[The end result of this was, unfortunately, no improvement in Coal Mine Road (once concrete had been laid, it was
pretty hard to get them to take it back . . . but they
did extend the Blue River trail an additional approx. 20 miles. It will go from the River Market area along the Missouri River to the mouth of the Blue River (now off limits to riders and hikers), then 5 more miles down the Blue to the point they were going to end it. As a result of this input, they extended the trail down the Blue River all the way to Swope Park. There it will meet up with the existing Blue River Parkway, and you can ride all the way to the Blue River Park trail, which then takes you all the way to the Kansas state line. Along the way, this route will interconnect with the Indian Creek system of trails, mostly on the Kansas side, and eventually you'll be able to follow that all the way back around to the River Market again.]
Hi all,
If you ever ride on Coal Mine Road (connects Blue Parkway at Sni-a-bar with I-435 near the southwest entrance to the stadium complex) you know they have been doing a good deal of construction in the area over the past year or so.
I happened to ride that way again on July 4th and got a good look at the new roadway. They are entirely scrapping the old roadway and building a new four-lane road.
I have to say I was very disappointed and dismayed with what I saw. Here is what amounts to construction of a brand-new road from scratch in the year 2002 and, as near as I can tell, they haven't given a second's thought in the design to the needs of bicyclists or pedestrians. Lanes are exactly 12 feet in width and there is no shoulder or sidewalk (most modern roads--especially in a rural area with plenty of available right-of-way--are built with 14-foot lanes and minimum 3- or 4-foot shoulders, just for the convenience and safety of motorists, before they even *start* thinking about the needs of bicyclists).
I emailed several Kansas City council members with my thoughts about this project. I tried to make two points:
(1) this is a good example of poor transportation planning
(2) it is a good example of why we need Bike KC--so we can stop
wasting millions of dollars on poorly designed projects that don't
meet our needs
My message led to a very constructive dialogue with Councilman Charles Eddy. I was pleased to find that he supports Bike KC and alternative transportation standards in general. He is hopeful that there are enough votes to pass Bike KC when it comes before the city council.
Councilman Eddy thinks it is probably too late to change the Coal Mine Road project but absolutely agrees that we need Bike KC in place so that future projects are designed to better standards. He forwarded my comments to Larry Frevert in Public Works.
I responded by suggesting an inexpensive and easy design change (simply a different lane striping) that would better meet the needs of motorists, pedestrians, and bicyclists.
That is the executive summary--I've appended the email messages below so that you can read the details if you like. (My proposal for re-striping is near the end of the last message; scroll down to the end if you would like to see it.)
If you agree with me, I would appreciate it if you would take a moment this weekend to call or write a short email to:
* your city councilemembers--contact info can be found at
http://www.kcmo.org/council.nsf/council/home, (816) 513-1368
* the Public Works department--pubworks@kcmo.org, (816) 513-2627
If you write or call, you might (politely, of course) raise these points:
* Were interests of bicyclists and pedestrians considered in the
design of Coal Mine Road? The Federal Transportation Equity Act
for the 21st Century (TEA-21) and we as Kansas City bicyclists
require that
"Bicycle facilities and pedestrian walkways shall be considered,
where appropriate, in conjunction with all new construction and
reconstruction of transportation facilities except where bicycle
use and walking are not permitted. Transportation plans and projects
shall provide due consideration for safety and contiguous routes
for bicyclists and pedestrians."
This does not necessarily mean special bicycle lanes--it could be as
simple as wider outside lanes.
* We realize that Coal Mine Road can't be totally re-designed at this
point, but we believe there are relatively simple and inexpensive
options still available that will make the road more bicycle- and
pedestrian-friendly. We support these options.
* We need the Bike KC plan in place so that future projects are designed
to standards that better meet our needs as motorists, bicyclists, and
pedestrians and so that we don't waste money building roads to
inadequate design standards that do not consider the needs of all
road users.
--Brent
bhugh@mwsc.edu
--------------------------Correspondence----------------------------
From: Brent Hugh
To: charles_eddy@kcmo.org
Subject: Coal Mine Road Construction Project, Bike KC
Councilman Eddy,
I am pleased to see that the Bike KC proposal will come up before the full
city council soon.
I am a Kansas City taxpayer, motorist, and bicyclist and I strongly support
the Bike KC plan. I recently sent you a letter detailing my reasons for
supporting the proposal (you will likely receive it in a day or two).
Today, though, an interesting issue came to my attention that strongly
illustrates the need for coherent, modern design standards for Kansas City
roadways. One point I make in my letter (which you will soon receive) is
that, although the Bike KC will certainly cost Kansas City a certain amount
of money, all in all it actually *saves* the city far more money than it
will cost.
The reason it saves money is because following modern design standards
across the board prevents Kansas City from wasting tens of millions of
dollars constructing brand-new but substandard roadways built according to
1920s-era design standards.
It only costs a little more to design and construct roads the right
way. Roads built to modern standards are friendlier and safer for vehicles
of all sizes, for pedestrians, and for bicyclists. Substandard roads are
less safe for all users and discourage pedestrians and bicyclists.
Substandard roads give a visitors and residents a poor image of our
metropolitan area, because people have seen and experienced well-designed
roadways and wonder why Kansas City is incapable of creating them.
We will have to live with newly built sub-standard roads for the next 20-40
years, so creating substandard roadways when we can do better is a very
expensive mistake with long-lasting consequences.
Until recent construction on Coal Mine Road, I was riding the road almost
every day on my bicycle (it provides a convenient alternative to busier
routes through this area, like 63rd Street, Blue Parkway, and Eastwood
Trafficway). Today I rode through the area again. I was able to survey
some of the new construction, and I have to say I was very dismayed at what
I saw.
Millions (perhaps tens of millions?) of dollars have been spent this
project (which, to be fair, includes extensive improvements to the drainage
around the Blue River as well as a new roadway). A new, four-lane road is
being constructed.
What standards is the road being constructed to?
I measured the lane width of the new construction. Each of the four lanes
is exactly 12 feet in width.
I measured the lane width of the old road, which looks as though it dates
to the 1940s or perhaps earlier. Its lane width is *also* exactly 12 feet.
The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials
(AASHTO) presents minimum standard guidelines for roadway construction that
are followed by states and communities across the country.
These guidelines are not new or controversial and have a solid basis in
experience and safety. The new Intermodal Surface Transportation
Efficiency Act (ISTEA) puts increased importance on the use of the bicycle
as a viable transportation alternative, and adherence to the AASHTO
guidelines would considered a *minimum* requirement for compliance with
this act.
The AASHTO guidelines state that "all new highways, except those where
bicyclists will be legally prohibited [i.e., except for freeways], should
be designed and constructed under the assumption that they will be used by
bicyclists."
I am pretty sure that no Kansas City designer ever even considered the
possibility that bicyclists might use this road. Yet I have bicycled the
road several times per week and plan to resume my riding there as soon as
the construction is finished. And (even with the relatively few minutes
per week I spent on the road) I have occasionally seen other bicyclists on
the road.
The AASHTO bicycle guidelines recommend a "usable" curb lane width of 14
feet (minimum!) on road segments where parking is not permitted in the curb
lane. Usable width generally cannot be measured from curb face to lane
stripe, because adjustments must be made for drainage grates (even the
"bicycle safe" ones) and longitudinal joints between pavement and gutter
sections. This is because vertical irregularities almost parallel with
the bicycle's line of travel are very dangerous to the bicyclist and can
cause almost instantaneous loss of balance and fall, possibly into the line
of traffic.
For instance, on those road segments where no parking is allowed but
drainage grates and the longitudinal joints are located 18 inches from the
curb face, the travel lane (from joint line to lane stripe) should be
(minimum) 14 feet in width.
Wide curb lanes are not striped or generally promoted as "bicycle routes",
but are often all that is needed to accommodate bicycle travel. 14 foot
usable lane width in the outside lane is the absolute minimum, but 15 1/2
foot or wider lanes are preferable.
Again, the outside lanes on the new sections of Coal Mine Road, from joint
line to lane stripe, is exactly 12 feet. This width is sub-standard and
will absolutely not allow the lane to be shared between a bicyclist and a
vehicle.
Why are we wasting millions of dollars constructing brand-new, sub-standard
roadways?
In this case, there is no obvious reason except lack of awareness of and adherence
to modern design standards. There is certainly no lack of right-of-way. There is
room here for six 25-foot lanes if that were desirable. There is certainly plenty of room for four or even six feet of additional width in each outside lane.
I would strongly recommend that before more money is wasted on the road
construction at Coal Mine Road, that construction be immediately halted and
the roadway re-designed to modern standards.
Again, a primary purpose of Bike KC is to prevent this sort of costly
blunder with far-reaching consequences. I urge the adoption of Bike KC at
the earliest possible time.
--Dr. Brent Hugh
Kansas City taxpayer, motorist, bicyclist, voter
Assistant Professor, Missouri Western State College
(816)356-1740
bhugh@mwsc.edu
[In describing the AASHTO standards I have heavily borrowed from Roadway
Design: Theory and Concepts, which can be found online at:
http://www.ets.uidaho.edu/niatt_labmanual/Chapters/roadwaydesign/theoryandconcepts/DesigningBikeLanes.htm]
--------------------------Correspondence----------------------------
From: Charles_Eddy@kcmo.org
To: bhugh@mwsc.edu
Thank you for your comments and concerns on our Bike plans for Kansas City.
I have copied your thoughts to Larry Frevert who is our Director of Streets
that is leading this issue. It may not be possible to change the
construction that is currently underway. I am very happy that this is will
be going to the full council and I believe we have the votes to pass this
important plan. I will continue to work for the implementation of our
Bicycle Master Plan for Kansas City and at MARC for the region.
Chuck
Dr. Charles A. Eddy
6th District City Councilmember
City of Kansas City, Missouri
--------------------------Correspondence----------------------------
From: bhugh@mwsc.edu
To: Charles_Eddy@kcmo.org
Subject: Re: Coal Mine Road Construction Project, Bike KC
Chuck,
I appreciate your prompt reply and your support of Bike KC and other bicycle-related issues.
I certainly realize that large construction projects like Coal Mine Road don't just happen "by accident"--they take years of planning and it may not be feasible at this point to make major changes to the project. Perhaps I was overreaching a little when I asked for that!
Of course, the Big Issue here is updating our transportation plans, policies, and standards to include better consideration for bicyclists and pedestrians. Then problems like this will not arise in the future. Getting this kind of framework in place is far more important than any particular project. It sounds like we are well on the way to getting these kind of standards in place. Public leaders who work for and support these policies get high marks in my book for leadership and farsightedness. I am *very* pleased to see Kansas City moving in this direction.
Coal Mine Road specifics
------------------------
As far as the Coal Mine Road project, I am a little worried that if federal funds were used for the project, the provisions of TEA-21 have not been complied with.
Section 1202 of TEA-21 says that "bicyclists and pedestrians shall be given due consideration in the comprehensive transportation plans developed by each metropolitan planning organization. . . . Bicycle facilities and pedestrian walkways shall be considered, where appropriate, in conjunction with all new construction and reconstruction of transportation facilities except where bicycle use and walking are not permitted [i.e., freeways]. Transportation plans and projects shall provide due consideration for safety and contiguous routes for bicyclists and pedestrians" (see http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/tea21/).
Two possible solutions
----------------------
I would suggest two possible approaches for accommodations on the new Coal Mine Road construction project that would be very easy and inexpensive to implement, that would consider the needs of bicycles and pedestrians, increase their safety, and create a usable route for them. They also have the great advantage of requiring little or no basic re-design of the project:
1. Re-stripe the lanes to make the inside lanes a little narrower and the outside lanes a little wider. Many communities have taken this step to make existing 4-lane roads a little more bicycle friendly. A typical re-striping makes inside lanes 10 feet wide and outside lanes 14 feet. This is far better than the present configuration (12 foot lanes) but far from ideal (10-foot lane is minimal for vehicular traffic and 14-foot lane is minimal for bicycle accommodation).
2. A much more effective solution is to re-stripe the 4-lane road to create a 3-lane road with wide main lanes, a (narrower) center turn lane, and shoulders. Typically, such a re-striping will have 16-foot lanes in each direction, a 10-foot center turn lane, and 3-foot shoulders (or a 12-foot center lane and 2-foot shoulders):
PROPOSED LANE WIDTHS
'- --- ---------------- ---------- ---------------- --- -'
Curb 3ft 16 ft 10 ft 16 ft 3ft Curb
OR
'- -- ---------------- ------------ ---------------- -- -'
Curb 2ft 16 ft 12 ft 16 ft 2ft Curb
CURRENT LANE WIDTHS
'- ------------- ------------ ------------ ------------ -'
Curb 12 ft 12 ft 12 ft 12 ft Curb
The shoulders are narrowed to create right-turn areas at appropriate points. Such an approach has these advantages:
* Doesn't require any change in designed road width
* Wider lanes would be appropriate for the type of vehicle that often uses
Coal Mine Road (many cement trucks and large city maintenance vehicles)
* Motor traffic traveling opposite directions is separated by a much
greater margin, increasing motor vehicle safety
* Smoother flow for motorists because they need not slow or stop for
left- and right-turning vehicles ahead
* Very bicycle friendly
* More pedestrian friendly (the curb/shoulder gives pedestrians
a safer, though not ideal, place to walk if there is no sidewalk,
and increases the buffer between traffic and pedestrians if there is a
sidewalk)
* Because of the turn lanes and smoother-flowing traffic in the main
lanes, this type of 3-lane roadway can often handle the same amount of
traffic with less congestion than the 4-lane design. Certainly it can
handle the low to moderate traffic on Coal Mine Road.
Many cities have re-striped their 4-lane roads (particularly low-moderate traffic roads like Coal Mine Road) in this way to create friendlier 3-lane roads. They have reported the advantages I mention above. See, for instance
"Bicycle Program and Facilities Recommendations for the St. Louis Area",
John S. Allen,
"Bicycle and Pedestrian Facilities", Jennifer L. Toole and Bettina Zimny,
p. 625,
Again, thank you for your consideration and your support of alternative transportation in Kansas City.
--Brent
bhugh@mwsc.edu
posted by Brent Hugh at
Sunday, August 25, 2002 |
permanently archived here
