Video: Bicycling next to Phoenix Valley light rail train

December 23, 2009 at 2:16 pm by Steven Vance
Filed under Bicycling, Fun, Phoenix, Roadways, Transportation, Urban Planning, Urban Rail

UPDATE: View overhead photos of all of the bicycling treatments on Jefferson and Washington streets (the one-way couplet) between 7th and 24th Streets in Phoenix, Arizona, courtesy of the Coalition of Arizona Bicyclists.

My dad and I rode our bikes in the inside left-hand bike lane on eastbound, one-way, Washington Street in Phoenix, Arizona (purely to take this video).

The left-hand travel lane is for home and business access while the one-way light rail track (and its stations) run in the middle of the street. The lane is here so that there aren’t gobs of driveways and track crossings – it’s a safety feature. I think the bike lane is here instead of on the right side of the street (and next to the curb) because less traffic drives here. Also, there are few opportunities for right turns in front of the bicyclists.

Eventually, though, going east, the bike lane moves over to the right side through the use of a “perpendicular bike lane” adjacent to a crosswalk in a signalized intersection. The perpendicular bike lane looks like a bike box. This happens at 24th Street because the left-hand access lane disappears and Jefferson Street merges into Washington Street, between 25th and 27th Streets, which becomes a two-way street with the light rail tracks dividing the travel directions. (I would add links to Google Maps, but the imagery is outdated and doesn’t show the 1-year old train line; it does show some construction.)

I would call all of these features innovative designs and good solutions. I think tomorrow I will ride the area again (probably alone) to get a better feel for how it works and how safe bicyclists would perceive the design.

The video is sped up by 20% to be less droll. The audio drops out a few times because I was talking (giving my dad directions like a movie producer), but you can still hear the electronic sounds of the train as it approaches and departs the station. I didn’t have my camera’s bike mount so I held it in my hand. I want to come back to take photos instead of video. It was fun to make this video!

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-Steven Vance

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  • BB
    I got my videos up.
    With out the bike lane option riding on the right thru lane.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQcDAKYMPro

    Riding in the bike lane.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYHsgto371g
    There is a link for the second part in the description.
  • Ellen
    It's better than anything we have here in Miami, FL. Be thankful for small things.
  • You're right. In pure miles, I believe the Phoenix Valley has more bike lanes and multi-use paths (aka facilities) than any region in the United States.
  • BB
    Yes cycling here is one of those hidden secrets here. It has the largest concentration of bike friendliness. . Scottsdale, Tempe, Chandler, and Gilbert, Flagstaff, the whole Pima county, and the state of Arizona all won awards and are enrolled.
  • Ben
    Moving to the infrastructure is one answer. I moved her to ride my bike.

    BTW before the light rail, Jefferson and Washington had bicycle lanes (which is why most of use that lane). Even more so Central was a wide 16 foot outside lane now a narrow 4 lane. Camelback added a lane rather than a bike lane. They demolished lots of right of way on the south side of the street adding a bike lane could have happened.

    So I guess it comes do I like the light rail. Really doesn't seem to much good. Took up a lot of resources (on the road). The bike racks were designed for smaller non American bikes (they don't fit right). On the day of opening light rail, they eliminated transfers and cut back service 2007 . Every new bus book means reduced service. (6 mo. ) We have a reduced service scheduled for the last hold out Tempe and another round in July. It now costs 3.50 cents for a day pass or two bus boardings.

    Plus on top of that, Phoenix has been operating reduced service for the last 5 years.

    Yea I am happy that I can pedal and show up the same time the bus arrives, or else I would move to Chicago most liekly.
  • I think you missed a few letters and words. I don't understand the third paragraph.

    Cut back service?
    Last hold out?
    What's wrong with the bike racks?

    What stinks about biking this region is that *everything is so far apart!*

    About transfers: Most transit riders make a roundtrip in the day. They should be buying an all-day pass for $3.50 which gives them unlimited rides. I think this is better than having transfers.

    Don't move to Chicago. Phoenix Valley still needs more people out riding, showing it's doable and normal.
  • BB
    They had all day passes at 2.50 for along time. When they eliminated transfers everyone bogged down the buss system with crappy used far boxes which didn't accept a dollar. Transfers made service faster in boardings, the day pass needed to be read by a machine. Please insert and we will take 20 seconds to read it. They then slowly started to eliminate point to point service. Now everything is a transfer. You see where this is headed? Then they say you can get a cheaper day fare when you purchase this in advance. Of course a single fare is absurd now, because on average you now need two fares.

    What stinks is the density of our population. It can't support mass transit amongst other things.

    What I see right now is co-housing. Everyone is renting rooms in homes. This creates density. I would like to more encouragement of this through zoning.

    I suggest you use one of those light rail bike racks (especially with a beach cruiser). Try not to hit any one unhooking it while the train is moving.

    If I moved to chy town I would be disabled.

    Tempe hasn't made any cut backs in service. All of the other cities are a few years ahead of Tempe. They get operational funding from city sales tax.
  • I've noticed that density around here is very low.

    I noticed one person today having trouble lifting his bike into the rack, but most of the people who brought their bikes just held it in the aisle.

    What do you mean you would be disabled if you moved to Chicago?
  • BB
    Well I would need to move to a city which had a transit system I could be proud to use. I spent the last 5 years going to night school, and having no mass transit to support me. Portland OR.I would need pedestrian focused transit. Or else like now I would simply boycott the backwards transit system.

    That''s pretty sad state of affair, when you consider I haven't owned a car in five years.
  • I got rid of my car a month after I moved to Chicago. It kept me sane while I figured out how to live here.
  • Ben
    The design was a complete flop. Going east. They started the bike lane at 5th street. On the right. Then two blocks latter you had to walk your bike in the crosswalk. Avoiding right hookers first. Then move your bike all the way across to the left thru lane. Now all the way to the left of the curb is where you end after the intersection. Then you have to merge into traffic to get onto the right side. (Where the video is shot. ) All that in a 4 block stretch.
    Last time I rode down the thing they didn't have any bicycle loops. You were stuck there and had to go push the button. Because no traffic hardly uses the thing. Furthermore left turning traffic is on your right. So going through the red light wasn't available.

    Going west was a little better. However the bike lane again goes from right to left at around 9th street. After two blocks or the next stoplight the bike ends at the intersection. The bike lane dumps you in the middle on a one way in the left lane.

    CRAP!
    Furthermore there is some gray area where the law states you need to ride in a bike lane or its not the motorists fault. I am not sure if this is two roadways or not. I certainly don't use the bike lane in that crap. I call it a hazard.
  • So instead of biking today, I drove to the Park & Ride lot at Sycamore/Main in Mesa, parked, bought a day pass (for $3.50, same price as two one-way tickets, amazing deal), and hopped on the train.

    Went all the way to "ASU Downtown Campus Station (Central)" and walked around. I'll be uploading my shots when I get home to Chicago.
  • BB
    Yes, but only if you get the the day pass at a location that sells them. On the buss the day pass is 5.25 . Amazing deal Considering two years ago I got more bus for my money @ 1.25 with transfers? Since then they jacked it up 75 cents, eliminated transfer (huge for bike people). At the same time cut bus service while peak ridership is happening. We are talking about less frequency, eliminating night service, and whole buss lines gone. Light rail made my friend really lazy with free transit passes from work.
  • Another thing: You know those occasional right-turn lanes that cross over the tracks to merge into the right-side travel lanes? Nothing's stopping a bicyclist from using this lane to travel on the right side if they so desire.
  • I haven't ridden the whole stretch of bike lane in the segment in the segment you describe (on either Washington or Jefferson), but I might do that later today.

    Did you see the court's ruling in Portland? Apparently, a bicyclist's legal protections end in the 60-90 feet they ride through an intersection, because the bike lane striping doesn't rule through.
  • Ben
    Did you make it past 44st? More nightmares.
    Loop
    Central ave to Palm to 3rd st (its a grid) to Oak to (64th street or Priest) and then loop it back down on the light rail line segment. Washington/Jefferson

    Good 12 mi


    I did 87st and Oak st to Van Buren and 1 st. It was cold outside. No traffic :) Remember that gird!
    ***********************************************************************
    No you can use the slip lane (stoplight & train sign). But the angle is really bad (be careful).
    Same with the 9th st crossover, only your in the right lane of traffic. Normally will use a slow signal to motorist.
  • I didn't bike today. See my reply to you above. Took the train and walked.
  • Ben
    West bound 9st crossover there is no train track crossing if you stay in the right lane.
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