Bike-To-Brown

Henderson Detours

RIDOT put out an official press release yesterday detailing their proposed detour.  The release included a map of the detour and a brief description of how cyclists were being detoured.  Personally, we think their choice to route cyclists down the sidewalk, along S. Angell St., between Butler and Patterson is unfortunate.  So, Bike-to-Brown is posting our own recommended detour.  We offer two different outbound routes, both of which avoid sidewalk usage as much as possible.  The route down Lloyd is slightly longer, but takes you along quieter streets than Waterman.

Bike Path Detour

I finally got around to mapping out a route to follow while the bike path is under construction.  It may look a little circuitous, but the roads are pretty nice and there are a minimal number of stop signs.

One other bike path related note, the police shut down Crescent View Ave to through traffic this morning.  It looked like they were starting to dig up the road to place the pipe.  The police couldn’t tell me how long this will be blocked off for and I have no clue what condition the road will be in for the trip home tonight.  Just one more challenge for bicycle commuters.

Henderson Bridge Update – More Bad News

RIDOT recently sent us an update on the project to stripe a bike lane on the Henderson Bridge. Unfortunately, not only is that project delayed, but RIDOT plans other construction projects on the bridge that could well make our lives really interesting. Here is the email we received:

Back on September 21^st I responded by e-mail to you regarding your questions about the installation of dedicated bike lanes on the Henderson Bridge (see below for original e-mails). At that time I noted that the bike lanes and signs on Henderson Bridge were scheduled to be installed no later than November 30, 2007.

I now regret to inform you that the bike lanes may not be installed until December 2008 at the earliest and December 2009 at the latest. The Department has recently decided to prioritize other repair work at this bridge (under a contract entitled “Interim Repairs to Henderson Bridge No. 600”), and beginning early next year significant work is scheduled to begin. The work will require long areas of the bridge and approaches to be closed off to traffic with temporary concrete barrier. The limited width of “open” space on the bridge and approaches that will remain during the work will not be sufficient to provide both a travel lane for motorists and a separate lane for bicyclists. Motorists will therefore be forced to share the open travel lane with bicyclists during the contract work. My colleagues in our Bridge Engineering Unit have indicated that it likely will not be reasonable to install the bike lanes on the bridge until all of the other contract work is completed (i.e., on the dates noted above).

As an interim measure until the bike lanes can be installed, temporary “SHARE THE ROAD [w/ Bicyclists]” signs will be installed to warn motorists that bicyclists may be present on the bridge during the work (and to remind them that bicyclists have just as much of a right to travel across the bridge in the open travel lane as the motorists do!). Additionally, our Maintenance Division has been instructed to complete cleaning and sweeping activities on the bridge and its approaches, ramps, and sidewalks to help ensure that a suitable path exists for all pedestrians and bicyclists desiring to cross the bridge.

It’s certainly becoming clear that bicycles were an afterthought when they planned the entire Washington Bridge maintenance. To have repairs done to this bridge simultaneously with the Henderson Bridge is a huge blow to the cycling community.

Washington Bridge Pedestrian Walk Closure

As anyone who commutes via the East Bay Bikepath can tell you, the Washington Bridge Pedestrian Bridge is closed. A few Bike-To-Brown members went out for a ride to scout out alternatives, resulting in the creation of a Google Map of our suggested detours. The latest from our contact at RIDOT is:

Currently RIDOT is continuing with construction of the right travel lane/breakdown lane for the new I-195 Eastbound span. A section of the old bridge span had to be demolished for this new travel lane to be
built. The remaining section of the OLD bridge span is proposed to be transformed into a new (George Redman) Linear Park (http://www.dot.state.ri.us/bikeri/WashingtonBridge/).

Relative to the anticipated construction schedule of the new Linear Park:

When the remaining travel & breakdown lane(s) (I-195 Eastbound) are completed & traffic flowing on it (ANTICIPATED FOR SEPTEMBER 2008) — start of construction on the remaining section of the old bridge into the linear park is ANTICIPATED to begin, contingent on available funding.

IF construction begins on the linear park, say Spring 2009, cyclists will still be using the Henderson as a detour for at least 2 years till the new linear park is completed.

IF construction does not commence on the new linear park once the entire new eastbound highway span is open, then RIDOT may reopen the old section of the Washington Bridge & permit bicyclists & walkers to use it both from from Valley St. and Gano St.

So, in summary, September of 2008 is the anticipated opening of the remaining travel lane(s) on the new eastbound span — the conversion of a section of the old Washington Bridge into a new linear park WILL NOT happen by the end of 2008.