According to The City of Dunwoody’s project website,
“The Chamblee Dunwoody Georgetown Gateway Project seeks to improve traffic flow and create a more welcoming environment for bicycle, pedestrian, and non-motorized users. The scope of the project entails improving the general traffic operations at its intersections as well as providing enhancements to the visual appeal, walkability, and safety of the corridor.”
Staff & consultants have recommended having a 12′ multi-use trail with no dedicated or separated bicycle facility on Chamblee-Dunwoody from Cotillion (I-285) to North Shallowford. It’s designated as Option C in the project plans.
For city project website with plans & details, please click HERE
Bike Walk Dunwoody would like to incorporate separated & dedicated facilities for persons on bicycles with PROTECTED BIKE LANES on each side of the road (which are like sidewalks for bikes) & also have multi-use trails / extra wide sidewalks.
Here’s what the Consultants have recommended
This is how the Consultants presented the Cycle Track Option
Discussion
– Each alternative comes with trade-offs. Most notably, a buffered bike lane (especially one that only has paint as a buffer, i.e. no planters or bollards) does not offer the same experience of separation that a multi-use trail does, making it less appealing for less confident or comfortable users (such as children, the elderly, and new riders). We would not recommend implementing a buffered bike lane without at least bollards or a raised space (such as a small curb; NACTO guidance identifies a suite of options for these barriers). A multi-use trail may offer better access for these users.
– On the other hand, a multi-use trail that exists in the same functional space as a sidewalk becomes vulnerable to the major issue with having bicyclists on sidewalks, which are:
1. Persons on bicycles & pedestrians may struggle to share the space due to the difference in their behaviors and expectations, and
2. Persons on bicycles may be traveling at a speed that makes it hard for vehicles approaching the multi-use trail on their way through it on a driveway or cross street to react or predict easily. For example, a car pulling out of the parking lot of the Waffle House may be able to react to a pedestrian approaching in front of them, but not a bicyclist (who may not immediately be visible or may be obscured at their speed by other objects).
Bike-Walk Dunwoody Recommendations
10 to 12 ft wide sidewalk on both sides that are marked as a multi-use trail for the purposes of allowing slower, more casual persons on bicycles and pedestrians to coexist (10‘ width meets AASHTO standards for a Multi-Use Path) legally.
Barrier-Protected One-Way 6 ½ ft wide bike lanes with 3-ft buffer of planters or another form of barrier. Also known as a Cycle Track . One-way on each side of the road in the direction of travel. This facility meets the standards of the National Association of City Transportation Officials.
13-ft barrier-separation between motor vehicles and Multi-Use Trail
–Versus 6 or 7 ½ ft separation per Consultant Recommendation
Have we caught your interest? Checkout this cool video from PeopleForBikes that describes what Protected Bike Lanes are all about:
Call to Action
If you’d like to continue to have a conversation and explore the possibility of having BOTH the Multi-Use Trail ** AND ** Protected Bike Lanes that have a 3-ft buffer between motor vehicles & persons on bicycles, then please send a note to:
[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected];
Detailed Bike Walk Dunwoody Presentation
Feel free to download & review the detailed presentation with examples by clicking the following: Bike Walk Dunwoody C-D Gateway Recommendations