The case for Bikeability in Houston

[kylejack]

LOL. Except for that 1/2 mile stretch (if that much), I dare anyone to bike down Kirby.

I do it all the time, but you're right that its hostile territory.

[samagon]

The thing is I don't know if it's practical to think that there will ever be a network of off-road bikeways sufficient to get you where you want to go. Not just in Houston, but in any city. If there are bike lanes then fine, but lack of them isn't going to keep me off the roads.

I'll go a step farther, how about an entire country?

Head on over to the Netherlands for the extreme example of exactly what you say will not ever be.

For every major road there are separate paths for bicycles, they have their own traffic signals, and roadway signs. The entire bike path is painted a deep red, and clearly marked so as to not confuse any wayward motorists.

For the not-so-major roads there are dividing lines and the same deep red painted pathway. Cars and bikes share the same road, but cars must yield to bicycles in the red bike zone. This shared roadway does not include the gutter, that is even farther over.

For any person who counts themselves an avid cyclist, the Netherlands should be on the short list of countries to visit and rent a bike for a cross country tour (for a country that is so accessible to bikes and is <200 miles from top to bottom, it is very doable for a week long adventure on a bicycle especially if you stick to the major tourist areas like Amsterdam and some of the surrounding areas).

Anyway, it is eye-opening what lengths they have gone to in order to make cycling an extremely viable option, and for a country that has more bikes than people, they have to.

We, and most cities in the US are a long way away from realizing anything as prolific as what they have over there, but who knows what changes may come, or how swiftly it may happen when gas prices inevitably go back up? I can really only dream.

Thank you for a fantastic post and a fantastic thread!! I was riding regularly, but I ran over a pothole one day and didn't recover in time for a car to come and hit my bike (and grazed my hip as well). That happened a month ago, and I've been too scared to touch my bike ever since. The motorist was driving and texting of course, and barely noticed what happened until they looked up and saw that I was writing down their license plate. THEN they pulled a decisive U-turn to come and see if I was okay. Gotta love irresponsible drivers.

Holy wow! Glad you're okay! If you want to get back on the bike for a few miles and aren't doing anything Friday, try to make it down to the critical mass.

I do it all the time, but you're right that its hostile territory.

I've found that anything outside of about a 5 mile radius of downtown Houston is hostile territory. Even some of the roads inside that radius are pretty scary (Westheimer). I'm sure there are other acceptable areas, but the farther you venture from our core, once you get off of neighborhood streets or the trailways, you're taking your life into your hands (or more accurately, you're putting your life in the hands of enraged and distracted drivers).

[sunsets]

Can I just say how pleased I am to see that the new bike-pedestrian coordinator is from Vancouver? I just visited there, and I was so impressed with the bike infrastructure. The SkyTrain cars had a standing area available for cyclists - at least 3 fully loaded commuters could stand and grab a nearby waist-high railing while holding up their bikes. No need for racks.

Dedicated bike/pedestrian paths were divided into rollerblade/bike only lanes and pedestrian only lanes. Really, really nice for both parties. The cyclists don't have to yell "On the left" every 20 seconds, and the peds can walk side by side without worrying about getting plowed over from behind.

Cars were used to cyclists and everyone seemed to share the road pretty well (leaving out the one time I saw a cyclist/car altercation that almost devolved into a fistfight). The big bridges had separate bike/ped sidewalks.

I realize that Canadian taxes are greater, but, boy, when you get infrastructure like that, it's a pretty awesome payoff.

Houston is definitely moving in the right direction, especially with the rails-to-trails - I wish more of the projects were aimed at actual transportation rather than recreation, though. You need a lot of patience and time if you're going to actually travel anywhere useful using the bayou paths and the new trails.

[Hanuman]

I'll go a step farther, how about an entire country?

Head on over to the Netherlands for the extreme example of exactly what you say will not ever be.

For every major road there are separate paths for bicycles, they have their own traffic signals, and roadway signs. The entire bike path is painted a deep red, and clearly marked so as to not confuse any wayward motorists.

For any person who counts themselves an avid cyclist, the Netherlands should be on the short list of countries to visit and rent a bike for a cross country tour

Great example of what I was alluding to. This could be more than a dream, but it takes will, and innovation. I love my life more than my bike. I want to see a Netherlands plan in Houston.

[WAZ]

BikeHouston Annual Meeting - Tues 1/26/10, 6:30p CST

Gina Mitteco, pedestrian-bicyclist coordinator of the Houston-Galveston Area Council, will talk on the future of bicycling in the region Tuesday, January 26, 2010, at the Annual Meeting of BikeHouston, Houston’s organization that advocates making the city safe and accessible for cyclists.

The meeting will begin with a reception at 6:30 p.m. followed by the program at 7 p.m. in the first floor conference room at the Houston Environmental Center, 3015 Richmond. Food and refreshments will be provided by El Meson Restaurant.

Mitteco, who joined H-GAC in 2008, will give an overview of H-GAC’s Pedestrian-Bicycle Program, discuss upcoming initiatives and update BikeHouston on the Regional Bikeway plan.

She has a Master of Arts degree in Community and Regional Planning from the University of British Colombia and worked as a transportation consultant before taking her current post. While living in Vancouver, Matteco enjoyed the benefits of car-free living by relying on the city’s extensive network of bicycle boulevards, pedestrian friendly destinations, and transit for all of her transportation needs.

In addition to Mitteco’s talk, Robin Stallings, Executive Director of Bike Texas / Texas Bicycle Coalition from Austin will provide a legislative update on bicycling initiatives pending before the Texas Legislature this year.

BikeHouston is a local Houston organization promoting bike access, safe bicycling, education, and public awareness of the personal and community benefits of cycling. The meeting is open to all cyclists and anyone interested in learning about cycling in Houston.

I went to the meeting to see Mitteco's talk. Very interesting.

A few good points (that struck me):

- The idea of hike&bike trails as 'highways for bikes' (my words; not hers) is very much something they go for.

- As I suspected, H-GAC sees things from 30,000 feet. They cover a huge, 6 county area; so they don't necessarily have a ground-level view of each and every bikeway and hike/bike trail in the City. (It shows in some of the proposed bikeways).

I think it's incredible that H-GAC has as much invested in bikeability.

[august948]

Sidewalks help walkability but not bikeability. Bike lanes and improved shoulders help bikeability but not so much walkability.

I disagree. Especially outside the loop on roads like Westheimer or Richmond, sidewalks are the way to go for biking (regardless of that silly 300ft ordinance). The city should repeal that ordinance and work on improving the sidewalks all over the city so cyclists and walkers have a good alternative to walking/biking in the street.

[august948]

I've found that anything outside of about a 5 mile radius of downtown Houston is hostile territory. Even some of the roads inside that radius are pretty scary (Westheimer). I'm sure there are other acceptable areas, but the farther you venture from our core, once you get off of neighborhood streets or the trailways, you're taking your life into your hands (or more accurately, you're putting your life in the hands of enraged and distracted drivers).

That's funny as I've found west Houston from Bellaire north to I10 and Cinco Ranch to at least Gessner to be pretty easy to bike. The areas north, south, east and west of that area are probably fairly bikable too but I haven't ventured out that far, yet.

[Hanuman]

The city should repeal that ordinance and work on improving the sidewalks all over the city so cyclists and walkers have a good alternative to walking/biking in the street.

Second the motion! As I said, I love my life, more than my bike...

[Gooch]

I disagree. Especially outside the loop on roads like Westheimer or Richmond, sidewalks are the way to go for biking (regardless of that silly 300ft ordinance). The city should repeal that ordinance and work on improving the sidewalks all over the city so cyclists and walkers have a good alternative to walking/biking in the street.

I sortof disagree. No cyclists should be on Westheimer. Better alternates exist. However... Two factors to consider. First, motorists aren't looking for cyclists on sidewalks when turning right. Right hooks are one of the most dangerous threats between cars and motorists. They are (understandably!) looking left for crossing traffic. This makes it necessary to stop at every single intersection to look for turning motorists. Second... depends on your average speed. When I'm out training, I'm averaging between 20-25+mph. Far too fast to mix it up with pedestrians walking along the side walk. Those closing speeds are far too high to be safe for ped or cyclist, especially when adjacent to roads where the automotive traffic is (supposedly) limited to 35mph. I can't even begin to tell you of the close calls, dirty looks, and curses thrown my way in Memorial Villages, where bikes are forced upon the sidewalks. Sidewalks in the long run can provide a false sense of security.

[Subdude]

I disagree. Especially outside the loop on roads like Westheimer or Richmond, sidewalks are the way to go for biking (regardless of that silly 300ft ordinance). The city should repeal that ordinance and work on improving the sidewalks all over the city so cyclists and walkers have a good alternative to walking/biking in the street.

Riding on sidewalks isn't safe for pedestrians and I don't think gives huge advantages to bikers. I'm not aware of anywhere where that is legal, for good reason.

[august948]

I sortof disagree. No cyclists should be on Westheimer. Better alternates exist. However... Two factors to consider. First, motorists aren't looking for cyclists on sidewalks when turning right. Right hooks are one of the most dangerous threats between cars and motorists. They are (understandably!) looking left for crossing traffic. This makes it necessary to stop at every single intersection to look for turning motorists. Second... depends on your average speed. When I'm out training, I'm averaging between 20-25+mph. Far too fast to mix it up with pedestrians walking along the side walk. Those closing speeds are far too high to be safe for ped or cyclist, especially when adjacent to roads where the automotive traffic is (supposedly) limited to 35mph. I can't even begin to tell you of the close calls, dirty looks, and curses thrown my way in Memorial Villages, where bikes are forced upon the sidewalks. Sidewalks in the long run can provide a false sense of security.

I agree with you in part. When riding the sidewalks it is far better to be going the same way as the traffic on your side of the road. That way motorists are naturally looking in your direction as they scan for oncoming cars. That said, you are right...there is no way you are going to be able to go full speed down the sidewalks. You will frequently have to stop and/or go behind cars that are getting ready to turn onto the street. If you want to do those speeds you might as well be in the road, which I will do secondary arteries like Richmond, but won't do on Westheimer. I'll take the slower and safer approach there as a trade-off so I can go where I want. There a lot of destinations are on streets like Westheimer and I'm not willing to exclude those destinations from my trips. Some of this might be a difference in purpose as I see you mention you are training where I am exclusively riding for pleasure and to run errands.

[samagon]

somewhat related article regarding the same subject for long beach ca

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-outthere26-2010jan26,0,3205517.story

[sunsets]

Agree entirely about staying off the sidewalks, unless in cases of extreme duress (e.g. Westheimer).

In regards to biking to specific destinations, the nice thing about living in the internet age is Google Maps. If I want to bike to a specific business, I can usually map out a reasonable route that will get me almost all the way there on side streets. I might have to creep through a parking lot or on a sidewalk at the very end, but that's not so bad. Again, this is inner-loop biking, your outside-610-mileage may vary.

[kylejack]

www.bikely.com is great for building a route.

[totheskies]

Holy wow! Glad you're okay! If you want to get back on the bike for a few miles and aren't doing anything Friday, try to make it down to the critical mass.

I've found that anything outside of about a 5 mile radius of downtown Houston is hostile territory. Even some of the roads inside that radius are pretty scary (Westheimer). I'm sure there are other acceptable areas, but the farther you venture from our core, once you get off of neighborhood streets or the trailways, you're taking your life into your hands (or more accurately, you're putting your life in the hands of enraged and distracted drivers).

Yeah, I was more upset with the driver and how childish they behaved than actually "hurt". but it's kind of opened my eyes to how poorly maintained the infrastructure is for the East End. Montrose and the Heights aren't "great" either (still lots of potholes, cracks in the road, and ill-maintained gutters), but leaps and bounds ahead of Eastwood and the UofH area. We've got to get it together on our road maintenance.

[kdog08]

I'm about to move to the Montrose area and work in the Greenway area and was looking at alternative means of transportation (bus and bike). Can anyone suggest a good place to go to buy a bike and accessories and is very knowledgeable. When i lived in San Marcos I would go "mountain" biking around the area but I was never an expect on the details and don't have that bike anymore. I would assume a different type of bike would be necessary for commuting.

[kylejack]

I got a bike at Performance and it was a good experience. I also like Bike Barn. Every time I go to Bike Barn on Kirby to buy something minor, like valve cap or a tire lever, the guys just give it to me for free. Their techs are also really knowledgeable and know how to fix just about everything (but only at the Kirby location...I've had mixed experiences at the other locations). They also have a 24 hour area open to the public at the Kirby location that's basically just a little room with a vending machine where you can buy tubes, patch kits, and other little stuff like that.

You'll want a road bike (thin tires, should be kept almost entirely on paved road) or a hybrid (slightly bigger tires, but still smaller than mountain bike, and doesn't have much knobbiness like mountain bikes, can handle a little bit more off-roading than a road bike). Road bikes are the fastest, but you're less likely to have a blowout from a hazard on a hybrid.

You can load your bike on to just about any Metro bus now. The lever on the front of the bus folds down, you place your bike on the rack, and then you bring an arm down on top to grip the top of your wheel. There are two spaces per bus for bikes. On the big commuter buses that go to the park and rides its slightly different. There's a luggage compartment just to the left of the bus entrance with a bike symbol on it. You pull on the latch and lift up the door and then slide your bike inside.

The train: You can only take your bike on the train during non-commute hours, 9 AM to 3 PM and after 7 PM on weekdays, and anytime on weekends. Best way to stay out of everyone's way is to lift up the seat in the handicapped seating area and stand there with your bike.

You can plan Metro trips on Google Maps. Just choose Directions, type your route, time, and then choose Public Transit. It'll tell you what bus to get on when.

[RedScare]

Another vote for Bike Barn. Great people, great selection. Performance has more of the chain store feel to it, but the people are still pretty good, as are prices.

[Fringe]

Cyclone Cycles on Bellaire Blvd is also a great family owned shop. 

[kylejack]

Another vote for Bike Barn. Great people, great selection. Performance has more of the chain store feel to it, but the people are still pretty good, as are prices.

Agreed, but my problem with Bike Barn was the limited brand selection. As far as keeping your bike running well though, Bike Barn can't be beat.

[sunsets]

West End Bikes in Rice Military and Blue Line Bike Lab on White Oak in the Heights are also great shops. West End has a nice big inventory, and helpful staff. Blue Line has great mechanics, and they're willing to work with you to order anything you might want.

Regardless of what sort of bike you wind up with, I'd recommend spending a little extra on some nice flat-resistant tires. They won't stop everything, but you won't have to swerve into traffic to avoid every bit of broken glass in the bike lanes, either.

[totheskies]

I got a bike at Performance and it was a good experience. I also like Bike Barn. Every time I go to Bike Barn on Kirby to buy something minor, like valve cap or a tire lever, the guys just give it to me for free. Their techs are also really knowledgeable and know how to fix just about everything (but only at the Kirby location...I've had mixed experiences at the other locations). They also have a 24 hour area open to the public at the Kirby location that's basically just a little room with a vending machine where you can buy tubes, patch kits, and other little stuff like that.

You'll want a road bike (thin tires, should be kept almost entirely on paved road) or a hybrid (slightly bigger tires, but still smaller than mountain bike, and doesn't have much knobbiness like mountain bikes, can handle a little bit more off-roading than a road bike). Road bikes are the fastest, but you're less likely to have a blowout from a hazard on a hybrid.

You can load your bike on to just about any Metro bus now. The lever on the front of the bus folds down, you place your bike on the rack, and then you bring an arm down on top to grip the top of your wheel. There are two spaces per bus for bikes. On the big commuter buses that go to the park and rides its slightly different. There's a luggage compartment just to the left of the bus entrance with a bike symbol on it. You pull on the latch and lift up the door and then slide your bike inside.

The train: You can only take your bike on the train during non-commute hours, 9 AM to 3 PM and after 7 PM on weekdays, and anytime on weekends. Best way to stay out of everyone's way is to lift up the seat in the handicapped seating area and stand there with your bike.

You can plan Metro trips on Google Maps. Just choose Directions, type your route, time, and then choose Public Transit. It'll tell you what bus to get on when.

I had a weekday off one time, and decided to take my bike up to Kingwood... The bus driver will let you store your bike in the luggage compartment, and since none of the workers ever have luggage to store. It's really beautiful up there, and I need to do it again.

[kylejack]

Yes I covered that later in the paragraph.

[Subdude]

I like Bike Barn as well. Another one for great personal service is Daniel Boone cycles on Crawford. Less so is Urban Bicycles on Durham. Cycle Spectrum on Shepherd doesn't have a great selection but I think are probably overall inexpensive. West End bikes has a good selection and really friendly staff.

I would avoid a road bike for city street riding. Houston streets are just in too bad a condition and you'll find yourself fixing flats all the time. Right now I have a hybrid, and while it's not speedy it is resilient enough for fairly heavy usage.

[samagon]

Daniel Boone Cycles is by far my favorite place to go for anything bike related.

That place reminds me of a toy store I went in as a kid that was over in the rice village. 3 old ladies ran the place, and the toys were stacked so deep you could never find what you were looking for, but if you asked one of the old ladies, they would walk right to the toy in question. They always had what you wanted.

Boone Cycles has anything you could need for a bike, if it isn't on the floor, they have it upstairs and they know exactly where it is at. All of the people working there are knowledgeable and even if you don't know what you're looking for they can find it! Especially if you are replacing components, or building a bike from a frame, they have any missing part, or bolt you may need.

Cyclone Cycles is another great place I've been to and they're friendly.

For those of you who live down in the clear lake area, there is a place called Hurricane Bicycles not a huge selection of bikes, but good parts and the owner is a really great guy he did a lot of free service on my bike when I worked out there that had nothing to do with the parts I bought, unfortunately my office moved, so it's so far away, but I strongly recommend his shop to anyone who is in the area!

As far as road bikes on the streets, you have to be attentive, agile and be ready to be light in the seat to navigate most streets. Also being familiar with the road you're cycling helps a lot so you know when the potholes, cracks or missing manhole covers are imminent.

Some road bikes can fit some pretty fat tires inside the frames these days.

It really all depends on what you want to accomplish though.

[sunsets]

Cyclocross bike! Built like a road bike, but with more clearance for wide tires (even fenders!) and cantilever brakes. A low-end 'cross bike can make a great, speedy commuter that can take some abuse. Stay away from the fancy carbon-framed ones, though, you don't need that much technology to commute upon.

Also, Jamis makes some nice reasonably priced relaxed-geometry road bikes that would make excellent commuters (Blue Line carries Jamis bikes, not sure who else in town does).

[Subdude]

West End Bikes in Rice Military and Blue Line Bike Lab on White Oak in the Heights are also great shops. West End has a nice big inventory, and helpful staff. Blue Line has great mechanics, and they're willing to work with you to order anything you might want.

A sure sign of a "real" bike store is an on-premises dog.

Interesting article about what is wrong with bike lanes. In short, they are frequently poorly engineered and can lend a false sense of safety.

Bicycle Blunders and Smarter Solutions

It also makes the point that bike parking - a critical component of bikeability in my book - is often inadequate or missing altogether. My bike parking pet peeve is the older racks that are too low to allow you to lock the frame of the bike to them.

[Gooch]

Bicycle Blunders and Smarter Solutions

There is some excellent info on that link. Thank you for posting it.

[kylejack]

The trouble with most bike racks is that they assume you're locking the wheel to the rack. That's no longer an acceptable solution. If I can't lock my frame to the end of the rack there is not too much point in locking it up.

[Subdude]

The trouble with most bike racks is that they assume you're locking the wheel to the rack. That's no longer an acceptable solution. If I can't lock my frame to the end of the rack there is not too much point in locking it up.

Along with racks that are too low to lock the frame, my other pet peeve is racks that are backed up too close to a wall to let you get the bike fully in. That and places that have no racks at all.