BIKE LANES MISREPRESENTED
The creation of additional Bike paths is currently a mandate of the City and appears to be the driving force behind this ill-conceived proposal to reduce Central Avenues' current lane structure.
The City's plan removes two lanes of traffic on Central Avenue to add bike lanes even though there is an already existing city-designed bikeway 500 feet (1/2 mile) away to the west on 3rd Avenue.
The Central Avenue proposal falsely states that they are adding bike lanes as part of the project. It is actually a multi-use lane. Project Manager, Marielle Brown, explained at the May 20, 2021 hearing that they are also for buses to use when stopped to pick up passengers and for motorists turning right.
PETITION AND SURVEY DEADLINE: JUNE 10, 2021
Click the email link to add your name to the petition: volunteer@savenorthcentral.comClick here to open the City's proposal and click on the link "Take the Survey"
Pictured on the left is a sign indicating the Sonoran Bikeway. The Arizona Biking Club published a pamphlet in the past entitled "Best Cycling Secrets" when they established the bikeway some 30 years ago. The bikeway goes from South Mountain to Lowe's on Carefree Hwy (36.3 miles) http://www.azbikeped.org/downloads/SonoranBike.pdf as opposed to the new bike path which will run only from Bethany Home Road past Northern Avenue to the Canal.
Familiar sight on Central Avenue every Wednesday when trash and recycling bins line both sides of the street, awaiting the noisy and messy arrival of the 2 enormous garbage and recycling trucks that slowly make their way up and down Central Avenue - in the bike lanes, no less!
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Cited below are comments and concerns expressed by North Central residents (including a civil engineer and a statistical engineer) :
"A study of bicycle traffic on Central with emphasis on the categories of cyclists noted and where/how they ride. The city's proposal revolves almost entirely around bicycles but has made absolutely no case that it's actually needed for bicycles. If, for example, it's found that only a couple dozen serious or commuter cyclists would use a dedicated bike lane, it would seem like a poor allocation of resources to trade travel lane availability for 5,000 cars for 25 bicycles. Personally, I would love to have a dedicated bike lane because I do commute by bike, but not at the expense of 10,000+ drivers! This is just a bad use of resources."
"The City of Phoenix study ignored the effect of traffic on the side streets. They did not analyze the impact on a single side street!
Central Avenue is the only one of the three main north-south streets in the central corridor from which left turns are permitted during peak traffic hours, thus allowing access to I-17 and SR-51, among other streets. For this reason, some drivers MUST use Central Avenue, as the 7th Street and 7th Avenue are not viable options. Cutting the travel lanes on Central Avenue in half is not a good idea. How will school children on bikes on one side of Central Avenue safely access the opposite side if they need to travel in the opposite direction? Will they have to travel up or down the road to the nearest traffic signal to cross the street and pick up the bike path in the desired direction? Neighbor schools Madison Meadows and All Saints’ Episcopal Day School will be adversely affected and All Saints has kids starting in Pre-Kindergarten. Children riding bikes were completely omitted from the City of Phoenix study presentation, as evidenced in the graphic to the left from the City's presentation on May 20, 2021. It is clear--they appear less concerned about children riding bikes."
Central Avenue is the only one of the three main north-south streets in the central corridor from which left turns are permitted during peak traffic hours, thus allowing access to I-17 and SR-51, among other streets. For this reason, some drivers MUST use Central Avenue, as the 7th Street and 7th Avenue are not viable options. Cutting the travel lanes on Central Avenue in half is not a good idea. How will school children on bikes on one side of Central Avenue safely access the opposite side if they need to travel in the opposite direction? Will they have to travel up or down the road to the nearest traffic signal to cross the street and pick up the bike path in the desired direction? Neighbor schools Madison Meadows and All Saints’ Episcopal Day School will be adversely affected and All Saints has kids starting in Pre-Kindergarten. Children riding bikes were completely omitted from the City of Phoenix study presentation, as evidenced in the graphic to the left from the City's presentation on May 20, 2021. It is clear--they appear less concerned about children riding bikes."
"Extending the Central Ave striped bike lanes north of Bethany makes no sense because the Third Avenue Sonoran Bike Path is already more bike-able, safer, quieter, more beautiful and fume-less. The City’s proposal unnecessarily and recklessly jeopardizes that. Any improvements intended to make the central corridor more live-able, bike-friendly and pedestrian-friendly should focus on a few inexpensive fixes to the Sonoran/3rd Avenue path we all love and use."