Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Bike Friendly Norfolk: The Map & Explanation
Words Wesley Cheney
Wednesday, November 11th, 2009 at 8:50 am
I see them all too often: a lonely cyclist at the end of their courage, gamely trying to get off Hampton Boulevard or Brambleton Avenue with their bike and body unharmed.
Photo | David Buchta
It doesn’t have to be that hard.
In the hundred years since the automobile eclipsed the bicycle and the horse, Norfolk has developed a road system based upon (and biased towards) cars. Never mind the near-total lack of bicycle lanes or parking facilities: traffic signals are tuned to be tripped by thousands of pounds of steel, and adult cyclists are forbidden from riding on the sidewalk* (Sec. 25-398, Norfolk City Code).
If I didn’t know better, I’d think Norfolk was downright unfriendly to bikes.
But there are bike-friendly routes to be found in Norfolk. In fact, speeding motorists pass by a whole network of parallel side streets and slower byways; where the speed limit doesn’t exceed 25mph, and the streets are bare of traffic-controlling yellow and white lines.
Norfolk is a duty station for thousands of soldiers, sailors, civilians and students. Not every one of these semi-permanent citizens has the time or fortitude to explore a new city. They may move to town with every intention of biking the two or three miles to work, but just a mile on Little Creek Road or Tidewater Drive quickly sends them back to the safe and lethargic steel cocoon of their cars.
The Navy brought me to Norfolk before I was old enough to buy a beer, and I’ve never left. I grew up cycling in the Green Mountains of Vermont, and didn’t want to leave my bike(s) collecting dust: I was happier on my bike than in my truck. I began a two-wheeled exploration of my default hometown; sharing my discoveries and trading routes with other hard-headed cyclists.
My first lesson in the riding school of hard knocks was where not to ride. The second lesson was where I had no choice but to ride: Like it or not, Hampton Boulevard is the only route (for most of Norfolk) to the Navy Base. It may be clogged with container trucks crawling from one marine terminal to another, but it offers the only bridge over the Lafayette River.
Norfolk was built atop a tidewater swamp: bodies of water, narrow and wide, separate neighborhoods. Bridges, tunnels and ferries became the choke points for traffic. Bicycling in Norfolk is a matter of navigating from one bridge to the next; finding a path from the I-264 Berkley Bridge (with its separated bike path) to the Granby Street bridge at the north end of Riverview.
Click image for larger view. For more info: friendwes@mac.com
After a year or two, the map in my mind became too cluttered, and I grew tired of trying to describe in words what I could see so clearly in my head. So I printed out a grayscale Google map of Norfolk and began highlighting my favorite routes. I quickly reached for a red Sharpie and crossed out the no-go streets, too.
While I knew of cyclists confident enough in their own skills to traverse Military Highway or Brambleton Avenue, I knew of many more who would never dare to try. So the most bike-unfriendly roads were marked in Red- Too Many Cars. Don’t Go!!! Being a visual artist, I chose the opposite of red to mark the Elizabeth River Trail and the the Church Street. Cyan- Bike Lane/Path. No Cars. One day there will be more cyan than red on my map, but for the present I needed other hues to rate other roads. Colonial and Powhatan Avenues I marked as Green- A Few Cars. Keep an Eye Out. I saw plenty of babies in bike trailers on green routes, and very few heavy trucks.
While not as friendly as Colonial Avenue, Granby Street offered a straight shot from Downtown to Ocean View. From Main Street to 32nd Street, and again from Bayview to Ocean View, I marked Granby in Yellow- Some Cars. Ride Carefully. But the stretch of Granby from City Park to I-64 increased in width, traffic speed and congestion, so it earned a grade of Orange-Lots of Cars. Be Vigilant!
Regardless though of what color I might assign a road, the safety of a cyclist is still dependent, to a large degree, upon that cyclist’s behavior: if you ride without lights at night, and against or across traffic, then you’re just asking to get hit. And riding without a helmet is just begging for head trauma. Seat-belts and helmets serve the same purpose- they keep your soft brain from smacking into the hard ground (or at least take the brunt of the blow). Simply put, helmets and seat-belts are cheap insurance against idiot drivers. We all know that you are an exceptionally skilled rider/driver: it’s the other morons on the road that you need to worry about.
So ride in a friendly, predictable manner: ride with traffic, not against it. Keep your head on a pivot and signal your attentions. Cyclists on sidewalks are 400% more likely to be injured (mostly sideswiped by automobiles), so stay off the sidewalks unless it’s absolutely necessary. If construction or congestion does send you onto the sidewalk, be courteous of the slower folk: show mommies with baby strollers and grannies with shopping carts the same respect that you demand from drivers: Slow down, pass with care, and smile.
*The boisterous and healthy debate concerning the safety and efficacy of cyclists on sidewalks will be covered in a future article.
Check out Wes Cheney’s blog at fotobywes.blogspot.com. More of his photography can be seen at Wescheneyweddings.com.
Filed Under: Features : Entertainment : Sports
COMMENTS
Post a comment
ABOUT THE WRITER
Wes Cheney can be seen pulling his family around Norfolk on a variety of bikes, tandems and trailers. They can be heard singing “The karma on the street goes round and round,” to the tune of “The wheels on the bike go round and round.” His personal blog is http://fotobywes.blogspot.com.
Other posts by Wesley Cheney.
Other posts by Wesley Cheney.
RELATED POSTS
More Sports Posts
RSS
Awesome article. Thanks for making this map available to all! Hopefully our area well become better at thinking of bicyclists as well as cars when planning our roads.
hey, just wanted to put in a thanks… found the map on the city website (!!!) this summer when i first started contemplating a daily bike commute after realizing taking the bus from the new apartment to downtown would take longer than walking. my route’s gotten much more dependent on the yellow zones as I got frustrated with trying to get around construction, but starting with an almost totally green and cyan route was invaluable for building confidence.
cool to hear the story!
Thanks for the positive feedback, Cait. The map linked above is an updated version, reflecting the changes I’ve seen on the roads. Please feel free to pass it or make suggestions: I’m happy to report that I’ve “upgrsded” several streets in friendliness, mostly fue to seeing more cyclists out there, and a rising level of respect & awareness from drivers.
Wes
great article and opinions. I think VA Beach Blvd may need to be upgraded to Red around Military Circle, especially the construction between the river and Mil Hwy overpass.
I’m in full support of more bike paths. I will even pick up a shovel and bring a hundred friends. I think we are well on our way to a more cycle friendly city!
nice article, Wes, and a great website. I’m an old guy and seldom bike more than the 1/2 mile from my house to the ocean, but I love the consciousness raising about sharing the roads with our pedal pushing friends
Terrific map. I’d like to see a detailed Downtown Bike Map, as well.
I would completely get behind a movement to build upon the strengths and start connecting those cyan areas, for example the 21st Street corridor.
grant, a detailed downtown map is a great idea. Given the fluidity of construction though, I think I’ll wait until The Tide is almost finished. I’d like to include bike parking in the next iteration, as well as Tide stops.
Wes
Great piece, Wes! I linked this to my blog!
This is a strange city – flat as a pool table, lots of ‘dead’ rail lines waiting to be converted into bike trails, largest # of households without cars of any large city in VA – and a really lousy bike presence.
Cities here do not talk so the 50-mile intercity bike route from Suffolk to the Beach that VDOT talks about is a distant dream. Suffolk gets $$ for a trail that leads to … Pinners Point Bridge has a bike lane built into it (only bridge in region with one) but it leads to… Light Rail line could have allowed a bike lane alongside from Norfolk to the Beachfront but…
Moved down here from NOVA ten years ago and went from heaven to…well purgatory at least. We are where most progressive cities were ten years ago in getting bike routes up and running.
Great to hear the history of “the Map”. Also good to spread the word on basic cycling skill tips. So many people end up learning by trial and error. I too have been seeing more folks on bikes lately, so maybe there is hope for our little burg yet. Keep watering those grassroots. You and Liz are great inspirations for everyone. So when’s the next Urban Cycling Seminar
As much as I love this city, Bike Friendly Norfolk is a contradiction in terms. In the end it comes down to police enforcing speed limits and other traffic laws that enable everyone to co-exist on the road. This the police do not do to an adequate extent. Secondly, that the map is so unknown to so many people speaks volumes about how important the city thinks a bicycle culture is. There are many things to love about Norfolk, but bike friendliness is not one of them.
There are enough of us (thousands) who want to see this city safer for bikers that we can make a difference.
As a biking community we need to figure out what our goals should be, then make a plan. Then f’ing do it.
I’m hoping Wes can continue to be one of our leaders, and that this becomes a forum for his leadership.
Like Jesse says — let’s do it. Where should we start? Letters to the mayor? Boycotts? Protests? I’m in. I’ve often wanted to wear a shirt that says IF NORFOLK HAD BIKE PATHS I WOULDN’T BE RIDING ON THE SIDEWALK. I am saddened when I resort to this.