New York continues to open its streets to all users, rethinking its infrastrcutre in a way that makes the city enjoyable for more people, and a bit greener.
There is hardly a more iconic street than Broadway and if you’re a cyclist, it’s where your dreams might in fact come true. After testing lane closures to make squares and bike routes, the city is making the closures official.
Two quotes in the article caught my eye: “You do these things incrementally, and over time they build.” and “I think it was their strategy to introduce this piecemeal, see if it worked, and then go further.”
These comments remind me of what Richard Layman said in our Rethink Montgomery speakers series–that Amsterdam and Portland didn’t turn into bike-friendly cities overnight. It took 40 years of committed planning for something to simply become the way it is.
Montgomery has its own history of committed planning–from the Ag Reserve to Metro station redevelopment. Maybe it’s time to commit ourselves to a new way of thinking about streets.
Michael Drayne
I agree that we need to think about streets and how bike lanes can be incorporated in a way that makes bike riding safe and convenient. While I love the many bike paths we have in Montgomery County, I worry that both cyclists and drivers are being conditioned to think bikes and cars should be separate. I’ve had numerous run ins with drivers who tell me to “get on the sidewalk”. I fear we’re ceding the streets to cars at the expense of pedestrians and bike riders. The speed of traffic and the narrow shoulders make bike riding on the street an adventure at best and life threatening at worst.
I live in Silver Spring and work in Potomac but I have yet to find a safe path to work. I can’t take Rock Creek Park because it’s a highway for commuters who are often hostile to riders. When we turn our parks over to the automobile we have lost all sense of balance.
The incremental approach you suggest will make the vision of a county wide bike network a reality. Perhaps creating a safe, interconnected network in downtown Silver Spring and other high density areas would be a logical starting point. Maybe I will actually be able to ride in dedicated lanes all the way to Potomac before I retire in 20 years.