Bike path project court hearing

A message from the "North Jerusalem Residents for Safety and Quality of Life" amuta:

Dear neighborhood residents,

Tomorrow (Wednesday the 14th of December) at 15:00, there will be the first (and possibly the final) court hearing regarding the legal claim put forth by the "North Jerusalem for Safety and Quality of Life" Amuta against the Jerusalem Municipality's illegal and dangerous bike path project. This will be presided over by the Judge Yoram Noam at the district court house on Salah Al-Din street no. 40. The hearing is open to the public and you are invited to come in order to hear the proceedings and to make a show of presence on behalf of the neighborhood.

Respectfully,

North Jerusalem Residents for Safety and Quality of Life (Registered Amuta)

News paper articles

Articles on the Bike Path Project and the work of the Amuta "North Jerusalem Residents for Safety and Quality of Life" appear in today's "Kol Ha-Eir" and "Yediot Yerushalaim" newspapers.

Meeting on the subject of the bike path project

The amuta North Jerusalem Residents for Safety and Quality has announced:

תרשמו ביומן:

יום שלישי ה–25 לאוקטובר ב–19:00

אסיפה של תושבי הגבעה הצרפתית, גבעת המבתר, צמרת הבירה, ורמות אשכול

נושא: בטיחות השכונות ופרויקט שבילי האופניים

מקום: המנהל הקהילתי

אנחנו רוצים בטיחות לכל!

פרויקט שבילי האופניים מסכן את כולם!

* הפרויקט דן את תושבי האזור לסכנה מתמדת:

1. הפרויקט תוכנן ומיושם תוך סטייה ניכרת מהנחיות משרד התחבורה
2. מנהל הפרויקט מקדם מדיניות מכוונת להפוך את הנהיגה בכלי רכב למסוכן יותר
3. המבנה הלקוי של שבילי האופניים באזור מהווה מכשול לכל הולכי הרגל אך הוא מסוכן במיוחד לאוכלוסיות היותר פגיעות כגון נכים, קשישים, ילדים והורים עם עגלות תינוקות
4. הפרויקט מסכן ישירות את קהל היעד שלו – רוכבי האופניים; רבים מסרבים לנסוע בשבילים מתוך דאגה לבריאותם

* פרויקט שבילי האופניים בלתי חוקי:

1. תכניות הפרויקט לא הוגשו לתב''ע
2. עבודות הסלילה נעשות ללא היתר בנייה

Another protest against the dangerous and illegal bike path project was held today

The "North Jerusalem Residents for Safety and Quality of Life" Amuta reports:

"The Amuta held a demonstration today at 8:15 in the morning around the traffic circle between Lehi Street and Churchill Boulevard. The demonstration was in order to protest against the renewal of the construction of the sub-standard and illegal bike paths in the French Hill area that have posed a threat and nuisance to the public for months. The protest was a success with a wide range of local residents participating, including students as well as bicycle riders who see the flawed structure of the bike paths a danger for bicyclists and an impediment in encouraging bicycles as an alternative means of transportation. Over 500 flyers were distributed to drivers and pedestrians that passed through the area who expressed overwhelming support for the demonstrator's cause."

The message was posted on the Amuta's new Facebook page. The Amuta also stated that they are planning a protest during the evening hours that will take place at some point during the next few days. Details will follow.

Article in "Yediot Yerushaliam" news paper

An article on the problematic nature of the Illegal Bike Path Project in regards to accessibility and parking for the handicapped appears in today's (23 September) issue of the newspaper "Yediot Yerushaliam". An article on yesterday's demonstration will appear next Friday.

Demonstration by the North Jerusalem Residents for Safety and Quality of Life Amuta

Yesterday morning (Wednesday the 21st of September 2011), the North Jerusalem Residents for Safety and Quality of Life organized a protest against the illegal construction of the Municipality's dangerous and substandard Bike Path Project that has posed a hazard and even harmed local residents of French Hill and the surrounding area. The objectionable construction work had just a few days prior reentered French Hill and the local population recognized the need to voice their opposition.

Local residents came out to protest the reentry of the illegal and dangerous bike path project into the French Hill Neighborhood.

The protest took place at the traffic circle between Lehi Street going into French Hill and Churchill Boulevard going up to the Hebrew University and Hadassah Hospital. Around 40-50 individuals participated in the demonstration bearing picket signs and handing out pamphlets to passing drivers (who were avidly in support of the protest).

The protesters reflected a broad representation of the demographic of the area. Secular and religious Israelis attended, as did representatives of the Arab and Christian communities. Of particular relevance was the participation of members of the population groups most directly effected by the illegal project.

Firstly the project has severely harmed the accessibility of the neighborhood streets and posses an impediment for the elderly and handicapped who were present yesterday. For example, the large concrete dividers stand 50 cm wide and 20 cm tall posing a substantial stumbling block or barrier for members of these groups crossing the street or exiting their cars (not to mention that due to the narrowing of the streets due to the project, no buffer has been left between the parked cars and the passing traffic).

At the same time, the intended beneficiaries of the project, members of the bicyclist community were present to protest the poor planning and implementation that has transpired that ultimately endangers them and makes their cycling far more uncomfortable than before. For example, upon approaching an intersection, the bike paths thrust the bicyclist sharply into the traffic lane. This is particularly dangerous due to the fact that the cars separating the bike path from the street obscure the visibility between the bicyclists and motorists who are subsequently unprepared for each others sudden presence in the same space.

The protest was deemed so successful, that another one is planned this upcoming Sunday at 8:15 in the morning (the 25th of September). The demonstrators will meet on Lehi street in front of the Dan-Hotel and then proceed down to the traffic circle.

Local bicyclists came out to protest against the dangerous conditions forced on them by project that has made the streets more hazardous for them than they had been before.

Letter of protest against the renewal of the illegal construction of the dangerous bike path project in French Hill

This past Sunday (the 11th) the lower section of Lehi street was roped off in preparation for the illegal construction of the municipality's dangerous bike path project, while on Thursday (the 15th) the first incisions were made in the street and sidewalk to this end. In protest to the imminent construction, the "Jerusalem Residents for Safety and Quality of Life" Amuta sent the manager of the project, Kobi Bartov head of the Transportation & Infrastructure Development Division in the Jerusalem Municipality, the following letter with a copy submitted to the mayor's office:

לכבוד מר קובי ברטוב

מנהל אגף תחבורה ופיתוח תשתיות

עיריית ירושלים,

כיכר ספרא 1

ירושלים

א.נ.,

הנדון: עבודות חדשות במסגרת פרויקט שבילי אופניים תוך שיבוש ההליך בבית המשפט

נדהמנו לגלות ביום ראשון (11.9.11) בבוקר שנתחם ונחסם קטע מרחוב לח''י לשם ביצוע עבודות סלילת שבילי האופניים תוך התעלמות גמורה מרצון תושבי הרחוב. נדהמנו עוד יותר לגלות שהיום בבוקר (יום חמישי ה–15.9.11) כבר החלו בעבודה למרות שנמסר למתנ''ס השכונתי שזה יעשה רק בשבוע הבא.אנחנו רואים בחומרה ומוחים נגד הרחבה זו של הפרויקט בשל הסיבות הכבדות הבאות:

1. פרויקט שבילי האופניים מיושם ללא אישור חוקי ונמצא בתהליך עתירה משפטית בעניין זה: הרחבת העבודה חמורה במיוחד בהתייחס לעתירה שהגשנו כנגד הפרויקט (עת''מ 11–07–31780). בבסיס העתירה עומדת העובדה שהפרויקט מבוצע ללא השינויים ההכרחים בתב''ע וללא היתר בניה שיינתן על בסיס תב"ע מאושרת, אלא מבוצע על סמך "הסדר תנועה". אולם בעתירה הובהר באופן הברור ביותר, שבניגוד למקרה אחר שטענת לגביו (בסילוואן) שם הכיר בג"צ בהסדר תנועה (באופן מוגבל), הרי שבענייננו לא מתקיימים אותם פרמטרים המאפשרים הקמת שבילי אופניים באמצעות "הסדר תנועה". לכן מה שמתחייב הוא אישור תב"ע שתקבע הוראות מפורשות לגבי הקמת שבילי אופניים, אחרת הפרויקט יחשב כפסול מבחינה חוקית.
   
   
   ובכל זאת, היום בבוקר הראיתם כוונה ברורה מאד להרחבת הפרויקט למרות קיום הליך משפטי המערער על עתידו. אם לא די בכך, הרי שבמקביל להתנהלותכם באופן האמור, נוכחנו, כי במסגרת ההליך של העתירה המנהלית בבית המשפט, אתם נוקטים גם במספר תרגילי השהייה על מנת לעכב את הדיון בבית המשפט.
   
   
   למותר לציין, כי הציבור מצפה מגוף ציבורי, אחרי שהוגשה כנגדו עתירה מאד מפורטת, שממנה הוא יכול להבין כי ישנו סיכוי לא מבוטל שבית המשפט יכריע כנגד הפרויקט ויחייב להחזיר את המצב לקדמותו, כי יחכה עד שיקבע השופט את פסיקתו. זאת על מנת שלא יתבזבזו כספי הציבור בהיקף ניכר אם יוכרע נגד הגוף הציבורי. זה במיוחד נכון למקרה זה עקב היקפו הגדול של פרויקט שבילי האופניים אשר מבוצע במספר שכונות בו–זמנית כצעד ראשון לקראת כיסוי חלקים ניכרים של ירושלים, והמשכו לאחר שהוגשה עתירה יוצר סיכון בלתי הולם לבזבוז כספי הציבור בהיקף ניכר.

2. הפרויקט פגום באופן מהותי ומסכן את הציבור: המשך והרחבת העבודות מפוקפק לנוכח העובדה שתכנון ויישום הפרויקט לקוי באופן מהותי כפי שהראנו גם במחקרנו שהפצנו. מעבר לליקויים המשפטיים החמורים שבא כוחנו הצביע עליהם בעתירה שהגשנו, הרי שגם בהיבט המקצועי, הפרויקט מבוסס על מספר רב של סטיות מהותיות מהנחיות בטיחותיות של משרד התחבורה. בין אם סטיות אלו קיבלו ’אישורים’ (שטרם הוצגו בפני הציבור) ובין אם לאו, ככל שמתרבות החריגות ממה שנהוג בוודאי שנוצר מצב של סכנות מצטברות. במצב שבו דבקתם מהתחילה במידות הגובלות בין מה שהוגדר כבטוח ולא בטוח, אין שום הצדקה לעבור מעבר לגבול זה עם החריגות הרבות שנעשו. סטיות אלו מהתקן ייצרו בעיות נגישות ובטיחות חמורות לקבוצות פגיעות כגון הנכים, זקנים וילדים (שמיוצגים בצורה לא קטנה בין תושבי רחוב לח''י). הנחמה היחידה היא שלא רואים כל שימוש בשבילים שכבר סיימתם להכשירם, משום שכל רוכב אופניים בר דעת יכול להבחין, שהאופן בו בניתם עד עתה את שבילי האופניים, במקרים רבים הוא ממש מסכן חיים, והוא ינהג בחכמה אם יימנע מלהשתמש בהם.
   
   
   אופיו הלקוי של הפרויקט כל כך חמור עד שאפילו העירייה הייתה חייבה להכיר כבר בחלק מכשלים אלו. דוגמה מובהקת לכך היא רחוב ששת הימים באזור גבעת המבתר שם הפסקתם את העבודה,תוך הכרה בהכרח לבצע שינויים מהותיים על מנת לתקן את המצב המסוכן שנוצרה על ידי הפרויקט במקום, עקב רוחבו המוגבל של הרחוב (שהוא מסלול אחד המופרד מהמסלול השני בשדרה). מצב דומה או אף חמור יותר צפוי ברח' לח"י שבו יש רוחב מוגבל למסלולים אך במקרה זה אין הפרדה בין המכוניות אשר יצטרכו לחלוף זה ליד זה בקרבה מחרידה. וראוי לציין שהטעון אשר הצגתם שהצרת הרחוב תגרום לנהגים לנהוג בצורה בטוחה יותר פסול. אי–אפשר להגדיל את רמת הבטיחות ברחוב על ידי הגדלת הסיכון למשמשי הרחוב – זה פרדוקס וההיגיון שעומד מאחורי מוטעה.
   
   
   אנו מבקשים לציין, כי יחידים מקרב הציבור כבר ניזוקו מהפרויקט. ביניהם נשיא האוניברסיטה העברית פרופ' מנחם בן–ששון, שהוא רוכב אופניים מנוסה, אשר רצה לבדוק קטע גמור מהשביל שבו היה צפוי שירכבו סטודנטים ופרופסורים. עקב אמונו בעבודת העירייה, הוא נסע בשביל,נתפסה דוושתו בהפרדה הפיזית הגבוהה בצורה בלתי תקנית, והוא נחבל קשה.

3. ביצוע העבודות בשדרות צ'רצ'יל עוד רחוק מהשלמה: התנהלותכם הנוכחית של הרחבת היקף עבודות סלילת שבילי האופניים בפזיזות ותחילת עבודות ברח' לח"י, איננה הולמת במיוחד בהתחשב בעובדה שאתם משאירים קטעים שלמים של שדרות צ'רצ'יל כשהעבודה שם פחות מחצי גמורה. בין היתר נותרה חניית הנכים לפני המרכז לבריאות הגוף והלב של O2 יושבת בצורה בלתי שימושית ואף מסוכנת כבר מספר חודשים. ההרחבה תשאיר עוד קטעים של הרחוב במצב דומה אשר יהווה מטרד וסיכון לציבור ובאותו זמן תשלול מתושבי לח''י כשישים אחוז ממקומות החנייה ברחוב אשר כבר עכשיו מקבלים שימוש מרבי ביום. לנוכח העתירה שהוזכר לעיל, אנחנו רואים בהרחבת העבודה החפוזה ניסיון נואש וראוי לגינוי לייצר עובדות בשטח על מנת להשפיע על הכרעת בית המשפט ואנחנו מוחים על כך.

עקב הנקודות אשר הוצגו, אנחנו דורשים שהעבודה תופסק עד שבית המשפט יכריע באופן חד משמעי לגבי חוקיות או אי חוקיות הפרויקט. אנחנו במיוחד דורשים שהפרויקט לא יורחב ולא ייווצרו ’עובדות בשטח’.אנחנו מאמינים שתכריע השופט לטובתנו בעתירה, ויאשר את דרישתנו שהמצב תוחזר לקדמותו. לכן אנחנו רואים את ההחלטה להמשיך ולהרחיב עבודות שבילי האופניים כבלתי–אחראיים. בהסתמכות על הנאמר,כל פגיעה לגוף או רכוש שתיגרם במהלך העתירה כתוצאה מפרויקט שבילי האופניים, תבוא תחת אחריותך האישית והחוקית וגם תחת אחריות אגף התושי''ה.

בכבוד רב,

עמותת 'תושבי צפון ירושלים בעד בטיחות ואיכות חיים (ע’’ר)'

You can read the court appeal against the project here, and the research carried out by the Amuta in regards to the bike path's substandard construction here.

The illegal bike path construction is returning to French Hill

This past Sunday morning municipal workers roped off the lower section of Lehi street in French Hill in order to start the construction work for bike paths next week. This is despite the fact that the work on Churchill boulevard has not been completed yet containing entire sections that have stood in a half finished state for months. This is also despite the fact that the bike path project has proven itself dangerous to the public at large (for an explanation read here and here while for specific incidents read here and here).

Word has it that the order to proceed onward with this project comes directly from the head of the Transportation & Infrastructure Development Division in the Jerusalem Municipality, Kobi Bartov. The Amuta "North Jerusalem Residents for Safety and Quality of Life" has filed a claim in court against this department based on the discovery that the bike paths are being constructed without any legal authorization. It turns out that the department in question did not submit its plans to the Town Planning Scheme and did not acquire a building permit. Instead it attempted to justify the work as what is known as "traffic arrangements". However, according to the High Court of Justice's definition of the term, projects on the scale of the bike paths do not fit within the scope of such arrangements (for more information on the illegality of the bike path project read here). It seems that this incursion into Lehi street is a desperate attempt by the Transportation & Infrastructure Development Division to expand the area of construction as much as possible while establishing "facts on the ground" prior to the court hearing in the next few months.

Lehi street this past Sunday morning - the municipality wishes to start work next week.

Churchill Boulevard is far from being finished and yet the city wishes to expand work to Lehi street.

This section of Churchill Boulevard has sat in a half-finished state for months since the municipality expanded its construction work to other sections of the street in order to expand as quickly as possible. Now it wants to do so again...

President of the Hebrew University is injured while using bike path

Last Friday the "Yediot Yerushaliem" weekly reported the unfortunate news concerning the President of the Hebrew University - Prof. Menachem Ben-Sasson's accident while trying out the municipality's newly installed bike path near the institution's vicinity. It turns out that Prof. Ben-Sasson, an experienced bicyclist, was riding along when his pedal got caught on one of the large concrete curbs lining the path. Multiple sources (including this blog) had previously warned the municipality that these curbs, ranging in hight between 15-20 cm, pose a very serious threat to bicyclists and are not in compliance with the Ministry of Transportation's guidelines that limit them to 5cm.

Ignoring the underlying issue of the dangers posed by these curbs, the municipality responded to the accident with the following statement: "The Bike Paths are currently under construction and their execution is not yet complete, similarly these paths have not yet been handed over to the municipality and it is not recommended to ride in them until work has been completed. It should be noted that the bike paths are being executed according to the standards of the ministry of transportation and the police. The Transportation & Infrastructure Development division will look into adding signage into the area." It seems that the city wishes to insinuate that it was the University President's own fault for choosing to ride on a bike path whose "execution is not yet complete" and that he should have know better. However, any passerby can attest to the fact that the majority of the bike paths that have been constructed until now in the area, including the one which Prof. Ben-Sasson tried, are in fact structurally complete. The only work left is to provide proper signage and paint the path in the appropriate colors. It would seem that the Municipality itself feels these paths are completely safe, otherwise they would have provided signs indicating that bicyclists should not make use of them yet. Only now, after the accident, have they even conceded to look into the prospect of adding adequate signage.

The section of the bike path that the President of the Hebrew University rode on. Construction of the path is complete. There is no signage indicating that people should not use it.

The other end of the same path. Again it is complete and without any signs or warnings informing people otherwise.

Yediot Yerushalayim Today

Be sure to check out the article on the bike lane fiasco in today's edition of Yediot Yerushalayim!

Let your voice be heard by phone call to the Jerusalem Municipality on Thursday, July 14th!

"North Jerusalem Residents for Safety and Quality of Life (registered amuta)" informs:

On Thursday, July 14^th, from 16:00 – 19:00, the Municipality invites residents to contact senior officials in the city government, including the General Manager and City Engineer, by direct phone call. Dial the Municipality's hotline 106. (For more details see: http://www.jerusalem.muni.il/jer_main/defaultnew.asp?lng=1)

This is your opportunity to lodge your complaint about the dangers inherent in municipality's ill-concieved bike path project. Here are some important points to remember:

• The Municipality has disregarded the will of the residents, the opinion of experts and even the objections of organizations such as Hadassah Hospital and the Hebrew University. Last week the Municipality unequivocally came to the decision to continue the project in its current form with minimal and negligible changes to the original plans, despite the outcry of the parties mentioned above.
• This project is being carried out in a substandard manner and not in accordance with the guidelines of the Ministry of Transportation.
• This project cannot be considered a “Traffic Arrangement” as the Municipality claims, since it does not solve a specific local traffic problem. Rather, it is actually a pilot program for a city-wide change in transportation.
• This project does not have the necessary legal authorization, as it does not have a building permit and it did not create the necessary changes to the “Town Planning Scheme”!
• The Municipality seems to feel that it is above the law it forces others to follow. Unacceptable!

Call the Municipality. Let them know that residents, students and bicyclists alike oppose the Bike Path Project as unsafe.

Encourage your friends and neighbors to call as well. It takes only a few minutes to let your voice be heard.

This may be your last chance to voice your opinion directly to the city on this issue.

Thank you very much for your help.

Sincerely,

North Jerusalem Residents for Safety and Quality of Life (registered amuta)

News article

Today's ידיעות ירושלים contains an article by ציפי מלכוב about the bike path project.

Obstructing Ambulances as they save people's lives

Today the municipality roped off and marked an entirely new section of Churchill Boulevard for the construction of its ill-concieved and poorly planned bike path project. This was done in spite of persistent protests on the part of the Hebrew University and Hadassah Hospital on Mount Scopus, as well such groups as "North Jerusalem Residents for Safety and Quality of Life".

Bike paths had recently been constructed on the upper portion of Churchill Boulevard that stretches between the Hospital and University. There, it has become very apparent that the narrowing of the streets that the project has entailed has caused severe traffic problems for passing vehicles, especially buses and trucks, while the bike paths themselves are infrequently used due to their poor and dangerous design. The width of the driving lanes was sacrificed for these bike paths which meant that no buffer zone was left at all between parked cars and passing traffic. As such, a single car that opens its door or bus that lets off passengers brings the entire street to a stand still. At the same time people exiting parked cars are endangered as they now must step out into moving traffic or the trench-like bike paths.

These same problems are now being extended down the hill to the section of Churchill Boulevard that acts as the main artery for the Hospital. While the problems created on the upper section of the road were sufficiently deplorable, they will be even more hazardous in this new section. This is due to the fact that this section is the main means of access to the Hospital. First and foremost, ambulances traverse this stretch of road. They must frequently race to or from the hospital in order to save a person's life. The traffic obstructions that this project creates will rob them of precious time needed to prevent deaths. The municipality knows that their work will cause problems for the ambulance drivers. However their response was that the ambulances will simply have to drive with a set of wheels on the shrubbery-filled traffic islands running down the center of the street. On top of that, this section of Churchill Boulevard provides the primary parking for visitors to the hospital, among them the infirm and sick, who will be forced to step out into passing traffic in order to receive their medical treatment.

This is the situation in the upper section of Churchill Boulevard and will be the same in the lower section where ambulances need to rush to and from the hospital to save lives.

An ambulance on its way to the hospital on Churchill Boulevard. The municipality feels that it is perfectly acceptable to force ambulances such as this to drive in the shrubbery as they race to and from the hospital to save lives.

The Bike Lane Project is Illegal - No building permit and no תב''ע

The 'North Jerusalem Residents for Safety and Quality of Life' Amuta found, through the help of their lawyer, that the dangerous Bike Path Project of the Jerusalem Municipality that has already caused a number of accidents and injuries, is being carried out without legal authorization. When asked, the Municipality confessed that the project does not, in fact, have a building permit. On top of that, the changes required by the Ministry of Transportation and the Laws of the State of Israel were not introduced to the תב''ע (Town Planning Scheme). Bike Paths are a new concept in Israeli transportation and constitute a 'substantial deviation from the planning scheme'. Such substantial change requires an emendation of the תב''ע (which is the legal plan that regulates the usage of land including streets) before being implemented.

The Municipality tried to defend the illegal execution of the project by claiming that it was a merely a 'Traffic Arrangement'. However, as was clarified in the Danziger Ruling in the High Courts about a week ago, a 'Traffic Arrangement' is used to solve a traffic problem in a specific location, and cannot be used to introduce a substantial change in the scheme of roads and streets. The Bike Path Project is a pilot program that is attempting to completely change the nature of the roads and therefore needs its principles to first be introduced to the תב''ע.

If there is no building permit, תב''ע or 'traffic arrangement', what is there? Unfortunately we have been left with a "Chelm" Plan that has not passed the legal procedures that would have prevented such a project from threatening the public safety.

It has come to our attention that on Sunday the illegal construction work will resume in the streets of French Hill. Stay posted to this blog to find out how you can help stop this disaster.

Hebrew University Bike Lanes: Not According to the Ministry of Transportation's Guidelines

After the city planners have embarked on an ill-conceived project without clearing it with those who are heavily affected by it . . .

After 3 month's of protests from the residents of north Jerusalem . . .

After revelations that the city planners have sidestepped various guidelines published by the Ministry of Transportation itself . . .

The municipality has proceeded to continue its plan by building the bike lanes up Sederot Churchill, the main street to the Hebrew University, again disregarding various guidelines published by the Ministry of Transportation itself!

And, as demonstrated in Givat HaMivtar and French Hill, they continue to ignore the most basic, universal guideline that the results of construction must be safe (which they are not - see last post for more information).

Here are the dangers the current construction poses:

• The minimum allowable combined width of traffic, bicycle, parking and pedestrian lanes for various grades of slope (even under the safest conditions) has been ignored.
• The present bike paths merge with walkways at bus stops and with roadways at intersections.
• Cars cannot open their doors without being hit by passing traffic.
• Passengers cannot exit from parked cars without a potential collision with the traffic on one side and with bicyclists on the other.
• The handicapped, elderly and parents with strollers are forced to navigate around an additional raised barrier and bicycle traffic, before they are safe on a sidewalk.
• Bicyclists are being forced to ride on steep streets, confined to a highly curbed trough (narrower than the Ministry of Transportation allows). Each high curb presents a detriment to the safety of the bicyclist whose peddles and wheels coming in contact with either curb will cause the rider to flip from his bicycle (especially when other obstacles appear in the lane or in slippery and windy conditions).

Do the city planners represent their own interests or do they represent all of us?

From Tuesday to the end of Friday, the work area was dramatically expanded down the hill.

On Sunday the problematic bike lane dividers had already been partially installed. 

Bus is forced to stop because of open door of parked car along projected bike path curb.
Drivers exiting their cars and passing vehicles can expect dangerous collisions thanks to the bike path project.

The bike path project leaves no room for human error.

The bike path project does not adhere to the Ministry of Transportation's guidelines

A study conducted by the Amuta (Non-profit organization) "North Jerusalem Residents for Safety and Quality of Life" shows, that contrary to what has been stated by municipal representatives, the bike path project in the area does not in fact adhere to the Ministry of Transportation's set of guidelines for planning streets, bike paths and sidewalks in cities (the guidelines themselves can be found here). You can read part of the study below:

Minimal widths

A major problem with the bike lane project is that it has been designed along the minimum measurements possible, especially with regard to the width of roads and even the bike paths themselves. The Guidelines specifically discourage planners from utilizing the minimal measurements as a standard throughout the project, but rather recommend a more “balanced” system ( 'הנחיות לתכנון תנועת אופניים' henceforth 'Bikes': 73; 'הנחיות לתכנון רחובות בערים – מרחב הרחוב' henceforth 'Streets': 31). The reason for this is obvious. These measurements are the minimum at which bike and vehicle traffic are considered to be safe. The plan allows for no margin of error, a state which no human is capable of handling on a consistent basis. Furthermore, the safety of the recommendations in the Guidelines themselves is questionable and thus any plan that makes exceptions that are less than the minimum recommendations cannot in good conscience be declared safe.

The Guidelines encourage planners to always choose safety over capacity (Streets: 30). The flexibility in the Guidelines is meant to be utilized to make a “balanced” plan which is at the same time both safe and efficient, putting the individual and his/her welfare at the center (Bikes: 28; Streets: 24, 26). Insisting on narrowing the streets to a dangerous width in order to allow for the addition of bicycle lanes is choosing capacity over safety and efficiency. The creation of such danger is in direct conflict with the spirit of the Guidelines and is in conflict with the welfare and quality of life of those who must navigate these streets, often resulting in injury accidents such as the one mentioned above. You cannot increase safety by increasing risk.

The Guidelines state that bicycle paths should always be built in order to accommodate the fastest a bicycle is likely to go. This is considered to be 50 km/h as the result of downhill slopes which Jerusalem has in abundance (Bikes: 47). According to the Guidelines, if predictive data as to the amount of traffic that will pass through on a level section of road is unavailable, the minimal width for a one-way bike path is 2 meters (Bikes: 73). This measurement has clearly not been applied to the bike paths throughout the area. However, even if predictive data is available that sets the recommended width for level bike paths at 1.5 m with a minimum of 1.2 m, the same cannot be said for downward slopes.

The Guidelines dictate that bicycle paths that have a gradation of more than 5% but less than 11% need to be widened by 0.5 meters or even 1.2 meters if the length of the sloped section exceeds specific standards (Bikes: 48 and 73). Jerusalem is a city with a very large number of slopes due to its mountainous nature. And yet the bike lanes going through this area's sloped roads have not been widened to the 2 or 2.7 meter width as directed in the Guidelines, but rather have been made narrower to the minimal 1.2 m width used for lanes on level terrain (Bikes: 68; Streets: 115). Examples of this are on Sheshet Hayamim St. and Lehi St. Whether or not special exceptions were given to achieve this, the bike path project has been largely built on exceptions to rules that were questionable to begin with and cannot be considered to actually be safe by any standard.

Options to deal with these width-related problems do exist but have been largely ignored. The Guidelines say that it is permissible to take away some of the width of the sidewalk in order to make a bicycle path, provided that it will not prove to be a serious impediment to the pedestrians (Bikes: 76). The sidewalks in French Hill are, for the most part, quite broad and some of their excess width could be used for the bike paths instead of forcing cars to drive in such close proximity to each other and bicyclists to ride down such narrow paths. Likewise, a single two-way bike path takes less space than two one-way bike paths (see comparative measurements in Bikes: 73). However, these alternatives do not seem to have received any serious consideration by the Municipality.

On a related note, the Guidelines state that bus stops are special areas of the street that require their own operational area (Streets: 54). However, incredibly, the project has filled in the pre-existing bus stop bays so that busses are now forced to stop in the middle of the driving lane, blocking all the traffic behind them. This clearly stands against the guiding principle of making the streets efficient.

 North Jerusalem Resident for Safety and Quality of Life

Construction proceeds on road to the Hebrew University

The municipality has of late turned their bike path construction efforts to Churchill Boulevard, the main street leading up to the Hebrew University and Hadassah Hospital on Mount Scopus. The design and methods are the same as those already seen in the North Jerusalem neighborhoods of French Hill, Givat Hamivtar, Tsameret Habira and Ramat Eshkol. Here too, the street has been reduced to an unreasonably narrow width that allows little to no room for human error and is prone to congestion. This on a street utilized by ambulances rushing to the Hospital with patients in critical condition and buses packed with students going to the University (it should be noted that a major bus terminal with a very high amount of traffic is located at the University). It likewise appears that numerous parking spaces, necessary for visitors to the Hospital and the local student population, will be arbitrarily reduced to provide space for the bike paths, in the same way as has already been done or is planned for elsewhere in the neighborhoods.

While the construction has not progressed far enough to reach the actual creation of the bike paths themselves, given the repetition of the same design flaws already seen in the road work, it is reasonable to assume that the Hebrew University bike paths will be afflicted with the same faults as those already constructed in the nearby residential areas. It is also highly likely that the same bus stop design implemented in the North Jerusalem neighborhoods through the course of the project, where a bus is forced to stop in the middle of the road blocking all the traffic behind it, will likewise be implemented here on this important artery of the city.

This relocation of efforts, seems to be in response to the overwhelming resistance the municipality has encountered amongst the residents of French Hill, Givat Hamivtar, Tsameret Habira and Ramat Eshkol towards the bike path construction work that has already been carried out in those neighborhoods. Presumably, the contractors have been given a section of road to work on from some of the more advanced and later stages of the plans while the municipal representatives try to pacify the adversaries of the project on an individual localized level. Once the resignation of the residents has been achieved, the path near the University can be extended back to sections already completed in North Jerusalem neighborhoods and expansion can once again commence there.

A partially completed section of the bike path sidewalk extension.

A portion of the street fenced off and under preparation for transformation into a bike lane.

The incisions show the degree to which the bicycle path will narrow the road.

These incisions line up with partially constructed bike path extensions.

The road will become so narrow due to the bike path, that buses will barely be able to travel along the street, just as was done on Sheshet HaYamim street

Bike "Canals" in North Jerusalem

A few days ago Jerusalem experienced a light Spring rain. Afterwards, people traveling along HaHagana Street in the French Hill neighborhood noticed an interesting thing, the bike paths, with their canal-like structure, have certain drainage issues. After a light rain, numerous puddles formed ranging in size from modest, to very large (see pictures).

For a bicyclist, any puddle can be a danger. Mud can make the wheels of the bicycle slippery and cause dangerous accidents. The high-walled structure of these paths insure that dirt and dust will collect inside. With the recent rainfall it is also clear that there is inadequate drainage and that puddles will certainly form. The resulting combination will be a hazardous muddy path that will inevitably add even more injuries to those already caused by this ill-designed bike path project.

Bike Lane Survey Bites the Dust

At the beginning of this week, the French Hill/Tsameret HaBirah/Givat HaMivtar/Ramat Eshkol Community Center finally removed the "bike lane survey" from its website. This survey had clearly been manipulated through "ballot stuffing" on April 22nd, when, within the space of two hours, the number of votes more than doubled in favor of the bike lane project. It is worth noting that over the course of the following two weeks, only 15 votes were registered!

This anonymous survey did not have adequate control features to insure one vote per person. Thus its results were not reliable. This was pointed out to the City Officials who nonetheless insisted on referring to it as support for the bike lane project, while disregarding the approximately 1,000-strong, signed petition of named individuals who expressed their opposition to the bike lane project. It took the Community Center three weeks to remove the survey...better late than never!

 On the 22nd of April within two hours the survey doubled itself by more than 800 votes in favor of the bike lane project. Since then, the survey has increased by a mere 15 votes (see photo above and compare to this post). Clearly it is not reasonable to believe that 800 individuals spontaneously decided to vote all at the same time on the 22nd of April, but rather that something far more deceptive was afoot...