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No Change in Ingersoll Automobile Commute Time

22 Jun 2010

A Des Moines Register article today reports that the the Ingersoll fiasco bike lane addition left automobile travel times essentially unchanged. Not only is the street now more accessible to bicyclists, but it was done without substantially impacting automobile travel.

Commute times on Ingersoll Avenue have changed little since traffic lanes were reconfigured, according to city traffic studies...

In the worst case, travel times increased roughly 20 seconds for westbound motorists traveling between Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway and 42nd Street during the afternoon rush hour, said Gary Fox, the city's traffic engineer. There were essentially no changes overall and slight improvements in midday vehicle travel times, he added.

Um, yeah. I probably could have told you that without a GPS-outfitted car, but such technology makes the conclusion a little more believable to the naysayers. Perhaps.

UPDATE, 6/30/2010: A reader who lives just off Ingersoll and commutes every day on the street notes that her commute time has actually decreased!

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Mars Cafe "Bike Night" Encourages Cycling

15 Jun 2010

The online forums are filled with people complaining about the new bike lanes on Ingersoll. People who claim to have previously shopped at stores on Ingersoll are boasting that they have "taken their business" to West Des Moines because of the new bike lanes and will "never drive down Ingersoll again. (My guess is those people never did a whole lot of shopping on Ingersoll to begin with).

Mars Cafe Bike Night PosterMars Cafe Bike Night PosterThe hills are alive with extreme claims that the bike lanes will be the end of business on Ingersoll.

If they are concerned about business falling off, businesses on Ingersoll should take a page from Mars Cafe's brilliant playbook and embrace the bike culture. Every Tuesday evening is "Bike Night" at Mars Cafe - riding a bike there gets you drink specials and happy hour prices all night long if you come with a group.

Here are some other ideas for Ingersoll businesses to take advantage of the transportation upgrade:

  1. Biker Specials - Copy Mars Cafe and offer discounts to patrons who arrive on two wheels.
  2. Bike Festival / Bike Show - Collaborate with local bike shops to host an annual Bike Show and kid-friendly Bike Parade.
  3. Bike Race - Host an annual bike race up the 42nd Street hill.
  4. Pre-RAGBRAI Bar Crawl - Bikers, get ready for RAGBRAI! Ingersoll Bars could host a pre-RAGBRAI bar crawl, where each bar represents one of the overnight towns.

What other events or promotions could build on the new bike lane asset?

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Ingersoll Bicycle Lane

01 Jun 2010

Ingersoll Streetscape and Bike LaneIngersoll Streetscape and Bike LaneThe sky isn't falling!

With just over a month's worth of experience (in time for "Bike to Work Week"), Des Moines drivers and bicyclists seem to be adapting (with a few exceptions) to the lane revisions on Ingersoll.

My thoughts as a regular Ingersoll driver:

  • It is harder to make a left-hand turn onto Ingersoll from a side street or parking lot. With one lane of automobile traffic, the line of moving cars is longer and one must wait a little longer to cross over to the opposite lane.
  • The new lane striping makes drivers more conscientious. I see drivers being more cautious about entering traffic (and feel more cautious myself) - people are taking more time to look for cyclists?. Perhaps we just aren't used to the changes and things will go back to normal behavior in a few months.
  • Drivers are operating their cars more slowly. The new striping encourages slower driving. I'm sure this is a source of frustration to people who are used to weaving in and out of cars on a two-lane Ingersoll. It is actually better for business in a pedestrian-oriented district. However, the large plantings between traffic and the buildings partially negate this benefit because people in the slower-moving cars can't see signage and into the businesses.
  • Drivers don't know how to use a center turn lane correctly. Inevitably, a driver new to center turn lanes stops in (or halfway in) the traffic lane to wait for a left turn opportunity.
  • It doesn't take a whole lot longer to drive the length of Ingersoll. After reading some of the comments at dmregister.com, you'd think it now takes an hour and a half to drive two miles on Ingersoll. In reality, I haven't noticed a major difference (except for the left turn onto Ingersoll and for a few minutes during rush hour) from before. News flash: successful pedestrian commercial districts get crowded. People learn to expect it and plan accordingly. In fact, slowing cars down gives drivers the opportunity to notice the businesses on either side of the street! A "layered" space with pedestrians, cars, bikes, occupied outdoor spaces, and businesses lining the street is what we want for Ingersoll.
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