STAFF REPORT
Meeting Date: June 21, 2022
To: Honorable Mayor & City Council
From: Daren Grilley, Assistant Director Public Works/City Engineer Jessie Holzer, Transportation Planner
Subject:
Attachments:
Roxbury Drive Protected Bike Lane Pilot Project Update
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INTRODUCTION
This report provides an update on the Roxbury Drive Protected Bike Lane Pilot Project installed in late 2021, which includes a southbound protected bike lane and northbound conventional bike lane on Roxbury Drive south of Olympic Boulevard.
DISCUSSION
On September 19, 2021, City Council approved implementation of the Roxbury Drive Protected Bike Lane Pilot Project, consisting of a southbound protected bike lane and northbound conventional bike lane, for a one-year evaluation period. Staff completed installation in late December 2021, and the pilot project evaluation period began in January 2022. This was the first high priority bikeway project the City pursued since adoption of the Complete Streets Plan as the street was wide enough to install a protected bike lane without any impacts to number of vehicle lanes or on-street parking stalls.
Second Quarter Evaluation
Staff has not received any new comments, suggestions or complaints regarding the pilot project during the second quarter, but generally receives frequent requests for expanded protected bike lanes throughout Beverly Hills.
During the second quarter, staff painted meter numbers within angled parking stalls adjacent to the protected bike lane to reduce confusion about which meter corresponds with each parking stall. This will be monitored over the third quarter to determine if the issue is addressed.
No collisions have been reported on this block since project installation.
Meeting Date: June 21, 2022
Staff has started to explore the use of CCTV cameras to evaluate the project in an effort to conduct cost-efficient multi-modal user counts. Data from April shows that on average there are 26 bicyclists riding this block per day and up to 40 bicyclists per day.
Observations from monitoring the pilot project during the second quarter include: Conflicts between bicyclists and people crossing the bike lane to access metered parking stalls have neither been observed nor reported. Plastic delineators as buffers between parked vehicles and bike lanes continue to be a maintenance challenge as drivers frequently push their vehicles into the delineators or maneuver between them. However, they have effectively minimized vehicle encroachment into the bike lane. The protected bike lane continues to be a maintenance challenge due to falling tree leaves and debris that accumulate despite daily sweeping. Staff is exploring grant opportunities to purchase an electric mini street sweeper that would allow for more efficient sweeping and could also be used for enhanced alley cleaning. Finally, due to global supply chain issues, staff continues to not have access to green pavement marking material. As such, green “skip” markings still remain to be installed where bike lanes cross driveways and alleys to indicate the conflict zone between drivers and bicyclists. Next Steps
Staff will continue monitoring and observing the pilot project and anticipates providing a third quarter informational update in fall 2022.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no direct fiscal impact to this item.
RECOMMENDATION
This report is for information only.
Shana Epstein, Director of Public Works
Approved By