Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) recently announced a new website with more info about the New Nice Bridge design and is accepting comments until February 20.
MDTA will put the design-build project out to bid in 2018, with work to begin in 2020 and end in 2023. The new bridge will be built upstream of the old bridge and opened before the old bridge is closed.
About it the planning so far they state
The planning concept included the option for a barrier-separated shared-use path that the MDTA estimates will cost $60 million. Following the success of a shared bike lane on the US 40 Thomas J. Hatem Memorial Bridge in our Northern Region, which incidentally also has a similar design width to the new Nice Bridge - the MDTA is evaluating the viability of a shared bike lane on the new Nice Bridge. We will using a "bid alternative" approad, requiring proposers to submit prices for two options in their proposals, one including a barrier-separated shared-use path and the other including a shared bike lane. The MDTA Board will select the option on a cost/benefit bais to ensure a best-value design is delivered to our toll-paying customers.
Whichever option is chosen, bicyclists will be able to ride their bikes over the bridge.
I think saying that Option 2 has a "shared bike lane" is requiring the word "shared" to do a lot of work there. This is an all-traffic lane, it's shared in that bikes won't be prohibited (at least not at all times) as they are now. But the speed limit will be 50 or 55 mph and the bridge is planned to have a 4% grade. And it would mean no pedestrian access.
The Hatem Bridge may have shown that cyclists and drivers can share space on facilities like this, but the lesson is not "and thus bike facilities are unnecessary". The Hatem still leaves pedestrians and a lot of cyclists out because there are undoubtedly many cyclists who feel uncomfortable on Hatem. Furtheremore, bicyclist use of the Hatem is restricted to weekends or holidays.
It's one thing to make the best of what you have by opening a bridge to cyclists, even if you know it will only be used by the most confident among them, but it is totally different to leave biking and walking out of a new facility.
It's too bad they can't just keep the old bridge and transform it into a ped/bike facility. Such a bridge would endure much less stress than it does now. I wonder if it can be shored up from less than $60 million
Go to http://www.newnicebridge.com and give your comments before February 20.
I love the idea of transforming the old bridge. It would be much more enjoyable, and could be used for recreation like fishing.
An 8 ft trail is going to feel pretty narrow, especially on this long of a bridge. It will be better than nothing, but imagine the draw of the retrofit old bridge. There are parks, campgrounds, and even a rail trail nearby. It could become quite a destination.
Posted by: bikester | January 29, 2018 at 08:14 AM
This plus the news the other week about combined walk/bike mode share across the district is definitely showing that whatever motivated people to lump bike/walk statistics together it needs to stop.
Posted by: drumz | January 29, 2018 at 10:08 AM