12th Ave Vision Zero Project
To the 12th Avenue Vision Zero Project team:
Thank you for taking the time to present and listen to our concerns at the March Beacon Hill Safe Streets Meeting. Many of us walk and bike to school, work, and other destinations along this corridor and beyond and are eager for safety improvements. We want to work with SDOT to create a solution that will improve safety for all road and trail users, especially the most vulnerable.
After reviewing the draft plan, we have some concerns. Regarding the bicycle facility, we feel the two-way protected bike lane on the east side of the bridge may not be safe and welcoming for all bicyclists. Northbound (downhill) cyclists tend to bike at higher speeds on the Jose Rizal Bridge, and southbound (uphill) cyclists are often going slower and may need a wider space to pass or weave. Meanwhile the southbound cyclists will be trapped in a narrow lane between fast downhill cyclists and fast downhill cars with little to no real protection. From the 2014 Bicycle Master Plan Appendix 3b: Bicycle Facilities Visual Glossary:
Cycle Tracks (protected bicycle lanes) on Downhill Descents: Downhill bicycling may be at high-speed, potentially equal to that of motor vehicles. In some cases, it may be more appropriate to provide an alternate route for more experienced bicyclists to use so the all ages and abilities riders can travel at a slower speed within the cycle track. Bicyclists are expected to travel in a safe manner and with reasonable downhill speed in a cycle track. Signage may be installed to remind riders to slow down when approaching intersections for safety for all users. If a bicyclist wants to travel at the speed of motorists, then they may want to take the travel lane. In the downhill direction, the cycle track should permit bicyclists to leave the cycle track prior to the descent and travel in the adjacent general purpose travel lane if they desire. If bicyclists are expected to descend within the cycle track, adequate width should be provided clear of obstacles to reduce the likelihood of high-speed collisions with fixed objects. Adequate sight distances should also be provided to reduce the likelihood of high-speed collisions with turning motorists.
Cycle Tracks (protected bicycle lanes) on Uphill Climbs: Bicycle travel uphill is often at slow speed and may result in a wide weaving path. In the uphill direction, adequate clearance should be provided to allow for both slow weaving and parallel passing, similar to an uphill bicycle passing lane.
Many of us who travel through this corridor by bicycle to get to and from the top of Beacon Hill feel that a short 2-way cycle track with barriers to access (such as having to cross the street twice to enter and exit) may only see limited use. Many of us already use the bridge's sidewalks to bike at slow speeds and feel that if these sidewalks could be improved to make it more comfortable for pedestrians and all ages and abilities cyclists to share the space this would be a major improvement in the experience of traveling over the bridge. We also worry that those cyclists who choose not to use the new facilities and instead choose to use either the sidewalk or the general-purpose lanes will be the target of hostility from other road users.
There was considerable attention to pedestrian safety in the draft plan, however this plan does not address the dangerous slip lane at the southern terminus of the bridge that allows cars to bypass the red light and requires pedestrians to use an uncontrolled crosswalk. Beacon Hill Safe Streets blocked the slip lane during a demonstration event in June 2018 showing that vehicle drivers were not inconvenienced by removing this slip lane.
We also want to express an understanding of the difficulty’s on 12th Avenue with Loading Zones but we need to also acknowledge there aren’t alternative bridges to Beacon Hill. We will be starting a process to conduct our own outreach to the businesses along the corridor and hope we can assist you with finding a solution that works for everyone.
Thank you for your time in reading and addressing our concerns. We look forward to continued collaboration with SDOT on this and other projects.
Sincerely,
Robert Getch
Chair
Beacon Hill Safe Streets