HomeMy WebLinkAboutSkyliners Road ProposalRoad DC:LII.I:II.
61150 SE 27th St.• Bend, Oregon 97702
(541) 388-6581 • FAX (541) 388-2719
MEMORANDUM
TO: BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISS ION ERS
FROM: GEORGr,: KOLB, COUN1Y ENGINEER
SUBJECT: IU.~Q UE ST FOR EIGlrf (8) FOOT BIKE LANES ON SK '{LlN[RS ROAD
DATE: 3/26/2012 WOIU< SESS ION
cc: l'vIlKE ODEM, FHWA
J ENNIFER COR\VIN, FI-f\Xl t \
CHRI S DOTY, ROAD DEP,WTMENT D1IU~C TOR
ERIK KROPP, INTERIM CO UN "[Y ADMTSTIv\TOR
The purpose of this memorandum is to outline the reasoning behind the Federal Highway
Administration (FHWA) and County going with six (6) foot bike lanes versus the eight (8) foot
bike lanes requested by Tad Hodgert.
October 2010: A public scoping meeting was held concerning the project and it was at this
meeting that Mr. Hodgert first proposed the eight (8) foot bike lanes.
November/December 20 I 0: Project was first proposed with five (5) foot bikeways with eleven
(I 1) foot travel lanes
February 20 11: a meeting with held with the residents that live on Sky liners Road to inform them
of the project and get their input on the design. It was at this meeting that the residents expressed
concern about a five (5) foot bike lane and they informed the County and FHWA that they would
like to see a six (6) foot bike lane.
May 20 11: FHWA presented its proposed roadway plan at the Bicycling and Pedestrian
Advisory Committee (BPAC). BPAC requested FHWA to consider incorporating six (6) foot
bike lanes into its design.
June 201 I: A public meeting was held concerning the Skyliners road project and waterline
project. The FHWA informed the public that they were going to design the project with six (6)
foot bike lanes versus the five (5) foot bikeways originally proposed. In a comment letter, dated
Quality Services Performed with Pride
June 17, 2011, received in response to the public meeting, BP AC conveyed its support for
FHWA's proposal.
Six foot bike lanes meet or exceed local, state, and federal guidelines.
Reasoning behind the six (6) foot bike lane:
1. AASHTO Guidelines (2004)
a. Recommend a minimum of 4-foot shoulders where bike use is prevalent.
2. The Oregon Bicycle and Pedestrian plan states the following:
a. When providing shoulders for bicycle use (as is the case for this project), a width
of 6 feet is recommended. Minimums widths for rural roads with Average Daily
Traffic (ADT) of 400 ~ 1500, are:
1. Rural Arterials: 6'
ii. Rural Collectors: 5'
iii. Rural Locals: 5'
b. Skyliners Road is classified as a rural collector with an ADT that ranges from
1202 cars/day at the City Limits to 380 cars/day at the subdivision at the end of
the road, therefore the recommended minimum width per the Oregon Bicycle and
Pedestrian plan would be five (5) feet.
c. "Steep grades" (not defined), shoulder bikeways should be at a minimum of five
feet. A six-foot width is preferred. There are a couple locations on Skyliners
road where grade is at 6%.
d. Per the plan, a bike lane with a width of eight (8) feet would only be
recommended on roads with an ADT of greater than 2000 cars/day.
e. The plan also states that with bike lanes wider that six (6) feet, care must be taken
so they are not mistaken for a motor vehicle lane, turn lane or parking area, with
adequate marking or signing.
3. Deschutes County Code, Title 17, Table "B", Minimum Bikeway Design Standards states
a width of six (6) feet for bike lane on urban arterial or major collector, or rural roads
near urban areas with high anticipated bike use.
4. The design of Sky liners Road was shared with the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory
Committee and they are in favor of the six (6) foot bike lane per letter dated June 17,
2011
5. Conversations with Steve Jorgensen, Bend Park and Recreation District indicate that six
(6) foot bike lanes are adequate for Skyliners Road and a bike lane width of eight (8) feet
can contribute to higher vehicle speeds.
6. There is no data demonstrating that shoulders wider than six feet provide safety benefits
that warrant the expenditure of additional public funds. FHW A has stated that if the
County decides to go with the eight (8) foot bike lanes, the County will have to fund the
additional cost. Preliminary estimates put the cost at approximately $450,000 and this
does not include the additional cost for right of way.
7. The wider width will also increase the maintenance cost of the roadway over time.
8. There is no documentation supporting the claim that eight (8) foot bikes lanes are
necessary or are safer than a six (6) foot lane ..
2
Attachments:
a) Letter dated January 18,2012 from Tad Hodgert
b) Sheets 1-8 and 1-11 of the Oregon Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan
c) Traffic counts and bicycle counts from May/July 2009
d) Table "B", Minimum Bikeway Design Standards, Deschutes County Code, Title 17
e) Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee letter dated 6117/2011 supporting the six (6)
foot bike lanes
f) E-mail from Steve Jorgensen, Bend Park and Recreation District supporting the six (6)
foot bike lane
g) Letter dated March 13, 2012 from FHW A discussing the issue concerning the shoulder
width issue.
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Masters of Dentistry
Tad Hodgert, DMD 628 NW York Drive, Suite 101
Bend, Oregon 97701 Fellow:
ational Congress of Oral Implantology
(541) 389-2300· Fax (541) 389-2301
Assoc. Fellow: tad@mastersofdentistry.net
American Academy of Implant Dentistry www.mastersofdentistry.net
January 18, 2012
George Kolb
Deschutes County Engineering
61150 SE 2ih Street
Bend, OR 97702
Dear George:
Enclosed please find signed petitions supporting the construction of an eight-foot bike
lane to be installed during the redevelopment of Skyliners road. Skyliners is not a normal
roadway. What makes it unique is the extremely high volume of recreational usage by
locals as well as thousands of tourists annually. It is a gateway for many of Bend's most
popular cross country ski, mountain biking, running, snowshoeing and scenic areas. It
also consistently serves as a busy industrial route for log trucks, aggregate trucks, wood
cutters and plow trucks.
A bike lane wider than six feet is recommended with high usage or if foot traffic also
uses the bike lane. Oregon design standards demand a 10-foot width for a low use multi
use bike way, 12-foot for high use; where both path sizes separated from motorized
traffic. Skyliner's multi-use reality certainly warrants a path at least 8-feet in width given
the high volume and variety of usage. When the road is beautifully paved with smooth
pavement, traffic speeds will accelerate to those well beyond the current norm. Safety is a
huge factor supporting the installation of an 8-foot lane.
An additional benefit is that an 8-foot bike lane gives us a national caliber bike course
with national caliber staging and parking areas (Miller and Summit schools). The several
national level events held on Skyliners road these past years bring much needed dollars
into the local economy. Build it right, many more will come.
Let's do this right. It will be 50 more years before it is redone again. For economic
reasons, for safety reasons, for the joy of why Westside Bend is so desirable, let's do this
right.
Cc: Tammy Baney, Mike adorn
CHAPTER 1: ON-RoAD BIKEWAYS ____________________________
Potential bicycle boulevard
implementation problems
Problems can arise under these conditions:
1. If they're discontinuous and/or located on
streets that do not provide direct access to
commerce and other destinations, cyclists
will have to negotiate a more hostile street
environment to complete portions of their
trip. Bike boulevards must be continuous
and close to corridors that serve many
destinations; short connections may have to
be built to provide continuity and access.
2. They can cause motor vehicle traffic
diversion onto other streets. Neighborhood
concerns must be properly addressed.
3. Failure to provide adequate crossings of
busy streets can result in unsafe conditions
for bicyclists. The planning phase must
develop realistic and fundable strategies for
crossings ofbusy streets.
Shoulder Bikeways
Besides giving an area for cyclists to ride,
paved shoulders are provided on rural highways
for a variety of safety, operational and
maintenance reasons such as:
• Motorists can stop out of traffic in case of
emergency, or escape potential crashes; and
• Storm water can be discharged farther from
the motor vehicle travel lanes, helping to
preserve the pavement.
Width
In general, the shoulder widths recommended
for rural highways in the ODOT Highway
Design Manual serve bicyclists well; HDM
Table 7-2 should be used when determining
shoulder widths:
Average Daily Tratlic <400 ~OO-ISOO ISOO-2oo0 > 2000
Rural Arterials 4' 6' 6' 8'
Rural Collectors 2' 5" 6' 8'
Rural Local Roads 2' 5' 6' 8'
Table 1-2: Rural road shoulder widths
When providing shoulders for bicycle use, a
width of 6 feet is recommended. This allows
a cyclist to ride far enough from the edge of
pavement to avoid debris, yet far enough from
passing vehicles to avoid conflicts. If there are
physical width limitations, a minimum 4 foot
shoulder may be used.
Shoulders adjacent to a curb face, guardrail or
other roadside barriers must be 5 feet wide, as
cyclists will "shy" away from a vertical face.
Shoulders adjacent to a curb should have 4 feet
of pavement from the longitudinal joint at the
gutter pan. Curbed sections usually indicate
urban conditions, where shoulders should be
striped as bike lanes.
Figure 1-4: Shoulder bikeway
On steep uphill grades, it is desirable to maintain
a 6-feet (min. 5-feet) shoulder, as cyclists need
more space for maneuvering.
Note: many ntral roads are 28 feet wide, with
fog lines striped at 11 feet from centerline. The
remaining 3 feet should not be considered a
shoulder bikeway (min. 4 feet); these are shared
roadways, as most cyclists will ride on or near
the fog line. But they provide an enjoyable
riding experience where traffic volumes are low
to moderate.
Pavement Design and Construction
Many existing gravel shoulders have sufficient
width and base to support shoulder bikeways.
Minor excavation and the addition of 3-4 inches
of asphaltic concrete is often enough to provide
shoulder bikeways. Pavement overlays provide
the best opportunity to widen shoulders for
several reasons:
OREGON BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN PLAN 1-8
____________________________CHAPTER 1: ON-RoAD BIKEWAYS
Bike lanes are generally not recommended
on high-speed rural highways; at channelized
intersections, the speeds are too high to place
a through bike lane to the left of right-turning
vehicles (see Chapter 4, Intersection Design).
Shoulder bikeways, striped with a 4 inches fog
line, are the appropriate facility for these roads.
For planning purposes, refer to the Bike Lane
Matrix on page 1-3 to determine whether
bike lanes are needed or appropriate for any
given roadway.
Advantages of bike lanes:
• Bike lanes enable cyclists to ride at a
constant speed, even when traffic in the
adjacent travel lanes speeds up or slows
down, for example at intersections.
• Bike lanes enable bicyclists to position
themselves where they will be visible
to motorists.
• Bike lanes encourage cyclists to ride on the
streets rather than the sidewalks.
Bike lanes are one-way facilities that carry
bicycle traffic in the same direction as adjacent
motor-vehicle traffic. Bike lanes should always
be provided on both sides of a two-way street.
One exception may be on steep hills where
topographical constraints limit the width to a
bike lane on one side only; in these cases, a
bike lane in the uphill direction is acceptable as
cyclists ride slower uphill. They can ride in a
shared lane in the downhill direction.
Width
The standard width of a bike lane is 6 feet,
as measured from the center of stripe to the
curb or edge of pavement. This width enables
cyclists to ride far enough from the curb to
avoid debris and drainage grates, yet far enough
from other vehicles to avoid conflicts . By riding
away from the curb, cyclists are more visible to
motorists than when hugging the curb.
The minimum bike lane width is 4 feet on open
shoulders, or 5 feet from the face of a curb,
guardrail or parked cars. A 4-foot (min 3 feet)
Figure 1-9: Typical bike lane dimensions
wide smooth asphalt surface should be provided
to the left of a longitudinal joint between asphalt
pavement and the concrete gutter section. It is
preferable to pave the bike lane to the curb face
to avoid a longitudinal joint in the bike lane .
Shoulders wider than 6 feet may be marked
as bike lanes in areas of very high use, on
high-speed facilities where wider shoulders
are warranted, or where they are shared with
pedestrians. Care must be taken so they are not
mistaken for a motor vehicle lane, turn lane or
parking area, with adequate marking or signing.
A bike lane should be marked with pavement
stencils and an 8 inches stripe. This width
increases the visual separation of a motor veh ic1e
lane and a bike lane. The 8-inch white stripe is
a legal requirement in Oregon (OAR 734-20
055). Refer to page 1-19 for bike lane marking
standards.
If on-street parking is permitted, the bike lane
must be placed between parking and the travel
lane, and be at least 5 feet wide.
Bike Lanes on One-way Streets
Bike lanes on one-way streets should be on the
right side of the roadway and should always
be provided on both legs of a one-way couplet.
The bike lane may be placed on the left of a
one-way street if it decreases the number of
conflicts, e.g., those caused by heavy bus traffic
or dual right-turn lanes, and if cyclists can
safely and conveniently transition in and out
of the bike lane on the left. (See Chapter 6 for
detailed information on bike lane configurations
at intersections.)
OREGON BICVCLE ANO PEDESTRIAN PLAN 1-11
CJ
of River Rd
Thurs-143
Sat -380
Locations are Approximate
SI(YLINERS RD
SKYLINERS RD
TRAFFIC COUNT LOCATIONS
FOR 5rTI09 & 519/09
~_w, ~~~~"",-""-~",,,,-,~~_,>~:ti¥l"'''IiIlfl''''i'\\''''i$t.._,"~~~1'I;~'1~~ ",4,iil..%.,£ J.$O\ ,MNUS1l444ti4tiAPJ$l t~$A( .~t'~~!I! 4,. ",'*il'h!ii(4.)( i,I iiil;pm!iiI)$AW'q'li%j:;;$)llJ;4,,!1I1!iIil.~""~ WiJ,H40&J&4=
Bicycle Count on Skyline Road July 19 2009
7:00 elm -8:00 am
8:00 am -9:00 am
9:00 am -10:00 am
10:00 am -11:00 am
11:00 am -12:00 am
12:00 am -1:00 pm
1:00 pm - 2 :00 pm
2:00 pm -3:00 pm
3:00 pm -4:00 pm
4:00 pm -5:00 pm
5:00 pm -6:00 pm
6:00 pm -7:00 pm
1\\
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IN \1'\1
tH.1 tNJ j\
i"'-'4 IN-'I";-s I 'h..1 1\ I
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Sub Total
'3
12
22
2-3
1"7
11
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-------------
Grand Total ~~~ i
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Bicycle Count on Skyline Road July 15 2009
Sub Total
7:00 am -8:00 am JJ~ \ Co
8:00 am -9:00 am 1(0U+t" L--H1 \ \ \\ ~ I
9:00 am -10:00 am ,D1H1hlt
10:00 am -11:00 am 1Xr'\1\ 7 I
11:00 am -12:00 am V. \\ 1 1
12:00 am -1:00 pm 4tq \
1:00 pm -2:00 pm S~
;2:00 pm -3:00 pm lit
3:00 pm -4:00 pm \\ \\ it
4:00 pm -5:00 pm S"'" " ,5:00 pm -6:00 pm Il~~,\
I ..... I'M /6:00 pm -7:00 pm ,..,... hoi. \ 2..\
______________ i
Grand Total \0'2..
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TABLE "B"
Deschutes County
Minimum Bikeway Design Standards
--------------------
Lateral CrossOn/Off Vertical Pavement Multi-Type Stripe Road Width1
Clearance Clearance slope Grade Structure ROW
(each side) Grade use
Min. Stand. High Min. Stand. Min. Stand. Stand. Max. Aggregate A.C.Use Base
Multiuse Off >5% up YesPath 8' 10' 12' 8' 10' 2' 3' 2% 5% to distance 4" 2"
of 500'
Mt. Bike Off 2' 7' 10' Yes
Trail
4' Use on urban arterial
w/open or major collector, or
Bike 8" with shoulder rural roads near Same as parent
lane painted On 5' 6' urban areas with roadway No
stencil w/curb high anticipated bike
or use
parking
4'
w/open Recommended on
Shoulder shoulder higher speed, and Same as parent
Bikeway 4" On 4' 5' 6' traffic volume rural roadway No
w/curb roads or other
barrier
Recommended only
Shared On on local roads with Same as parent YesRoadway speeds of 25 mph or roadway
less, and <3,000 ADT .... ------.-
Min.
15'
I
Note: A.C. is asphalt-concrete
1 10ft is the standard width for a two-way multi-use path; they should be 12 ft wide in areas with high mixed-use. Faster moving bicyclists require greater width
than pedestrians; optimum width should be based on the relative use by these two modes. High use by skaters may also require greater width. The minimum
width is 8 ft. However, 8-ft. wide multi-use paths are not recommended in most situations because they may become over-crowded. They should only be
constructed as short connectors, or where long-term usage is expected to be low. and with proper horizontal and vertical alignment to assure good Sight distances.
Table B -212007
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~ Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee
,~,
·/---~0
(,~
117 NW Lafayette Avenue Bend Oregon 97701-1925
(541)388-6575 FAX (541)385-1764
http://www.co.deschutes.or.us/cdd/
June 17,2011
Mike Odom, Project Manager
FHWA-WFL
610 East 5th Street
Vancouver, WA 98661
Dear Mr. Odom,
On behalf of the Deschutes County Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC),
I respectfully submit this letter to provide comments reflecting our position regarding the
proposed Skyliners Road reconstruction. Our mission is to promote and encourage safe I
bicycling and walking as a significant means of transportation in Deschutes County.
BPAC members are appointed by the Deschutes County Board of County
Commissioners, and we serve to advise Deschutes County, the Cities of Bend,
Redmond and Sisters, and ODOT in bicycle and pedestrian transportation, and matters
pertaining to existing and proposed road construction and signing. The Committee is
recognized as a source of current information relating to the use of bicycle and walking
as a means of transportation, and strives to support them as a viable means of
transportation in Deschutes County.
We wish to acknowledge the hard work of your team, and applaud the responsive design
resulting from your diligent research efforts and public input opportunities. We fully
endorse the current proposed design, which includes 11-foot motor vehicle travel lanes
and the provision of 6-foot designated bike lanes adjacent to the motor vehicle travel
lanes in each travel direction. I would like to emphasize that it is our position that the
bike lanes should be officially designated as such, as appears to be the current plan.
This designation will provide for more uniform enforcement of traffic laws, consistenl
expectations for all road users, clear objectives for maintenance and striping and, we
hope, a much safer shared-use travel experience for generations to come. I
Thank you, again, for your efforts, and thank you also for this opportunity to submit I•comments on behalf of the Deschutes County Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory
Committee. We look forward to project completion in 2014, and please let us know how
we might be of assistance to you in the interim. f
f
Sincerely, f (];~Jr:jL.e
Cheryl Howard IChairperson
Deschutes County BPAC
IQuality Services Performed with Pride i
Cc: Jennifer Corwin, Environmental Protection Specialist,
Federal Highway Administration
George Kolb, Engineer, Deschutes County Road Department
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George Kolb
From: Steve Jorgensen <Steve@bendparksandrec.org>
Sent: Monday, February 06, 2012 10:29 AM
To: George Kolb
Subject: RE: Skyliners 8' bike lanes
George,
6' is the state and federal standard/guideline for maximum bike lane width. More room is nice in some circumstances
like when freeway shoulders (San Diego) are used for bike travel and heavily used 2-lane highways have high speeds and
a mix of trucking and RV use like U5 1 along the coast. 8' lanes may be good if the highway shoulder treatment also
includes edge rumble strips. They can be mistaken for parking areas.
I don't see this need on SkyIiners. Wider is not always better. The wider pavement to go to 8' lanes will not be traffic
calming and will contribute to even higher vehicle speeds. 6' lanes do provide room for side by side riding, and the
narrower road cross section helps to keep speeds down. The 6' lane is measured from the center of the 8-stripe to the
edge of pavement giving bikes 5'-4-. A standard rider needs about 2' to 3' of space. To make it even better for bikes,
just go with an "advisory lane" giving bikes the priority and some uncertainty for drivers to keep their speeds down. Not
enough room in the single center lane (no centerline) for opposing cars to pass easily side by side so they need to drift
into the bike space after yielding to any cyclists,. which is why it is a dashed line. This works on urban and rural roads
with lower traffic volumes like SkyIiners. That observed ratio of bike to cars on 5ky1iners is pretty telling. Either way,
speed kills.
Minneapolis
Western Federal Lands Highway Division
u.s. Department 610 E. Fifth Street
of Transportation Vancouver, WA 98661
Phone 360-619-7700Federal Highway
Fax 360-619-7846Administration
March 13,2012
In Reply Refer To: HFL-17
Mr. George Kolb
Deschutes County Engineer
Deschutes County Road Department
61150 SE 27th Street
Bend, OR 97702
Re: Skyliners Road Project
OR PRA CRLA 2010(1)
Dear Mr. Kolb:
The Western Federal Lands Highway Division (WFLHD) of the Federal Highway
Administration (FHW A), in partnership with the Deschutes National Forest (FS), and Deschutes
County have conducted extensive Stakeholder involvement activities on the Skyliners Road
Project, which have included:
• October 12, 2010 Public Scoping Meeting for the Pipeline and Skyliners Road;
• February 9,2011 Skyliners Road Landowner Meeting;
• May 5, 2011 Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee Meeting;
• June 14, 2011 Open house for the Skyliners Road Project;
• October 27,2011 Open house the City of Bend Pipeline Project; and
• Periodic project newsletters and a project website.
During these stakeholder activities, FHW A has received comments requesting the FHWA to
consider increasing the proposed bike lanes widths from six to eight feet for reasons ranging
from general statements that this is the "right" thing to do, to more specific reasons referencing
the high bike use of the road. In response to these comments, FHW A has consulted guidance
documents, including the American Association of State Highway Transportation Official
Guidelines, the State of Oregon's 1995 Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan, and Deschutes County
Minimum Bikeway Design Standards regarding the recommended bike lane widths for Skyliners
Road. Considering the design speed, Average Daily Traffic (ADT), functional classification,
bike usage, and other design criteria, these design guidelines recommend a four to six-foot wide
shoulder to accommodate cyclists. Nowhere in these standard guidelines is it indicated that
eight-foot wide shoulders would be safer or more appropriate. In fact, the State of Oregon's
March 14,2012
Skyliners Road Project
Page Two
document remarks that anything larger than six feet creates other safety risks to cyclists by
encouraging parking in the bike lane.
FHW A has concluded that, based on the above referenced documents, there are no engineering
or design reasons supporting the implementation of eight-foot bike lanes. As a result, FHWA
does not recommend nor will it provide funding for the additional costs (right-of-way
acquisition, construction materials, etc.) associated with this option. By this letter, FHWA
respectfully requests Deschutes County support of the proposed typical section which
recommends six-foot bike lanes through public lands and five-foot shoulders through the
subdivision near the western terminus of the project. If you have any questions or need
additional information, please contact me at 360-619-7568.
Sincerely yours,
Michael W. Odom
Project Manager
MWO/mcb