MI Cyclists’ Views on Current MI Pedestrian and Bicycle Plan
This email is from a group of Mercer Island residents. All of us are recreational cyclists who cycle between several hundred miles to several thousand miles a year, and many of us are regular bicycle commuters. We have followed the discussion of the Pedestrian and Bicycle Plan with interest, and many of us have submitted comments on one or more occasions. At the hearing several weeks ago several items caught our attention that we wish to highlight here. We would welcome a response.
Island Crest Way.
We are concerned that decisions regarding a “road diet” for Island Crest Way may be made independently from this plan. We firmly support funding for improvements to East and West Mercer Way instead of bike lanes on ICW for the following reasons:
* Any restriction on road traffic on ICW will drive more automobile and truck traffic to East and West Mercer Way, particularly West Mercer. We believe that the changes made to the ICW/Merrimount intersection have already increased traffic turning right down Merrimount and continuing south on West Mercer as well as the number of cars using East Mercer to go north in the mornings. This additional traffic increases the risks of accidents between automobiles, delivery trucks, and cyclists, particularly given the limited amount and condition of the shoulders on West and East Mercer.
* The ICW ‘road diet’ contemplates cycle lanes along side the road traffic on ICW, but we object to this trade off. Riding a bicycle next to dense traffic going 35-45 MPH on ICW is risky and unattractive to cyclists. It would be even more dangerous for young children, and the hills will prove a challenge for those traveling south. We are not clear what plans there would be to handle an increase in bicycle traffic on ICW between Island Crest School and 68th Street.
Shoulders on West and East Mercer.
We support a greater investment in and accelerated schedule for improving the shoulders on East and West Mercer.
* Improvements should also include better, more frequent maintenance of these shoulders. Glass, wet leaves, and other debris can make cycling more, not less, dangerous, and cleaning debris from shoulders will increase their use by cyclists.
* Drivers need to be educated that these shoulders are not bicycle lanes. All too often some drivers become angry because they believe that the shoulders are bicycle lanes and do not understand the bicycles have to use the roadway to avoid glass, holes, parked cars, joggers, and walkers, particularly on blind curves when head on collisions could occur between those sharing the shoulders.
* The southern-most portion of West Mercer Way needs a higher priority. This area is heavily travelled by cyclists, recreational walkers (many with dogs), and automobile traffic. This section is both curvy and hilly, and many stretches have no shoulders whatsoever. This summer some of us have narrowly avoided head on collisions with impatient drivers passing cyclists on blind curves. As cyclists we need some stretches where we can allow cars to pass. Paving the bus pull-outs would be an inexpensive improvement.
Respectfully submitted:
Jim Stanton
Cliff Chirls
Frank Buty
David Schiffrin
Mark Clausen
Wally Boos
John Gebhart
Sue Mason
Bill Mason
Alan Fulp
Kirk Griffin
Jim Owens
Erick Jansen
Gretchen Jansen
Matt Rudolf
Robert Olson
Jolanne Stanton
Don Mochel
