Madison Square Park to Washington Square Park

Time: 10/20/2013, 4pm-6:30pm

Route: From Madison Square Park to Washington Square Park

Transportation tool: Citi Bike

I had my second bicycle lane observation trip on Sunday, 20^th Oct. by renting Citi bike. My trip was actually a line connected by 3 well-known nodes-- Madison Square Park, Union Square, and Washington Square Park, totally covering 5 roads—Broadway, E17th street, Park Ave, E14th street, and Fifth Ave. I did observations in all of the 3 nodes; each of observations was more than 15 minutes long. During these observations and what I saw along the route, I had many interesting discoveries.

Map

Node 1-Madison Square Park:

Intersection: Broadway, Fifth Ave and E23rd Street. (image01,02)

Observation time: 4:22-4:32pm

Since the famous Flatiron Building and Madison Square Park are located nearby, this area has lots of pedestrians and auto-mobile traffic, also bicyclists. The road status traffic organization of this area is good; the reason should be the property of this zone- many business buildings plus high-quality residential apartments. Good district always have relatively good infrastructure, including the roads.

image01,02-Madison Square Park node

1)       Helmets--25%

In the 10 minutes observation period, there were 5 of 20 bicyclists wearing helmets, including the freight ones. Not too bad.

image03-cars barely touch the bicycle lane

2)       Traffic behavior

Drivers- very careful, barely have occupying bicycle lanes (image03)

Pedestrians- most of them obey traffic rules, using their own passageways, also respect the bicyclists. I think the reason is because there are lots of motor vehicles, and the traffic in this intersection seems a little complicated.

image04- some bicyclist occupy motor lane 

Bicyclists- some of the bicyclists occupy the motor way when there are no cars when crossing the road (image04)

image05-good maintenance

3)       Infrastructures

Signage- Good and complete

Maintenance- Perfect (image05)

Continuity- Good. Besides, there is an extension of bicycle
lane in the intersection, to make bicyclists stand in advance of drivers and feel safe when the traffic lights turn green. (image06)

image06-extension of bicycle lane 

Major problem:

I didn’t see many problems here. Low helmets wearing ratio could be one.

Node 2-Union Square:

Intersection: Broadway and E17th Street. (image07,08)

Observation time: 5:07-5:17pm

This is a busy intersection. The overall traffic situation is worse than the first node. Here are larger amounts of motor vehicles and pedestrians, also more bicyclists. Phenomenon of breaking traffic rule seems popular. Fortunately, the helmets wearing ratio are high.

image07,08-Union Square node

1)       Helmets--45%

In the 10 minutes observation period, there were 14 of 31 bicylists wearing helmets, including the freight ones. This is the best of the 3 nodes.

image09- bicylist run the red light

2)       Traffic behavior

Drivers- Average level, no serious breaking rules behaviors.

Pedestrians- Very careful because of so busy traffic!

Bicyclists- Very bad, many bicyclists just rush across the pedestrian crossing way even there is a turning-on light for the pedestrians. (image09)

image10- instruction signage is good

      


      3)       Infrastructures

Signage- Instruction signage is ok (image10), but the printing signage on the road is wearing out because of the traffic.

Maintenance- Below average, out of flatness.

Continuity- Good. Also there is specific turn-left lane with instruction signage for relative bicyclists.

  

Major problem:

Maintenances.

Disrespect pedestrians.  

Node 3-Washington Square Park:

Intersection: Washington Square N Street and 5th Street.(image11,12)

Observation time: 5:59-6:09pm

Here is a three-way intersection. The other side is the Washington Square Park. Those people who enter or out of the Washington Square use this intersection. The traffic here is very complicated and there is a discontinuity in bicycle lane which leads in a disorder of traffic organization.

image11,12-Washington Square node

1)       Helmets--31%

In the 10 minutes observation period, there were 5 of 16 bicylists wearing helmets, including the freight ones. Better than the first one.

image13-pedestrian didn't use the crossing way 

2)       Traffic behavior

Drivers- Actually they obey the rules very well, but they threaten the bicyclists unconsciously, just because the bicycle lanes are incomplete.

Pedestrians- OK, someone doesn’t use the crossing way.(image13)

Bicyclists- they ride freely and disorderly, sometime under a dangerous circumstances (image14,15)

image14- riding with the cars, dangerous

image15- when you turn right here, it's difficult for you to ride to the green lane over the street when there is a traffic, dangerous

3)       Infrastructures

Signage- Good

Maintenance-Good

Continuity- Bad case here.


There is a strange thing, the bicycle lane on Fifth Ave is located on the left side of road, when you need to turn right in the intersection, there is a specific crossing way for you, and this is good. But after you turn right, you need cross the E14th Street again, because this time the bicycle lane is located in the left side, when the light is green, you need finish the crossing action with the motor vehicles running close to you- you can see how dangerous it is. Another weird thing is, if you want to turn left, there is no bicycle lane for you… I think the turn-left issue is popular, but the conflict and insecurity are obviously.(image16,17,18)

image16: two directions of the same road, one with bicycle lane, another not 

image17- towards west, green lane

image18-toward east, no lane

Major problem:

Discontinuity.

Over bravery of the bicyclists.

Road 1- Broadway between 22^nd Street and 23^rd Street

Good maintenances and complete signage. Extension of bicycle lane in the intersection. Good share with roller skater (image19)

image19- share with the roller skater

Road 2- Broadway between 21^nd Street and 22^rd Street

Nice combination with Citi bike station, and parking lots. Increased safety.(image20)

image20- good combination with station, parking lots

Road 3- University Pl Street and E13th Street

Discontinuity. There is a Citi bike station on the University Pl Street, people use to rent a bicycle here and ride towards south and turn left, right or go straight down at the intersection of the two roads. However, there is only one bicycle lane besides the Citi bike station and ends at the intersection. There are no any bicycle lanes in other three directions. This can easily make the bicyclists confused here and lack of sense of safety.(image21,22)

image21- here is a citi bike station

image22- bicyclists from different directions ride without their own lanes 

My Conclusions:

Physical aspect

1)       Land use -- road

Jane Jacobs said in her book that the property of surrounding zone and who live there decide the park is good or bad, not the reverse. Road is the same. Bicycle lane is one part of urban roads. In good zone, there are always bicycle lanes in good maintenances, while in the poor or messy area, like Chinatown, the bicycle lanes and cycling environment are in bad situation. We need research the surrounding plots to decide the improvement construction of bicycle lane

Social behavior aspect

1)       Infrastructure maintenance – driver behavior

I found that the better the lane maintenance, the more politely the vehicle driver behavior is, and vice versa. Like the Madison Square intersection has better bicyclist’s behavior than the Union Square intersection. I think this is because of the positive impacts of good quality of urban infrastructure.

.

2)       Quantities of bicyclists- obey rule or not

When there is a good pedestrian park with certain proportion residential area located nearby, like the Washington Square area, the bicyclists become more bravery, with more breaking rule’s behaviors. If the sense of that”there is a walkable and peaceful area nearby” encourage the freedom and courage of the bicyclists? Bicyclists, well as pedestrians, are disadvantaged groups in the urban transportation. In society, while the group is larger, it seems to be stronger. So is the bicyclists group, just a point of view.