Leavenworth Project Benefits Bicycles

Post by **BRoss** » Fri Jul 13, 2012 2:54 pm

http://www.wowt.com/home/headlines/Leav ... 61526.html

WOWT wrote:In an effort to expand multimodal travel options in Omaha, the City will be improving conditions along Leavenworth Street from 31st Street to 13th Street with dedicated bicycle and shared use lanes.

iamjacobm · Post by **iamjacobm** » Fri Jul 13, 2012 5:08 pm

Great news!

Seth · Post by **Seth** » Fri Jul 13, 2012 8:46 pm

This is awesome! Â My wife and I live a few blocks from the western terminus, so this will make our trips downtown a lot better. Â There is already a short stretch of bike lane on St. Mary's around 480 (added during recent street improvements there), but it's kind of orphaned without any other bike lanes nearby. Â If the Harney bikeway will be built too, this will make midtown-downtown bike travel safer and more attractive.

ShawJ · Post by **ShawJ** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 1:34 pm

Here's a kind of crude photo of the plan. I tried to find a better version but didn't look for too long.

Seth · Post by **Seth** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 8:45 pm

Wow, has anyone else read the comments in the WOWT article? Â The ignorance and anger is ridiculous!

http://www.wowt.com/home/headlines/Leav ... 61526.html

ShawJ · Post by **ShawJ** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 9:12 pm

Seth wrote:Wow, has anyone else read the comments in the WOWT article? The ignorance and anger is ridiculous!

http://www.wowt.com/home/headlines/Leav ... 61526.html

If people get that upset over a bike lane, imagine the rage if Omaha proposes a streetcar. :lol:

I don't think most people in Omaha realize how difficult and (sometimes) scary it is to bike into downtown with the limited options right now. This will be the first step in fixing that.

Seth · Post by **Seth** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 9:30 pm

My favorite comment was the one saying this will make downtown wither because it will be harder to drive there. Â That's only been proven wrong for about the last 50 years buddy!

I think it's telling that the posters against it sound paranoid and angry, while those in favor present calm, logical comments.

TitosBuritoBarn · Post by **TitosBuritoBarn** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 9:34 pm

Nobody even drives on Leavenworth...

Post by **Brad** » Wed Jul 18, 2012 8:21 am

TitosBuritoBarn wrote:Nobody even drives on Leavenworth...

Exactly. Â Thats my usual route in to Downtown and they don't usually need more than 2 lanes. Â I think a more narrow road might actually help traffic flow because several now poeple tend to be all over the road down there.

ShawJ · Post by **ShawJ** » Wed Jul 18, 2012 11:26 am

On a side note, does this mean that the idea of converting Leavenworth into a two way is over? I'm not sure how serious of an idea it was, but I guess it could still happen with one lane each.

Seth · Post by **Seth** » Wed Jul 18, 2012 7:55 pm

ShawJ wrote:On a side note, does this mean that the idea of converting Leavenworth into a two way is over? I'm not sure how serious of an idea it was, but I guess it could still happen with one lane each.

I believe the Park Avenue Redevelopment Study recommended a reconfiguration of the St. Mary's/Leavenworth intersection (Half the time I go through there, someone is making a turn from the wrong side of the intersection), but kept them both one-way.

Post by **Brad** » Thu Jul 19, 2012 8:52 am

I really think they need to configure Leavenworth from Saddlecreek West to Elmwood Park... Â Instead of 4 tight lanes, how about 2 lanes (one each way), a center turn lane and bike lanes on either side. Â Same amount of room, but it would flow much better.

ShawJ · Post by **ShawJ** » Thu Jul 19, 2012 1:17 pm

Brad wrote:I really think they need to configure Leavenworth from Saddlecreek West to Elmwood Park... Instead of 4 tight lanes, how about 2 lanes (one each way), a center turn lane and bike lanes on either side. Same amount of room, but it would flow much better.

Yeah, doing that from 60th to 52nd really improved Leavenworth, IMO. I'd love to see it continue to Saddle Creek.

Seth · Post by **Seth** » Thu Jul 19, 2012 8:16 pm

Brad wrote:I really think they need to configure Leavenworth from Saddlecreek West to Elmwood Park... Instead of 4 tight lanes, how about 2 lanes (one each way), a center turn lane and bike lanes on either side. Same amount of room, but it would flow much better.

I agree entirely. Â It would really be good to do the whole stretch of Leavenworth, but I imagine there would be concerns with traffic between 480 and Saddle Creek due to UNMC.

MadMartin8 · Post by **MadMartin8** » Thu Jul 19, 2012 10:11 pm

Seth wrote:
Brad wrote:I really think they need to configure Leavenworth from Saddlecreek West to Elmwood Park... Instead of 4 tight lanes, how about 2 lanes (one each way), a center turn lane and bike lanes on either side. Same amount of room, but it would flow much better.
I agree entirely. It would really be good to do the whole stretch of Leavenworth, but I imagine there would be concerns with traffic between 480 and Saddle Creek due to UNMC.

I think with the re-do of Saddle Creek that they are planning...eventually...that might make a difference?

ShawJ · Post by **ShawJ** » Sat Jul 28, 2012 10:27 pm

That was quick. Lanes already reconfigured and bike lanes are in place.

Post by **Brad** » Sat Jul 28, 2012 11:34 pm

ShawJ wrote:That was quick. Lanes already reconfigured and bike lanes are in place.

They were working on it last night about 7pm. Â I forgot to post it.

Post by **Coyote** » Sun Jul 29, 2012 1:27 am

City opens Omaha street for cyclists

KETV wrote:Pfitzer said the city has extensive plans for more bike lanes over the next 20 years.

Post by **Brad** » Tue Jul 31, 2012 9:38 am

Apparently drivers in Omaha don't know you can't drive in a bike lane.... I was standing at Urban Village for over 30 min and I watched over 100 cars driving in the bike lane...

ShawJ · Post by **ShawJ** » Tue Jul 31, 2012 10:23 am

Brad wrote:Apparently drivers in Omaha don't know you can't drive in a bike lane.... I was standing at Urban Village for over 30 min and I watched over 100 cars driving in the bike lane...

Disappointing but not at all surprising.

Seth · Post by **Seth** » Tue Jul 31, 2012 8:22 pm

Brad wrote:Apparently drivers in Omaha don't know you can't drive in a bike lane.... I was standing at Urban Village for over 30 min and I watched over 100 cars driving in the bike lane...

The real question is: where they doing it on accident, or on purpose? Â I imagine a certain amount of it now is due to unfamiliarity with the new configuration. I would hope drivers' behavior improves with time, but maybe I'm too optimistic about Omaha drivers' Â attitudes towards cyclists.

Post by **Brad** » Tue Jul 31, 2012 8:55 pm

Seth wrote:
Brad wrote:Apparently drivers in Omaha don't know you can't drive in a bike lane.... I was standing at Urban Village for over 30 min and I watched over 100 cars driving in the bike lane...
The real question is: where they doing it on accident, or on purpose? I imagine a certain amount of it now is due to unfamiliarity with the new configuration. I would hope drivers' behavior improves with time, but maybe I'm too optimistic about Omaha drivers' attitudes towards cyclists.

To me it looked like they just didn't know.

Post by **Brad** » Tue Jul 31, 2012 10:07 pm

From This Morning... The Only 2 Bikers I got while watching over 100 cars drive in the Bike Lane...

1.

Big E · Post by **Big E** » Wed Aug 01, 2012 2:21 pm

Out of curiosity, is there an actual violation being committed by the cars? Â ie, could they be ticketed for driving in the bike lane?

ShawJ · Post by **ShawJ** » Wed Aug 01, 2012 2:45 pm

Big E wrote:Out of curiosity, is there an actual violation being committed by the cars? ie, could they be ticketed for driving in the bike lane?

Found this on the Nebraska driving manual:

"Bike lanes are for the exclusive use of bicyclists. Motor vehicles may cross over the
bike lane to move into another appropriate
travel lane, to enter or exit on-street parking
spaces, or to enter or exit private property,
but motorists are not to use the bike lanes
for continuous travel down the street"

iamjacobm · Post by **iamjacobm** » Fri Aug 03, 2012 3:46 pm

There is also back in parking from this project. Â I didn't notice any cars in the bike lane today either, hopefully it was just a case of not knowing what was up.

Post by **Brad** » Fri Aug 03, 2012 10:48 pm

iamjacobm wrote:There is also back in parking from this project. I didn't notice any cars in the bike lane today either, hopefully it was just a case of not knowing what was up.

I ran downtown tonight and didn't see any cars in the bike lane. Â Did see two bikers!

derog · Post by **derog** » Mon Aug 06, 2012 1:32 pm

Brad wrote:
iamjacobm wrote:There is also back in parking from this project. I didn't notice any cars in the bike lane today either, hopefully it was just a case of not knowing what was up.
I ran downtown tonight and didn't see any cars in the bike lane. Did see two bikers!

I've gone east on Leavenworth about 10 times since installation and haven't seen a single car in the bike lane either.

nebport5 · Post by **nebport5** » Tue Aug 07, 2012 7:28 pm

I drove down the other day and found the lanes hard to see mostly because of the sun, but also because the road slops down. Â Ultimately, the contrast between the old car lanes and the news ones where hard to distinguish in harsh lighting.

I can see why oblivious motorists would drive right through them. Â On a related note I hope the city stays proactive with repainting the lanes. Â Much of the existing bike lanes are already fading.

Linkin5 · Post by **Linkin5** » Tue Aug 07, 2012 8:50 pm

The sun must have really hurt your vision, the lines are pretty clear.

Bugeater · Post by **Bugeater** » Sat Aug 11, 2012 11:22 am

No, they're not clear, especially early in the morning. The abrasions from where they removed the old striping still shows, and it's hard to distinguish them from the new markings.

nebport5 · Post by **nebport5** » Sat Aug 11, 2012 1:40 pm

Bugeater wrote:No, they're not clear, especially early in the morning. The abrasions from where they removed the old striping still shows, and it's hard to distinguish them from the new markings.

Yes, exactly.