Friday, May 7, 2010
AAA Mid-Atlantic responds
See comments on the earlier post AAA Mid-Atlantic bashes Pennsylvania Ave. bike lanes. One is from someone who works for AAA Mid-Atlantic and the other is an official response received from AAA Mid-Atlantic. Both claim there was not enough public review of the project which has been part of the DC Bicycle Master Plan since 2005. That process included considerable public comment and review. Calling for an Environmental Impact Study now is the same tactic used in San Francisco to block any new bike projects for three years.Bike lanes to allow more people to use bicycles for transportation (20% of all drivers want to go by bike according to AAA Mid-Atlantic) should be a win-win for all users of the transportation system. We hope AAA Mid-Atlantic recognizes that and supports future bike lane projects.
Labels: aaa mid-atlantic, bike lanes, pennsylvania ave.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
AAA Mid-Atlantic bashes Pennsylvania Ave. bike lanes
Most cyclists that I know drive cars. Maybe not as much as other people, but we use cars to go on longer trips, sometimes for grocery shopping, and for many of the other trips that we don't take by bike. Many of us also purchase travel services, either from our primary auto insurance company or from groups like AAA or Better World Club.If you are a member of AAA Mid-Atlantic you might want to think twice about your membership. NEW BIKE LANES COULD MAKE A BAD THING WORSE IN DOWNTOWN WASHINGTON, SAYS AAA: Protected Bike Lane Project Would Remove Six Miles Of Traffic Lane; New Bike Lanes Won't Entice District Motorists Out Of Cars, AAA Poll Shows. That's the (long) title of a recent AAA press release that is very critical of the Pennsylvania Ave. bike lanes.
AAA claims that "It is unlikely the addition of new bike lanes in Washington's Central Business District will entice most motorists out of their cars or attract more residents to bicycling to work. That's according to the findings of AAA Mid-Atlantic's latest survey of District motorists." But then they state that "20 percent of surveyed AAA members in the District said the changes would compel them to become regular bicycle commuters." Just think what a 20% bicycle mode share could mean for the District.
"Motorists are concerned that congestion will become even more pronounced because reductions in lane width generally trigger reductions in traffic flow, travel times and capacity. That’s the biggest issue." In fact, according to FHWA, reducing lane width in "reduced-speed urban environments" is commonly used to create bike lanes and narrow crossing distance for pedestrians and has little impact on traffic.
AAA Mid-Atlantic "is encouraging commuters and District motorists to voice their concerns about the proposal." We encourage you to voice your concerns to AAA Mid-Atlantic to let them know you don't appreciate your membership money going toward bicycle-bashing press releases. You can also let the Transportation Planning Board know that you support DDOT's bike lane proposal in the 2010 Draft update to the CLRP.
By the way, Better World Club has a Bike road assistance program that includes Bike Discounts, information on traveling with your bike and more. We're members and in our opinion, they are a much better option for travel services.See related stories at The Wash Cycle: Penn Ave. Bike Lanes: AAA is crushing us
League of American Bicyclists: Bike Lanes on Pennsylvania Avenue (updated)
Labels: bike lanes, pennsylvania ave.
