Sweet Streets Capital Improvement Program Applications
We got into the CIP game this year! Last newsletter, we shared with you how the CIP process works. Now, we’ll share what we’ve been working on. For these CIPs, we’re to the point where we formulated our idea, worked with our city partner, got engineering cost estimates, community support, and have submitted our application. Next up, it goes to the CDCIP Board who will review the applications and rate them before handing things off to the mayor’s office.
Bike Network Gaps
A parking Protected Bike Lane in Sacramento, CA that uses delineators and has slow turn islands.
The bike network safety CIP aims to revisit existing bike routes and make improvements at key areas, such as busy intersections, high stress bike lanes, and filling gaps in the network. While newly completed projects include safety elements like traffic calming, buffered lanes, protected lanes, and intersection improvements, older projects are lacking these elements, leading to high stress, unsafe routes. In other areas, the lack of a safe crossing could hinder the bike route utility, leading to its disuse by people biking. This project intends to focus on the bigger picture of the bicycling network, unlike other projects like Livable Streets, which focus on limited zones and isolated improvements. The project will also consider markings, signage, beautification/art, and wayfinding to aid in navigation and encourage bicycling.
To build 25 miles of bike lane, half of them with delineators, plus 25 delineator protected intersections, would cost $2.2 million. For the CIP, we’re requesting $700,000, or about 8 miles of bike lane, half delineated and 8 protected intersections. Apparently we aren’t the only ones who thought this would be a good idea, and the city itself will be requesting a similar CIP with a larger budget and including some sections of sidewalk!
Intersection Daylighting with Scooter and Bike Parking
Top: scooter parking at an intersection in St. Petersburg, Florida; Bottom-left: bike parking at an intersection in Davis, California; Bottom-right: bike parking at coffee noir in Salt Lake City.
The intersection daylighting CIP will increase dedicated scooter and bike parking spaces while physically blocking cars from being parked near crosswalks and intersections, improving visibility and thereby reducing crashes, hence the term “daylighting”. Salt Lake City actually already has a daylighting ordinance which prohibits parking within 20 feet of any crosswalk, marked or not, and within 30 feet of a stop sign. However, we must rely on parking enforcement, who cannot be everywhere at once. Physically blocking car parking with bike corrals and other dedicated infrastructure is the most sure way to daylight an intersection. Plus, this CIP will create much more designated space to park scooters, getting them off of our sidewalks and making people more likely to ride in the street since they can also park in the street.
Central City 600 East Byway Safety Improvements
The Central City Neighborhood Council spearheaded this project, but the applicant also happens to be writing this newsletter for Sweet Streets! The project will implement safety improvements to 600 East, including crossing improvements at South Temple and 800 South, traffic calming to slow vehicle traffic, reconfiguring high-conflict mid-block intersections, and add protected bike lanes between 375 South and 500 South. The project would complete the Central City section of the 600 East neighborhood byway, linking with Liberty Park. 600 East is a core part of the bike network in Central City, and it links to the largest concentration of grocery stores in the city.
Fully built out, the project would cost $855,000, but could be done in phases. There are additional funding opportunities from Livable Streets and the Neighborhood Byways program, though we need to make our voices heard that we want more funding for these (more to come in a future newsletter!)
The suggested safety improvements for the CIP. If added to the budget, the project would go through a normal street design process, and the actual implementation will surely vary.
