discussion-l Mailing List: Re: BikeAthens Discussion: RULES OF THE ROAD: Officers urge bikers to go the right way

[Brent Buice (brent.buice]

I usually use the wide sidewalk along the back side of Psych-Journalism to get from Baldwin to Hooper St, which eliminates the need to come down the hill on Sanford.

My office is in Memorial, so I see this part of campus every day, and it's a miracle more students aren't killed or maimed by incautious cyclists, drivers, construction vehicles, or campus and city buses. Plenty of responsibility falls on the students to be intelligent pedestrians & lawful cyclists, but Sanford Dr is very poorly designed to accomodate cyclists and pedestrians in this area, which is especially frustrating since this part of campus is where all the students congregate (MLC, Tate, major bus stop).
The Reed Plaza was supposed to link E Campus Rd to Sanford for cyclists/peds, and maybe it utlimately will, but for now it's gated and clearly reserved for gameday concessions.

I think that if UGA won't commit to a mostly car-free central campus (i.e. service vehicles and buses only), it needs to be aggressive in constructing some pedestrian bridges (or tunnels) on Baldwin and Sanford Dr. The best spot on Baldwin would be between the Psych-Journalism building and the stairs in front of the History building (LeConte Hall), directly over the current crosswalk.

On Thu, Sep 23, 2010 at 9:49 AM, Dorothy O'Niell <doniell [at] bellsouth.net> wrote:

Jason is right -- it WAS the intent on Sanford Drive to have cyclists move from Baldwin Street down the widened sidewalk on the west side of Sanford Drive in order to access the southbound bike lane.    Some years ago, the staff at UGA Facilities Planning invited several BikeAthens people out to show us their plan before it was implemented.     They had wanted to close that end of Sanford altogether to put in a "Muses Garden", but were not given permission to do so.    This other plan was the "plan B" solution for moving cyclists through the area, although all agreed it was kind of awkward.   

 

----- Original Message -----

From: Jason Perry

To: Dorothy O'Niell

Cc: Discussion about alternative transportation in Athens

Sent: Thursday, September 23, 2010 9:36 AM

Subject: Re: BikeAthens Discussion: RULES OF THE ROAD: Officers urge bikers to go the right way

“So I think they had stopped a lot of people,” he said. “They just wanted me to know don’t cut through this area, don’t go on sidewalks through this area, and don’t take shortcuts through some section of the road there.”

It is my understanding that the paths throughout campus are multi-use, so I don't see why a cyclist can't carefully ride on the sidewalk from the Baldwin/Sanford junction down to where the southbound bike lane starts. That's how I navigate that section, though fortunately I don't have to do it often. If this is not allowed, it needs to be marked as such, because the way it's set up with the curb cut now it sure looks like that was the design intent.

That said, in a perfect world there would be a bikes-only two way policy on that section of road, with a "No Left Turn Except for Bikes" sign from westbound Baldwin to southbound Sanford.

Jason Perry

On Thu, Sep 23, 2010 at 9:15 AM, Brent Buice <brent.buice [at] gmail.com> wrote:

Story in today's Red & Black:
http://www.redandblack.com/2010/09/23/rules-of-the-road-officers-urge-bikers-to-go-the-right-way/

"University Police Chief Jimmy Williamson said bicyclists must follow the same rules of the road motorists  follow — and that means they cannot bike against the flow of traffic for any reason."

--
Brent Buice

279 Savannah Ave
Athens, GA 30601
706.372.9529


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-- 
Brent Buice

279 Savannah Ave
Athens, GA 30601
706.372.9529