Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Bike Lanes Welcomed at Rhodes Meeting
Posted by John Branston on Tue, May 24, 2011 at 8:20 PM
During the 75-minute meeting, there were questions about safety but no outright opposition to the project, which could be completed this year. Kyle Wagenschutz, the city's bicycling coordinator, said it would be a first step and some details have not been worked out. It would not require widening or repaving North Parkway, but it would reduce from three to two the number of lanes for cars on both sides of the median.
The bike lanes would begin near the entrance to Rhodes College on North Parkway, pass Snowden School, cross McLean, go around the underpass at North Watkins, and connect to Danny Thomas. From there to Front Street and the bridge to Mud Island, the street name changes to A. W. Willis and would be unchanged.
Between Danny Thomas and McLean there would be a bike lane and a parallel parking lane on each side, plus two lanes for cars. There are also bus stops in the proposed bike/parking lane and several intersecting driveways and cross streets. Between McLean and West Drive in Hein Park, which is across from the north entrance to Overton Park, there would be a bike lane and a buffer lane but no street parking. The East Parkway and North Parkway intersection is considered to be too busy for bike lanes, and plans are to eventually route bikes through the park and connect with Broad Street and new Greenline to Shelby Farms.
People at the meeting asked about "dooring" (car doors opening as bikes go by), congestion when parents are taking their children to Snowden or picking them up, signs (the bigger the better was the general sentiment), storm drains and grates, pedestrian crossings, the connection to Broad Street ("murky," Wagenschutz said), riding on the sidewalk (legal) and turning across car lanes or bike lanes (be careful).
Charles McVean, who is backing the bike trail over the Harahan Bridge, also spoke to the crowd and got a nice hand. He said his hope is to eventually see Memphis as the epicenter of a bike trail along the Mississippi River from New Orleans to St. Louis on the river levee.
"Unless there is a fatal engineering structural flaw, we're gonna go across that bridge," he said.
Comments (5)
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So, John: are you still cynical about the prospect of Memphis becoming bike-friendly, which I criticized you for (as, subsequently, did others) when you first pooh-poohed it in your piece about the Madison Avenue bike lanes a few weeks ago?
If Memphis is going to succeed in this effort that offers so many benefits to the city and its residents, we need to have opinion-shapers like you promote bike-friendliness rather than be skeptical about it.
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Who's that creepy guy in the uniform over Kyle's right shoulder? Coincidentally, outside the meeting last night, me and my kids demonstrated why we should all ride bikes by totaling my truck and a brand new Volvo.
Good to see the neighborhoods near North Parkway supporting this. I think bike lanes will be a great addition to that street, making it safer for riders of all skill levels.
Great going Kyle! We rode together a while in the Tour De Cure, commented on your cool socks...lol! Glad to see bike lanes being applied all over Memphis. Wish I could have attended meeting, however, work would not allow. Keep up the good work!
We have a local and national epidemic of obesity and all its health related issues. A major impediment to solutions is that most efforts are no fun. Biking is one great way to add fun to the better health efforts. Indoor exercise and diets are helpful but most people associate those efforts with pain and boredom. More safe bike trails in Memphis will go a long way toward expanding the biking experience.
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