We’ve been monitoring how the Metropolis of Portland maintains bike lanes throughout and after winter climate occasions for a few years now. Our current snowstorm has revealed yet one more wrinkle on this difficulty that deserves a more in-depth look.
At many places across the metropolis, we’ve seen partitions of snow positioned throughout protected bike lanes. The form of the wall and the position of them caught our eyes. It’s clear that they had been left by Portland Bureau of Transportation plow operators who had been operating plows alongside the curb, then swung their autos out into the road as a plastic put up or curb of a protected bike lane approached. As they make that swing, the remaining snow of their plow slides off and is left proper on the entrance to the bike lane.
Given all of the bike lane upkeep issues with have on this metropolis, it’s a bummer to see this taking place. The excellent news is that we all know what’s inflicting it and hopefully PBOT plow operators can modify their approach to forestall it. We’re additionally joyful to report that upon sharing these photographs on Twitter yesterday, PBOT replied to us:
Our crews have begun choosing up a majority of these snow piles in addition to gravel in bike lanes by addressing studies as they arrive it. Please assist them out by submitting studies by way of pdxreporter.org with particular places.
(You may also name the upkeep dispatch hotline at 503-823-1700 or pdxroads@portlandoregon.gov to report these points.)
It’s good that PBOT is in a position to answer these requests, however we actually must get a extra complete and environment friendly answer. We’ve had protected bike lanes for a few years now and it’s unlucky that PBOT nonetheless doesn’t appear to have a protocol for holding them clear and maintained with out counting on conscientious individuals to report downside spots (to not point out that complain-driven techniques like this are inherently inequitable and many individuals will merely by no means do it).
This isn’t a brand new downside and there are options to snow removing on protected bike lanes utilized in different cities that PBOT might undertake and use right here.
Will you be calling in any places (or have you ever already)? How do the bike lanes look in your neck of the woods?
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