Traffic Safety Commission to hear Pennsylvania Dr bike lane proposal

What: Traffic Safety Commission hears public input on Pennsylvania Drive bike lane proposal
When: Monday June 4, 2012. 5:30 to 7 p.m.
Where: City Hall Council Chambers at 215 E. McKinney St.
Links: city announcement, supporter Facebook page, original 2009 story

In October of 2009, Southridge resident Sarah Richey addressed city council and called for bike accommodations on Pennsylvania Dr, citing a need for children to safely ride to the two schools and parks just across Teasley. As you can see in this photo, the street section is quite wide (40′, supposedly). There are no lane markings for parking or driving, so as you can imagine, it’s kind of a free for all now, and there aren’t any cues to calm driving behavior.

Pennsylvania Drive is mentioned briefly in the official city Bike Plan, but the proposed street design is for Wide Curb Lanes and not actual striped lanes or sharrows. This topic has been quiet since 2009 until recently, when County Commissioner Hugh Coleman allocated $50,000 of county money towards the Bike Plan. Hugh’s precinct (1) extends south of Teasley and north of Windsor, roughly. Commissioner Andy Eads, who also allocated $50,000 for the plan, oversees funding for central Denton. As reported by the Denton Record-Chronicle in 2011, some of the county funds would go to bike accommodations on Pennsylvania Drive.

Here’s where it gets tricky. Some (but not most) of the houses on Pennsylvania front the road. Parking is allowed on both sides. The city traffic engineer, Bud Vokoun, says bike lane installation would require parking removal from at least one side.

In full disclosure, I serve on the Traffic Safety Commission, and I expect we’ll see several road configuration options before taking input from the public, discussing the options, and allowing for decision. I encourage anyone to give input, whether they want to address the commission, submit a non-speaking comment card, or share their concerns with the city council.