Comments on: The Economic Benefits of Bicycle Infrastructure Investments http://www.bikesd.org/2009/09/the-economic-benefits-of-bicycle-infrastructure-investments/ Wed, 08 Feb 2012 17:06:26 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Michael Ballard http://www.bikesd.org/2009/09/the-economic-benefits-of-bicycle-infrastructure-investments/comment-page-1/#comment-138 Michael Ballard Sat, 26 Sep 2009 00:45:49 +0000 http://www.bikesd.org/?p=455#comment-138 With regards to the 710 project, it isn't just a repaving job. The whole freeway, with the exception of bridges, is being upgraded. The roadway surface is being built up, to better hold under the weight of the heavy truck traffic, signs are being replaced, the median is being upgraded, shoulders are being widened when possible as well. So, yeah, $75 million sounds like a lot, but they are doing a lot. With regards to the 710 project, it isn’t just a repaving job. The whole freeway, with the exception of bridges, is being upgraded. The roadway surface is being built up, to better hold under the weight of the heavy truck traffic, signs are being replaced, the median is being upgraded, shoulders are being widened when possible as well. So, yeah, $75 million sounds like a lot, but they are doing a lot.

]]> By: Bic Control http://www.bikesd.org/2009/09/the-economic-benefits-of-bicycle-infrastructure-investments/comment-page-1/#comment-137 Bic Control Fri, 25 Sep 2009 19:11:31 +0000 http://www.bikesd.org/?p=455#comment-137 What a fascinating study. Thank you for sharing. Can't wait to read the full report. 'CalTrans is paying $75 million to repave, not rebuild, just three miles of Interstate 710 in Los Angeles. Thus, for the cost of repaving 3 miles of rough pavement on Interstate 710, CalTrans could sign and stripe 1,250 miles of California roads for bike lanes.' Wow, this comparison is shocking. $75 million to repave 3 miles on an Interstate route? What an unsustainable way to spend our tax dollars. If you factor in the capital required to offset the carbon dioxide emissions that increased automobile facilitation will produce, the costs of automobile-first planning is even higher. Now, a repave job might not necessarily increase automobile facilitation. However, adding freeway lanes does. There are plans (which recently received funding, btw) to add another lane to the 805 freeway. What a waste. This is merely a gap-solution. Traffic will only get worse on the 805 as automobile capacity increases. Planners need to wake up and invest in a real, long-term, sustainable solution with economic payback: Bicycle infrastructure. What a fascinating study. Thank you for sharing. Can’t wait to read the full report.

‘CalTrans is paying $75 million to repave, not rebuild, just three miles of Interstate 710 in Los Angeles. Thus, for the cost of repaving 3 miles of rough pavement on Interstate 710, CalTrans could sign and stripe 1,250 miles of California roads for bike lanes.’

Wow, this comparison is shocking. $75 million to repave 3 miles on an Interstate route? What an unsustainable way to spend our tax dollars.

If you factor in the capital required to offset the carbon dioxide emissions that increased automobile facilitation will produce, the costs of automobile-first planning is even higher. Now, a repave job might not necessarily increase automobile facilitation. However, adding freeway lanes does. There are plans (which recently received funding, btw) to add another lane to the 805 freeway. What a waste. This is merely a gap-solution. Traffic will only get worse on the 805 as automobile capacity increases.

Planners need to wake up and invest in a real, long-term, sustainable solution with economic payback: Bicycle infrastructure.

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