a Better better bike lane: Congress Street Shared Use Path?

[Zack Barowitz]

Here is a thought. The Better Bike Lane project never rolled out. I personally was pretty lukewarm on the proposals and I feel like our support is fairly perfunctory (we have not asked for bike lanes and no one mentioned bike lanes in our goal setting meeting). 

Instead why not advocated for a big bold bike lane (Shared Use Path actually) on outer Congress Street from 295 to the Mall. Congress Street is the perhaps the most important corridor in the city (and maybe the state?) but it is considered too complex to have any bike facilities and the pedestrian ones are substandard (there have been some serious collisions with pedestrians). And I think it would be great to get beyond paint and plastic bollards as these materials are inherently ephemeral.

Zack

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[Winston Lumpkins]

I love it. 

I didn't see Better Bikeways as a project that was trying to be radical- some improvements to streets that cyclists can already use. 
Such a project could effortlessly be connected to the existing path from the Fore River Parkway...  Almost like it's meant to be.

A real, protected, 2 way multi use path/bikeway from 295 to the Mall, along one side of Congress Street, especially if it included bicycle signals, would allow more people who legitimately feel they can't cycle to work or on errands to do so.  It seems like no other single project could eliminate more car trips, or make a larger, more dangerous section of road safer for all road users. 

There simply isn't a good alternate way to get to the mall to avoid the car traffic- it's a destination that can't be reached with a bicycle byway- it needs real, revolutionary intervention, like the intervention you describe.

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[John Brooking]

There is indeed a lot going on there in terms of commercial driveways and side streets. It would be simpler, safer, and more pleasant for cyclists, to build a paved off-road trail from the Transportation Center to Westland, connecting to the ends of the streets and the back of the Westgate Plaza, for example where I have drawn a red line below. I have no idea what the ROW/landowner situation is back there.

John Brooking

Cyclist, Cycling Educator, Technologist

http://cyclingsavvy.org

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[Scsmedia]

There already is a Portland Trails trail on the other side of the railroad tracks. Upgrading this only solves part of the problem. 

Getting from Hobart to the mall and those who need to very off on Congress Street side streets. 

Steven Scharf

207-415-4662

SCSM...@aol.com

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[John Brooking]

My thought was that the RR tracks are a barrier between the existing dirt trail and the various side streets. Also that trail is a bit hilly in places. (I just rode on it last week.) I was hoping maybe a trail on the other side of the tracks may be more level. Or hey, trail with rail on the RR ROW! (I suppose this conversation has already been had many times.)

Getting across the Stroudwater is going to be hard without the existing road. After that, Westbrook Street towards the airport is a calm on-road option.

John Brooking

Cyclist, Cycling Educator, Technologist

http://cyclingsavvy.org

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[Danielle Walczak]

Hi PBAC, 

I don't participate that often in this group but I'd like to chime. My name is Dani, I commute from Rosemont corner to Darling Ave in the mall area for work. Previous to this job I was an avid bike commuter into downtown and since starting this job on Darling Ave I have had to scale back my bike commuting significantly due to the dangers of riding on and near outer congress/22. I would love to help support a better bike way from 295 to the mall. 

There is a way to avoid a section of 22 via the airport roads, but it requires a short section on a "private" airport road. It also requires you to use the turning lane in the middle of four lanes of traffic near the Stroudwater bridge and ride on the sidewalk. I tend to go this way but in the afternoon the airport roads are busy as well, but with a slightly bigger shoulder and lower speed limit.

Driving on 22 I experience bikers daily, and even as a driver with the best intent it is hard to safely avoid cyclists on this road. Both lanes of traffic are often full and with a speed limit of 40mph in parts, it's really challenging to pass safely. The shoulder is small and pins cyclists between two lanes of traffic and a curb. I and other cyclists often resort to riding on the sidewalk which is also in poor quality and involves interfering with the pedestrian byway which is often being used. The sidewalk also disappears on Johnson road. 

Not only is the mall area a place many people run errands, but there is also a daycare, Preble Street Food Hub, and the DHHS, and many other businesses where people work so others can run their errands there. Many low-income individuals for whom biking or walking are the only options need to access this area for resources. There's also a park and ride.

I don't find Stroudwater to be a suitable alternative because one still needs to navigate the outer mall sprawl on a bike and it takes much longer on almost as busy roads. Walking that way is not an option. Regardless of it being an alternative route many people are already using 22 daily to get to and from downtown to the mall.

I would love to support proposing a better bike way down 22 to the mall. Portland doesn't end when you get off the peninsula and many folks must travel to and from each day. As someone who attempts to use this roadway everyday I wanted to weigh in to show my support. Thanks for all the work you all do! 

Dani 

[Zack Barowitz]

Dani,

Thanks for weighing in! You certainly describe the problem area’s very well and I rarely if ever think to cut through the airport/Stroudwater but I will. Actually this would be an awesome ride audit.  Especially if we can incorporate John’s and Winston’s comments as well 

Thanks 

Zack 

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[Corey Templeton]

Good insights, Dani. Thanks for sharing!

I also love the idea of some permanent infrastructure (i.e. more than paint) to help navigate through the Congress Street corridor, especially the parts between Exit 5 and the city border. I live in the West End and work at Unum so very familiar with that corridor. I am not an everyday bike commuter like I used to be, but still get a day or two a week when I can trade off daycare pickup/drop-off with my spouse. People at work do look at me like I'm crazy for riding a bike anywhere near that area, and if I had never done it before I'd probably think the same. Anywho, I am certain if you build the right infrastructure through here you would see many more folks give cycling a try. It's too important of a corridor to devote it entirely to automobiles. On board with any efforts to move the needle here. 

[John Brooking]

Hi, Dani,

As someone who also works near the mall, on John Roberts Road near the Clarks Pond Plaza, I need to ride on some of these same roads every working day. I live in Westbrook, so my route involves Running Hill Road from its intersection with Cummings Road, down Gorham Road past the mall. I also frequently use the other similar large roads to get into Portland via Johnson Road and Outer Congress, or into South Portland by Broadway.

A well designed and intuitive bikeway would certainly be more comfortable, although it can be hard to get that alongside roads with frequent side streets and commercial driveways. Besides the ideas mentioned for such, there is also the idea that comes up every few years about an off-road trail from the Red Bank neighborhood behind Western Avenue, skirting the back of the jetport, linking to the Veterans Memorial Bridge.

For the moment, however, lacking such infrastructure, I wanted to make a few comments about getting around by bike on the roads that exist today. There is a lot of fear around that, understandably, and unfortunately perpetuated by a minority of impatient motorists who bully cyclists who dare to intrude too much into what the motorist thinks of, incorrectly, as "car space". Invariably such motorists are completely ignorant about both the legal rights of cyclists and about safe cycling practices. In my experience, most motorists are fine, even if they don't quite understand. It's a shame that the minority of them have such power over us.

I suppose I'm more stubborn than many people in that I first sought out education on being a safe "bicycle driver" in such environments, and after absorbing the information, now behave more like any other driver than many of them expect from a cyclist. Such behaviors include queuing up at red lights in the line of cars, not beside them, and riding consistently in the middle of the rightmost travel lane on any 4-lane road. I usually give the hand signal for stopping as I'm slowing down for a red light, and if I need to change to the left lane for a left turn, or maybe from a shoulder or bike lane into the travel lane, the left turn hand signal. Beyond letting those around me know what I'm doing, I suspect this also gives them the reassurance that I know what I'm doing, and maybe more willing to work with me until they are past.

Will riding in the middle of the lane on these roads induce motorist anger? In some cases, yes. I can't lie. But not as often as you may fear before you try it, in my experience. I conducted my own little passing study last summer, to count how much harassment I got when riding this way on 4-lane roads. (Two lane roads (one each direction) are different, and I won't lengthen this message by getting into them.) I counted each pass, and found that I got a honk or a yell in about 0.6% of all 2280 passes in about 2 months. And many of those were from a motorist who was nonetheless passing me safely in the passing lane. They apparently just didn't think it was right that they had to deal with me. I also got about the same percentage of somewhat close passes, not completely changing lanes. Sometimes the same drivers as the harassers, sometimes different. In summary, that's over 99% comfortable passing with no negative interaction, and no extremely close calls (the very closest ones were maybe slightly under 3 feet), or crashes.

The only time I've ever been somewhat seriously hit in 20 years was in January 2019(?), on Running Hill Road. I just got some bruises, and the bike wheel was bent. (The motorist stopped and was cooperative, and willingly paid out of pocket for everything I billed him for. Yes, I'm sure he considered it worth it to not have to report it to his insurance company.) The situation is that it was a dark rainy night, and the motorist that hit me did not have working windshield wipers, so he didn't see me in time. A pessimistic interpretation of this event would be that no matter how much you are doing things right (I had lights and a bright reflective jacket among other reflectors), you can't prevent every crash. But the optimistic interpretation is that this is the exception that proves the rule: Look at what extenuating circumstances had to be present to allow a crash to happen. I've never been hit in daylight, or even, with this one exception, riding at night, in the rain or fog, or even snow. And you don't have to choose to ride in bad weather, if that seems too risky and your destination is along a bus route or you have a car/carpool option.

A couple of simple behaviors and accessories will be required:

• Ability to ride in a straight line, including with one hand while signaling
• Ability to look behind you without swerving
• A mirror is helpful with that, and also can be very reassuring to watch the people coming up behind you as they slow down and/or change lanes. But keep in mind that any mirror has a blind spot, so it's not a 100% substitute for looking back before you change position.
• Lights are required for safety in the dark.
• Bright and reflective gear is also helpful, though not legally required. (Yes, I know it's nice to just ride in what you're wearing, and sometimes I do. But on these roads at night, I feel better with my bright reflective windbreaker. I've got to wear some jacket for warmth much of the year anyway, why not have it contribute to your safety too? Also a good justification for reflective ankle bands, which also keeps pant cuffs out of the chain, and cold air from coming up your leg in the winter.)
  

The video and discussion at this page really opened my eyes to this approach to large roads. That video demonstrates it on a 6-lane road in Orlando, where it works just as well as it does for me in the Portland area (including William Clark Drive right here in Westbrook, not far from my house). The bottom line is that riding farther from the edge, and in the middle on such narrow lanes with inadequate shoulder, makes you more noticeable, and more likely perceived as relevant, sooner. That gives everyone more reaction time. It also makes you and the entire situation more predictable, so people are less likely to make mistakes.

Is this the advice most cyclists want to hear? I realize it's not. And it's not intended to argue against bike infrastructure, although it will also help you evaluate whether a particular piece of bike infrastructure is safe in different contexts, such as a bike lane next to parked cars, or narrow and full of debris. It will also give you an alternative if the usual bike infrastructure is not usable for whatever reason, and of course how to be safe and confident when there is no bicycle-specific infrastructure at all.

I also realize it's not comfortable at first; it wasn't for me either. Therefore, the author of that page and video, a professional graphic designer and bicycle commuter, went on to co-design the CyclingSavvy curriculum, along with a transportation engineer. None of it is really hard or complicated, but is designed to give you some basic knowledge and tools to be confident, and empower you to ride on the roads that exist today, without waiting for the facilities that we wish existed. There are online modules, and I try to teach some in-person skills and group ride sessions in good weather, if I get enough students.

I will be glad to ride those with you anytime, maybe over a lunch hour sometime? Let me know. Have fun and be safe!

John Brooking

Cyclist, Cycling Educator, Technologist

http://cyclingsavvy.org

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[Winston Lumpkins]

I want to remind everyone that our email list and meetings are meant as space to share our experiences and collaborate respectfully to find solutions to problems we observe in Portland.

We shouldn't make assumptions about others' levels of experience and we shouldn't stray from the discussion of what change could improve our streets by making them more intuitive & safe for all users.

Outer Congress is the problem, the issue here is what precisely should be done to fix it, what could be done first and who we should advocate to, cajole, replace, etc to get it done.

Critique the road, not the rider.

~Winston

Winston Lumpkins IV (he/him/his)

Chair, Portland Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Committee
https://www.portlandbikeped.org/

winston....@gmail.com
207-408-1508

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[John Brooking]

I’m sorry if I sounded like I was criticizing. I did not mean it that way, and was actually trying to not to make assumptions. 

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[Danielle Walczak]

Thanks Winston! Great email!

If making a big bold bike path is not as clear of an option I would suggest improving the stroudwater/airport road connection as an alternative to 22. This could happen by removing a small section of fence at the end of Stroudwater on to the airport road and getting permission to ride on this section (and signing it). 

There is a section of road along the airport runway on Johnson/Western Ave that has a big grass buffer between the airport fence and the sidewalk this would be a presumably easy area to either extend the sidewalk or make a path that connects the Jetport Plaza intersection to the Jetport Blvd intersection. Both these intersections could use improvement although I don't know exactly what that would be. 

The sidewalk disappears between the Congress/Johnson road split and the intersection with the Jetport Blvd/skyway drive.

I think it's important to consider pedestrian access to the mall area.

I'd love to know other people's thoughts on improving the section between the Frost street intersection and the Westbrook Street intersection. Despite aggressive cycling/taking up a lane, I find this the toughest section of the ride. The bike-related paint/signage that exists is pretty minimal. I'd like to see the turning lane for Frost street improved. Drivers, in my experience, tend to get over into that lane at very different points along the roadway. 

I've been focusing on Frost street to the Mall because it's the section I have the most experience with but I wanted to mention that I also agree that the section between the Frost street intersection and the peninsula is also an area that needs improvement in my opinion. 

Finally, maybe I'm totally missing something here but many of the intersections along this road have walk signals on "walk" while traffic has a green light to turn right directly into those crosswalks. I know this problem isn't unique to Congress street, but I would support a motion to make it so no cars have green lights while pedestrian walk signs are on. I think we can all wait the extra 30 seconds. I'd love to know if there's any history of trying to change this. It from my outside perspective would be a change in settings on lights and cost little money.

Thanks again! 

Dani 

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[Winston Lumpkins]

Been thinking about action steps for Outer Congress etc. 

As Zack mentioned, a good step would be to do a ride audit & write up a report for it.  This would be especially possible if someone else took the lead on writing said report :).  This could give us a document to send to the city, state etc documenting the current challenges & small & large potential fixes. 

Might be better to do it at a less busy time of day so we could more easily take pictures of things etc...  We all have experience riding it when busy to draw upon...

Additionally, it's worth filling out GPCPGs vision zero survey, and scrolling down a little on this page & using their MAP TOOL to report all the places along Congress which need improvement for Bicyclists & Pedestrians.  I am a little skeptical they'll really accomplish anything, but, we'll see. 

~Winston

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