Salt Lake City’s Green Lanes are in complete disarray

November 23, 2018 – Just last Friday, we were riding eastbound on 200 S between State and Main where the Green Shared Lane is (used to be) when a white Forerunner came within 1 foot of sideswiping one of us. We were riding where we were supposed to be heading to a destination on 200 S. This was very disconcerting, and is prompting this editorial. Cyclists should have safe passage through safe road design on this key connector street. We were on our way to dinner at one of Salt Lake City’s fine downtown restaurants, looking to support local business and green transportation. Our ride almost turned into a nightmare.

200 S is one of the only downtown streets running east-west past I-15 to the University, and the only one in the center of town. It has been a key commuter bike route for many years, and one that bike advocates pushed to be completed for many years. It was finally finished in August 2009 with the painting of the nationally trend-setting green shared lane markings  between State and Main. These lane-within-a-lane markings give a visual signal to motorists that cyclists belong on this road. While they are not perfect, they are very useful on streets where there is no room for ordinary bike lanes; and they are not equivalent to sharrows either.

Sadly, while Salt Lake City was the site of the first of these green lanes in the nation, they have deteriorated to the point of being invisible and almost useless on several streets, including 200 S, as well as S. Temple. We are unsure of when the last time these were repainted, but it has been years.

Regarding 200 S, we advocate for the creation of a 1-block protected bike lane on the south side of the road between State and Main, and the repainting of the green lane on the north side of the street.

The one-block protected bike lane would run between the parking garage exit and the Gallivan Center and could easily be completed with a couple of signs, and a couple of jersey barriers. This would give eastbound cyclists a refuge from the 20,000 to 30,000 cars that pass by here each day. It could be completed in a day or two after a design is settled on. We made some of these suggestions to the previous Transportation Director, but no action occurred.  We are hopeful that something will happen now. While 200 S is slated to be reconstructed as part of the recently passed $87 million Transportation Street Reconstruction Bond, this won’t happen until 2022 and 2023. That is not soon enough for basic maintenance and better safety for cyclists. 

Our suggested treatment of the southern lane:

• To the west of the Gallivan Center ‘way’ to direct cyclists away from the main road and on to the lane closest to the Gallivan Center.
• Add a jersey barrier to the north of the parking garage exit on the east side to prevent cars from turning right illegally.
• Add signage to indicate that cars exiting the parking garage may not turn right and must go east on 200 S.
• Add a painted green skip lane across State Street indicating to cars and cyclists that cyclists may cross. Connect this to the bike lane east of State Street.
• Or, have motorists stop at the exit from the parking garage, and direct cyclists to merge one lane left in order to cross State Street eastbound.
• A bare minimum treatment would be to repaint the Green Shared Lane as soon as possible.

Our suggested treatment of the northern lane:

• Please repaint the Green Lane.

Our suggest treatment of other Green Shared Lanes in Salt Lake City.

• Please repaint all deteriorated Green Shared Lanes; particularly those on 200 S, and on S. Temple.
• Please consider adding them in other key places such as N. Temple between 300 S and State Street.

This would be a simple improvement and would help to make this key downtown block safer for cyclists. We’d love to see a protected bike lane on the entire length of 200 S to complement the protected bike lane on 300 S, but as a minimum, this one block section needs to be safer. Salt Lake City proposed a 200 S Bicycle Greenway a number of years ago, but opted to create protected bike lanes on 300 S. instead. We’d like to see the revival of the 200 S proposal too.

Our proposal for a safer roadway design on 200 S between State and Main is low cost, and could be implemented quickly. Salt Lake City needs to do something here – the long term neglect is no longer acceptable or safe; and cyclist cannot wait for 4-5 more years for safety on this downtown street. 

Salt Lake City announces new roadway and additional street crews

Press Release – November 1, 2018 – On Thursday, November 1^st, Salt Lake City officials will mark the completion of the Gladiola Street reconstruction project. Mayor Jackie Biskupski and Council Member Andrew Johnston will join project team members in planting a ceremonial tree along the renewed corridor, an additional 40 trees are expected to be planted in the coming months.

The Gladiola project, which began in June, was a complete rebuild of the roadway between 500 South and 900 South, including wider lanes, improved curb and gutters, sidewalk enhancements, new ADA ramps, and bike lanes. The City invested $3 million dollars in the project and plans to reconstruct another segment between 900 South and California Avenue in the next few years.

“Our City’s ability to remain competitive and a leading commercial hub depends on our timely efforts to invest on quality transportation facilities, like Gladiola Street,” said Council Member Andrew Johnston who represents District 2. “The benefits from the new Gladiola Street and Indiana Avenue, will be felt for years to come, not just in this district of our city but statewide.”

City officials will also announce the Streets Division is prepared to hire a new street maintenance crew, funded as part of the Funding Our Future 0.5% sales tax increase approved by Mayor Biskupski and the City Council in early 2018. The new crew will allow the City to double the number of lane miles that are maintained on an annual basis, including resurfacing and pothole repair.

“My Administration is committed to repairing our City’s aging infrastructure in order improve the lives of residents and businesses,” said Mayor Jackie Biskupski. “By fixing our failing roads and properly maintaining our good roads, we can drive down costs for residents and create opportunities for new bike lanes and transit enhancements to get people out of their cars to help clear our air.”

Analysis and Call to Extend the Bike Lanes on Gladiola: The Gladiola street reconstruction is in an industrial area with heavy (weight) truck traffic, that requires a solid street to move goods to the ever increasing number of warehouses and industrial sites in Salt Lake City’s northwest region. It is pleasing to see that the City is following their Complete Streets Ordinance with this roadway reconstruction and adding bike lanes.

Although the lanes aren’t striped yet, we understand that this will be done as the roadway construction is completed. We are glad to see this.

Given this new development, we are calling for the addition of bike lanes on Gladiola Street from 900 S to approximately 2100 S. Gladiola is a thoroughfare in this area with truck and car traffic traveling on the road to and from the many worksites in the industrial park. Currently, the roadway from 900 S to 2100 S has bike lanes for a short section of the roadway from 1820 S to 2100 S. From 900 S, where the new reconstruction and bike lanes stop to 1820 S, the roadway is wide and has no striping of any sort. With the increased traffic in this area, adding bike lanes, as well as car-lane striping is  necessary to maintain an orderly flow of vehicles and to reduce speeds in the area.

The key observation of Gladiola from 900 S to 2100 S is that it is very, very wide, and there is plenty of room for bike lanes, two car lanes, and a center turn lane, or just 2 car lanes and bike lanes. The bike lanes could go in tomorrow by sending out a paint crew when the new construction is restriped. 

What benefit would this have? For starters, it would provide safer access for bikes to this work destination. Vehicle traffic would have literal guidelines as to where to drive, and bike lanes would provide dedicated room for cyclists. Secondly, this would extend the 3200 W/Gladiola bike lane all the way to 500 S. Gladiola curves and turns in to 3200 W, which currently has bike lanes from 2100 S to 4700 S. This would finish a 6.3 mile stretch of bike lanes by adding 2 miles of bike lane. At a cost of $5000 per mile for paint for the lanes, this is an inexpensive addition to a $3 million project. 

Thirdly, the addition of bike lanes on Gladiola would connect E-W bike lanes on 500 S, 900 S, 1820 S (Director’s Row), and 2100 S. This helps to connect and fill in the bike network in this area.

Lastly, the intersection of 900 W and Gladiola could really use crosswalks, and at the least needs to have the sidewalk to the south of 900 S cleared of trees for safe walking.

Salt Lake City does plan to reconstruct Gladiola in the future from 900 S to California Ave (about 1300 S). While from looking at the roadway this would not seem like a priority (the pavement is in much better shape than many other roads in the city), this is no reason to wait to add bike lanes. Paint is inexpensive and has a great return on investment, and the bike lanes could be implemented as soon as possible, not years from now.

We will be submitting the above analysis to Salt Lake City, and hope they will follow our advice.

Photo Gallery:

UDOT’s 5600 W Road Widening Project to Include Some Improvements for Bicycles But with an Unsafe Interchange for Bicycle and Pedestrians

Comments Due by November 2, 2018

October 30, 2018 – UDOT held an open house last week on proposed changes to 5600 West in Salt Lake City from the 2100 S interchange to I-80 interchange – approximately 3.2 miles. The proposal has a few perks for cyclists – wider shoulders and a 12′ shared sidewalk/bike path that appears to run from 2100 S to about 150 S and does not extend over 1-80. The project cost will be $71,650,000- $65,548,097 from the Federal Government and $6,101,903 from the State of Utah. The industrial area is slated for more development with the impending Inland Port and the increase in warehouses and truck traffic. As such, the area, combined with the International Center and the Inland Port, will become a major employment center that will require safe ways for all users to access their place of work. The project is slated for constuction in Spring of 2019 through Fall of 2020.

5600 W in this area is on the Salt Lake City Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plan from 2015. The recommendations of the plan include a protected or buffered bike lane on the roadway. The UDOT project does not meet those recommendations across I-80. It is also listed as part of the priority bike network on the Wasatch Front Regional Council’s bike map.

UDOT states the rationale for the project on their 5600 W project page:

Purpose: The purpose of the project is to improve mobility, increase roadway capacity, and reduce delay along 5600 West and at the I-80 interchange. 

Need: 5600 West currently experiences unacceptable levels of congestion and delay due to the rail crossing, heavy vehicle use, and heavy freight truck traffic. Both AM and PM traffic is expected to exceed the available road capacity during peak hours in 2050 if no improvements are made.

The current roadway conditions for 5600 W in this area are dismal for bikes – 50 mph traffic with essentially no shoulder – so commuting and recreational cyclists need steady nerves to navigate the roadway from West Valley to the International Center. In this view, the roadway plan is a great improvement for cyclists. They will now have a space to ride either in the shoulder (with a blender zone as intersections are approached) and a shared use pathway on part of the route. The proposed Direct Diamond Interchange (DDI) at I-80 and 5600 W. is severely problematic for cyclists, however.

The project would see the following changes according to the UDOT Project page:

Proposed Improvements: 

• Add sidewalk on east side and shared use path on west side 
• Convert existing I-80 interchange to DDI 
• Reconfigure all intersections and traffic signal phasing 
• Widen from two to five lanes with shoulders 
• Build bridge over UPRR tracks 
• Add curb and gutter and improve storm drain systems 

With increased development in the area, pedestrian and bicycle traffic will increase along with increased car and truck traffic, as people will commute from West Valley City, Magna, and Salt Lake City to the project area and to the International Center. Additionally, recreational cyclists have long used this route to get from Salt Lake City to the International Center.

Analysis:

The Good:

• Shared use path/sidewalk on the west side of 5600 W from 2100 S to 150 S
  • The shared use path will eventually provide a safe route to get from 5600 W to the Mountain View Corridor bike path alongside the Mountain View Corridor Freeway. It is unknown when the MVC will be constructed in the area as there is no current funding for it.
• Wide shoulders where there are currently none.
• A sidewalk on the east side for pedestrians.
• The bridge at approximately 800 S over the Union Pacific Railway Tracks.

The Bad

• Irrationally high speed limits – The current speed on the roadway is 50 mph. The project calls for keeping speeds the same. At 50 mph, from 2100 S to I-80 takes 3.84 minutes (for an estimated 3.2 miles). At 30 mph, the same distance is 6.4 minutes. Speed is a dominant factor in the severity of crashes. Lower speeds would protect bikes and pedestrians.
• Blender zones at the intersections for cyclists that ride in the roadway – the shoulder disappears and turns into a shared turn lane.
• Crossings of the side streets on the shared use paths – crossings like this are often problematic for cyclists when cars and trucks are turning across the crosswalk.
• Wide lanes – 12′ lanes and a 14′ center turn lane encourage higher speeds and are not up to date with current roadway traffic calming. 10 to 11′ lanes would be better.
• A proposed bike lane in the midst of the DDI. Yes, it’s good to have a bike lane, but the 4′ proposed lane (according to the consultants at the open house) would run between the right most through-traffic lane and the right turning lane onto I-80.
• A short comment period that doesn’t allow time for the public to participate. Additionally, the project pages don’t contain complete information.
• DDI’s can be problematic for drivers too and can result in head on collisions.
• Is the DDI even needed? It’s expensive, and there doesn’t seem to be much need for it. See the photo below.

The impossibly awful, scary, and dangerous

• The Diverging Diamond Interchange – is this even necessary? It’s unsafe, and if it were not constructed, project costs would be reduced dramatically.
• The right turn lanes on the DDI. Here, cyclists would be riding in the midst of 50 mph traffic to the left and right of the rider. Cars and trucks would not be looking for cyclists to merge into the bike lane as they are turning right to accelerate onto I-80. This is bound to cause many severe injuries and potentially deaths to vulnerable cyclists.
• The right turn lanes on the DDI and pedestrians. Crossing the right turn lane for a potentially non-existent sidewalk in the center of the DDI means that I-80 will remain an impenetrable barrier for pedestrians. The project diagrams show no crosswalks or pedestrian lights through the DDI. There doesn’t seem to be a pedestrian sidewalk or walkway across the bridge over I-80.
• We firmly believe that the DDI, especially the right turn lanes, is not safe for cyclists or pedestrians, and will cause injuries or deaths. 

What can be done to fix this?

• Lower the speed limit to 30 mph from 2100 S to I-80. This would only add about 2 minutes to commute times. Lowering speed limits – contrary to current thinking among traffic engineers, who rely on the outdated and junk engineering 85 percentile rule of setting speed limits to what speed people are driving – do lower speeds according to a new study. Note that lower speed limits don’t generally lower throughput of traffic since there is less accordion effect at intersections.
• Add a full width bike lane across the DDI in both directions, not the 4′ lane that the consultants spoke of in the open house.
• Add a pedestrian sidewalk across I-80 to the International Center.
• Narrow the traffic lanes from 2100 S to I-80. This would change the design to encourage lower speeds.
• Add marked on-road bike lanes on 5600 W from 2100 S to the International Center in addition to the shared use pathway.
• Lower the speeds on 5600 W in the International Center to be consistent with 5600 W.
• Place pedestrian and bike activated signals in the DDI for safe ingress and egress.
• Plan for a future bike and pedestrian bridge over I-80. At $71 million dollars, perhaps it could be included in this project.
• Make sure that there is a safe route for cyclists from 2100 S and 5600 W to and through the International Center.
• Make sure that there is a safe route for cyclists from 300 S to the International Center. This will include a safe crossing at 300 S.
• Lower the speed limits in the project area. This is so important, we are stating this twice.

What you can do:

• Review UDOT’s 5600 W project page. See the downloads tab for more information.
• Email comments by November 2, 2018. Feel free to copy and paste from this article especially the section above.
• Ask for safe bike and pedestrian accommodations on 5600 W especially at the I-80 DDI interchange.
• Ask UDOT to follow Salt Lake City’s and the Wasatch Front Regional Council’s bike plans.
• Ask them to reconsider building the Diverging Diamond Interchange.
• Email the project team at [email protected]

On October 2, 2018, the SLC Council will consider adopting the State Street CRA Plan. The CRA Plan doesn’t consider bicycling at all. This is incredibly dismaying and is the antithesis of a smart, sustainable, climate positive city. They should not adopt this plan without modifying the plan to include bicycle accommodations.

“The Council will consider adopting the State Street Community Reinvestment Area (CRA) Project Area Plan. The State Street CRA Plan outlines ways the City can use tax increment financing as a funding mechanism to advance the economic development goals of Salt Lake City and help facilitate the implementation of the community vision. The plan envisions the CRA as a way to revitalize State Street in a way that respects the corridor’s auto-oriented focus while expanding its uses to include more pedestrian-friendly and livable features.”

The quote above shows exactly what is wrong with the plan. State Street is auto-oriented, but it shouldn’t be. It should be a safe and complete street for all users – pedestrians, bicyclists, Greenbike riders, scooter users, transit, and drivers – in that order. If you want to revitalize the area, make it a liveable community.

The CRA Plan doesn’t consider bicycling at all. The only mention of this in reference to crossing State Street. Yet, bicyclists, like drivers and pedestrians use State Street currently because there are destinations for bicyclists on the street. But, you may say, “we want bicyclists to use other streets.” Why? Why not make the street safe for all? Why not encourage a healthy street? Why not encourage a healthy community?

The Life on State study, while flawed, has bike lanes in its full implementation scenario. This is the scenario with the highest level of economic impact, the one that will lead to a more liveable and vibrant downtown.

The first listed goal of Life on State, supported by 67% of stakeholders, is:

“Create a State Street that is welcoming, safe, and healthy by improving traffic safety for drivers, pedestrians, bicyclists, and transit riders, and use urban design to prevent crime and improve security.”

The State Street CRA plan ignores this.

The Full Implementation of the Life on State Study is:

Concept 4: Full Implementation

This design makes a major shift to prioritize multi-modal travel, and has two variations. Both give added space to pedestrians and bicycles, and priority to transit.

While we think that Concept 4 should be the starting point for conversation, not the end point, as it is still not strong enough to include full bike lanes everywhere on the street, it is nonetheless the best option in the study.

The great outcome of this is that it has by far the greatest economic impact.

Scenario 4 (which modernizes the street for all users) has:

3 times as many jobs created as the do nothing alternative.

76% increase in walking trips

-15% change in vehicle miles traveled

4.5 times as many housing units created.
$4.4 billion in new development
$43 million in new property tax revenue

It is the scenario that includes bike lanes. Yet, the State Street CRA Plan IGNORES this. This is unacceptable.

State Street currently has room for bike lanes if the vehicle travel lanes were reduced to 10.5′. UDOT refused to allow this when the street was last repaved, and instead, there is a wide parking lane with some, but inadequate, room for cyclists. If the Council would start a conversation with UDOT on this, maybe some meaningful change would be possible.

There are many reasons to include bicycles explicitly in the State Street CRA.

• A healthy, friendly, and safe city should be built with the following transportation perspectives in order: pedestrians, bicyclists including Greenbike riders, scooter users, transit, and drivers.

• The new homeless shelter is right off of State Street. Individuals using the shelter need a safe way to get there which would include bike lanes on State Street and 700 S (which could be painted tomorrow).

• It’s better for air quality.

• It’s better for the collective health of Salt Lake City’s residents.

• State Street is a dangerous road for vulnerable road users – but it doesn’t have to be.

• There’s room for bike infrastructure on State Street if UDOT will cooperate.

• It’s better for the climate and should be required under Salt Lake City’s Climate Positive 2040 Plan.

• It’s in the Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plan as requiring further study.

• It’s the preferred option in the Life on State Study.

• It’s better for businesses on State Street.

• People will use it anyway for bicycling – it’s a matter of whether Salt Lake City has the courage to make it safe for those users.

• It’s the right thing to do.

State Street should be the Grandest Boulevard in Utah. Please make it so.

Update: The Salt Lake City Council passed the Plan, but will add legislative intent language at next week’s RDA board meeting to address bikes in the plan. Given the difficulty in amending the plan, this is a big win for bicycles.