Peachtree Road Bike Lanes - The Facts, and Nothing But the Facts -Jim Durrett (Atlanta: closing, costs)

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by arjay57

But that's only about 150 feet hundred feet on Peachtree, isn't it?



So Peachtree in Midtown will have 4 and sometimes 5 lanes of auto traffic but no bike lanes?

Most of Peachtree thru Midtown is 4 lanes. The plan is add sharrows, but along with the slower speed of Peachtree, it makes the street very comfortable to ride on. Also, other N-S roads will be getting bicycle infrastructure as well.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by cqholt

Most of Peachtree thru Midtown is 4 lanes. The plan is add sharrows, but along with the slower speed of Peachtree, it makes the street very comfortable to ride on. Also, other N-S roads will be getting bicycle infrastructure as well.

If GDOT proposed carving one car lane out of Peachtree in Midtown in order to add bike lanes, you'd likely get significant pushback.

In the bigger picture, however, we can't understand this by simply fussing about mean old fogeys on the northside. Many of the same folks who drive development, planning and transportation in Midtown and downtown are dyed in the wool Buckheadians.

There are just different problems. You can't shift Peachtree traffic in Buckhead to another street like you can in Midtown or downtown -- there is no Spring, West Peachtree, Courtland or Juniper. And if you do limit Peachtree, the cut thru commuters will swarm the residential streets even more than they do now.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by arjay57

If GDOT proposed carving one car lane out of Peachtree in Midtown in order to add bike lanes, you'd likely get significant pushback.

In the bigger picture, however, we can't understand this by simply fussing about mean old fogeys on the northside. Many of the same folks who drive development, planning and transportation in Midtown and downtown are dyed in the wool Buckheadians.

There are just different problems. You can't shift Peachtree traffic in Buckhead to another street like you can in Midtown or downtown -- there is no Spring, West Peachtree, Courtland or Juniper. And if you do limit Peachtree, the cut thru commuters will swarm the residential streets even more than they do now.

The Peachtree Road project was not about removing a vehicle lane for a bike lanes, but operational and safety improvements to the corridor in the form of a center turn lane. You got sucked into the media bias and only see it one way.
Also, Peachtree St is not a state maintained road.

[AnsleyPark]

Originally Posted by arjay57

In the bigger picture, however, we can't understand this by simply fussing about mean old fogeys on the northside. Many of the same folks who drive development, planning and transportation in Midtown and downtown are dyed in the wool Buckheadians.

Yup - wouldn't be much to entire city if not for those Buckhead old fogeys, arjay. So, I think it is a bit insincere for folks to complain that Buckhead is holding back Atlanta. In fact, it's plumb crazy.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by cqholt

The Peachtree Road project was not about removing a vehicle lane for a bike lanes, but operational and safety improvements to the corridor in the form of a center turn lane. You got sucked into the media bias and only see it one way.

Whatever the intent, the net result was to go from 6 vehicle lanes to 5, plus two new bicycle lanes.

As I've said before, there were a lot of opinions pro and con. Personally I don't get the hyperventilating on either side.

One idea that was floated made sense to me. Just continue the existing northside Beltline trail over to Dellwood. If you put a new bike/pedestrian bridge across Peachtree creek, you could easily continue over to Peachtree Battle and take the Rivers Road route. That's only one block off Peachtree and it's a beautiful ride.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by AnsleyPark

Yup - wouldn't be much to entire city if not for those Buckhead old fogeys, arjay. So, I think it is a bit insincere for folks to complain that Buckhead is holding back Atlanta. In fact, it's plumb crazy.

The city is a seamless web, Ansley, and a lot of people may not realize how all the parts fit together. I am often surprised myself and I am well into old fogey status.

It honestly doesn't make sense to blast any one area. The boards of CAP and the Midtown Alliance and many similar organizations are loaded up with Buckhead folks. There are even a good many OTP'ers involved.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by arjay57

Whatever the intent, the net result was to go from 6 vehicle lanes to 5, plus two new bicycle lanes.

As I've said before, there were a lot of opinions pro and con. Personally I don't get the hyperventilating on either side.

One idea that was floated made sense to me. Just continue the existing northside Beltline trail over to Dellwood. If you put a new bike/pedestrian bridge across Peachtree creek, you could easily continue over to Peachtree Battle and take the Rivers Road route. That's only one block off Peachtree and it's a beautiful ride.

That net result would have made the road safer for people of all modes of transportation.
OK, once to Rivers Rd then what?

[steveklein]

I'm pretty sure there have been studies done that show that a 6 lane road can't handle as much traffic as a 2/2 + center turn lane. Going to a 5 lane solution decreases the amount of changing lanes and reduces the amount of traffic accidents. Adding the bike lanes would have been the gravy on top, but people are too stupid to understand traffic patterns and just assume that more lanes = more throughput which isn't actually the case.

[Gulch]

Originally Posted by steveklein

I'm pretty sure there have been studies done that show that a 6 lane road can't handle as much traffic as a 2/2 + center turn lane. Going to a 5 lane solution decreases the amount of changing lanes and reduces the amount of traffic accidents. Adding the bike lanes would have been the gravy on top, but people are too stupid to understand traffic patterns and just assume that more lanes = more throughput which isn't actually the case.

Bingo.

[bu2]

Originally Posted by samiwas1

Yet somehow, this works on almost every major street in not only our metro area, but throughout the country, without substantial issues, or usually even minor ones. This is not some new concept they are trying out.

Throughout the country on really busy roads, they have medians to separate the traffic far more than they have continuous left turn lanes. Continuous left turn lanes are simply not as good a solution for traffic flow and safety. The only thing they do better is make access easier for business.