Wednesday’s snowfall presented new challenges to a protected bike lane pilot program in Flagstaff.
The program, which involved installation of curb barriers and plastic rods to separate about 2 miles of bike lane on Beaver Street and Butler Avenue, was designed to make multi-modal transportation safer and more appealing to the public. But with the added complications of winter weather, some cyclists report the opposite effect.
“It’s a mess,” said Scott Heinsius, avid cyclist and owner of Cosmic Cycles in Flagstaff.
Because of the concrete barriers, the pilot lanes require specialized plowing after snowfall. But when Heinsius commuted to work Thursday morning, well after snow had stopped falling, he found that the pilot bike lanes remained unplowed, forcing him onto the street.
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“There’s cars everywhere and it’s icy,” Heinsius said. “And now there’s less room than there would have been before these pilot lanes.”
The lanes are definitely more “maintenance intensive,” said Samuel Beckett, public works street director.
Currently, the city has just one tool — A Bobcat skid-steer — that is capable of plowing between the barriers, but it is in the process of acquiring two more Toolcats that will be well-suited to the task.
The versatile pieces of equipment were already on the docket to be purchased for multiple uses by the city, and the order was expedited with the implementation of the bike lane pilot program. Supply chain problems meant, however, that as of Wednesday’s storm, the Toolcats had still not been delivered.
“Like anything else, heavy equipment is in the same boat with delays and backorders,” said Beckett.
Even if the Toolcats had been available, it’s unclear whether the pilot lanes would have been plowed in a timely manner.
“Multiple vehicle strikes” during Tuesday and Wednesday’s snowfall substantially damaged five or six of the concrete barriers, sending chunks of concrete into the bike lanes, Beckett reported. The debris was substantial enough that it required removal by hand before the lane could be plowed.
As of 2 p.m. Thursday, city street crews were still addressing the broken barriers, and the pilot lanes remained clogged.
Encountering problems is part of the pilot program, said Scott Overton, streets section director. From the outset, it was anticipated that this program would meet obstacles and opportunities to learn. In that respect, the experiment is ongoing, Overton said.
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Winter Returns to Flagstaff
Jeff Fitzgerald clears an alleyway in downtown Flagstaff Wednesday morning.
Winter Returns to Flagstaff
Katarina Hahn checks her phone before heading into work Wednesday morning after Flagstaff received multiple inches of snow overnight.
Lost in the Storm
Freddie the labradoodle looks for his ball Wednesday afternoon while on a walk to Wheeler Park with Jenny Bilmes and Dianna Middleton.
Winter Returns to Flagstaff
An abandoned bicycle slowly buried in snow Wednesday morning in downtown Flagstaff.
Winter Returns to Flagstaff
Marie Zelenka clears her driveway with a snowblower Wednesday morning.
Neighborhood Snowboarding
Niko Cooper, 17, catches some air after being towed into a jump by a friend’s car next to Cullen Park Wednesday afternoon.
Winter Returns to Flagstaff
A snow-covered bench in downtown Flagstaff shows off a storm’s accumulation Wednesday morning.
Winter Returns to Flagstaff
A plow clears Leroux Street in downtown Flagstaff Wednesday morning not long after the city received around eight inches of snow overnight.
Winter Returns to Flagstaff
A plow clears an alleyway in downtown Flagstaff Wednesday morning after the received nearly inches of snow overnight. More snow has been expected to fall Wednesday afternoon into the evening.
Winter Returns to Flagstaff
A large snowman stands near Thorpe Park Wednesday morning after Flagstaff received around 8 inches of snow overnight.
Nose Deep in the Snow
Freddie, a labradoodle, looks for his ball Wednesday afternoon while on a walk to Wheeler Park with Jenny Bilmes and Dianna Middleton.
Nose Deep in Snow
Freddie, a labradoodle, looks for his ball Wednesday afternoon while on a walk to Wheeler Park with Jenny Bilmes and Dianna Middleton.
Still Coming Down
Scott Miller works to clear the sidewalks in front of his downtown home Wednesday afternoon in Flagstaff as snow from a strong winter storm continues to fall. More than a foot of snow had fallen over Flagstaff by mid-afternoon Wednesday.
Walking to Work
Christian Fauser walks along snow-packed Aspen Avenue Wednesday afternoon on his way to Firecreek Coffee Company to get out of the house and do some work. A strong winter storm that dropped over a foot of snow on the city was still stalled over the region late Wednesday.
Snowy Roads Lead to slide-Offs
Snow-packed roads lead to difficult driving conditions across northern Arizona Wednesday as a strong winter storm dropped more than a foot of snow on Flagstaff. Slide-offs were a common sight on city streets as people worked to navigate poor driving conditions.
The Family That Skiis Together
Alisha Laramee, right, leads her family members as they cross country ski through Cullen Park in the falling snow Wednesday afternoon. Following Laramee in order are Lilly Laramee-Bose, Quinn Quisen-Berry, 4, Wren Quisen-Berry, 8, and Allison Laramee walking Clover the dog.
Trekking Through The Storm
Alisha Laramee, right, leads her family members as they cross country ski through Cullen Park in the falling snow Wednesday afternoon.
Neighborhood Snowboarding
Eli Price, 17, takes a jump on his snowboard after being towed down the street by his friend, Powell Nash-Hayes, 16, Wednesday afternoon. A group of friends formed a jump on the side of the street and took turns on their snowboards launching off it.
Neighborhoos Snowboarding
Cameron Rucker, 17, picks his line as he is towed down a snow-packed street by his friend, Powell Nash-Hayes, 16, near Cullen Park Wednesday afternoon. A group of friends built a jump on the side of the street and took turns on their snowboards launching off it.
Catching Air
Cameron Rucker, 17, catches some air after being towed into a jump that he and friends built on a snow-packed street near Cullen Park Wednesday afternoon.
Truck Sledding
Rylans Coffey, 12, sleds backward behind the family car through his deserted neighborhood streets Wednesday morning as snow from a strong winter storm continues to fall over Flagstaff.
Truck Sledding
Rylans Coffey, 12, sleds behind the family car through his deserted neighborhood streets Wednesday morning as snow from a strong winter storm continues to fall over Flagstaff.
Smart Sister
Jorah coffey, 14, watches from that back of the family truck as her brother, Ryland, 12, sleds on a tow rope Wednesday morning.
Winter Returns to Flagstaff
Jeff Fitzgerald clears an alleyway in downtown Flagstaff Wednesday morning.
Winter Returns to Flagstaff
Katarina Hahn checks her phone before heading into work Wednesday morning after Flagstaff received multiple inches of snow overnight.
Lost in the Storm
Freddie the labradoodle looks for his ball Wednesday afternoon while on a walk to Wheeler Park with Jenny Bilmes and Dianna Middleton.
Winter Returns to Flagstaff
An abandoned bicycle slowly buried in snow Wednesday morning in downtown Flagstaff.
Winter Returns to Flagstaff
Marie Zelenka clears her driveway with a snowblower Wednesday morning.
Neighborhood Snowboarding
Niko Cooper, 17, catches some air after being towed into a jump by a friend’s car next to Cullen Park Wednesday afternoon.
Winter Returns to Flagstaff
A snow-covered bench in downtown Flagstaff shows off a storm’s accumulation Wednesday morning.
Winter Returns to Flagstaff
A plow clears Leroux Street in downtown Flagstaff Wednesday morning not long after the city received around eight inches of snow overnight.
Winter Returns to Flagstaff
A plow clears an alleyway in downtown Flagstaff Wednesday morning after the received nearly inches of snow overnight. More snow has been expected to fall Wednesday afternoon into the evening.
Winter Returns to Flagstaff
A large snowman stands near Thorpe Park Wednesday morning after Flagstaff received around 8 inches of snow overnight.
Nose Deep in the Snow
Freddie, a labradoodle, looks for his ball Wednesday afternoon while on a walk to Wheeler Park with Jenny Bilmes and Dianna Middleton.
Nose Deep in Snow
Freddie, a labradoodle, looks for his ball Wednesday afternoon while on a walk to Wheeler Park with Jenny Bilmes and Dianna Middleton.
Still Coming Down
Scott Miller works to clear the sidewalks in front of his downtown home Wednesday afternoon in Flagstaff as snow from a strong winter storm continues to fall. More than a foot of snow had fallen over Flagstaff by mid-afternoon Wednesday.
Walking to Work
Christian Fauser walks along snow-packed Aspen Avenue Wednesday afternoon on his way to Firecreek Coffee Company to get out of the house and do some work. A strong winter storm that dropped over a foot of snow on the city was still stalled over the region late Wednesday.
Snowy Roads Lead to slide-Offs
Snow-packed roads lead to difficult driving conditions across northern Arizona Wednesday as a strong winter storm dropped more than a foot of snow on Flagstaff. Slide-offs were a common sight on city streets as people worked to navigate poor driving conditions.
The Family That Skiis Together
Alisha Laramee, right, leads her family members as they cross country ski through Cullen Park in the falling snow Wednesday afternoon. Following Laramee in order are Lilly Laramee-Bose, Quinn Quisen-Berry, 4, Wren Quisen-Berry, 8, and Allison Laramee walking Clover the dog.
Trekking Through The Storm
Alisha Laramee, right, leads her family members as they cross country ski through Cullen Park in the falling snow Wednesday afternoon.
Neighborhood Snowboarding
Eli Price, 17, takes a jump on his snowboard after being towed down the street by his friend, Powell Nash-Hayes, 16, Wednesday afternoon. A group of friends formed a jump on the side of the street and took turns on their snowboards launching off it.
Neighborhoos Snowboarding
Cameron Rucker, 17, picks his line as he is towed down a snow-packed street by his friend, Powell Nash-Hayes, 16, near Cullen Park Wednesday afternoon. A group of friends built a jump on the side of the street and took turns on their snowboards launching off it.
Catching Air
Cameron Rucker, 17, catches some air after being towed into a jump that he and friends built on a snow-packed street near Cullen Park Wednesday afternoon.
Truck Sledding
Rylans Coffey, 12, sleds backward behind the family car through his deserted neighborhood streets Wednesday morning as snow from a strong winter storm continues to fall over Flagstaff.
Truck Sledding
Rylans Coffey, 12, sleds behind the family car through his deserted neighborhood streets Wednesday morning as snow from a strong winter storm continues to fall over Flagstaff.
Smart Sister
Jorah coffey, 14, watches from that back of the family truck as her brother, Ryland, 12, sleds on a tow rope Wednesday morning.
“We won’t have any final recommendations or real data to chew on until spring at the soonest,” he said.
Assuming that the damage incurred over this week’s storm was a fluke and that the right tools can get the pilot lanes plowed in a timely manner, that still may not be enough to make them safe in winter weather, said cyclist Joe Krahulik.
“The other issue has to do with the way that cinders from the roadways wash into and are swept into the bike lanes,” Krahulik said.
A road maintenance staple used to create traction, cinders have a tendency to collect between the curb and concrete barriers of the pilot lanes.
“The buildup of cinders creates a situation where your bike tires are effectively floating on loose marbles that roll around on the hard asphalt,” Krahulik said.
The resulting riding conditions are “unnerving, even dangerous.”
Despite these issues, Krahulik praised the pilot lanes as a “step in the right direction,” and Heinsius agreed that they represented a “good effort” on behalf of the city to make multi-modal transportation safer.
Recent winter weather complications are evidence that the current design may not be the “final solution,” Heinsius said.
As long as the city is going to be dedicating tools to plow the lanes, he believes a superior option would be fully separated lanes above the roadway and out of reach for cinders and vehicle strikes.
“That would really the ultimate goal for safety of pedestrians and cyclists,” he said.
Sean Golightly can be reached at [email protected]
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