Bicycling in Bloomington

 I have not posted for 10 days mostly because I have not been on the bike much for the past two weeks. I don’t want this blog to appear to be abandoned so I’m posting today without too much to say.

Last week (August 6-10), I did some standard rides on Monday and Tuesday morning. Wednesday and Thursday, I ran in the morning. I commuted each day. Friday through Tuesday, I was travelling to/from the meetings in New York and attending the meetings.

This week (August 13-17) I didn’t ride but did commute Thursday and Friday. I’ll be away again until Tuesday, so no riding this weekend. I hoped to do some off-road riding on Saturday but it won’t work out.

Today, I was riding on Pete Ellis drive heading towards the Post Office when I noticed a sign by the bike/pedestrian trail that parallels 10^th St east of the IU campus (2^nd map; east of Eastgate Lane). It said Polly Grimshaw TR. I need to find more information about it because Polly was a colleague and friend. I complained about the poor condition of the trail in an earlier post.

Students are returning to campus now. Bicycling is a little more challenging with many new people in town trying to figure the goofy Bloomington street system.

 Sunday, I rode nearly 60 miles. I rode what is now becoming almost a pattern for me - through the Forest, Bottom Rd, through Bloomington, Clear Creek, and a long way home (more detail). I had an 11:00 AM curfew for the ride. I got out about 7:15 or so and was back at about 11:05.

I won’t have another weekend ride for perhaps a month. The road bike is hanging on the garage wall and will likely be there until Labor Day weekend. I’ll be travelling for the next few weekends. It’s not unusual for me to have extended periods without riding. But, I think that I’m ready for the Hoosier Hills and the Hilly with just a few more rides.

The ride conditions were good but not great. I was sluggish but it might have been because of the weather - hot and humid. I noticed while riding through the “corn canyon” on Bottom Rd, that I was going about 2 mph slower than the previous week. But, the overall average time was not much different.

Traffic was very light. Hardly a car anywhere outside of town.

Some observations -

Boltinghouse Rd Hill - Earlier this year, I was getting more courageous in going down the hill and letting myself go. Then, three bad things caused me to be more cautious.  1) I use the middle of the road because it’s smoother but on a recent ride, a truck coming up was using the same part of the road. 2) I got to bottom okay but then I had to cross some unexpected gravel at a speed that was too uncomfortable for me. I used the principles of motion to get through it but it scared me. 3) I hit a hole so hard at the bottom that it caused my water bottle to fly out of the cage and burst open.

Sunday, I decided to go slowly because the Saturday night evening rains had caused a lot of gravel and other stuff to come out on the roads. A very wise decision. About 1/2 way down, there was mud and muck but not too much to handle. About 2/3 of the way down, far more mud, muck, leaves, branches, twigs, etc. than I think would have been able to manage at full speed. I’ve learned over the years to be cautious after heavy rains on rural roads in Monroe County. It paid off on Sunday.

Shirtless recumbent trike rider - I saw him again on Bottom Rd. This time I passed him going in the same direction. He has what looks like a beer cooler on the back. Even better, there are a bunch of flashing lights on the container. Interesting bike. Bloomington has some interesting characters riding bikes.

Big ring - I tried the big ring during the last 1/3 of the ride. I have rarely used it and generally considered it a weight that I carried around. I found that it is useful to ride through quick changes in slope. It was especially useful on rollers because I it allowed me to get into the spin more quickly than going down one rear cog. Because Bloomington is relatively hilly and I’m not a strong rider (I can rarely spin out the little cogs and the small ring), I didn’t see a value in going to the big ring. Now, I see how it can help improve my bicycling skills.

Saturday evening, I watched some bike racing in downtown Bloomington - the Bloomington Cycling Grand Prix. (Indiana Daily Student article) These are fun races to watch because it’s all amateurs, they go fairly fast (especially the cat 1/2 riders), and the course is laid out so that it’s possible to see many parts of the course. Another nice event that Bloomington has to offer for bicycling.

Sharrows, again - On Monday, the Herald Times reprinted the press release about Sharrows that the City released last week. Mitch Rice’s blog has a copy of the press release. Unfortunately, a subscription is needed to access the article. The HT, unlike other newspapers, discourages use of its website.

The article is merely a summary of the press release. Nothing creative in the HT. However, the article generated 84 (mostly) relevant comments. Many comments are thoughtful about the conditions for bicycling in Bloomington. It’s a shame that these comments cannot be more widely disseminated and discussed.

Mitch Rice’s blog has some recent interesting posts regarding bicycling safety. Among them, he has posted a news release that he hopes the city will send out. It describes sharrows - the new arrows on College and Walnut Streets. I mentioned them in an earlier post.

Thanks, Mitch.

 I didn’t post anything last week because I didn’t cycle all week. My grandchildren were visiting so I didn’t have time to ride. For various reasons, I drove to campus most days, too. However, I have three topics concerning Biking in Bloomington that I would like to share.

Another Bicycling Blog

Last week, I discovered another Bloomington bicycling blogger - Mitch Rice. Mitch’s blog - Biking the Hoosier Uplands - describes many rides similar to those I take south of Bloomington. Mitch also has the same appreciation for the joys of biking around Bloomington. It’s a good read.

Improving the Bloomington Bypass

Two additional bicycling issues regarding bicycling safety showed up last week. First, a member of the Bloomington Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Commission sent me a description of the State’s plans to upgrade the “bypass” around Bloomington’s east side (SR46). The plans will make it more difficult to use the road as a bicyclist or to walk along it as a pedestrian. The wider road, bigger turning radii, and other features will create more of a barrier between the east and west sides of the bypass for pedestrians and cyclists. The planned design is more appropriate for 1950 than 2007 which is consistent with much that happens in Indiana.

The bypass will have sidewalks but they will be within inches of the road. The high-speed traffic will discourage pedestrian use because pedestrians will have to walk so close to speeding cars. To quote from the document: “City standards for primary arterial streets call for sidewalks to be separated from moving traffic with an eight foot wide tree plot.  INDOT’s current design for the bypass has a maximum of twenty four inches separation, with many sidewalks directly attached to the curb.” Also, I wonder where the state will push the plowed snow - on the sidewalk? The City pushes snow on the sidewalks to discourage pedestrian traffic in the winter. I guess that’s how Hoosier government officials solve the wrong problem.

New Bike Lanes

Sometime recently, signs were painted on the right lanes of College and Walnut streets that seem to indicate that these lanes are for bicycles. The signs include a bicycle and 2 chevrons. I assume that indicates a bike lane. It’s seems wonderful that the City has taken 1 of 3 lanes from the cars and given it to bicyclists. However, during the day these lanes are usually blocked by double-parked delivery and construction vehicles. These vehicles create problems for bicyclists and the newly-designated lane does not solve that problem.

Overall, will the new bicycle lanes increase bicyclists’ safety? I don’t know but I am cautious. Bicyclists will have to learn to use the middle of lane; not the right side. By using the middle, bicyclists state that it’s their lane. Cars will need to pass bicyclists in the left or center lanes. When cars want to turn right, they will have to pass the bicycles similar to how they pass cars. If both drivers and bicyclists learn the appropriate use for the lane and how each should behave, it could be a success.

I am pessimistic because I don’t think either group knows how to use the lane appropriately and safely. It looks like an opportunity for the Bloomington Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Commission to start a community education project. Someone needs to teach bicyclist and drivers about using the bike lanes.

This was an easy week for riding. Old 446 Monday and Tuesday, a run on Wednesday, and hill repeats and a little detective work on Thursday. I’m off today because a 75 mile ride is scheduled for tomorrow.

Yesterday, as part of the ride, I tried to follow a Bloomington Bike Route that goes from nowhere to nowhere, as far as I can tell. It starts at the corner of Jamie and Rhorer, winds through Sherwood Oaks, and appears to end at Sherwook Oaks Park.

 It might go up the hill to Olcott Park but no sign indicates it. At the exit of Olcott Park on Canada St, I found a sign that indicated the Route goes along Canada but it was facing the wrong direction. The Route ends at the intersection of Sare Rd and Canada St. There is no apparent reason why it would be considered a bike route except to increase the bike route miles and spend money on signs.

 This is the third in a series about riding conditions in Bloomington. The previous posts are Riding on Bloomington Streets Part 1, Addendum to Part 1 and Part 2. Part 1 focused the on street conditions and Part 2 focuses on traffic management and their affect on bicyclist and bicycling.In Part 3, I describe the bike paths, bike routes, and bike lanes in Bloomington.

Bike Trails. Bloomington has 2 real bike paths. The major trail is the Clear Creek Trail and its partner, the Bloomington Rail Trail. The Clear Creek Trail is paved and reasonably maintained. All bicyclists can use it but during some periods, many pedestrians (runners and walkers) are on the trail. The Bloomington Rail Trail is mostly gravel and suitable for fat tire bikes only. There are plans to extend the Rail Trail into downtown Bloomington. 

The map on the bottom of the Bloomington page of Indiana Trails website shows additional Bloomington bike trails. As far as I know, these are wide sidewalks and not real trails. Most riders would not notice them as bike trails. Designating sidewalks as trails is a strategy used by Bloomington city government to promote Bloomington as bike-friendly but it’s a weak effort. One trail that parallels the railroad tracks on the east side is poorly maintained and almost dangerous. On a recent ride, I found blind spots, mud, overhanging thorn bushes, and poison ivy on the trail. Bicyclists need to be aware of the hazards and the possibility of unseen pedestrians.

Bike Routes. Bike routes in Bloomington have no apparent function. They are scattered throughout the city. The map makes them look organized. They are organized to make a nice map but not for riding.  For example, there’s a bike route on a three lane, one-way street that carries most traffic in and out of town. Not really a safe place to ride.

The streets are no different than other streets - they have the same hazards and traffic management problems as described in the earlier posts. There is no reason to use them. It’s also a part of Bloomington’s attempt to do little but promote itself as bicycling-friendly.

Bike Lanes. There are a number of bike lanes throughout the city but they do nothing to improve cycling in Bloomington and are actually dangerous to use. Two one-way north and south streets (Lincoln and Washington) have bike lanes from 7th Street to Hillside Street. The lanes are used primarily to store road debris and for traffic control. They provide nothing useful for bicyclists. At the intersections, cars turning right have to cross the bike lane. This leads both drivers and bicyclists to unsure how to approach intersection.

A very dangerous traffic pattern occurs on Lincoln St at the intersections from 3^rd to 7^th Sts. The right lane is right turn only. Cars need to cross over the bike lane to turn right. Even worse, the bicyclists have to cross the right lane into the left lane to go straight. A more stupid design is not possible.

When these bike lanes were first developed, I talked to a member of the Bloomington Bicycle and Pedestrian Safegy Commission about the problems the lanes created. He said that many things the Bloomington city government does for bicyclists are stupid but at least they recognize that they should be thinking about bicyclists.

Another dangerous bike lane is on Jordan St between 3^rd and 7^th. The traffic goes around a small island. Bicyclists in the bike lane are threatened by both cross traffic and traffic exiting from a parking garage.

A few years ago, I called the city to ask them to keep the lane clear of debris and fix the low spots that trapped water, debris, and mud. They said they didn’t exist. When the street was being repaved a few years ago, I called the city to ask them to fix the drainage and debris problems. I was told it would be done. It wasn’t. During the winter, the bike lane dams freeze creating additional hazards for bicyclists.

Overall, except for the Clear Creek Trail, the attempts by the city government to improve conditions for bicycling in Bloomington are stupid and dangerous. Bicyclists should not assume that bike lanes and bike routes are safe and in fact, should consider them somewhat dangerous to use. Fortunately, the streets are relatively safe, although dirty, and there is little need to use the bike routes and lanes.

Before reading this post, you should read the earlier post on riding on Bloomington streets. In Part 1, I describe street surfaces and conditions. In the addendum to Part 1, I further describe the conditions that lead to the sometimes dangerous streets in Bloomington. In this post, I describe traffic control and traffic patterns.

Traffic Control: The stop signs and traffic lights in Bloomington are not predictable. Caution is needed before crossing any street. At most intersections without traffic lights, one to four corners have stop signs and the number of stop signs is not predictable. After some time in Bloomington, bicyclists and drivers know which streets are signed on each corner so they can anticipate problems.

For the most part, drivers stop but sometimes they miss the signs; often because the signs are hidden by shrubbery. Bicyclists need to be cautious before proceeding through any intersection with stop signs.

Traffic lights are generally triggered by wires below the street surface or by video cameras. However, the main north and south streets - College and Walnut - are completely timed. Some lights are timed during certain hours and triggered at other times.

Bicycles and bicyclists can trigger very few traffic lights. The wires are generally not sensitive enough to have bicycles trigger them. The video cameras don’t see bicyclists.

About a year ago, I complained to the Bloomington Public Works department that a repaving covered a wire that sometimes could trigger a traffic light. I also mentioned a number of places that I am unable to trigger lights. The response was - we can’t do anything about it. Bloomington city government likes to say they are bicycle friendly but their actions are very different.

So, when approaching a traffic light in Bloomington, bicyclist should assume that they won’t be able to get a green light without help from a vehicle to trigger the light. Since there is always a lot of traffic on Bloomington streets, a vehicle usually arrives quickly. If not, and if it’s more than a minute, assume that you won’t get a green light and proceed when safe.

It’s a stupid system but it’s consistent with traffic management in Bloomington.

Traffic Patterns - Again, Bloomington has strange patterns that can create dangerous situations for bicyclists. Very often, streets will, without warning, change into turn lanes. Roadside signs are lightly used, very small, and hidden. Most indicators of lane changes are arrows on the street. Very often, drivers unexpectedly find themselves in lanes that will change direction but the driver didn’t want to change. In these cases, drivers make hasty decisions and bicyclists can be endangered.

A good example is a street that I travel each day on my commute. Travelling south on College Mall Rd, where cars routinely travel 50 mph, about 30 yards before street ends, there’s a hard right turn. It is not until after the turn that drivers can see the traffic light. And, almost without warning, the right line becomes right turn only. Drivers expecting to stay on the street continuing south must quickly change lanes at high speed. There is a small grey sign, well-camouflaged by a grey building, that warns of the lane change. The lane changing at the intersection often looks like a NASCAR race. Instead of a little sign, an urban interstate overhead sign is needed. This stupid traffic design is consistent with other traffic management decisions made by the city.

As a regular cyclist, I know what to expect at that intersection and most others in Bloomington. Cyclists new to town could find themselves in a dangerous situation because of the traffic patterns.

  I had to run a couple mornings this week because of limited time. During the runs, I observed the streets in my neighborhood and a few nearby neighborhoods. The experience reminded me that I did not fully describe the causes of Bloomington’s dirty (and sometimes dangerous) streets in the earlier post.

Much of the problem of dirty streets can be attributed to the local lifestyle.Cigarette filters are a high proportion of the litter on Bloomington streets. Indiana has one of the highest smoking rates in the country and its smokers happily and quickly throw their trash in the streets. I’ve observer smokers throwing cigarette filters on their own property.

Another lifestyle characteristic that creates dirty and often dangerous streets - Bloomington residents deposit their yard waste in the street. Many residents put their grass clippings in the street. While this isn’t particularly dangerous, it can hide hazards. The over-fertilized grass clippings often block drop inlets creating little dams that trap dirt, mud, etc on the streets. The grass clippings cause problems for the local water supply but that’s a different issue.

Perhaps the most dangerous behavior is putting leaves on the street. During the fall, many Bloomington residents rake and blow their leaves into the streets. These leaves sit, sometimes for months, decomposing, blocking water flow during rains, collecting other litter, and generally making the streets even dirtier. The city has an ordinance prohibiting the practice but it’s not enforced.

For bicyclists, this practice causes some serious problems. After rains, the leaves are wet and can be very slippery. The most dangerous problem is that the streets become narrower, often creating one lane (or less) for traffic to flow. In Elm Heights, just south of campus, the streets are already narrow and the leaf piles on the street make it dangerous for bicyclists and cars to pass in opposite directions. On my commute, the streets in Covenanter are sometimes so narrow that one car can’t pass through easily.

The leaf piles cause drivers to make strange decisions and prevent bicyclists from using the right side of the road. When there is one lane (or less), drivers assume they are entitled to the lane, even if they have to cross the center to use it. I’ve often faced drivers who cross the middle and force me off the street because they are avoiding leaves. The fall is a dangerous time for bicyclists in Bloomington.

Bloomington claims to be bicycle-friendly community but its behavior is far different from its words.

In two or three posts, I will describe in some detail the conditions for bicycle riding on Bloomington streets. This is the first post. Later, I will describe the conditions for riding on Monroe County roads.

Bloomington Streets

Street surfaces: In general, the street surfaces are good. Bloomington has mild, short winters, so the freeze/thaw cycles do not create many potholes. And, few potholes are in the area where bicycles normally travel. The major potholes are usually repaired quickly.

The streets have limited alligatoring. Occasionally, the patching is uneven. Through most of the city streets, bicyclists on fat tires can proceed without much concern about potholes and severely uneven surfaces. Those on skinny tires can usually negotiate these problems very easily.

Street debris: Bloomington has very dirty (FILTHY) streets. The right sides of the streets are filled will all sorts of debris - gravel, limbs, glass, stones, mud, litter. Most intersections have gravel. Bicyclists need to continually looking for problems on the street surface.

When I first moved to Bloomington, I mentioned to many people that I was surprised by how dirty the streets were. When travelling, I compared the city streets to Bloomington streets and all others were much clearer with far less debris. Even in more “questionable” areas. Last May, I was in Manhattan for a few days. I noticed again how much cleaner the NYC streets were than those in Bloomington.

Most locals did not agree that the streets are dirty, but few ever see the streets except from their cars. It might be thought that dirty streets are a policy of the local government. It’s certainly not a policy to keep them clean.

Last summer, some local government employees spilled oil on a street near our house. They then covered the spill with gravel and sand but did not remove either. I complained to the city government about it and they denied it. Only after two weeks of “discussing” the issue did they recognize what happened. But, they still didn’t clean it. The oil and gravel are now in the local streams.

In Bloomington, stupidity and incompetence do not disqualify anyone for either elected or appointed positions. I’ll describe some similar issues with city government in other posts about city streets.

For bicyclists, the street conditions mean that riding at the far right of the street can often be hazardous because of the debris. Unfortunately, many inexperienced bicyclists stay too far to the right on the streets to avoid impeding cars. In Bloomington, the street hazards are at least as bad as the problems caused by local drivers and the far right is not necessarily safe.