BWL conducted another successful "bike audit" last weekend. Thanks to Dan and Ann's work, these rides are evolving into a more formal audit process to assess conditions on our biking and walking facilities and this article provides an excellent example of what officials, staff, committee members, and advocates can learn from experiencing the facilities first hand. Stay tuned for information about upcoming BWL bike audits and plan to participate. Again, a big "thank you" to Dan and Ann for organizing these excellent informational bike rides and bike audits!
On Saturday
May 24, Dan Moser of BikeWalkLee led another in our series of informative bike
audits. Participating again was Carmen Monroy, FDOT’s Southwest Area Office
Director. Over the past year well over 130 other people have also participated
in these rides. Started primarily as a fun, educational mean of imparting
important bike/ped information to those who serve in public government and on
advisory boards, they are evolving into a more formal audit process to assess riding
conditions throughout Lee County.
Early
Saturday morning about 10 people left the Calusa Nature Center and rode west
along the generally well maintained N. Colonial Linear Trail in Fort Myers. This is one of the nicer riding facilities in
Fort Myers, quiet and shaded, wending along the southern portion of Eastwood
Golf Course and the banks of the N. Colonial Canal. The Trail begins at the Nature Center, leads
to the very family friendly Trailhead Park and onward to Metro, where it
currently ends. Sadly, the abrupt end at Metro makes it quite short, but gives a taste
of what the City of Fort Myers could build upon to create greater appeal for
residents and many thousands of cycling-enthused tourists.
A first point of concern was this
too-short, unmarked bollard and the charming wooden bridge, in need of
replacement,which has seen better days.
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| N. Colonial Trail bollard |
Farther along, a serious problem in
the making that can be corrected with fast action, is the newly installed
landscaping at the intersection with Alderman’s Walk Blvd. A well-meaning
designer perhaps sought to highlight the trail crossing with these grouping of
small trees. However, as is so often the
case, the design was developed without any real thought to the actual needs of
pedestrians or cyclists. The low, full evergreen canopies of these trees will quickly
grow to block views of oncoming vehicular, pedestrian or bicycle traffic in
both directions.
No doubt,
this landscape architect would benefit from participation in these types bike
audits to become better informed of the details that can protect lives.
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| New plantings at intersection of N. Colonial Trail and Alderman's Walk Blvd. |
The next intersection at Veronica Shoemaker Blvd is one that we hope will receive attention and soon be brought
to safer standards. The trail pavement crossings are very well marked, but
outdated signs indicating “Yield” instead of “Stop” for someone is in the
crosswalk and the very high vehicle speeds on this straight-away pose a serious
risk to those crossing at this unsignaled intersection. With the entrance to
the neighborhood Trailhead Park only 20’ away, it is reasonable to expect
families and children to be crossing here and one should err on the side of safety
with intersection upgrades.
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| High speed intersection of N. Colonial Trail and Veronica Shoemaker |
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| Confusing end of trail at Metro |
Trail’s end at Metro left us wondering just what to do next.
There is no clear direction of where to go to safely ride. The group made its
way through the construction, south on Metro until we could pick up a
well-marked bike lane just south of Winkler, taking us across Colonial, from
where we headed west on a short stretch of Colonial - at times both
accommodating and treacherous - and with sigh of relief, to John Yarborough Linear Trail.
Without a doubt the safest and most
well thought out intersection design could be found where the trail crosses
Providence Park Blvd. This developer-made intersection design features “Stop” signs instead of “Yield” even though
traffic speeds are quite slow.
The surrounding landscape is open and low and
where trees have been used they are away from the trail head itself with
canopies that have been limbed up for clear visibility
beneath. Raised, textured material clearly marks the crossing, while a series
of signs warn motorists of the trail crossing ahead. And the trail itself is
indicated with a large, attractive sign. The painted stop bars, forward of the actual
crossing could stand a brightening of paint.
But overall this intersection gets an A+, and should serve as a model
for future developments in both Fort Myers and Lee County.
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| The very safe intersection of N. Colonial Trail and Providence Park Blvd. |
Report by Ann Pierce, photos by Guy Hackett
