Bicycle edestrian safety in current infrastructure

Metting information

The point of the meeting

The meeting focused on the safety aspects of The 7-Line project, a protected east-west bike lane and improved transit corridor. It will be completed and open in 2021. It is a protected bike lane that is completely separated from the roadway by cars. A barrier is used to separate it from vehicles to protect people who are riding. However, the loss of on-street parking on 7th Street. During the development phase the government requested a change in traffic regulations to reduce or remove parking signs on 7th Street.

Who was at the meeting

Attendance: About 20 people in this meeting. It also inculdeinterested listeners like me.

Staff: Patrick Dierkes, Mallory Rickbeil
Commissioners: Paul Ash, Ann Edmonds, Casey Green, Zak Huneck,
Jaclyn Ray
Public: Holden Abshier (WFIU), Ron Brown (BBC), Jim Shelton (Chamber
of Commerce)

Meetting place

City Hall-1-Cityhall Council Chambers (RM #115) and I attended the conference through zoom.

Topics- The 7 Line

“Route 7 will provide protected east-west bike lanes and improved transit corridors to connect the B Line, downtown, the Indiana University campus and the Eastside neighborhoods increasing physical separation between cyclists and automobile traffic to improve the comfort, safety and efficiency of all road users.” In this meeting city enginner Andrew seabor provide commission and update on the 7 line. He also want share and celebrate this project. The city traffic comission and ultimately city council reviewed an ordinance that required some code changes to out traffics. The first is the obvious reduction of parking space on this street. The second point is the removal of stop signs on Seventh street.

Problem slotion

The 7 line caused the number of corridor total crashes and injury crashes to almost double. The number of bike and scooter crashes has also increased. This is because more people are using these vehicles. Some of the changes in the crash pattern is removed 5 All-way stop intersections. It happened a significant number of crashes at that intersection that are susceptible to correrction by installing out stop.The engineer recommended repositioning 5 stop signs at the intersection. If we put an alwasy top in there potentially those crashes might not happen.

These 7th streets are

Morton St
Washington St
Lincoln Ln
Grant St
Dunn St

Conflict

There is a discussion here about whether there are other ways to solve this solution. The engineer said this method is the most effective because it can stop fast moving vehicles. Some other ways may not be able to stop those vehicles. But if five stop signs are placed it will affect the cycling experience. This makes it impossible for cyclists to ride smoothly, and this will receive a lot of negative comments.Bicyclists will not necessarily stop according to their behavior if a stop sign is placed. This will lead to more accidents.

Final decision

All are opposed to having 5 stop signs reinstated.

Technology opportunities that can be utilized to address problems

For cities looking to solve community problems through smart solutions, it’s hard to imagine a product that comes closer to being a panacea for smart cities than the bicycle.Building a smart city requires planning more security and facilities for bicycles. Because cycling not only can be green but also can exercise the citizens’ body. As humans become more and more environmentally conscious more technology is needed to improve the large number of bicycle riding groups. In Europe and China these bicycle signals are already very common and their effect is very good. “Austin’s transportation department is adding 12 new bicycle-only signals to traffic signals across the city in hopes of creating safer commutes for bicyclists.” These traffic lights with bicycle signs are very well understood. This also means that bicycles are included in the daily transportation. These signals are also an important tool for getting cyclists through safer roads. There are also cameras next to the signals to track whether the signals are improving safety and compliance. Users can also be surveyed to see if they understand the meaning of the lights and how satisfied they are. Bloomington has not only a population that relies on bicycles to get around, but also a large number of people who enjoy cycling. I think a bicycle signal on 7th Street would make traffic more orderly and safe. It’s also a relatively fair way to do it. Everyone would have to follow the signals and if an accident occurs, it would be recorded by a camera. This will make it easier to adjust the difference in future accidents and monitor the signals.

“Copenhagen has proactively chosen to design its roads and neighborhoods to encourage safe cycling, and with 50% of Copenhagen residents commuting by bike, the city is considered the most bike-friendly city in the world and the most livable city in the world.” The city’s planning and investment in bicycle streets is extensive. They support the Smart City ecosystem of bicycle texts. cykelslangens is the first bicycle-only bridge. It is 200 meters long and shaped like a snake between the surrounding buildings. A large number of people from the surrounding shopping malls make their way back and forth across this bridge every day. The cost of the bridge is significantly greater than the bike lane on 7th Street. I’ve been on 7th Street a lot myself and I can see that some buses spend a lot of time there making turns. This is not only a test of the driver’s skills, but also the cars driving on the street. I also have driving experience on Seventh Street. If you drive a vehicle that is too large, you need to be careful to touch the isolation belt of the bicycle. I think building a bicycle bridge is one of the current ways to reduce traffic accidents. Considering the cost, it can be connected at the streets with relatively congested road sections and high accident rate. I’m sure more people and students will join the bike ride after it’s built. It could also be another place to visit in Bloomington. The most important thing is to encourage people to travel low carbon and build an environmentally friendly smart city.