STAFF REPORT
Meeting Date: September 20, 2022
To: Honorable Mayor & City Council
From: Daren Grilley, Assistant Director of Public Works/City Engineer Jessie Holzer Carpenter, 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.
Third Quarter Evaluation
Staff has not received any new comments, suggestions or complaints regarding the pilot project during the third quarter, but generally receives requests for expanded protected bike lanes throughout Beverly Hills.
No changes were made to the project during the third quarter. Additionally, no collisions have been reported on this block since project installation.
CCTV camera data from July and August shows that, on average, there are 32 bicyclists riding this block per day (up from an average of 26 bicyclists per day in April). The CCTV camera data also shows that there is a maximum of up to 46 bicyclists per day (up from a maximum of 40 bicyclists per day in April).
Meeting Date: September 20, 2022
Observations from monitoring the pilot project during the third quarter remain consistent and 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 fourth quarter informational update in late 2022, followed by City Council consideration in early 2023 of options for a permanent installation.
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