Bicycle Network Questions Raised in Millburn
Officials have concerns about safety given the width of the road.
It'll be August before Millburn's Township Committee moves forward with a proposal to create a bicycle path network that could connect Millburn with Maplewood.
The plan would create a network of bike lanes in Millburn and may link Millburn to Maplewood. Maplewood recently hired Urbana Consulting to create the link. At a Committee meeting on Tuesday night, Millburn officials heard a report from a consultant hired to plan the network. Some committee members had questions about safety.
The first phase of the bicycle network would stripe the shoulder of the road, although there is no specific bicycle lane planned. Mark Gordon of Urbana Consulting said grates along the road, that are not "bicycle friendly", should be replaced. Additionally, police say drivers speed on Glen Avenue, so he would recommend installing two speed humps to calm traffic.
The first phase—which includes striping and "share the road" signs—would cost $11,700. Refreshing other striping on the road and upgrading the grates would cost an additional $9,000. An engineering survey for the area in front of the library is estimated at $1,500.
Gordon said the cost for speed humps varies from $1,000 per hump if a group of eight are purchased together to $12,000 for just the two.
The cost to purchase the kiosks and install them was not included. Each kiosk would cost $850 without the installation costs.
Millburn committee member Tom McDermott liked the idea and believes it will alleviate traffic, but he had concerns about the width of the road. The road is perceived to be narrow now, he said, and a portion of it would be dedicated to the striped shoulder.
"I'm just concerned it would be too narrow," he said.
Gordon said the road is 29.5 feet wide, and each travel lane for a car needs to be 10 feet wide. It would mean 9.5 feet would remain to be used for the striped shoulder.
Daniel Baer, a committee member, said he researched the width of travel lanes for cars, and found they can be 10 feet on low speed roads.
McDermott said he wanted police input about the width of the travel lanes before he supported the project.
Millburn Mayor Sandra Haimoff said the matter would be on the August meeting's agenda so McDermott could have his questions answered. There would still be time then for the project to start in late August.
AviationMetalSmith
7:34 pm on Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Current standards for lane width call for 14 foot wide lanes. That would not leave much space for a shoulder, but on the other hand, 14 foot wide lanes are considered wide enough for cars and bicycles to share, side-by-side. Remember, you car is only 5.5 feet wide.
Many cyclists refuse to use the road shoulder, citing it as unsafe. Legally, there is no law in any state requiring cyclists to use the shoulder. In addition, auto traffic blows away road debris, so most cyclists ride in the same path as the right tires of the cars. Car tires also grind broken bottle glass to dust. The road shoulder is full of garbage, and it causes many flat tires to cyclists.
I favor the installation of "SHARE THE ROAD" signs, with a pictogram of a bicycle.
I've bicycled 140,000 miles since 1972 and I've never been knocked off my bike by a car. I may have been grazed by a few cars, but the drivers did nothing more than scrape some of their precious paint off their autos. ( I have rocks in my panniers).
I have a rear view mirror on my bicycle(s), and I haven't had any trouble with motorists in more than ten years.
Also, since I've gotten fat, motorists give me more room.
"Sub-Standard Lane Width" is a term which means there is not enough room for a car to pass a bicycle. If the lanes are 14 feet wide, then it's wide enough that a car can pass without coming within three feet of the bike. Share the road.