The Underwood and Overhill Expressway

Today, like not a few days, I had the opportunity to pedal from midtown Omaha to the Missouri River and back to midtown. Along the way, my mind wandered to a car trip I need to make tomorrow--from midtown way out to far, far southwest Omaha. I may even drive on the West Dodge Expressway.

Which got me thinking. The purpose of the WDE is to reduce congestion at Omaha's busiest intersection (114th & Dodge) and generally ease the commute from Central to West Omaha and beyond. Maybe I'm still suffering the aftershocks of watching "Beyond the Motor City" the other night, but building stronger, faster, higher automobile-only expressways to the suburbs seems so 20th century to me. Shouldn't we be more focused on multi-modal transportation options that interweave Omahans together, rather than car-exclusive chutes that fling us further apart?

And, I don't know what the final cost of the WDE was, but a quick Google search shows it was budgeted for $100 million. Compare that to the cost to complete the initial 20 miles of bike lanes now underway: $600,000. And that wasn't even paid for by the City (i.e., by us)--all the funding came from grants and donations.

Which brings me to the Underwood and Overhill Expressway. One of the major objections I hear from folks reluctant to start bicycling more in Omaha is that the city is so hilly! Riding around it nearly every day, I can't argue with that one. For instance, coming west out of downtown north of Dodge, once you ascend to the top of the hill on 40th, you're plunged back down into the valley of Saddle Creek. Then up again to the summit at 50th, then down again to Happy Hollow. Then up a third time to Fairacres/64th-ish. We might as well name all the storied peaks, like in Le Tour--but instead of Tourmalet, Alpe d'Huez, and Galibier, how about (all with proper French accent, please) Cathedral, Dundee, and Vieux Riche (Old Money)?

But I digress--back to the Underwood and Overhill Expressway. Imagine a connecting bike/ped pathway near California/Underwood streets that erased the dips between these HC peaks and made the trip from 40th to 50th to 64th a coast-able level grade! Perhaps something ala the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge over the Missouri--a graceful, suspended, elevated ribbon of commuting and recreational cyclists and pedestrians. Suddenly, one of the major impediments to cycling in Omaha is greatly diminished, all the while encouraging development in the heart of the city.

How much would it cost? Well, the best figure I found for the Bob Kerrey bridge is $22 million. Triple that to make 3 sections, and you get $66 million--still only 2/3 the cost of the WDE--leaving $34 million left over for other multi-modal transportation projects (assuming you were trying to match the cost of the WDE, of course). A bargain!

Now, I'm not going to the City Council with my Underwood and Overhill Expressway idea yet (it could use some fleshing out and the cost estimates are a bit, um, back of the envelope, let's say), but the Omaha metropolitan area has clearly found funding for transportation and infrastructure projects it deems worthy in the past, and chances are that trend will continue. Omaha has made significant strides in encouraging bicycle and pedestrian traffic with its trails system, the 20-mile bike lane plan, and some great new plans currently in development. Now's the time to come together to think big and creatively on what we want Omaha to be and how transportation and infrastructure help make that possible. Now's our chance to make Omaha a more livable community.

A few links:
http://passthepotatoes.com/
http://rallyomaha.ning.com/

And a link to a previous OmahaBikes blog entry with a longer link list:
http://bikeomaha.blogspot.com/2009/12/what-is-omaha-bikes-reading.html

The view from a bike seat

I have lived in Omaha most of my adult life.  Up until about 5 years ago, the only parts of Omaha that I was familiar with included the places I could see from Fort, Maple, Blond, Dodge, Pacific, West Center, and the Interstate.  If I couldn't get there quickly by car, it was not a place I would typically visit.  About 5 years ago I started bike commuting.  Since then I've seen a lot more of the interesting, but slightly less traveled, places in Omaha.  Now that I've started seeing Omaha from a bike seat, it has been amazing to see how much of Omaha's interesting places I was missing.

The next time your out riding and see one of those "interesting" places in Omaha, snap a picture and send it to us at omahabikes AT gmail DOT com and we might post it here.

Here is a picture I took on my way to work today.  Does anyone know where I took this picture.

Bike Omaha Red Route

City crews have already started painting and striping the first route of the Bike Omaha bike lane network.  Here is what the Benson (Red) Route looked like "Before" they got started.  Omaha Bikes will have an "After" video of this route once it is finished.

Bike Omaha Benson (Red) Route - BEFORE from Omaha Bikes on Vimeo.

This video show the Bike Omaha Benson (Red) route before any work was done to add bike lane markings and sign-age. Lanes are being painted now, and we will have an "After" video up once the signs and paint are completed on this route.

Mayor Suttle is a Bike Commuter

This year, Mayor Suttle joined us for the Mayor's Ride.  If you couldn't make it to the ride, here is a helmet camera view of the ride.  Make sure you join us for this event next year if you didn't ride this year.  Hopefully, the 2011 Mayor's Ride will be a bit earlier so that more people can participate.

Two Mayors on Two Wheels

Last Friday morning was the Mayors Ride, which is the kick off event for Bike to Work Week.  Omaha Bikes was on hand for the ride.  We have some footage of the actual ride along with this video of the proclamation by Mayors Suttle and Hanafan.

Register now for the Urban Omaha – The Ultimate Adventure Race on June 5^th!!

Click here to register today!!!

Thank you to all the people who attended the Governor’s Proclamation Signing for Bike Month and Bike to Work Week. There were 15 individuals representing Omaha, Lincoln and several local and state advocacy groups promoting biking in Nebraska. It was a tremendous turnout and we hope to continue to build momentum for multi-modal transportation in the state. To view who attended please click here.

Here is the proclamation that was signed:

Bike Month Proclamation

Nebraska Bicycle Month, May 2010

WHEREAS, for more than a century, the bicycle has been an important part of the lives of many Americans, and today residents of all ages throughout Nebraska engage in bicycling for transportation, recreation, physical activity, environmental preservation, and fun; and

WHEREAS, increased bicycle usage will promote health and wellness in Nebraska and is an important part of encouraging all citizens to develop habits of physical activity to become or stay fit, avoid overweight and obesity, and reduce the risk of many chronic diseases and conditions; and

WHEREAS, increased bicycle usage will promote the development of livable communities and foster policy changes at all levels to incorporate Complete Streets that provide the opportunity for cyclists, pedestrians, and drivers to share the road; and

WHEREAS, the education of cyclists and motorists about the proper and safe operation of bicycles is important to ensure the safety and comfort of all users; and

WHEREAS, bicycling offers a unique perspective from which residents and visitors may discover Nebraska’s natural beauty, history, and culture; and

WHEREAS, Nebraska’s vast network of scenic rural roads, multi-use and rail corridor trail systems, and pleasant weather conditions make the Cornhusker state a favorite destination for bicycling enthusiasts; and

WHEREAS, May is Bike Month and Bike to Work Week is May 17 through the 21 and provides an opportunity to increase public awareness of the many benefits of bicycling, to promote bicycle safety, and to encourage bike riding through organized events such as Bike-to-Work events, club rides, family rides, and bike rodeos for children;

Thanks again for your efforts, passion, and energy!

Brian Coyle, Michelle Stryker, and Tim Montgomery

ride of silence - wed may 19

From the contact person, Brian.

The Ride of Silence is a ride to honor & remember cyclists who have been hit by a motorist & were injured or killed as a result. Join cyclists worldwide in a silent slow-paced ride (max. 12 mph) in honor of those who have been injured or killed while cycling on public roadways. The ride is approximately 10 miles long. A motorcycle escort will be provided by city and county law enforcement. The ride begins at 7:00 p.m.

The ride begins and ends at the Keystone Trailhead parking area near 3600 Raynor Pkwy, Bellevue, NE (near Culvers). The ride proceeds east on Hwy 370, then north on Ft Crook Rd, then west on Cornhusker Road and south on 48th St back to the starting point. There is no registration or registration fee, just show up for and ride.


The Ride of Silence...

Tonight we number many but ride as one
In honor of those not with us, friends, mothers, fathers, sisters, sons
With helmets on tight and heads down low,
We ride in silence, cautious and slow
The wheels start spinning in the lead pack
But tonight we ride and no one attacks
The dark sunglasses cover our tears
Remembering those we held so dear
Tonight's ride is to make others aware
The road is there for all to share
To those not with us or by our side,
May God be your partner on your final ride

- Mike Murgas

http://www.rideofsilence.org

Pics from 2008:

Is cycling more dangerous than driving?

KETV aired an article last night that include an interview with several Omaha transportation cyclists.  While going through the responses to the article on the KETV website and the KETV facebook page, I ran across this article.  Tell use what you think in the comments.

There is absolutely no way that I can furnish definite proof that bicycling is a safe activity. Those of us who bicycle on a regular basis while following the traffic laws know that it is a safe activity from years of experience, but we are also aware that other cyclists have frequent accidents, we assume due to different behavior. Nor can I do anything to reconcile my various sources of statistics. However, I think I can easily establish that cycling is much less dangerous that what the fearmongers insist and that it has compensating benefits which are more important than the risks involved. I think you will agree when you finish reading this that bicycling is very far from being the dangerous activity that the fearmongers like to make it appear.

Department of Roads Survey

As you may be aware, NDOR is conducting a survey for the Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP).

Here's a link to the survey. Stop complaining and take action! Speak up!

Portland, Portland, Portland

"Marsha, Marsha, Marsha!" :)

Check out this interesting article in Bicycling Magazine that ends with "Let the competition begin!" with regards to the race to overtake Portland as the most bike friendly city in America.

Here (below) is one interesting nugget from the article. I wonder what Omaha's numbers would look like if we conducted the same survey? How does this inform us on where we need to concentrate our efforts?

To accomplish its goal of increasing ridership, (Portland) has to do more
to make cycling a viable option for those people who would like to ride, but
don’t. The city’s research has shown that when it comes to cycling,
Portland’s population breaks down into four distinct categories:

“The strong and fearless”: .5 percent of Portland’s population
“The enthused and confident”: 7 percent of Portland’s population
“The interested but concerned”: 60 percent of Portland’s population
“No way no how”: 33 percent of Portland’s population

Handlebar Happy Hour, TONIGHT!

OmahaBIKES is having a “Handlebar Happy Hour” tonight at the Slowdown, starting around 5:30ish, and we’d love to have you there!

We are particularly interested in getting the midtown/downtown commuting crowd around the table, as we will have some new maps from Marty Shukert showing potential changes/tweaks to the Bike Omaha 20 mile loop routes, and we would like to get your input.  Specifically, we’re looking at the “red” route that will take you from downtown to the Benson area, and the “blue” route that will take you from downtown to Aksarben via Leavenworth.

We will also take your thoughts on bike parking and potential locations for bike racks.  (You can “ooh and ahh” at the new rack that was just installed in front of the Slowdown last week, too!)

Hope to see you there.

Winter Riding Tips from Anchorage

http://bicycleanchorage.org/wordpress/?page_id=110

slow down, and give your 2 cents

Went to Barnes&Noble at Oak View a few weeks ago and perused the magazines looking for something to broaden my horizons. Bought and read Good, Issue 018, Winter 2010, http://www.good.is/issues/issue-018.

The theme of issue 018 is "Slow Down". It contains a good cross section of thinking in, and about, the slow movement, http://www.slowmovement.com/.

One thing I've noticed: the more I commute by bike, the slower and more relaxed I drive a car. I average about 30 mph city driving (mileage/engine time) and about 12 mph commuting by bike. Those who average 20 mph biking are not commuting, they are racing. If you want to commute by bike, figure about three times the travel time of a car for a comfortable, non hurried commute.

One of the benefits of biking not often mentioned is the necessity to slow down. With most people's lives too full of stuff, speeding by car to somewhere because they didn't plan enough time to get there, a slower lifestyle connected through commuting is healthy for the mind and the body.

The second article in Good, Pushing the Limits, discusses Portland, Oregon's assault on urban sprawl, what it has produced, what is at stake. Next to improving Omaha's biking infrastructure and changing the car-centric level of service for transportation, a sustainable urban design is key.

Urban Form and Transportation(pdf) is Omaha by Design's draft proposal for new guidelines. Active transportation (biking and walking) starts on page 24. One problem I see is that goals for moving cars more efficiently (car-centric level of service) are at odds with active transport. Car transportation (Leavenworth for example) has to be slowed down (lane diets) and made more expensive (gas prices) to make active transportation more attractive and increase participation.

Comments are still being taken on the proposal, click contacts on http://www.environmentomaha.com/. Please read at least the Active Transport section of Urban Form and Transportation, if not the entire document, and give suggestions and encouragement.

Give Bike Commuting a Try (on the cheap)

If you would like to try bike commuting, but you don't have a bike or the bike that has been sitting in your garage, since the early 70's,  needs more than a bit of TLC, then a one of the local bike shops has you covered.  This spring Bike Master's at 129th and Fort will be offering bike rentals of commuter bikes with fenders and a rack.  Give Dave at Bike Master's a call for more details.

If you have a bike shop closer to you (see the links to the right of this page) that you would prefer to work with, give them a call and see if they offer anything similar.

Once you find out how much fun bike commuting can be, dig out that old bike and see if it's up to the task.  If you still need a trusty steed, swing by your local shop and they can help you get started.

Don't forget to have the local commuter expert at the shop give you some tips on what to bring with you, and how to get from A to B in Omaha on a bike.  While your at it, take a look at the Commuting 101 articles here at Omaha Bikes.

We look forward to seeing you out there.

Lots of Losers!

If anybody reading this blog thinks that they could never be like the cyclists they see out on the roads everyday because they are overweight and/or out of shape, take heart. I'd bet that if we took a roll call of dedicated Omaha cyclists that have not been lifelong members of the "Super Fit" club, we would all be surprised at the numbers.

I can now think of at least 5 people off the top of my head that have shared stories with me about how they were overweight and out of shape when they turned to their bicycle ... and how bike commuting and recreational riding transformed their bodies and their lives. I'm sure if I thought about it harder, I could come up with many more. (See, I just thought of another one! Make that 6!) Who knew we had so many losers in this crowd?? ;)

I think there is power in this message, and I think it is one that we should find a way to share, especially during Bike Month this May. Cycling can be an intimidating prospect for folks, and if they only knew how many of you started out in their shoes, maybe we could win over a few more people that may be wishing they could find a way to join the movement.

Let's never forget Mr. Anonymous comment poster from the OWH story about Ben's road rage encounter: "When I see the bikers on the street, my first reaction is 'Get off the road!' but my second reaction is 'Man, I'm jealous.'"

Tire Sizes and Utility Cycling

One of the blogs I follow on a daily basis is EcoVelo. They do a great job of discussing the topics that are important to people that use bikes as transportation tools as apposed to leisure toys. They also have a good eye for photography and style which makes their site pleasing to the eye as well as the mind.

Today they posted an article that discusses tire sizes and pressure for utility cycling.

It’s a common misconception that wider tires are slower, but this is not necessarily the case, particularly at non-racing speeds on rough roads. Bicycle Quarterly has done extensive testing on suspension losses and their conclusions show that on rough roads, up to 50% of a bicyclist’s power output can be attributed to suspension losses, and these losses are best mitigated by wide tires run at lower pressures.

Head on over and read the article and vote on your preferred tire size and tire pressure for commuting.

Trail Condition Photos - 12/31/2009

After two large snowfalls within a couple of weeks, it seems the Omaha Parks Department has plowed some metro bike trails. In most places, a significant buildup of packed snow and ice still remain, and almost nowhere will you find bare pavement. The photos below are from Thursday, December 31, 2009. There's been a few more inches of snowfall since then, so I'm not sure of trail conditions at this time.

While having the paths clear of drifts is a significant improvement over no maintenance, a cyclist must still exercise extreme caution and be prepared to ride very slowly, and perhaps walk over some areas. I, for one, will still ride studded tires as long as there is snow or ice anywhere, so I find the trails passable. Depending on the purpose of my ride, I may choose nearby streets over the snowpacked trails.

Turner Boulevard Trail

Turner Boulevard Trail at Harney Street

Keystone Trail

Keystone Trail at College of St. Mary, just north of Mercy Road.

Bridge crossing on Keystone Trail at College of St. Mary

Bridge crossing on Keystone Trail south of Pacific Street.

Sidewalk connection totally blocked on Keystone Trail at 72nd Street. Note plowed path through the grass connection to shopping center parking lot.

Field Club Trail

I only glimpsed the Field Club at Leavenworth Street and it looked to be in similar condition to the other metro trails.

Trail Condition Updates

Please comment below to share your updates to trail conditions. Also, please consider using Twitter to help communicate with the Omaha cycling community. Tweet your updates and photos of trails to @OmahaCyclist and the news will be retweeted.

Snow Removal Issues

Report snow removal issues regarding streets and sidewalks here.

The Parks Department handles snow removal on trails. Maybe the Omaha Mayor's Hotline is a good place to start for reporting trail issues.

Winter Commuting Routes

There has been a lot of talk the past couple of weeks about the challenges of winter bike commuting on unplowed trails and streets. Snow removal has been an issue for all modes of active transportation in the past week.

I'd like to get a sense (albeit an unscientific one at this point) of trail usage by winter bike commuters. My gut tells me that the Keystone is probably the most used by far, but I don't want to make that assumption. Can we get a roll call going here on this topic? The information may be helpful as we engage people in conversation about trail plowing issues.

It seems to me that this might also point to the need of a more formal study on this topic. One group college students + lots of coffee = legit data!

Dressing for winter bike commuting

One question that we often get here at Bike Omaha is "How do I dress properly for winter bike riding in Nebraska?". It's a great question and most bike commuters will answer that question with recommendations about high tech fabrics, special shoes, special bike equipment, and many other suggestions that will likely equal up to big money. But if your not biking 10+ miles each way, every day clothes and a bit of layering can work wonders and you can even look stylish at the same time.

While doing a bit of research on an upcoming article about winter bike commuting, we ran across this article at Let’s Go Ride a Bike and we thought it was a great How-To on winter cycling.