Description
My bike commute from Upper State to the train station is a bit rough in the morning.
It's pretty nerve-wracking to ride next to cars that are exiting/entering I-91. I'm worried that without being as defensive a rider as possible, I'm continually at risk.
I would love to see a separated bike lane down this street easily connecting East Rock to Union Station. I know it's difficult because state DOT is a pain in the butt on these issues, but it would mean so much to me!!
I think it would also add the following (please excuse the 'rant' format!):
1) It would make less 'gung-ho' riders more open to ride this route and not drive long distances where a train were an option.
2) There's plenty of physical land with the median to maintain 4 lanes of traffic, plus add two full bike lanes.
3) Consolidating bike lanes together on the downtown side has the capability of creating a hospitable plaza area and thus make the businesses on that side of state more attractive to customers (plus more active street life = better place to bike/live/be).
4) I feel like the land on the train tracks side has so much more potential than surface parking.
I will try to add some images of what I'm thinking later.
Bottom line:
How do I set this project in motion? Thanks!!
23 Comments
CT DOT ponzi sprawl (Guest)
Contact the CT DOT district 3 office and ask is you can sue them for creating a potentially lethal situation for bicyclists and pedestrians.
Brian Mercure
Assistant District Engineer – District 3A (Q-Corridor)
Phone: (203) 785-8082
Really, the situation is crazy; if someone slips on my sidewalk, I can be sued, but if the state creates a deadly intersection, it's all good and no one, in Hartford has to answer. The CT DOT is continually feeding the pigs at the trough of the pavement contractors and propping up the suburban sprawl ponzi scheme.
StateSt.Res (Guest)
FairHavenRes (Registered User)
StateSt.Res (Guest)
FairHavenRes (Registered User)
StateSt.Res (Guest)
FairHavenRes (Registered User)
juli (Registered User)
@fairhavenres
i am totally with you on this.
state st res obviously has never biked on orange street before. the lane disappears exactly at the highway access point with the most aggressive traffic.
BikeFriendly (Guest)
FairHavenRes (Registered User)
juli (Registered User)
bike friendly,
blaming cyclists for the dangers they face is blaming the conveniently most vulnerable low-hanging fruit.
BikeFriendly (Guest)
This Us v. Them mentality needs to stop. Its one community. Change starts with you.
FairHavenRes (Registered User)
BikeFriendly (Guest)
By your own comments it sounds like you're never going to be comfortable biking in this area of new haven. There won't be as many bike lanes as there are regular traffic lanes until the bike traffic volume is similar to that of cars. By then it would likely have driven some cultural change anyway.
It is acceptable to suggest you use an alternate safer route. You chose where you live an work . You choose to ride a bike. You have the right to make those choices and since you are an adult you must accept the responsibility/ liability of those choices. If its too much for you then make other choices.
It is unacceptable to demand that the taxpayers of a cash strapped city invest millions of dollars so that you have a more pleasant ride into work on the days you elect to bike instead of drive your minivan.
Stricter traffic law enforcement could be a reasonable solution.
bike lane supporting taxpayer (Guest)
BikeFriendly (Guest)
juli (Registered User)
@bike friendly,
"There won't be as many bike lanes as there are regular traffic lanes until the bike traffic volume is similar to that of cars."
there won't be bike traffic volume similar to that of cars until it doesn't require taking one's life into one's hands every time we ride, and more people feel safe doing so.
you'd do well to look into the economic benefits of bike and pedestrian infrastructure with a simple internet search before such a car-centric, negative diatribe.
BikeFriendly (Guest)
Car-centric diatribe??
I'm a cyclist who doesn't share your viewpoint. That must make me ignorant (and you intolerant). So sorry to have challenged you.
For the record, I support expanding bike infrastructure with cost effective improvements. I oppose doing it in the most expensive way possible, which is what has been proposed here.
Raisya (Registered User)
Closed liz (Registered User)
Reopened BB (Registered User)
Reopening this as the issue is primarily around the 91 on ramp at Trumbull and State.
This intersection has become more dangerous as it is more traveled by cyclists and crossed more frequently by pedestrians visiting the restaurants.
When the apartment complex opens next year this safety issue will only become more dangerous.
While a lane down State to the train station from Bradley most definitely makes sense in the context of modern road design, I would ask the City to think seriously about first addressing cycling and pedestrian safety at the on ramp and work down to the train station from there.
In personal opinion the brewery and the extra
Parking lot should never have been approved without more accommodating infrastructure.
Martha (Registered User)
With a number of parking lots along that stretch, widening the street or creating a separate path for bicycles through the lot might be possible solutions.
Closed Manager of Operations, Process Improvement - Transportation, Traffic, & Parking (Verified Official)