Framework 3.0 Connectivity: The future of safety for bicyclists on campus

Zoe Botley
Tue, 10 Oct 2023 01:30:52 +0000
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Framework 3.0 plans to grant cyclists and pedestrians defined lanes and safe access on campus roadways through the connectivity principle.
Credit: Zoe Botley | Lantern Reporter

Improved mobility and increased infrastructure for cyclists could be on the way to the university area through Framework 3.0’s connectivity principle.?

The plan would grant cyclists and pedestrians defined lanes and safe access on campus roadways. Due to Framework 3.0’s long-term nature, individual construction including individual bike lanes requires the board of trustees’ approval to see development before 2028.?

“Part of the connectivity principle recommendation is to adopt “Complete Street” concepts in future campus roadway designs that provide defined lanes and safe access for all people who need to use them, including pedestrians and cyclists,” Chris Potts, director of facility planning in the Office of Administration and Planning, said in an email.?

According to Vision Zero Columbus crash data, between 2017 and 2021, 17 bicycle accidents occured between West Lane Avenue, West 12th Avenue, North High Street and Neil Avenue.?

The plan identifies the Woody Hayes corridor and the Neil Avenue corridor — between Annie and John Glenn and Woodruff avenues — as priority projects for the near term, according to Potts. Near term refers to a five to 15-year timeframe.

Lauren Squires, associate professor in the department of English, said she often cycles by e-bike through Annie and John Glenn and Woodruff avenues when heading to her office. With some on-campus roads having higher speed limits, she said they need more protection for other forms of transportation.?

“[Ohio State has] the idea for protected bike lanes going along Woody Hayes [Drive] east to west, which is great because one of the big things lacking in this area is a safe east-west connection,” Squires said.?

The proposed plan could also help to decrease “drivers’ punishment pass,” which Harvey Miller, professor of geography and director of the Center for Urban and Regional Analysis, said is when motor vehicles impatiently go around a cyclist due to the cyclist going “too slow”.?

“That shared use lane is supposed to be like everyone will get along, but drivers don’t like you going slow on your bicycle. So it’s not everyone, but some of them hate it so much that they will drive recklessly,” Miller said. “I’ve seen them also go left-to-center and almost hit a car going in the other direction just to get around because they’re impatient.”?

Squires said this is an issue she finds frustrating as a bicyclist.?

“I get passed aggressively by drivers on those streets, which are running right through a college campus. So, where there’s a ton of people walking, or rolling or whatever mode that they’re using that’s not a car,” Squires said. “Yet, it feels like if you’re not in a car, you have to be the one always making sure that you’re not going to get hit by a car.”?

According to Vision Zero Columbus crash data, out of the 17 accidents reported from 2017 to 2021, two were severe injury crashes, with the remaining 15 categorized as less severe.?

West Lane Avenue is classified as a high-injury network, which Vision Zero Columbus defines as an area “that has had the greatest number of fatal, serious injury and/or vulnerable user crashes per half-mile segment.”?

According to Ohio State’s campus master plan, Framework 3.0 relies on the Buckeye community through feedback surveys, workshops and open houses. However, due to the rate of accidents happening on campus, those who commute by bike, including Squires, wonder if change can happen sooner than the current 10- to 15-year plan.?

“It’s super frustrating, I mean, for me, there are a lot of reasons why I ride a bike. Convenience is a big one. I enjoy it, but increasingly, it also is a way I think about climate change,” Squires said. “So, it’s like, what are we waiting for? What are the ways that we’re encouraging our community?”?

Potts said cyclist safety is an essential part of Framework 3.0’s connectivity principle.?

“The safety of all campus stakeholders is our number one priority, including the safety for those pedestrians who ride their bikes on campus,” Potts said.