11th Street Bike Lanes

[hbg.50]

2 minutes ago, __nevii said:

There's good amounts of usage, but you can't exactly see that human-scale detail when you are whizzing by in your car:
Nobody Bikes (@nobody.bikes) • Instagram photos and videos

Those pics don’t really bolster your case.  Most of them were recreational cyclists.  I bike too by the way, but it’s purely for recreation.  I appreciate the trails like MKT and White Oak Bayou.  I wish more people would bike.  Anyway I’m not the enemy.  All I’m saying is demand needs to be much greater if cyclists want to impose demands on the city.  It’s not “if you build it they will come” because that has definitely not happened.

[004n063]

2 hours ago, steve1363 said:

Honestly, the mayor is not wrong.   Even though @004n063 might ride his bike to work.  I'll guess he's the only one at his school. Most of you cyclists likely use the bike lanes for recreation.  There might be a few exceptions on this website.   Let's face it, the bike lanes are empty 90% of the time.  If there were more bike traffic the mayor would not be able to uphold his stance so easily. That's "real-talk" and I know unpopular on this forum.

This may be true of 11th. Not remotely true of Austin or Lamar. You're unlikely to go more than two blocks without passing another bike, and based on clothing, it looks to be about 50-50 recreational vs. transport.

And while I am the only teacher at my school who uses a bike for commuting, there are several who take the bus, and plenty if students who bike, use a scooter, or walk.

If the argument is bike infrastructure versus pedestrian infrastructure (it shouldn't be, for obvious reasons), then of course I choose pedestrian. But I think it would be totally irresponsible to prioritize pedestrian infrastructure to the point of neglecting bicycle infrastructure, for the following reasons:

While a lot of pedestrian infrasfructure in the city is indefensibly bad, what really kills the walkability is the massive distances that exponential parking allotment creates. I live in "walkable" Midtown, and the two nearest businesses to me (Retrospect and Rado) are both about a 10-minute walk. The rest of Midtown - including the red line - is at least a 15min walk, and Montrose, Downtown, Museum, and EaDo are all far enough to require exercise clothes.

That's pretty standard for most of the inner loop, with a handful of pockets making up the exceptions. We are decades of radically different development patterns away from anything resembling a true convenience-level walkability.

Bikes are a totally different ballgame, however. Biking within Midtown, even as bike-unfriendly as it can be, is not noticeably less convenient than driving was. Biking to Montrose is comparable, depending on how far into Montrose I'm going. EaDo is a slightly longer trip by bike, but then I don't have to worry about parking. Biking within both Montrose and EaDo feels considerably more convenient and less stressful than driving ever did, and obviously it's much more convenient (and much less sweaty) than walking.

All of that is to say, I think the city of Houston could lean into bikeability in a much more effective way (in terms of modeshare shift) than it could walkability. 

The key is to approach the issue at the level of the intra-neighborhood trip. We're not trying to ger the Med Center or Uptown worker living on 24th Street in the Heights to abandon his car and bike to work every day all year. We're trying to make the bike a better way of getting to school, to the dentist, to the bar, to brunch, and, eventually, as cargo bikes and/or smaller-load grocery trips become more popular, to the grocery store.

And then, if there's a fast, frequent bus or rail line that used to be a 25min walk away, now you're thinking about making the 7min bike ride to the stop and taking that line in instead of paying for parking and sittinf in traffic every day.

Are protected lanes on 11th St. specifically integral to that system? No, I don't really think so. But that's because 11th was one of only a couple of bad east-west stroads in the Heights, so there have always been alternatives. But they do seem to have curbed bad driving and even made driving a little less appealing of an option. 

I mean, let's say it's yesterday and you and a few friends are meeting up at Loro for an early dinner. You managed to get off work a little early, so you had a chance to go home - say, on Beverly between 9th and 10th. Three years ago, you would have driven without thinking about it - just pop up to 11th and zoom on down. But now...

 

Edited April 7 by 004n063

[samagon]

On 4/6/2024 at 7:36 PM, steve1363 said:

Honestly, the mayor is not wrong.   Even though @004n063 might ride his bike to work.  I'll guess he's the only one at his school. Most of you cyclists likely use the bike lanes for recreation.  There might be a few exceptions on this website.   Let's face it, the bike lanes are empty 90% of the time.  If there were more bike traffic the mayor would not be able to uphold his stance so easily. That's "real-talk" and I know unpopular on this forum.

anecdotal evidence doesn't count for much when people are doing traffic studies. 

however, your anecdotal evidence (and the similar anecdotal mental notes that other people take) is what drives your opinion, no matter how misguided it might be.

all the while, if someone is choosing to commute via their bicycle and there isn't a protected space for them? you have to move over a lane to pass them, or are 'stuck' behind them for 15 seconds, you are probably the first to wish they were somewhere else than inconveniencing you.

and you can't have it both ways, you can't wish cyclists to not commute on the same roads you travel, if you aren't willing to see some of 'your' roads be more appropriately sized for the amount of vehicular traffic they carry, and then safely separated for use of people who choose to commute in a different manner.

at the end of the day, you have an opinion, and that's great, I respect that, even if I don't agree with it. the problem is that when you want a street like 11th to be returned to 2 lanes in each direction, the vehicle traffic it carries does not warrant that amount of space for cars, and that's empirical evidence. it was a smart and careful decision to right size the vehicular lanes, and to use the opportunity to add more space for safe commuting by other forms of vehicles.

empirical evidence may not be public opinion, where anecdotal is, but it is measured and scientific.

Edited April 8 by samagon

[hbg.50]

2 hours ago, samagon said:

at the end of the day, you have an opinion, and that's great, I respect that, even if I don't agree with it. the problem is that when you want a street like 11th to be returned to 2 lanes in each direction

I’m simply providing a different perspective.  I never said I wanted 11th street returned to 4 lanes.  My opinion is that 11th Street looks like a perpetual construction zone.  It’s cluttered with all those barriers.  I’d like to see it cleaned up.  The main issues that should be addressed (in my opinion) are the lack of left turns onto many streets, those oversized concrete barriers, and installing a light at Nicholson.

[s3mh]

1 hour ago, steve1363 said:

I’m simply providing a different perspective.  I never said I wanted 11th street returned to 4 lanes.  My opinion is that 11th Street looks like a perpetual construction zone.  It’s cluttered with all those barriers.  I’d like to see it cleaned up.  The main issues that should be addressed (in my opinion) are the lack of left turns onto many streets, those oversized concrete barriers, and installing a light at Nicholson.

The only streets where left turns have been restricted are Heights, Allston, Dorothy and Nicholson.  Restricting a left turn on Heights was overdue as people waiting to make a left turn would often block traffic and cars would end up blocking Heights because there is so little room in the middle of Heights Blvd.  As for the other streets, they are all close to Shep or Yale.  It is not like you have to drive an extra mile to get to those streets.  You either turn early and drive down a block and back or turn from Yale or Shep on to 10th or 12th.  

 

[Ross]

1 hour ago, steve1363 said:

I’m simply providing a different perspective.  I never said I wanted 11th street returned to 4 lanes.  My opinion is that 11th Street looks like a perpetual construction zone.  It’s cluttered with all those barriers.  I’d like to see it cleaned up.  The main issues that should be addressed (in my opinion) are the lack of left turns onto many streets, those oversized concrete barriers, and installing a light at Nicholson.

The barriers are great. It's always fun to watch some idiot not paying attention hitting one of those barriers and destroying a tire and wheel, and hopefully a lower control arm. I saw that just East of Shepherd where a Honda Accord driver tried to speed up and get into the left lane rather than waiting their turn. Bam! they paid the price.

[j_cuevas713]

LFG!!! My boy @Emmanuel representing 11th St. and making the haters real mad 

Edited April 9 by j_cuevas713

[j.33]

@j_cuevas713 do you mind sharing what this is about? It seems positive!!

[j_cuevas713]

2 minutes ago, j.33 said:

@j_cuevas713 do you mind sharing what this is about? It seems positive!!

He got the I Love 11th St festival proclaimed by the city. This is huge! 

[hbg.50]

17 hours ago, j_cuevas713 said:

LFG!!! My boy @Emmanuel representing 11th St. and making the haters real mad 

And arm in arm with that idiot mayor!!

[j_cuevas713]

1 hour ago, steve1363 said:

And arm in arm with that idiot mayor!!

The mayor got in that picture, not the other way around

[Triton]

Perhaps this is the first positive news we've heard about the bike lanes then... 

[samagon]

https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/john-whitmire-mayor-houston/

[Amlaham]

1 hour ago, samagon said:

https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/john-whitmire-mayor-houston/

"the 74 year old politician" lmao 

[skwatra]

2 hours ago, samagon said:

https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/john-whitmire-mayor-houston/

quote of the article has to be "Whitemire, with a mischievous grin and a personality crustier than a day-old baguette"

[staresatmaps]

On 4/6/2024 at 5:33 PM, __nevii said:

The tweet below pretty much gives a good summary. Houston's LRT + expansions (either additional rail or BRT), while not the most extensive, is doing good in hitting key employment/dense areas (Red Line, future University Line), along with reaching more underserved populations that don't have access to personal vehicles (Green, Purple, and northernmost Red Line). 

Hence, in spite of rhetoric that was oft-said in the past (and currently channeled by personalities like Bill King), this is not "a train to nowhere." If the "University Line" had been built successfully, the perceptions would be total night-day from how the transit system is talked about now: Culberson and ilk were a huge thorn, but they merely delayed the inevitable.

A true grade-separated rapid transit will be a useful future addition. Most likely EL-form, in case subways draw too much concerns with flooding.

As far as rail across the metro, it would have to be some sort of "regional rail" if there is going to be consistent (all day) service: extend from Conroe down to Galveston area. In contrast, I am not the biggest fan of commuter rail, since that form is too tied with the "9-5" lifestyle in mind.

 

Car "access" like it's some form of disability to not own a car.

[__nevii]

17 hours ago, staresatmaps said:

Car "access" like it's some form of disability to not own a car.

It shouldn't be. But this mayor sure seems to want it to be the case, given his recent actions.

[mattyt36]

Surprising someone still is encouraging this person to keep trying at a political career by getting her appointed to the METRO board as privileged whiner-in-chief. Boy did we dodge a bullet (wish we could say the same about Whitmire). I mean, seriously, even if she believes this (which is questionable at best) does she think it is a winning argument for most Heights residents? The fact she still loves her ridiculous campaign photo provides further proof of her absolute cluelessness. I believe the word is “shrill.” 

 

[TacoDog]

Reducing lanes from 2 to 1 makes turning easier and safer because it's fewer lanes to cross. 

[j_cuevas713]

13 hours ago, mattyt36 said:

Surprising someone still is encouraging this person to keep trying at a political career by getting her appointed to the METRO board as privileged whiner-in-chief. Boy did we dodge a bullet (wish we could say the same about Whitmire). I mean, seriously, even if she believes this (which is questionable at best) does she think it is a winning argument for most Heights residents? The fact she still loves her ridiculous campaign photo provides further proof of her absolute cluelessness. I believe the word is “shrill.” 

 

She took a beating on X. And then doubled down when Rodney Ellis shared her nonsense. And then took another beating on X 😆

Edited April 22 by j_cuevas713

[JLWM8609]

4 hours ago, j_cuevas713 said:

She took a beating on X. And then doubled down when Rodney Ellis shared her nonsense. And then took another beating on X 😆

I read mostly guttural braying from the anti-Ellis crowd on X.

Edited April 22 by JLWM8609