Cycle Track in on Waverly and Comstock

I just rode my bike back from an event on the SU campus, on Waverly, near Comstock.  I was surprised that the cycle tracks were already in place along Waverly and Comstock south to Euclid.

The cycle track runs along the south side of Waverly and connects with the track on the west side of Comstock.  Both roads have been reduced to two lanes of auto traffic.

On Waverly, bike traffic is separated from auto traffic by marked parking for a row of cars and a 2-foot striped strip (to decrease the possibility of dooring).  With some minor exceptions, all the cars were parked where they were supposed to be, providing a comforting barrier between where I was riding and moving traffic.

It was a pleasure to use them, actually… but being it was dark, and not knowing how the left turn was supposed to work, I just kept going south on Comstock past Euclid.

Paul Mercurio mentioned that there will be more happening to facilitate access to the cycle track from Euclid, but it is not clear to me when that will occur or what it will look like.  My understanding is that the cycle track also connects with the University Ave. cycle track, which now makes the University Ave. track more valuable to get to and from downtown (with the obvious exception of the dirt covering the track at the stalled bookstore construction on University Ave).

Go give it a try.

Diane Rehm Show on Cycling Safety Today

Here’s the link to listen to the show.  There was some concern that the majority of the time would be spent looking at a recent safety study, the validity of which has been questioned… but it was an interesting and mainly positive discussion.

http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2014-10-30/sharing_the_road_adapting_to_a_new_culture_of_cycling

Update on Syracuse Bike Lanes

Paul Mercurio, Syracuse’s traffic planner and bike coordinator, met with us yesterday and reported a number of projects in the works.

Some of What’s Going On Now

A new cycle-track going in now on Waverly and Comstock, to connect the University Ave. cycle-track with Euclid Ave. There have been some changes to the intersection of Euclid and Comstock (now there’s a northbound turn lane into campus and a new bike box coming out of campus) and more will happen in the next few months or early spring.

All new projects will use epoxy paint, instead of latex, which wears off so quickly. Epoxy will be installed by contractors, as the city does not yet have the equipment to use epoxy.  It is anticipated that the city will have its own epoxy-paint sprayers in a year or two.

Plans are in the works for bike lanes on Salina Street, from Adams to Water Streets. The design calls for the bike lane between parked cars and the curb. While not as good as a cycle-track, it does separate the cyclist from moving vehicles.

Current work on the Connective Corridor through downtown is drawing to a close for the winter. But the plan is for a bike lane that makes its way to Fayette Street west of State St., then turns into a sharrow for the remaining blocks to Salina St.

West St now has separated bike lanes through much of its length. Further refinements, including signage and signals, will be coming. Treatment of Onondaga St. at the south end of West St. is being studied.

This new activity — and more that I know I have forgotten — is well-appreciated.  Obviously, there is much more to be done.  A high priority for BikeCNY is on creating connecting bicycle infrastructure throughout the city, so that people can use their bikes to get safely from north to south and east to west.

We encourage you to join us in making this happen.

Meeting with Syracuse Traffic Planner Paul Mercurio on 10/21

After a long pause, BikeCNY started meeting again this past summer.  (After an even longer pause, I updated the website.)

We will be meeting at 5:30 on Tuesday, October 21, 2014 at the Brady Faith Center, 404 South Ave.,
Syracuse, New York 13204. (Across from the Southwest Community Center).

Come join us!