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How Seattle’s new bike lanes are making the most of used car parts
(www.seattletimes.com)
Nice to see more tools being added to the streetscape toolbox. Or rather, being tested and validated for inclusion in the toolbox.
That said, I did want to draw attention to this part of the article:
For instance, the short armadillos don’t offer the same protection as the 18-inch tall Toronto barriers, but they may be the only option for a bikeway on a narrow street or where emergency curbside access is important.
Of the few scenarios that I can imagine this being the prevailing calculus, only one would totally eschew the concrete barrier. For example, the need for emergency vehicles to drive right up to the curb is valid, but is it valid for an entire cityblock?
For when there is zero need to get right up to the curb (eg in front of a park, where there is no structure that could possibly be on fire), then that part of the street should rightfully have concrete barriers. I'm of the opinion that in a mixed-use street, the barrier types should also be mixed. There is no need to reduce the entire block's street protection just because one part of the street needs to yield for emergency vehicles.
But getting ahead of possible objections to this, I'm thoroughly aware that emergency vehicles might need to drive along a bikeway, not just needing to stop along the curb. But that's already a solved problem, such as in Montreal where the protected bikeways are so wide that the emergency vehicles can fit within it, being right up against the curb.
So I reiterate: for only the parts of the street that need to reduce the barrier, that's fine. But once past that section, concrete should be the standard. This prevents any wayward motorists from attempting to straddle the shorter barrier and carve a shortcut around stopped traffic. If they try, they'll run up against the concrete barrier eventually. This isn't a problem for emergency vehicles because they are within right to cross back into the through lanes when lit up with lights-and-sirens.
Voila! The most protection for vulnerable road users while accommodating emergency traffic only exactly when needed. If mixed barriers aren't good enough, then I'd suggest going full Montreal by taking a whole through lane.