PAG releases public comments on 30-year plan

Posted on July 23rd, 2010 by Michael McKisson (Publisher/Editor)

The Pima Association of Governments released the comments the agency received from the public on the regional transportation plan in June.

The long-range transportation plan will shape the way the region grows over the next 30 years.

According to the report released by PAG, 105 of the 136 comments they received were about bicycle projects. Many of those comments were submitted through the website advocating for bike boulevards in Tucson.

I’ve included some of the more interesting comments below, but you can view all of them here and read PAG’s report and responses here.

*The names of the commenters were removed by PAG.

Our family loves to bike together, but with small children in tow, it has been virtually impossible for us to bike as a family in Tucson. We moved here from Portland, OR last year where we were able to bike virtually everywhere and felt incredibly safe. We strongly support the implementation of bike boulevards around Tucson!

…

Bike boulevards would be at the top of my priority list, and I would like to see them
planned and built as quickly as possible. They make cycling safe and relaxing
enough for anyone to feel comfortable doing it, and at a reasonable cost.

…

There seems to be a huge concentration of useless bike boulevards in central Tucson
that only serve to connect one neighborhood to another. This is a waste of money
and resources. These need to be redistributed to connect southern Tucson to the
downtown area.

…

I strongly support the inclusion of as many bicycle boulevards as possible. The street
signs in Tucson may call the city a “bicycle-friendly community” but some of the
roads where such signs are posted are extremely hostile to bike traffic: the Rillito
bridge on Campbell, for example, where the bike lane suddenly disappears and
there is no sidewalk sufficient to accommodate bikes and pedestrians. The
expansion of bike boulevards, where bikes do not have to compete with cars, will be
a great incentive for getting people to use nonmotorized means to commute to
work.

…

The plan is insufficiently bike friendly. The assumption that our society will be as
motor vehicle dependent 30 years from now, as it is today, is clearly erroneous.

…

I really like the concept and development of Bike Boulevards. They provide a safe,
less car encumbered way for bicyclists to get around, and a good network of bike
boulevards could really help to reduce traffic flows in this city. A lot of trips made by
auto are trips that could be easily done by bicycle, but it needs to be safe and the
bike boulevards go a long way toward making that happen.
I would also like to see the Urban Loop implemented, hopefully in the next few
years. Connecting the current bike path at Grant & the Santa Cruz with the Rillito
path near I-10 would be a great start.

…

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Post a comment below or discuss in the Tucson Velo forums

Posted on July 23rd, 2010 by Michael McKisson (Publisher/Editor)

http://www.facebook.com/people/Frank-Tellez/671993791 Frank Tellez

Is it too late to comment? Because I'd like to say the Liberty street bike boulevard is horrible. The residents don't seem to know it's a bike boulevard. Everyone drives around the circles at the intersections and then floors it to make up for lost time. Plus, the street is in such bad shape it's like riding on cobblestones. It's that bad. I avoid it completely. Sadly, it's the south side's only bike boulevard. 10th street is 500% nicer and it's just a bike lane. Might I suggest something like this, -o-, at the intersections. This will force people in cars to turn off the bike boulevard at the nearest corner instead of driving down it. The dashes are bumpy protrusions in the road. Bikes can slip between the bumps, cars can't. The o is the circle in the center of the intersection. Here's a picture of the bumps. http://www.papamiket.com/wp-content/uploads/200…

Also, please make overpasses and underpasses more bike friendly. I always ride on the sidewalk through these even though it's illegal because I'd rather get a ticket than get killed. Thanks.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Frank-Tellez/671993791 Frank Tellez

Is it too late to comment? Because I'd like to say the Liberty street bike boulevard is horrible. The residents don't seem to know it's a bike boulevard. Everyone drives around the circles at the intersections and then floors it to make up for lost time. Plus, the street is in such bad shape it's like riding on cobblestones. It's that bad. I avoid it completely. Sadly, it's the south side's only bike boulevard. 10th street is 500% nicer and it's just a bike lane. Might I suggest something like this, -o-, at the intersections. This will force people in cars to turn off the bike boulevard at the nearest corner instead of driving down it. The dashes are bumpy protrusions in the road. Bikes can slip between the bumps, cars can't. The o is the circle in the center of the intersection. Here's a picture of the bumps. http://www.papamiket.com/wp-content/uploads/200…

Also, please make overpasses and underpasses more bike friendly. I always ride on the sidewalk through these even though it's illegal because I'd rather get a ticket than get killed. Thanks.
tucsonvelo

The comment period is over, but you could certainly share your thoughts with them anyhow. I think the more people who let them know things need to be improved, the better.
Paul Eastview

Frank,

Liberty is in the plan because it needs to be improved and upgraded so it can be called a bike boulevard. If it we're already a bike boulevard it wouldn't need to be in the plan. Like you said it has short comings and is one of a few routes that offer connectivity on the southside.

Of course bike lanes on major roads are available but you don't see many people who seem comfortable riding on such streets now. The purpose of bike boulevards is to appeal to a broader audience who do not like riding on major roads.
http://twitter.com/edcantrell Edward Cantrell

Liberty – 10th Ave. is not Bike Blvd. It is still a Bikeway according to latest Pima's Bike Map: http://www.pagnet.org/documents/bicycle/maps/Bi…

Of course, part of Liberty St. need to be repaved… they are too “cratered” I had to ride at edge of “crater” instead of going bumpily. That's between 44th St and Ajo Way. You can view those section of street in street view in Google Maps.
http://twitter.com/edcantrell Edward Cantrell

Street view of that section of Liberty Ave;
http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Tucso…

See how “cratered” they are!
http://twitter.com/edcantrell Edward Cantrell

Yes, it has all those basic items to make it a bike blvd. but not the whole Liberty – 10th Ave… They can turn Liberty Ave itself into a Bike Blvd from 44th St to Bilby Rd.
Coghauler

Originally, a five to six foot section of
street repavement on each side was part of
the bike boulevard plan. But lately, mention
of that has been missing. That would be a
huge shortchanging of the plan if it has
been dropped.
http://twitter.com/edcantrell Edward Cantrell

Liberty – 10th Ave. is not Bike Blvd. It is still a Bikeway according to latest Pima's Bike Map: http://www.pagnet.org/documents/bicycle/maps/Bi…

Of course, part of Liberty St. need to be repaved… they are too “cratered” I had to ride at edge of “crater” instead of going bumpily. That's between 44th St and Ajo Way. You can view those section of street in street view in Google Maps.
http://twitter.com/edcantrell Edward Cantrell

Street view of that section of Liberty Ave;
http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Tucso…

See how “cratered” they are!
http://twitter.com/edcantrell Edward Cantrell

Yes, it has all those basic items to make it a bike blvd. but not the whole Liberty – 10th Ave… They can turn Liberty Ave itself into a Bike Blvd from 44th St to Bilby Rd.
Coghauler

Originally, a five to six foot section of
street repavement on each side was part of
the bike boulevard plan. But lately, mention
of that has been missing. That would be a
huge shortchanging of the plan if it has
been dropped.