— This publish is a part of BikePortland Workers Author Taylor Griggs’ journey via Europe. See previous dispatches right here.
In Utrecht, folks driving vehicles are handled like bicyclists are in Portland.
A lot has been made about advisory bike lanes in Portland over the previous couple of months; and it simply so occurs I’m presently within the Dutch metropolis that helped impressed them.
Advisory bike lanes or advisory shoulders (when there’s no sidewalk), also referred to as “edge lane roads”, create devoted house for bicycling on both aspect of a slender, low-traffic avenue, leaving the middle lane to be shared between automobile visitors in each instructions. However the bike lanes are striped with dashed strains, indicating that drivers can go into them briefly in the event that they should go one other automobile coming towards them (and there isn’t anybody utilizing the adjoining bike lane). You’ll be able to learn our earlier protection for a extra detailed look at what this infrastructure entails.
These new installations are thrilling to PBOT planners and lots of bike advocates. To conflict-wary planners, advisory bike lanes are good as a result of they’re pretty uncontroversial and don’t require fully redesigning a avenue. And advocates are pleased the town is exploring new methods to incorporate bike infrastructure on streets which may in any other case be with out. Plus, any such avenue design is a Dutch import, and something that makes Portland look a bit of extra like The Netherlands is nice, proper?
So after all, I used to be eager to look out for this infrastructure whereas biking round in The Netherlands, the place I’m proper now. I spent the morning yesterday biking via Utrecht, a metropolis close to Amsterdam that’s recognized for being much more bike pleasant than its extra internationally-recognized neighbor (Utrecht was was ranked the most effective bike metropolis on the earth this 12 months). It didn’t take lengthy to seek out what I used to be searching for: I simply needed to veer out of the principally carfree metropolis heart a bit right into a extra residential space, the place some folks really personal vehicles.
Earlier than I proceed, I’ve just a few caveats. Initially, this infrastructure could be very new to Portland, and I’ve solely had the possibility to trip on one avenue with the design, in outer northeast on San Rafael avenue. And I preferred utilizing the San Rafael advisory bike lanes, particularly as a result of PBOT bike coordinator Roger Geller was there as a information to clarify the venture. I believe this design is safer for folks biking than the state of affairs on most of Portland’s neighborhood greenway streets. The striping makes it clear to all highway customers that folks biking are prioritized, which isn’t all the time the case for folks utilizing the greenway system.
So far as the design goes, the streets with advisory bike lanes in Portland and Utrecht look very comparable. However the utility of this infrastructure is kind of totally different, and I imagine that comes all the way down to the massive cultural variations in every metropolis.
In Utrecht, folks driving vehicles are handled like bicyclists are in Portland. The town makes lodging for them to get round, however their comfort is clearly not the precedence. In case you’re going to drive a automobile in Utrecht, you should navigate across the carfree metropolis heart and community of motorbike paths, and it’ll in all probability take you longer to get to your vacation spot.
From my observations, there’s an environment of deference — not agitation — from drivers towards folks biking. So on streets with advisory bike lanes the place drivers are allowed to share house with folks biking, the folks on two wheels stay in management.
Like I mentioned, I choose the advisory bike lanes to greenways or unmarked “shared roadways” in Portland. However after a while observing visitors in Utrecht, it’s all of the extra clear to me that planners have to realistically think about driver habits when designing infrastructure. Even when folks biking legally have the right-of-way or are supposed to have the ability to use a avenue with out stress, that’s not all the time (ahem, just about by no means) the way it actually performs out. (I get tailed too intently by drivers whereas biking on Portland’s greenways nearly every single day.)
This tradition of automobile dominance is all of the extra distinguished in east Portland, the place the advisory bike lanes have simply been put in on NE San Rafael. It’s only very not too long ago that east Portland has seen the event of ample bike infrastructure in any respect, and it’s going to take quite a lot of strains of paint to make folks really feel protected biking within the space. With a view to flip Portland into a spot comparable with Utrecht, we now have to take greater steps to mitigate automobile use. Solely then will issues like advisory bike lanes serve their goal and attain their potential.
Taylor has been BikePortland’s workers author since November 2021. She has additionally written for Avenue Roots and Eugene Weekly. Contact her at taylorgriggswriter@gmail.com
