The Bicycle Club of Irvine

[BCI]

Portola Parkway between Culver and Sand Canyon is being impacted by a water district pipe project... through January 2011!

Rather than move traffic over & re-stripe the wide center island - they have left the car lanes alone and completely removed the bike lane on the West bound side between Sand Canyon and Jeffrey - sending riders on a detour back down to Irvine Blvd.

They left NO shoulder and are forcing bikes into the one car lane for over 1 mile now and teh project will extend all teh way to Culver before it is done...

IRWD public affairs is at (949) 453-5500
Their project manager Jeff Staneart indicated that the traffic impact was reviewed and approved by the City of Irvine traffic division and under the City's inspection;
Info is posted at http://www.cityofirvine.org/mm/road_construction/roadConstruction.htm
and lists a 724-6329 number for information about the project; IRWD is doing the work, but Irvine's Community Development inspectors are allowing this handling (or mishandling) of traffic based on what the Public Works traffic engineers laid out as the detour;
Tran at 724-6378 & Barry at 724-7306 are the engineers who came up with this safe but not bicycle friendly plan.

Residents and riders of Portola are encouraged to help explain a need for a better option to the City staff!
Unless Bicycle are prohibited... ther could be some supportive options.
(Restripe center line & shoulder - paint sharrows - post a 15 MPH speed limit zone - post "Bikes allowed use of full lane" signs, etc...)

[lvb88]

So, how long before some politician from the People's Republik of Irvine wonders why they aren't considered bike friendly???
_________________
John

[Bill Sellin]

Portola has been re-opened & is mostly freshly paved...
_________________

Most of the world is either downhill or flat...