New Bike Lanes in Lubbock! (FFFriday Meets LoB)

[Nope, this one won't be all inauguration-day political. You can get that everywhere you look. This one is about choosing better where you are and how you live.]

I agree, Yehuda! Woo Hoo!!!!!!!

Lubbock is about to get a new bike lane, and this is not just a little white stripe painted on a road or a little green sign suggesting a not-so-obvious route. It's the real deal! WooHoo!!!!!!!

Lubbock gets a real deal bike lane and all car drivers will get a black 1946 Ford!

(Find this video and the KJTV 34 story here)

 

The first leg to be built will be Broadway from University to Martin Luther King. It's a nice stretch from the Fairgrounds through Downtown through (North and South) Overton to Tech. I love that it opens up an East-West bike passage. I love that it will serve a lot of bicyclists.

 

I am disappointed when I look at the other lanes to be developed and find that most (if not all) development will be focused in one part of town:

 

Where do we find the existing and proposed MPO routes?

(Are they on this page from May 2000?)

 

I am hoping that learning more about the "MPO routes" will alleviate the disappointment. I ride a lot. I commute to work and run lots of errands, but I don't think I've ever ridden a bike on Broadway or in the Depot District. I have ridden the Canyon Lakes quite a bit, but it's been a very long time since I have ridden to the Canyon Lakes. As I have written in the past, I sometimes ride the designated Bike Routes in town, but they offer very little real-world advantage to a cyclist. And our unprotected Bike Lanes are not a great deal better. I use the ones on Memphis and Flint Avenues more than any others and I see many other cyclists using those as well. (Utica would be a great street for a bike lane as well.)

 

Where I ride (and encounter several other cyclists daily)

 

Yes, I definitely know it's not all about me, but not all Lubbock cyclists are headed to Texas Tech. If we build real bike lanes throughout our city, we will see an increase in bike traffic and a corresponding alleviation of car traffic. More bike lanes will create a bicycle commuter Field of Dreams.

 

From the KJTV News spot, here is a quote from a local cyclist:

 

It's something I've heard a lot too, especially when I'm out in public talking about the advantages of bike commuting. People tell me they've been lifelong cyclists until they move to Lubbock and quickly realize that our streets don't welcome them. Then their bikes gather dust and they adopt the car.

 

Complete Streets Initiative

 

One thing that was mentioned in the news article above is that Lubbock is participating in the Complete Streets Initiative. In case you are wondering about that, here are a few places where you can learn more:

 

You can find a little info in the Lubbock Chamber's January 2017 Newsletter

 

And a whole lot at Smart Growth America

 

I hope to see you soon pedaling up and down Broadway!

 

May you be safer and healthier, and may your city help with that!

 

Thanks, SanFranCyclists!