Ft. Lauderdale Adopts Complete Streets and Implementing Manual

It's so easy for a local government to approve of a resolution supporting a Complete Streets policy, that is, streets designed for the comfort of all users, whether motorists, pedestrians, bicyclists, or transit users.  It's a more complicated, and impressive undertaking to create a manual to guide implementation of such a policy.  That's what Ft. Lauderdale did. You can link to the Cit'y's new Complete Streets manual at this LINK.

Orlando Negotiating with Bike Share Company

The City of Orlando is negotiating with CycleHop to install a bike share system at thirty locations in the City, according to The Bugalower.  CityHop says it is looking for a corporate sponsor (one must assume they're reaching out to SunTrust Bank, having proposed the name "SunCycles").  CityHop expects to have the system operational when SunRail begins service in spring 2014.  You can find a list of preliminary locations at THIS LINK.

Streetfilms posted this video about the debut of CitiBike, New York City's bike share system:

It's No Myth: Roundabouts Have Higher Capacity

Mythbusters found that a roundabout has a capacity about 20% higher than an intersection controlled by four-way stop signs.  Roundabout professionals who viewed the episode commented that the roundabout, as laid-out, could have absorbed even more traffic. One professional contended that, with proper geometry, the roundabout could have absorbed as many as 2,200 vehicles in an hour.  Another roundabout expert opined that the roundabout would have further outshone the conventional intersection had pedestrians taken part in the test.  

Ignored Signs on Bike Trails

Cross-Seminole Trail -- Bicyclists neither stop, nor walk their bikes across this residential street with light motorist traffic.

After a year of riding the Cross-Seminole Trail, I have never seen any of dozens of bicyclists obey this stop sign at Shale Court, except for a handful of instances when a motorist stopped before turning onto S.R. 426.  Shale Court has light traffic and I have never seen anyone walk a bike across it.  The purpose of doing so, as the sign mandates, eludes me.  These signs are unnecessary and should be replaced by a simple yield sign, if anything.  

UPDATE 10/16/13 -MetroPlan Orlando has established a Trail Traffic Control Working Group to address the proliferation of stop signs on a Central Florida's trail network.  Outstanding effort by Keri Caffrey in bringing this issue to MetroPlan''s attention.  More information at Commute Orlando at this LINK.