limit, curve warnings, mile marker signs, and way finding on trails 8 2% Implement trail and tidewalk connectors on cul de sacs 8 2% Total 441 100% • Widen sidewalk on lower Muscatine, Sycamore to Summit St. • Widen sidewalk all along 1 st Ave Coralville. • Make Stop light controllers detect bicycles • When you pave bike lanes/trails, require the contractor to grade the surface such that the surface drains and doesn’t leave puddles. o These are slip hazards when wet, freeze to ice when cold, and leave silt (slippery). • Pave the north shoulder of Highway 1 between Meyer and Sharon Center Road. • Do not use magnetic induction sensors for traffic lights – bikes won’t trigger them. • Place walk light demand buttons where you don’t have to get off the bike o Especially important for tandems o A bad example is SE corner of Highway 1 and Mormon Trek Education Count Percent Publish bike rack location map online, including sheltered racks and lockers 78 25% Include bike safety in P.E. classes at elementary schools 74 24% Develop articles for publication of cycling related events in newspapers, etc. 41 13% Promote effective cycling courses for adults/children 22 7% Promote resources and info on metro website regarding bike safety 21 7% Proclaim May bicycle month annualy 20 6% Offer "Urban Bicycling" through university 20 6% Provide bike trail riding experiences and rules of road lessons 19 6% Promote youth bike rodeos 8 3% Offer online GPS maps of bike-ways 7 2% Total 310 100% • Keep to the right of everybody at all times • Educate Drivers! • Driver awareness/ responsibilities, ad campaigns. • Educate police and encourage them to encourage cycling. (x2) • Teach drivers how to respect cyclists and that cyclists are traffic too (wrote on poster, 9 stickers) • Respecting Cyclist should be on the drivers exam (wrote on the poster) • Post 5’s on the website • We need more education for youth o Must be done by knowledgeable instructors, LAB types, etc. o The teachers in the schools, generally are not bicycle riders and are not the right people o When our children were in grade school the teacher was showing a film teaching the kids to ride on the left side of the street opposing traffic!! • On one of the diagrams you showed biker at least 3 ft. away from a parked car. Generally public needs to know this when we ride the streets. (Pat McArtor 331-2797) • In the PE class, talk about the psychical benefits of biking e.g. if you bike a certain number of min/wk you burn off the fat C:\WINDOWS\Temporary Internet Files\OLK6815\RTBC Agenda Items - Complete.doc Page 3 Encouragement Count Percent Continue to offer free space to Iowa Bicycle Coalition and IC Bike Library 88 25% Offer more covered bike parking and public bike lockers 77 22% Adopt bike parking ordinance requiring bike racks at new developments 65 18% Install more bike racks at key destinations 44 12% Continue funding annual production and distribution of trail maps 19 5% Support Bike to Work Week activities 19 5% Continue offering bike carriers on city buses 17 5% Offer discounted helmets/lights to residents at recreation centers 12 3% Install bike carriers on Cambuses 9 3% Distribute trail maps to university staff and students 4 1% Total 354 100% • I’m all for new trails, complete streets, accumulation loads of data and all that, but I’d much rather see us protect what cycling resources we already have. That way, in addition to maximizing our limited funds, we can begin to convince the public that we actually care about cycling. Specifically: o Street sweeping!!!!!! This absolutely terrible in IC o Cover existing bike racks. Make riding community year-round possible o Sharrows!! They Rock. • Maintain key trails in winter so we can avoid clogged arterials when commuting. • Paved line markers on trails (wrote on poster) • Stop parking mopeds, Vespas, etc. at bike racks (wrote on poster) Enforcement Count Percent Enforce headlight/reflector laws during non-daylight hours 112 36% Enforce rules of road by police and sheriff departments 74 24% Maintain bike patrol units and trained officers 54 17% Offer police escort for organized rides 33 11% Provide emergency response and security on all public roads and trails 20 6% Implement "I got caught" campaign 16 5% Total 309 100% • If you require lights [for bikers], have them cheap or free for low income folks. • [Enforcement] should also be about cars! • [Enforcement] should not relate solely to cyclist! • Enforce state laws regarding car drivers and reckless behavior towards cyclists. • Ban right turn on red by cars. • Enforce speed limits (x2) • Do not let children and parents wait for school Bus on Pathways • Plan transportation routes for high speeds above 15 mph. Recreational trails and wide sidewalks with pedestrian traffic are not suitable • Emphasize bike safety by enforcing laws for automobiles C:\WINDOWS\Temporary Internet Files\OLK6815\RTBC Agenda Items - Complete.doc Page 4 Evaluation Total Percent Conduct peak hour counts for bicycle commuting on-street 66 20% Achieve platinum Bike Friendly designation from League of American Bicyclists 55 17% Maintain position of bike coordinator at JCCOG 54 17% Participate in JCCOG to coordinate bike network between communities 54 17% Implement spot maintenance request form for bike facilities online 49 15% Survey residents online to evaluate areas of improvement 21 6% Conduct annual trail counts to monitor changes in trail usage 18 6% Respond to bicycle-related research and data requests from municipalities 9 3% Total 326 100% • A trip maker/map quest service. Where you can type in your address and destination and come up with a safe route to the destination. • Conduct a true origin/destination study. That will tell you where you need routes. • In Oslo all the maps handed out, even from the car rental agencies etc. show where the bike routes are. Mapping Exercise The purpose of the first activity was to identify locations/street corridors in need of on-street bike accommodations. Attendees formed groups and highlighted street maps while considering the following questions: Which streets do you like to ride? These streets may be good bike routes. Which streets are uncomfortable to ride on? These streets may be good candidates for bike lanes or shared lane arrows. Consider connections to popular destinations – note parks and points of interest Make recommendations in all the communities in the urbanized area. The following map shows the consensus among attendees regarding streets that need improved bicycle facilities. The map shows the number of times each street segment was selected as a street in need of improvement by workshop participants. “High Priority” were roadway segments selected at least half of all participants; “Medium Priority” roadways were selected by 20 percent to 50 percent of participants; and “Lower Priority” segments were selected by less than 20 percent. C:\WINDOWS\Temporary Internet Files\OLK6815\RTBC Agenda Items - Complete.doc Page 6 Mapping Exercise Notes From Attendees • Burlington Street o “Burlington St. needs to be made safe for cyclists, especially near the bridge” o “Burlington St. is needed to bikes because it is less steep” o “Bike Lane on street for safety please.” Re: Burlington street over Iowa River o “Needs signage, education” W. Burlington St. o “Connect” Re: Burlington St. West of Iowa River by U of I dorms o “Burlington is a direct route for many folks, not the… • Sharrows o “General Points: street cleaning sweeping, grading of trails, covered bike racks, snow removal, sharrows” o “Don’t like sharrows if they are placed poorly. And I don’t trust that this wouldn’t be used to marginalize cyclists” o “I love sharrows” • Bike Lanes o “Bike Lanes on sidewalks downtown IC?” o “Bike lanes on Muscatine” • Iowa River Corridor Trail Crossing I -80 o “Complete the road” Re: Dubuque St. overpass and I-80 o “Only real way to get across the interstate, but very well hidden, more signage or an additional route” Re: Iowa River Corridor Trail Crossing under I -80 o “This under I-80 route is unknown to many, needs to be marked” o “Better signage of where to pick up the trail through the residential area” Re: Iowa River Corridor Trail Crossing under I -80 • Re: Rochester Ave. o “No shoulder or sidewalk” o “Rochester: no sidewalks” • Re: Sycamore greenway trail o “Where does this go? Don’t lock the Gate, thanks o “Gate Always locked: often the gate” Iowa City soccer park • Water Works Prairie o “We need to be able to ride into water park after closing” o “Gate always locked after 5PM” Re: water plant entrance to Water Works Prairie • “Terrible intersection. Cars cut off bikes all the time.” Re: Dodge and Prairie Du Chien • “Complete streets: see Madison, WI, Davis, CA, Portland, OR” • “Lack of sidewalk from U of I surplus to Hills Bank on S. Gilbert on Westside.” • “On Gilbert, cars drive too fast.” • “Poor connectivity: street to trail” Re: N 1 st Ave, Iowa City • Path too narrow on bridge” Re: Park Rd. crossing over Iowa River • “Don’t build wide sidewalks where it will be crossed by lots of driveways” • “Extend Bike Lane” Re: Melrose Ave. near Boyd Lear Building • “Connection needed to Weber School area from Melrose” • “Bike path here? It’s a narrow lane that ends unexpectedly” Re: Benton St. • Re: Hwy 1 o No way to get from West of Riverside to East of Riverside” o “Like to ride to Menards without fear” • Dane Rd. SW to Sand RD. o “No way to get from wide sidewalk to Dane road” o “Need Pavement and connection” • “Traffic light at Iowa Ave/Newton Rd and Riverside won’t detect bicycles” • “Proposed tunnel” o Re: Hwy 6 in Tiffin C:\WINDOWS\Temporary Internet Files\OLK6815\RTBC Agenda Items - Complete.doc Page 7 • “Wider” o Re: Benton St., Rohret Rd. o Re: 5 th St. Coralville • Johnson County o “Paved shoulders, not trail” Re Mehaffey Bridge Rd. NE o “Paved Bike lane too narrow. Sand and Debris” Re: 5 th St. Coralville o “Paved Shoulder” Re: American Legion rd. SE o “Needs paved shoulder” Re: American Legion Rd. o “Great Paved Shoulder” Re: Sand Rd. o “Need Paved shoulder on Hwy 1 between Newport and Morse Rd.” o “Gravel in bike lane” Re: North Dubuque st. o “This is a good paved shoulder, Please incorporate this on all roads when making road improvement projects. And some ‘share the road signs,’ maybe every ten miles for driver education purposes” Re: Sand Road o “Connect to outlying communities: Bikes as transport” o “This route needs to be made safe for bicyclists, especially due to boat trailers” • Coralville o “Better signs” Re: Oakdale Blvd @ Oakdale campus and Bike trail crossing o “Aggressive Drivers” Re: 5 th Ave. Coralville o “Missing Link” Re: Trail near 1 st Ave. in Coralville south of 5 th st. o “Coralville: Plow your bike paths!” o “Future consideration for bike lanes” o “Put sidewalk on south side” o “Highway 6 Coralville: Wide sidewalks with light supports too close to sidewalk. Easy to snag handlebars on concrete. Effectively reduces width of sidewalk.” o “Look at wide sidewalks on south side of Hwy 6: 26th to 12 th” o “Park and ride: fee parking lot at Hwy 6 and 26 th (IHOP)” o “Clear Creek trail too hilly, covered with tree debris, mud , nuts, dogs, dangerous” o “No safe bike route on Hwy 6” o “All the wide sidewalks along Hwy 6 in Coralville are very dangerous because cares turning in /out of business without looking for bicycles.” o “Hwy 6 remodel could have a bike lane (east bound) but the center islands are way too wide. Alternatives are a sidewalk on the south side from 26 th to 12 th or all the way to Tiffin. o “Coralville-North sidewalk near Aladdin has water valve cover above pave, big trip hazard. Some broken concrete too.” o “Coralville traffic light cameras can’t see though fog. Default is very slow.” o Put sidewalk or lane on Eastside” Re: Camp Cardinal Re: 1 st Ave Coralville Re: Bike trail meets 1 st Ave Coralville o “Important connection” Re: south of Iowa River Powerhouse (5 th Street) to “1 st Ave under pass” • “Don’t forget commuters travel at speeds 18 mph and up. Multiple use recreational trails are not good for these speeds. Also not good on wide sidewalks where pedestrians are encountered. If you want connections to use it don’t make the facility safe at waking speeds only. • “Light does not recognize bikes” Re: Iowa Ave/Riverside • “Pay attention of how you get from one street rout to another.” • “Keep paved shoulders free of debris so they can be used safely by cyclists” • “To extend: Identify partners and coordinate in every direction” • “Make Bike Friendly-All of downtown” Re: Iowa City downtown • “More cyclist ‘warning’ signage” C:\WINDOWS\Temporary Internet Files\OLK6815\RTBC Agenda Items - Complete.doc Page 8 • “Downtown needs signs for bike routes” • “Maintain pedestrian cross walk lights in working condition” • “Expand the Ped Mall” Conclusion The information gathered from the community workshops, combined with results of the online survey, will be evaluated and incorporated into recommendations for the JCCOG Metro Bicycle Master Plan. I will be at your November 25 meeting to answer questions regarding the workshop outcomes. C:\WINDOWS\Temporary Internet Files\OLK6815\RTBC Agenda Items - Complete.doc Page 1 Date: May 13, 2009 To: Kent Ralston; Assistant Transportation Planner From: Justin Jorgensen, Brock Grenis, Chris Widmer; Transportation Planning Interns Re: Summary of Bike and Pedestrian Trail Use - 2008 JCCOG has been collecting data on bicycle and pedestrian usage on the regional trails system over the last several months. Data was collected using an infrared counter that counts both bicycles and pedestrians, but cannot differentiate between the two. Data was collected at seventeen locations: ten locations within the City of Iowa City, four locations within Coralville, and three locations within the City of North Liberty. The count locations are based on requests from JCCOG entities, and our desire to collect a broad sample of count information. Location Daily Ave Weekday Ave Weekend Ave Dates Weather Clear Creek Trail (Behind Comfort Suites) 133 105 204 08/26 – 09/02 Rain Once, Nice Otherwise Clear Creek Trail (Near University Recreation Fields) 135 126 159 09/02 – 09/09 Rain Three Days, 70’s Clear Creek Trail (Near Tunnel) 186 137 308 09/10 – 09/17 Rain Once, Nice Otherwise Highway 6 (Near Chili’s in Coralville) 24 31 8 08/04 – 08/11 Rain One Day, Sunny Otherwise Highway 6 (Near K-Mart) 148 146 152 08/19 – 08/26 Sunny, Highs in 70’s Iowa River Corridor Trail (At Waterworks Prairie Park) 120 103 164 07/28 – 08/04 Sunny, Hot and Humid Iowa River Corridor Trail (Near Park Rd. Crossing) 218 164 353 09/18 – 09/25 Sunny, 70’s/80’s Iowa River Corridor Trail (At Napolean park) 84 78 99 09/26 – 10/03 Rain on Two Days Iowa River Corridor Trail (On North Dubuque St.) 77 67 104 10/10 – 10/17 Overcast, colder, rain one day North Liberty Trail (At Forevergreen Rd) 156 161 143 06/12 – 06/19 Rain on Two days; Flooding North Liberty Trail (Near Recreation Center) 363 329 446 06/19 - 06/26 Rain on one day North Ridge Trail (At Oakdale Campus) 203 177 269 06/03 – 06/10 Rain on five days Scott Boulevard (Wide Sidewalk) 104 99 106 08/11 – 08/18 Sunny and Hot Sycamore Greenway Trail (At Soccer Park) 47 50 40 07/14 – 07/21 Hot, Humid, Rain on 2 Days Sycamore Greenway Trail (Near Grant Wood School) 141 155 108 07/21 – 07/28 Hot, Humid, Light Rain 2 Days Willow Creek Trail (Behind West High School) 128 128 129 06/30 – 07/06 Rain on one day Willow Creek Trail (At Willow Creek Park) 296 273 355 07/07 – 07/13 Rain on one day m e m o