There isn’t a cyclist among us who doesn’t have some bicycle infrastructure improvement they wish would get added to the region’s amenities. It may be a wide bike lane on a popular road ride, or improved pavement on 3rd Street.
There are however less obvious improvements that can be made that illustrate the level of bike friendliness of a city.
Copenhagen added foot and hand rails along popular routes so cyclists could wait for stoplights in comfort.
While I wouldn’t mind the foot rest, what Tucson commuters really need is shade.
The photo above was taken a couple weeks ago heading south on Mountain Avenue toward the University of Arizona. I stopped a good 50 feet behind the intersection in order to enjoy the shade rather than baking in the sun.
This shade was actually a luxury. In most instances I’m riding north on Mountain in the afternoon and given the sun’s position, there is no shade to be had.
So for the summer, I’m adding bicycle shade structures to my Tucson infrastructure wishlist. It could look something like this and be placed and intersections all along the most popular bike routes:
What about you? What is on your wishlist?
The usual thing: replace the stop signs on 3rd at Treat with yield signs. Forget about the speed table thing — it costs too much. Look for similar opportunities along the bike boulevards. (yes, Red Star is aware of the tiny neighbor opposition at 3rd and Treat). Look for similar appropriate and sensible implementations elsewhere and implement.
Add little “cyclists exempt” signage to the two “no left turns” at Dodge and E. Calle del Prado. Look for similar appropriate and sensible implementations elsewhere and implement.
At least start to seriously research bike lockers out there in the sprawl subdivisions/developments (Rita Ranch, Civano, and the way far Northwest) that apply to Sun Tran, especially the express routes. Perhaps enlist private sector strip mall owners to install lockers there? Subsidize them?
Set all Sun Tran bus fares at zero, regardless of route, age, income level. Wow!
Rather than infrastructure how about the Idaho Stop. That would even take care of Red Star’s wish of replacing the stop signs at 3rd and Treat without having to actually change the signage.
KyleVanRenterghem
Kyle, it would take an act of Arizona Legislature and Governor to implement the Idaho stop in Arizona. The bill has been tried and hasn’t worked; not likely to in the future (because sensible change is really, really difficult for those people). Municipalities (Old Pueblo) are allowed to place “yield” and “stop” signs as they see fit. Sensible placement of yield signs rather than stop signs is the local workaround regarding Maricopaland.
Sweeping arterials that are designated bike routes. Been wishing for that since naught 9. We avoid the same junk and glass for weeks on end.
Must have been lots of people wishing for green paint.
Connect The Loop to itself. This is such a unique system of bike paths. If only it was complete.
I’d love to see the crosswalk signs changed. The dumbest ones show the silhouette of a pedestrian at a crosswalk. All that type of sign does is alert motorists to the fact that there is a marked crosswalk. Better, but not perfect, are the signs instructing “Stop for Pedestrians in Crosswalk.”
Those signs should be changed to “State Law: Stop for Pedestrians.” These signs (frequent in New England) actually instruct motorists on what to do. Most of our signage in Tucson/Pima County rely too much on motorists to know the law (i.e. stop for pedestrians in crosswalks). Our pedestrian fatality rates show that this is not sufficient. Motorists need to be alerted and instructed in how to behave.
We really need a pedestrian HAWK at Fort Lowell and Treat/Christmas (Winterhaven). Also, at Fort Lowell and Wilson Ave. The stoplights are 1/2 mile apart on that stretch of Ft. Lowell.
When they did all the roadwork near Campbell and Ft. Lowell a few years ago, I kept waiting for these improvements to be installed, but I guess the city never thought of how hard it is to cross a road like Ft. Lowell on foot.
@bike geography Rather than crossing at Wilson, you may try to cross Fort Lowell at Jackson (one block east) or Olsen (one block west). I cross Fort Lowell twice a day at Olsen (by bike). The trick is to recognize and wait for the window. The nearer light will be red, and the farther light will be green, but the cars are still in the distance.
But yes, pedestrian crossings at Treat and Wilson would be very nice. I’d use Wilson daily.