Another few seconds of fame

By now, I'm probably getting in to some other person's allotted fifteen minutes of fame (according to the Andy Warhol quote).

I was on Grinstead Drive yesterday, getting some video of the new lane striping (there was a "road diet" done on a stretch of Grinstead a few weeks ago, so that instead of two lanes each direction, it has one "normal" lane each direction, a two-way left turn lane, and a bike lane at either side).

While I'm well-known for my distrust of most bike lanes, I am happy to see well-designed ones in place that enhance trip quality without reducing my safety as a cyclist. I had been "read in" on the plans some months ago, and had some minimal input--mostly confirming input from others--in the process. I've been cautiously optimistic about this plan, although I did have some stated reservations.

The section of Grinstead involved, going generally east/northeast from the marker shown on this map to the intersection with Cherokee Parkway, has been repaved as well, with asphalt designed to enhance traction for motor vehicle users, as the s-bends in Grinstead have been the scene of many crashes, especially in inclement weather.

In general, I'm a fan of road diets, and for several reasons. I find that they enhance safety for all road users, including folks walking beside the roadway. Crash frequency is often reduced by implementation of the two-way-left-turn lane, as folks in the "passing" lane are not suddenly confronted with a motorist stopped to wait for a chance to make a left turn from the street in question.

I found the execution of the Grinstead diet to be good overall. I have mentioned that having a bike lane on the "inbound" side of Grinstead makes a lot of sense to me--there is only one place where a right hook conflict could come about, and traffic into that side entrance of Cave Hill Cemetery is pretty rare. Places to make right turns from the outbound side of Grinstead are more numerous, but in practice are not used very often. Left hook conflicts at most of those locations (primarily driveways to apartment buildings and a couple of small side streets) should similarly be pretty rare. My biggest concern regarding left hook conflicts as it is now configured is where people turn from inbound Grinstead to Glenmary Avenue. A cyclist in the bike lane should watch for left-turning motorists at that site, and be relevant AND prepared to take a different path should a harried motorist not pay enough attention to oncoming traffic at every intersection, but the cyclist's speed could be a bit higher here, making it a slightly larger concern.

I love being able to ride under shade, but I noted a LOT of organic debris (twigs, sticks, and such) in the bike lane that was harder to see at the time I was riding through--about 4:00 in the afternoon. This is a frequent complaint of mine regarding bike lanes in general--debris doesn't get swept out of them by traffic so much as swept INTO them.

My reservation prior to the implementation was that I'm particularly against a bike lane on a descent. Cyclists need more lateral space than the typical five feet at higher speeds in many cases, especially if there are curves involved. Not all cyclists can hold a narrow line in such cases. However, as I rode the stretch approaching Cherokee Parkway from the west, I decided that to eliminate the bike lane so early would add confusion rather than serve any real benefit.

Now that it has been done, my biggest gripe is that there are several places along the inbound bike lane where storm grates are well below the pavement grade, and the transition from grade to grate is abrupt. I don't know that this is a design flaw so much as a flaw at the level of the paving contractor. A cyclist paying more attention to surrounding traffic who hits one of those grates could be thrown a bit too easily for my liking.

As I was riding up and down Grinstead Drive, I noted some coins on the pavement. I have a habit of collecting such coins, as money is money, so I stopped in the parking lot of what had been built as a gas station at the corner of Grinstead and Everett. As I collected the assortment of coins, a van with markings from WDRB41, a local television station, was driven into the little parking lot, and the on-air personality hopped out and asked for an interview. Of course, I wasn't the only person interviewed, and some of what I thought were my best comments were not used. I at least didn't sound like a doofus.

Here is the result.