We have very short notice of some upcoming resurfacing plans (page 9 is where the designs begin). Additionally, we have no Bike and Pedestrian Committee to review designs and advocate for safety improvements earlier in the process. So, it’s unlikely much of this can be accommodated. Hopefully the contractor doing the work is amenable to some easy changes, or is willing to be creative with how we accomplish safety improvements in a way that doesn’t significantly impact cost or schedule. In the future, the Village needs to engage with experts who understand designing streets for all users, far earlier, so that it’s not only up to citizens to be ensuring that safety is part of the process.

A protected bike lane, using parking as a buffer. Safe enough for riders of all ages and abilities.

Wilson Dr

• A crosswalk is required for the 14 S/B Diversey bus stop. It's bizarre that we have no crosswalk for this bus stop. If you stand at this location, traffic is moving very fast, and drivers have no expectations that a person might cross here. It's a significant distance to cross, and critically dangerous for someone who isn't able to move quickly. Unfortunately in the bioswale project we didn't put in a companion crosswalk ramp on the East side, which is mind-boggling. Someone isn't looking out for vulnerable users. This is a death sentence for an elderly or vision impaired person crossing in non-daylight conditions.
• The large painted medians are an indictment of a poorly designed street. They also have no physical barriers which raises the question - do we think paint works or not? There is no throughput warranting a turn lane on to Hollywood. A turning car may obstruct traffic briefly, just like nearly every street in the Village. People should be nominally driving 25mph here, and if we're concerned about drivers being rear-ended, something is seriously wrong with the street design. How can you expect a kid to bike here, or a disabled person to cross if we have to build in special waiting zones for driver trying to turn?
• Reduce vehicle lane width to 10' along entire project. 12' lanes are suitable for interstates. It's incredibly irresponsible to put down lanes this wide on a residential street. Nothing in WFB needs to be this wide - MCTS only requires 10' on streets they operate, 9' is suitable for many other streets. There is research that simply narrowing the paint reduces driver speeds. Keeping it wide is entirely so drivers "feel comfortable" - which is to say they feel comfortable speeding.
• No centerline. Studies shows this reduces speeds as well. The Edgewood advisory lane is one variant of this, and it's working well to reduce driver speeds with zero dollars. There's multiple sections where it's not critical.
• Use the extra 2 feet on each side from right-sizing the primary lanes for buffers to bike lanes (using a similar pattern as the painted medians). Buffering should have bollards, and armadillos or other periodic curbs to keep vehicles out. Our only bike lane on Lake Dr regularly has cars driving in it. Perhaps these would be a good use of our traffic calming monies - the supplies are not extravagant.
• If bike lanes are wide enough, they can be plowed with an 8' blade or one of our smaller tractors. We don't need to apply nearly as much salt, or any, in these areas.
• Switch to parking buffered bike lanes on N/B wilson in the following areas - there is plenty of room, and it would provide a far safer place for bike lane users and less stressful for drivers.
  • between hollywood and courtland
  • between diversey and berkely
• Green paint for bike lanes, dashed across intersections. The more of this we can do the better, it's how drivers know this space is not for cars.
• At a minimum, enhance the bike lane markings at intersections - mark them similar to crosswalks, possibly with green paint (page 10, is one example).
• Has anyone considered a bi-directional lane? It might be challenging and incompatible with the south end, but would allow people to use this road without ever crossing Wilson.
• Consider bollards in all boundaries where car and bicycle traffic are adjacent. Something is better than nothing, but paint merely suggests to drivers where they should be - physical devices tell them.
• There are few crossings, but where there are pedestrian islands, install permanent metal/concrete bollards. If that's prohibitive due to the need to bury them, consider planters, rocks, jersey barriers, anything. One of these islands was hit by a driver recently, and their ramped design does little to slow down anything but the smallest of cars. They just plow right over it. WFB PD arrests on average 1-2 OWI drivers a week, many in broad daylight, and we have to stop pretending that ASKING drivers to be safe is sufficient to keep us safe.
• On the curve south of Hampton, if we're apparently pouring a LOT of new concrete, can we do something to keep drivers from cutting the corner - perhaps a curb? If not, the outer edge of the bike lane must be hardened, drivers will regularly drive on the bike lane, as mentioned earlier. This could be our first protected bike lane if we did this. This is a huge swath of concrete that could form the beginnings of a Santa Monica bike lane and a real network.
• Hampton intersection gives up entirely on bike lane safety - it's a common refrain to say "don't give up a the intersections". This is where most vulnerable users will get injured because all of the protections are gone, and vehicles are making complicated maneuvers. Ever larger SUVs and trucks means drivers can’t adequately see people near their vehicles. You'll recall a few days ago when a driver ran a stop sign and ended up upside down in the crosswalk. This is exactly where a biker would be waiting their turn. Large vehicles turning left will push NB traffic into the completely exposed bike lane. This section is 30ft wide, which could support three separate lanes. Giving 20ft to a through lane is a recipe for disaster. The ultimate in equal transit priority would be turning it into a bus bulb and letting the bike lane pass over it at the current curb. It would make bus users, pedestrians, and bicyclists safer. If we can't spare this expense by taking from the large concrete pad, we should be considering what intermediate options we have such as a pinned on curb extension.

What if we dream just a little bit? Wilson is 55' wide which is massive.

This is just using the existing pavement!

Oakland

We have a similar opportunity to experiment on Oakland. Interestingly, this might be far lower risk since it's entirely paint. Have we considered moving the bike lane to the curb, and buffering it with parking? This section of street is rarely parked, but it would at least make it clear that bicyclists aren't expected to basically bike in traffic when it is.

Oakland in Shorewood is exemplary of early bike lane designs that never once considered safety as a priority. It's one of the most dangerous bike lanes near us, and we should not try to copy it. Riders are forced into the door zone, which is a very good way to be killed when someone opens a car door in front of you.

We should consider an advisory style lane here with no centerline. It's a stretch of street that is so vast and smooth, drivers are always speeding.

The safest place for bikes currently is against the curb, but parking, garbage day, and debris in the street makes this difficult.

We should also consider crosswalks at Barlett. Cumberland to Hampton is a very long distance to expect a pedestrian to walk to cross. Surely many cross here where drivers aren't expecting.