http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x30ivqQEGao

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x30ivqQEGao

Second, I challenge the assertion that sidewalks some wildly dangerous place to bike. Much like riding in traffic there are certain dangers you need to be aware of and account for – primarily intersections. Nobody expects something going bicycle speeds to be going down a sidewalk, so you’ve got to slow way, way down anytime you cross a driveway or street. If you’re willing to do that, you can bike very safely on a sidewalk.

With that said, the wider sidewalk is something that’s achievable short-term and other accommodations aren’t so why not accept the wider sidewalk as something that will help some cyclists and not others? I don’t feel comfortable staying in the travel lanes when biking westbound up the hill from the Washington Blvd bridge, so I ditch to the sidewalk now (which is abysmally narrow, absurdly bumpy and a veritable minefield of poles and other obstructions) so I’ll gladly see a wider, flatter, clearer sidewalk there. I’ll also fight for any achievable on-street accommodations. Different cyclists have different comfort levels, and if we’re going to get more people on bikes we’ve got to accommodate as many of them as possible so in my mind we need more of everything – wider sidewalks, more shared use paths, more bike lanes, more bike boulevards and more cycle tracks.

Also bikes coexist with Streetcars in many cities. I’m not saying it’s ideal – God knows the last thing you need as a cyclist on the Pike is one more danger to think about, but it’s still possible and can be done safely. See for instance this brochure: http://parking.arizona.edu/maps/documents/SC-Bikebrochure.pdf and this video: http://bikeportland.org/2012/09/20/portland-streetcar-inc-bta-release-new-safety-video-77710

Again, I agree. The Pike needs better bike accommodations. A wider sidewalk won’t cut it. The bike boulevards won’t cut it until the County expends the money and the effort to see them through from end to end. But I disagree with any assertion that the wider sidewalk isn’t at least an improvement. Also I encourage you to get involved with advocacy if you aren’t already. We have a very bike friendly staff and a very bike friendly board, but many bike projects run smack into massive walls of community opposition (see Bike Boulevard detour in Arlington Heights, Washington Boulevard Trail phase 2 opposition, Shirlington Road Road Diet opposition, pretty much any attempt to make room for bike lanes by eliminating on-street parking) – the bike community needs to make itself heard.