Does your city have red-painted bus lanes? - Page 2

Kngkyle · #21 Posted **Jun 21, 2015, 11:17 PM**

I work on Madison street in Chicago which had the old-style bus lane that everyone just treated like a loading zone. The new looplink will hopefully change that... although without the threat of a ticket I'm not sure if it'll be that successful. The protected bike lanes and new bus shelters will certainly be nice though! I wish they had dyed the concrete for the bike lane green like for the bus lane, instead of just painting it, but I suppose the additional cost wasn't worth it.

vid · #22 Posted **Jun 21, 2015, 11:31 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by texcolo

Why are they going with red lanes? I thought that was what the diamond designation was for.

It's for visibility. The diamonds weren't eye-catching enough.

In the north, you'd have to use red dyed concrete. Winter lasts 5 months and the snowplows literally peel the paint off the roads.

Innsertnamehere · #23 Posted **Jun 22, 2015, 12:30 AM**

makes it more clear that the lanes are not for car use. a marking on the road can be missed, misunderstood, etc., while a red colour lane is very clearly not a regular vehicular lane.

Toronto's northern Suburbs are having an extensive network of in median bus lanes built right now, about 1/3rd of the eventual system is open currently:

fflint · #24 Posted **Jun 22, 2015, 12:48 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by texcolo

Why are they going with red lanes? I thought that was what the diamond designation was for.

In California, diamonds signify lanes that can be used by taxis, carpools (usually 2 or more people, 3 or more in the inner Bay Area), vanpools and private buses, zero emissions vehicles with the required state decal, motorcycles and public transportation. Red lanes, on the other hand, are for public transportation and taxis only.

Jasonhouse · #25 Posted **Jun 22, 2015, 8:06 AM**

Yeah diamond is HOV. Colored bus lanes are a relatively new phenomenon in the US.

FHWA request from when San Fran got permission for theirs.
http://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/documents/...18_ex1_inc.pdf

And an evaluation of NYC's after they were in use for a few years.
http://nacto.org/docs/usdg/red_bus_l...tion_carry.pdf

mrnyc · #26 Posted **Jun 22, 2015, 6:36 PM**

they have had the red bus lanes in nyc for several years now. they are semi-effective. i think they help though.

FREKI · #27 Posted **Jul 3, 2015, 9:27 PM**

I kinda stand corrected - while bus lanes are typically not coloured I did pass a place today where only buses can drive through and they had indeed painted the road red there

tayser · #28 Posted **Jul 4, 2015, 1:33 AM**

Yep

ardecila · #29 Posted **Jul 4, 2015, 2:22 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kngkyle

I work on Madison street in Chicago which had the old-style bus lane that everyone just treated like a loading zone. The new looplink will hopefully change that... although without the threat of a ticket I'm not sure if it'll be that successful.

The Loop Link enjoys the full support of the mayor. If enforcement becomes an issue, I'm sure CDOT/CTA will suggest, and the mayor will push for, increased police patrols or automated camera ticketing. He has installed speed cameras liberally throughout the city, I'm sure he'd do it here as well if needed.

Quote:

I wish they had dyed the concrete for the bike lane green like for the bus lane, instead of just painting it, but I suppose the additional cost wasn't worth it.

The main reason the bus lanes are dyed, as Vid noted, is to protect the color from snowplowing. It's unclear how the city will clear snow from the green lanes along Loop Link, or other curb-protected lanes like the new one on Clybourn, but they won't be able to plow it with a conventional plow as there isn't enough room between curbs. Possibly an ATV or something. Also, if they are curb-protected, there's really no need for green paint. The curb itself is enough of a reminder.

vid · #30 Posted **Jul 5, 2015, 9:37 PM**

There are side-walk side snowplows and snowblowers that fit inside the protected lanes.

http://www.tracklessvehicles.com/trip_plow.htm

They also come with sweeping attachments, salt/sand spreading trailers, and various other road and walkway maintenance accessories. A common sight in Canada, maybe not so much in the US.

GlassCity · #31 Posted **Jul 5, 2015, 10:04 PM**

All our bus lanes in Vancouver are simply marked off with signage and a solid white line. However they seem to work fine as I have yet to ever see a car in one, and I've been taking a bus route using one every day for the past few years. The only red bus lanes I can think of are these queue jump lanes in the suburb of Surrey:

http://www.surrey.ca/city-services/7585.aspx

Cirrus · #32 Posted **Jun 21, 2016, 4:12 PM**

Grave-digging the thread to note that DC added its first red-surface bus lanes earlier this month, on Georgia Avenue.

DC is also using a red grit as opposed to just paint, although it's only a shallow layer of it on top of the normal street surface, not the entire asphalt layer like in Chicago. Note the leftover grit in the curb:

Swede · #33 Posted **Jun 22, 2016, 9:47 AM**

So that's why the red doesn't go under the markings!
I wonder how long that layer of red is gonna last. Buses do wear down the surface quite a bit.

In Stockholm a very few bus lanes are red. A few bike lanes to, sadly, but that might change to the green used elsewhere to clarify things.
Bus-stops on the other hand, are often red on the major routes in the inner city and also have had the asphalt replaced by (red) concrete slabs to make 'em last longer.

There's been talk of making all the bus lanes red and making the bike lanes green. Ain't holding my breath tho.

Citylover94 · #34 Posted **Jun 22, 2016, 1:24 PM**

Boston has bus lanes for the silver line buses on Washington Street and on some streets downtown, but they are not enforced very well.

Cirrus · #35 Posted **Sep 20, 2017, 4:04 AM**

Grave-digging this thread again to note that Baltimore has added a bunch of these this year. They're all over downtown now.

Cirrus · #36 Posted **Sep 20, 2017, 4:04 AM**

Have any other cities added these since 2015?

ColDayMan · #37 Posted **Sep 22, 2017, 8:24 PM**

I noticed Detroit had some along the Cass Corridor.

LMich · #38 Posted **Sep 23, 2017, 1:57 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ColDayMan

I noticed Detroit had some along the Cass Corridor.

You talking about the recent stuff? There will be some red markings for bus stops, but all the other markings are for bikes.

Detroit Greenways

Detroit Greenways

Unfortunately, no bus lanes and no painted ones, yet.

ColDayMan · #39 Posted **Sep 25, 2017, 8:37 PM**

Yeah, I was thinking bus stops, not full bus lanes. Regardless, it caught me by surprise.

mhays · #40 Posted **Sep 25, 2017, 8:50 PM**

Seattle is installing one for four blocks of Denny Way this week. Denny is a major arterial crossing the north side of Downtown, and is where the grid changes. Eastbound it's a parking lot much of the day, heading to I-5. This will speed Bus 8 significantly. Though I'm sure our unwillingness to ticket cars for blocking things will take away much of the benefit.

https://seattletransitblog.com/2017/...ne-denny-week/