Off the Kuff mentions the Safe Passing Bill and the comments of Peter Wang regarding the rewards and potential dangers of cycling in Houston.
As someone who has cycled in several cities, I agree that Houston is not the most unfriendly place for cyclists. That being said, it certainly hasn’t received any recognition as a particularly safe or accommodating place for cyclists and nor does it deserve to be. Houston’s potential as a cycle-friendly city comes about from the fact that parts of the Inner Loop of the city are just dense enough to make driving a hassle but not quite dense enough to make walking a very attractive option, especially given the woeful lack of public transport. Given this, cycling is an excellent and healthy option. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem the city is very receptive or accommodating to cyclists. Certainly the Safe Passing Bill will help, but in the end, the city needs to provide better infrastructure to those who ride around on two wheels.
I recently spent some time in Berlin; a place that is a wonderland for cyclists when compared to a city like Houston. Berlin provides grade separated bike lanes along major thoroughfares that not only separate the cyclists from the auto traffic but also the cyclist from pedestrians. Below are examples of this configuration:
Now, obliviously Houston has nowhere near the cycling infrastructure of a city like Berlin and we are unlikely to see such a change in the city, at least in my lifetime. But there are areas where the city could begin to add grade separated cycling lanes. One obvious place would be along Allen Parkway. There is plenty of space for an additional cycle-only lane adjacent to the existing pedestrian lane which currently carries both cyclists and pedestrians. Also, as anyone who has been along Allen Parkway knows, is already plenty of demand from cyclists along that route. Perhaps that could be part of a larger renovation along Allen Parkway. Additional routes could be added as needed. Thankfully Houston has plenty of room for additional cycle lanes along many existing routes given the required setback requirements by the city. All that is required is the political will and foresight to move.
This is a great point. Houston's inner core isn't quite the ideal walking city, but it could be a fantastic cycling city.
ReplyDeleteImagine how easy it would be to get around the city on a bike if all the cars were off the road. Maybe we could go for a summer streets program like New York did, just to see what it's like :)
This is a great point. Houston's inner core isn't quite the ideal walking city, but it could be a fantastic cycling city.
ReplyDeleteImagine how easy it would be to get around the city on a bike if all the cars were off the road. Maybe we could go for a summer streets program like New York did, just to see what it's like :)
Thank you.
ReplyDeleteAgain, I think that some of this would be easy, especially if the city already has the right-of-way. It simply requires some initiative from the city. Allen Parkway, along the Bayou would be a perfect place for initial investment.
As far as summer streets, I think that is a great idea. Frankly, I wish the city would consider an even bolder step such as the development of pedestrian-only zones ala the Santa Monica Promenade. The commercial areas around Rice Village would be perfect for this.