The current bike plan for Harvard Street is deeply and dangerously flawed.
We object to the current plan to have bike lanes on both sides of Harvard, from Maple to Humphrey. The elimination of parking is a significant problem for many homeowners, renters, schools, parks and churches along this corridor.
1. In this corridor, there are at least nine homes that face Harvard. There is one private school and two public schools. There are three parks and several churches.
2. There are 68 garages and/or driveways that face Harvard. Adding the 22 alleys, the count to rises to 86 incursions in that 1.4 mile stretch between Humphrey and Maple. Most of those homeowners will back out of their garages, meaning that they are already partially in the street before they see traffic, including bikers.
3. There are 16 four-way stop signs. Additionally, there are three East/West stop signs. That means that cyclists, if they follow the law, must break to a stop 19 times to travel the corridor of approximately 1.4 miles. That doesn’t include two 4-way traffic lights which will sometimes not be in cyclists’ favor, bringing that total to possibly 21 stops.
How likely is it that cyclists will completely stop or just slow down through those intersections? Or slow down at alleys? Bike lanes will do nothing to reduce these dangers. The busier intersections at Ridgeland and Oak Park avenues can be made much safer by installing signs and flashing lights in addition to the traffic lights.
In the “winter off-season months” bike traffic volume diminishes substantially, yet the proposed infrastructure plan impacts homeowners, renters, church-goers, parents, teachers, bus drivers, and staff the entire year.
4. Barrie Park, Irving School, Montessori School, Carroll Park, Lincoln School, Boulevard Presbyterian Church, Cornerstone Academy, Kieran Dayley Church, Harvard Family UCC Church, and Maple Park increase traffic and parking congestion on weekends – when, predictably, more bicyclists are on the street. Parking near these locations is high during the week as well.
Please reconsider putting a one-way bike lane on Harvard and a one-way lane on Fillmore as an alternative.
Or go back to the earlier plan of Fillmore and Lexington.
Paul & Lynda Shadrake
Corner of Highland and Harvard
Jim Kelly & Bruce Broerman
Harvey Avenue