Let’s Build a Great Bike Lane for Route 1 in College Park

By Jeff Lemieux and Patrick Wojahn

In the summer of 2013, Maryland Governor O’Malleyannounced funding to “purchase right-of-way for [sic] bicycle, pedestrian and safety improvements” for Route 1 in College Park, by the University of Maryland. One news report at the time indicated that the plan called for a “bicycle and pedestrian trail along U.S. 1 from College Avenue to Md. 193 in College Park.”

For bike riders in College Park, this was very exciting news. Northern Prince George’s county has an excellent bike trail system paralleling Route 1 and Metrorail’s Green Line, but many of the larger roads in our area are hostile to bike riders and pedestrians. For example, Route 1 does not have continuous sidewalks in many stretches between the University of Maryland and the beltway, and there are no protected bike lanes or cycle tracks on any of the larger state-maintained (numbered) roads in the area.

Last week, the Maryland state highway administration (SHA) described a plan for section of Route 1 between College Ave. and Greenbelt Road that would create a narrow five-foot painted bike lane (four feet plus a one foot gutter pan) next to the curb.

 

Rendering of SHA’s proposed typical section for Route 1 between College Ave and Greenbelt Road

Given the bus and delivery truck traffic on Route 1, a narrow bike lane could be hazardous, squeezing cyclists between an 8” concrete curb and large vehicles in dense traffic. In addition, buses that are stopped or idling by the curb would force cyclists into the roadway and mixed traffic – something neither cyclists nor drivers prefer.

We predict that the SHA design will not be popular with either cyclists or drivers. The College Park officials at the SHA presentation asked hard questions about whether protected bike lanes could be built instead.

Picture from SHA newsletter describing the Route 1 proposed cross section.

The ultimate design decision will make an enormous difference in the long run for College Park’s accessibility and business development. Since the entire roadway is being rebuilt, this is once-in-a generation opportunity for Prince George’s county. Will the bike lanes be protected or buffered, as part of an urban street design that is welcoming to pedestrians, bikes, and bus riders? Or will the bike lanes just be a stripe of paint between the curb and a roadway that is designed more like a suburban strip or rural highway?

Fortunately, much better designs have been in use nationwide for decades, and some even utilize a narrower roadbed (meaning less right-of-way acquisition and less of the expensive full-depth road reconstruction). Protected bike lanes, used nationwide and worldwide, provide physical separation between cyclists and vehicle traffic – providing a more comfortable and safer ride. An example of protected bikes lanes through another University town (Cambridge) is shown below.

 

Protected Bikes on Vassar Street, through MIT campus – Cambridge, MA.

If Route 1 were to be rebuilt in this fashion – keeping the same proposed center median – it could look something like this:

 

Route 1 rendering, rebuilt with protected bike lanes behind the curb

Notice how cyclists do not have to compete with faster vehicles that can hit or kill them, nor do they have to compete with slower pedestrians on crowded sidewalks (like they do now). This is a win-win for all road users and dramatically improves everyone’s safe travel.

Alternatively, SHA can also follow the lead of other states by implementing buffered bike lanes that provide striped or curbed buffers, separating bicyclists from vehicle traffic within the road. An example of such a typical section for Route 1 is shown below.

 

Buffered bike lanes within the roadbed

Twenty four states use protected bike lanes. Washington DC uses them extensively, and they have coincided with a boom in population and tax revenues for the city. By using flexposts in conjunction with narrow curbs for protection, DC has developed protected bike lanes on streets with limited road width. For example, the new two-way cycle track on First Street, NE in Washington uses flexposts and a narrow protective barrier (either a narrow curb or a row of parking stops) to create effective protection for cyclists within a narrow roadway.

A narrow curb protects the two-way cycletrack on First Street, NE in Washington DC

Although there is limited space in the right-of-way on Route 1, SHA is working on expanding the right-of-way beyond its existing width, giving College Park a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to create sufficient space to safely accommodate cyclists and pedestrians. Protected bike lanes will encourage bike commuting to the University and surrounding businesses, and will take car traffic off the road. In order to encourage bicycle infrastructure to have an impact and get more cars off the road, people need to feel safe using it. Unprotected bike lanes alone will not accomplish that.

SHA should give greater consideration to protected bike lanes outside the curb, as well as buffered or projected bike lanes inside the roadbed. Alternatively, a two-way cycletrack might be feasible, especially on the west (University) side of Route 1.

It is time for a progressive state like Maryland to have progressive transportation standards that take into account local context and the community’s economic development potential. Instead of rubber-stamping a traditional rural highway design for every state highway, SHA needs to consider and design for the local users. College Park not only has a relatively high-density and a large built-in student population that doesn’t use cars, but also has local businesses that are on small lots with very few parking spaces – i.e. neighborhood-serving businesses. Route 1 is not a regional arterial and should not be treated as one by highway engineers.

College Park and its large cycling community, the State’s flagship University, and Prince George’s County deserve better than just a narrow stripe on the road. Please contact state officials to ask for buffered or protected bike lanes instead of a narrow curbside bike lane. To have your voice heard, please contact:

 

State Highway Administrator

Melinda B. Peters

(410) 545-0400

[email protected]

Project Manager

Deni Deliallisi

Office of Highway Development - Highway Design Division

410.545.8783

[email protected]

District Engineer for SHA, District 3 (Prince Georges and Montgomery)

Brian W. Young, District Engineer

(301) 513-7300

[email protected]

Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator

Dustin M. Kuzan

Office of Planning and Preliminary Engineering

Maryland State Highway Administration

410-545-5656

[email protected]

 

Jeff Lemieux is a member of the Greenbelt Advisory Planning Board and co-chairs the WABA/Prince George’s Advocacy Group.

Patrick Wojahn is a councilmember for District 1, College Park City Council.

Comments

[7]

Question: How do communities with buffered or protected bike lanes plow them in the winter?

[Greenbelt]

In Washington, D.C. Last year the plow drivers asked that flex posts be removed for plowing but they did a great job anyway. They also have small plows that they use for some sidewalks and tight spots. Plus we really don't get that much snow here that doesn't melt quickly anyway.

It's sort of an agreement with bike advocates that will do their best and we won't complain! When polled bike riders overwhelmingly voted for more protected lanes even if they might be blocked sometimes by snow

[Purple Eagle]

Jeff,thanks for the write-up. What about the section of route 1 north of Greenbelt Rd? This trail should be extended at least to the Beltway, better yet, up to Powder Mill Rd. I think the worst stretch of route 1 is between Greenbelt Rd and the Beltway - in places there is no sidewalk at all.

[Greenbelt]

Purple eagle those other sections north of greenbelt road are not funded for design yet. Agree those areas are terrible. Impossible some days to cross on foot and pretty awful even for driving with the suicide turn lane in the middle.

[do the right thing]

Putting the bike lanes at grade with the sidewalk behind the curb removes the onus of snow plowing from the state. That then becomes CP's responsibility, just like clearing sidewalk along Route 1 currently is. So in sum, SHA's maintenance is reduced; the lanes are safer for cyclists; the costs are cheaper; drivers won't have to feel "threatened" by cyclists that are literally in arms reach; and the lanes will actually get used by people on bikes. And MD will be one of the last states to actually do this. At this point, if SHA continues down their current path, it's because they want to waste money and want to injure cyclists.

[Jack]

How do you turn left from the bike lane if it's behind the curb? How long will turning left take?

[Greenbelt]

Jack you either turn with peds in the crosswalk or do a three point turn. Pull off to the right and wait for green in crossing direction

[Left]

Jack,
Re: turning left - a better question is how in the world would you turn left in SHA's design? In theory, you would need to merge across 3 travel lanes - 2 thru lanes and a turn pocket. In practice, good luck with that on route 1! I would much rather cross with the walk signal. Im guessing so would most others.

[T]

It has to be on the west side because the east side is a constant stream of people turning into the various light commercial stuff (gas stations, hotel, McDonalds, Tick Tock, etc etc). Even then, I don't know how many people would earnestly use it. I would think if you could build better connections to the creek trail and perhaps upgrade it some, that it would actually be more popular.

As for a protected lane on Rt 1? Good luck, I don't see them ever caving in on that item. It's a spacing issue with how close some of those new high rises sit to the street and how certain existent commercial properties can't move back because of steep inclines down to the creek.

[Greenbelt]

T -- they're buying right of way to expand the total roadway. Within that (expanded) right of way they can design the road however they want. I don't see how putting a 5 foot lane inside or outside the curb (outside please!), such as in the MIT picture above, would change the right of way requirement at all.

[T]

I'm just trying to think of how they expand the section down by the new high rises and tick tock. It seems narrow to me already.

I do think if they could connect a good bike infrastructure like this across the beltway (I know, it won't happen) that they could really get a lot more students biking from up that way.

[Christine Hoese]

As an avid commuter cyclist, I am here to promote the safety of others, especially students on a very busy hwy like Rt. 1. As your division works up the plans for the N & S bound expansion of Rt. 1, I’d like to request that your division consider adding buffered or protected bike lanes instead of a narrow curbside bike lane or bike shoulder to your proposed Rt. 1 plan. This would give cyclists as well as cars peace of mind knowing they won’t be running into one another.

[Greenbelt]

Thanks Christine! Make sure and send your thoughts to the SHA at the addresses shown above.