Measure KK

[darcydodo]

wageslave asked me a few days ago why I care so much about Measure KK, a local Berkeley measure that requires a vote before implementing the dedication of lanes on Telegraph (or elsewhere, potentially) to buses.

Since I just wrote a long e-mail to the Daily Cal about this, I figure I'll post it here, unlocked, in case anyone wants to read it.

~I disagree

Comments

[jholomorphic]

BRT systems have been remarkable successful in attracting ridership (in dozens of cities, even in Los Angeles, where there's certainly more attachment to driving) so it's not clear if your hypotheses depending on it being underutilized are valid. Part of the plans have included platforms in the street (I'm not up-to-the-minute), which among other things would drastically speed wheelchair/elderly boarding (they'd be at door level). Even without them, and even without the dedicated lane, the 1R really slashes the time it takes to go up Telegraph/International. (Of course

[fengshui]

I think the concern is that the bicycle lane would be placed between the bus lane and the car lane, not between the bus lane and the sidewalk.

[jholomorphic]

ah, that makes more sense (since I couldn't understand Darcy's irrational fear of sidewalks); i still think it's better than a line of car doors; cars already cut you off to turn left as it is, , and i suspect it won't be that much worse.

[fengshui]

Right, but parked cars don't move. It can be unnerving to have (big) vehicles moving past you on both sides as you're biking in the middle.

[darcydodo]

Probably. :)