Unneeded Bike Lanes - And Response (5)

  • Thursday, October 1, 2015

I’m concerned about the new bike lanes that are popping up all over downtown.  Less than 1 percent of all traffic downtown is bike and yet we are devoting whole lanes of vehicular traffic to bikes now.  

North Market is one of the steepest hills in town, I can’t imagine many people ride bikes up that hill, and yet we have narrowed it down to one lane for cars.  This is a street that goes by CCA and Normal Park, both of which have huge traffic lines in the morning and afternoon, and now they, and everyone else in a car, have one lane and bikers have one.

The curbs on Broad will be a big problem for older people trying to step over them and I can’t believe they will increase the safety of bikers.  

The tourist industry that drives downtown doesn’t arrive on bikes, they come in cars and we need to think of them and not the 1 percent of bikers who seem to be doing okay with the streets like they are.  

When and where was this study done that said all this would be a good idea?  I’d like to see a copy of it. 

Ann Ball
Chattanooga 

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Ann Ball is right on point. The ongoing destruction/reconstruction of Broad Street, plus the changes taking place elsewhere in town (including the reduction of Market Street to a single lane for cars), are not only unnecessary, but counterproductive. These changes, coupled with the increase in parking rates and the extension of meter hours later in the evening and on Saturday, will serve as a disincentive for people to visit downtown businesses and attractions. 

Why is the city implementing this nonsense? Two likely motives come to mind. The first is the failed "Bike Chattanooga" program - a huge boondoggle established with $2.1 million of federal grant money (but, hey, that's "free" money, right?). The continued red ink produced by this misguided and underused program (who wants to pay good money to ride on a clunky and hideously painted cruiser?) is forcing officials to consider pulling the plug on it. Maybe Mayor Berke thinks if he can get enough people riding ugly bikes downtown, the media will focus on that instead of all the gang shootings. 

The second motive is even more obvious. Republic Parking and the city of Chattanooga are in bed together. This may be a healthy relationship as far as the coffers of Republic and CARTA are concerned, but it is not beneficial for the citizens of Chattanooga and the surrounding communities. Republic enjoys both a cozy relationship with the city and a near-monopoly on off-street parking in the downtown area. By removing some of the on-street parking downtown and raising prices/extending hours for meters, the city is doing its level best to drive motorists into Republic's paid lots. The expression "you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours" comes to mind. 

I care as much about bicycle safety as anyone - probably more than most. One of my UTC colleagues was recently injured when she was struck by a truck while riding her bike. And I have spent my share of time in the saddle as well - once riding a 12-speed from Mobile, Ala. to Boston over the course of six summer weeks in my youth. I want cyclists to be safe, but these downtown bike lanes will do little to nothing to accomplish that. They may do quite a bit to drive tourists and locals away from downtown businesses, though.

I have no faith that the current administration will listen, but I hope the next Chattanooga mayor and council have enough sense to rectify this mistake before too much damage is done. 

Joe Dumas
Signal Mountain 

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I am very much in support of the new bike lanes that are appearing around town. And yes, Ann Ball, I do ride up North Market (it's not that steep--I hope you're able to ride it someday to see that). I also drive that street to drop my daughter off at CCA every morning and pick her up every afternoon, and the new bike lanes have made no difference whatsoever in my commute to and from downtown. I look forward to riding Broad Street without having to worry about being run down by impatient cars, because honestly, I don't like being in your way, either. 

Chattanooga is reaping untold benefits from its "best outdoor city" status. Those new bike lanes are absolutely a part of that equation. I'm proud of Chattanooga for making that statement to every visitor while ensuring our streets are safer for everyone. 

Rodger Ling 

* * * 

Well, even more reason to not go to Chattanooga. Retrofitting bike lanes onto already congested streets with limited parking is smart, how?  

Joey Blevins 

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Congested streets?  Limited parking?  Don't get out much, huh? I suggest you take a trip to Nashville. 

Hooray for the bike lanes. I'm too fat to ride, but I applaud the forward thinking of our current folks in charge. 

I am also constantly amazed at those that must be led kicking and screaming into new ideas and concepts that other countries discovered decades ago.  I'm am also astounded when people actually take a break from whining about abortion and gay marriage long enough to even recognize some new bike lanes even exist. 

There, I think I offended almost everyone.

Herb Montgomery 

* * *

New bicycle lanes? Sad, state of affairs. Seems that bicycle riders want everything. They want to ride on the River Park walks, they want to ride on the mountain trails and they want to ride on the city and county streets.  I am all for individuals trying to promote a healthier self, but as usual our powers that be have gotten out of hand. 

When are these riders of the city streets going to be required to register and buy tags for their vehicles that operate on the city streets. Seems this would be a good way to recoup some of the revenue being poured into these wonderful improvements for the minority users of our streets. 

Maybe licensing for them would be good as well.  From my observance they tend to ignore the rules of the road. I see the competition riders choosing the worse places to ride. Many on roads without shoulders, and then I watch them run red lights just so they don't have to stop. Many of them will pass cars stopped at lights and then proceed on through afterwards. It seems that common sense evades them when they put on the uniform. 

Jim Dunn

 

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