The Next Stop: METRO's Podcast Episode 31: METRO's Two Wheel Transit Connections Laura Whitley: With that noticeable green paint and fresh striping, bike lanes are popping up along some of the area’s most popular roads. I am Laura Whitley. In this edition of The Next Stop, how METRO’s growing bike lane program is providing vital links to the region’s transit network. [music] Laura Whitley: I am pleased to welcome Mr. Kalvin Williams. He is our Program Manager from METRO’s Planning, Engineering, and Construction Department. And Calvin, thank you for joining The Next Stop. Kalvin Williams: Thank you. I appreciate the opportunity. Laura Whitley: So, you have been pretty focused and busy managing the bike lane projects for METRO recently. Kalvin Williams: Oh, absolutely. I mean, the METRO board has invested time and resources to make sure that commuters have another route to the METRORail. So, yes, we’ve been extremely busy with that. Laura Whitley: I know that every time I drive around, particularly near some of our METRORail stops, and kind of in the streets near there, it’s like I see more and more lanes going in. Can you just provide an overview of some of the recent completions that have happened over the last several months? Kalvin Williams: Okay. Absolutely. So, one thing to note is METRO is partnering with several agencies, and so there is a Houston Bike Plan that was discussed with the City of Houston, METRO, Texas DOT, Harris County, and what’s been done is basically certain streets have been carved out for METRO, primarily due to the proximity to the METRORail. And so, the first undertaking that METRO did was on Wheeler Street, and we put in a shared-use path between Martin Luther King and Texas Southern University, and it is adjacent to the University of Houston. That was a good project, and that was our first project to kind of get our feet wet in the “bike business,” so to say. And so, the second project that we completed was Cavalcade Bike Lanes, which extends from Airline Street to Irvington Street on Cavalcade, and that’s eastbound and westbound. That particular project is a dedicated bike lane that’s high comfort, so that’s why you see the armadillos and the striping, the green paint, floating bus stops, and so forth. Currently, METRO’s working on the Leeland Bike Lane, and that one goes from the Columbia Tap Trail to Cullen Street, and then it also turns on Cullen Street and goes from Leeland to Polk Street. And so, I expect that to be completed later in the spring. Laura Whitley: It’s coming. Kalvin Williams: It’s coming! It’s very, very close. And then, we are starting construction on Cavalcade Bike Lanes Phase II, which goes from Irvington to Elysian. So those are the ones that we have in construction or completed, and then we are working with the City on Quitman Bike Lanes as well. So, like you said, we’re extremely busy. Laura Whitley: Now you used some terminology there, so let’s chat about that for those who aren’t in the bike business and just see it. You talked about a “high comfort bike lane.” What does that mean? Kalvin Williams: So, what that means is, you’re looking at the biker’s experience level. And so, “high comfort” means you have a dedicated lane, and it is also protected. That protected lane means it’s got armadillos or some barrier to separate the bike lane from the vehicle lane. Laura Whitley: When you say “armadillos,” what are you talking about? Calvin Williams: The armadillos are a… Laura Whitley: Are those little humps? Calvin Williams: There are little humps in the street. Laura Whitley: Okay. Kalvin Williams: They’re black, and they have white striping on it, and we mount those to the concrete. Laura Whitley: And there is some protection. There is some protective barrier. Kalvin Williams: And sometimes it is reflective as well. Laura Whitley: Safety is important. Calvin Williams: Oh, that’s the key! Laura Whitley: And also, I should mention, that listeners might hear some birds or other ambient noise. We are actually doing this interview outside, you know, just to be socially distant and maintain all of that. It’s really a great time of year to go out and explore some of these new projects. Kalvin Williams: I would encourage anybody to if you have got a bike, or you can actually rent bikes from BCycle now, and it’s a great time to get out. That’s probably the most rewarding part of the job is seeing people actually using the bike lanes. And you know, that’s a thrill that can’t be replaced. Laura Whitley: I can imagine how rewarding it is because you go from just a normal street within a series of months you really notice transformation. Kalvin Williams: Well, the series of months is probably the construction side of it. But the design sign and the planning side and the coordination side takes—you’re looking at probably a couple of years, to be honest with you. Laura Whitley: Wow! Kalvin Williams: To take it from just plans or someone’s idea, or the bike plan, the Houston Bike Plan, to take it from the Houston Bike Plan to a completed bike lane that someone can use, it is probably about a two-year process total. But, you’re right, just seeing people use it and enjoying it is the biggest thrill. Laura Whitley: Besides just being a source of enjoyment, there is a real purpose for these bike lanes, and that’s in terms of providing an additional connection. Can you talk about or tell me how these bike lanes are part of the overall plan in terms of transit connection and how it plays into that transit network? Kalvin Williams: Absolutely. This is a very convenient way to go from your house, hop on your bike, you can ride to the METRORail. Along with the bike lanes, we’re installing what’s called “Bike Amenities.” So, at the connection between the bike lane and the METRORail, you’ll find a bike shelter. You’ll find bike racks, and you’ll find a fix-it station. And what that means is, you can ride your bike to the rail. You can park your bike, lock it up. If you happen to have a flat tire, you should be able to pump your bike up right there, or there are some minor tools as well. You can park your bike, and you can hop on the rail that takes you downtown, takes you north of town, so on and so forth. But METRO’s role is to connect people and give you alternate modes of transportation, and that’s really our goal here, is to give you another mode of transportation. Laura Whitley: It’s pretty fantastic when you think about it because you can by having the bike lanes available—it really opens up and creates more opportunities for people to access transit. Kalvin Williams: That’s correct. That’s correct. I mean, that’s a big thrill. And one other thing I want to talk about is what’s called “floating bus stops.” And I think this is very important for the users. The job of the floating bus stop is to limit the interaction between the cyclists and the METRO bus because studies have shown that conflicts between cyclists and vehicles are significant. So what you’ll find on the Cavalcade Bike Lanes is the bike lane actually goes behind the bus stop. So you’re on the street in your dedicated bike lane, but the bike lane goes behind the METRO shelter or the METRO bus stop. That way, the bus can stay on the street and drop off passengers or pick up passengers, and the bike goes behind the bus stop, and there is no conflict. So that’s the goal, and if you get confused, you can just follow the green paint. The green paint will show you that cyclists go this way. That is the easy way to remember it. Laura Whitley: By making that point and explaining that, and that’s very helpful, you again underscore just the level of planning and detail that goes into each of these projects. Kalvin Williams: Absolutely! I mean, if you’re starting with virgin land, meaning there was nothing there before, then you can build a bike lane into it, right? You can build the street and dedicate a side of it. A prime example is the Southmore Bridge. When they redid that bridge, they created a separate side, or the Ardmore Bridge right by us. There is a separate section for pedestrians and cyclists, and it’s not mixed with the traffic. But, if you’re working on an existing street, especially one that’s been there for 50 years, you almost have to create a new lane and create these opportunities, and so that’s what we’ve done. Laura Whitley: You touched on this at the beginning—this Bike Lane Project is only possible due to partnership. Kalvin Williams: There’s an entire staff in PEC. It’s not just Calvin doing it. I’ve got a director—Tim Mills is the Director of Universal Accessibility. Bridgette Towns is the VP of Capital Projects. So there is a whole team. I’m the PM on the job, right? But the whole team contributes and supports the idea. Laura Whitley: Absolutely. Kalvin Williams: But as far as the outside agencies, we do have to coordinate, and I’ll give you a quick example. On Cavalcade Phase II, Harris County is going to pick up where we stop, which is Cavalcade and Elysian, and they’re going to continue east, and so at that connection point, I’m working, actually today, with a designer to make sure that our plans tie into their plans. It’s a concerted effort in order to make the cyclists comfortable and safe on the road. Laura Whitley: So overall, within the last, I guess, since the Wheeler Project, how many miles are talking about that have been developed? Kalvin Williams: You’re probably looking at less than 10 miles. These are segments that we do. Laura Whitley: Right. Kalvin Williams: That has connected a lot of communities, right? Because everyone in those neighborhoods has an opportunity to ride to Cavalcade and hop on the Rail—you know, hop on the bike lane which gets you to the Rail. Laura Whitley: Right. Kalvin Williams: So overall picture in the overall Houston Bike Plan, you know METRO has done a significant contribution. Laura Whitley: Absolutely, absolutely. And you’ve earned the nickname, “The Bike Guy,” right? Kalvin Williams: It seems that way! It seems that way. A lot of the bike questions are directed my way. But, like I said, it’s a worthwhile and fulfilling project. Laura Whitley: Just from a personal perspective, were you into cycling big time when these projects started coming your way? Or have you gotten more into it just on your own since you’ve--? Kalvin Williams: Well, I always rode for fun, even in high school and in college. I always had a bike, and I always rode my bike, but absolutely. Once we started Wheeler, that was the first project, I went ahead and invested in a good bike. My bike is not—you know, I’m not going to do the MS 1000 or anything like that. Laura Whitley: 150! 150! It probably feels like 1000. Kalvin Williams: I’m not doing it, alright? But I do like to ride, and I do test it out. Once we finish every bike lane, I invite everyone who is involved to do a fun—fun—ride on the bike lane so that we can look at it. We can enjoy it, and then we can also see, “Well, we could have done this a little better.” And I think that’s helped out over the years. Laura Whitley: Yeah, learning that rider experience or user experience is so important. Kalvin Williams: Hm-hmm. No, that’s the key. We can get better, and we will. Laura Whitley: Awesome! Well, Kalvin Williams, METRO Program Manager, and aka “Bike Guy,” thank you so much for joining The Next Stop today. CKalvin Williams: I appreciate it, Laura. Anytime. [music] Laura Whitley: That’s all for this edition of The Next Stop. I’m Laura Whitley. If you’d like to check out more episodes, you can find them on our website or subscribe on Apple Podcasts, SoundCloud, Spotify, or Google Play, and while you’re there, if you could leave us a rating or review, that’ll help us out a lot. Until next time, drive less, do more with METRO.