Bikeways and Mini Bus

I talked a bit about mini bus transit in previous posts.  This type of transit is key to moving people on the island.  I also mentioned that bike paths (bikeways) are also important as they are faster, and cheaper to build than the roads that mini buses and vehicles will use.

Dual Transit
Connecting the mini bus line with bikeways is important as it will connecting different types of transit together.  Keep in mind that these bikeways will also have benches, restrooms along the route, bike stations, bike repair shops, vendors, and will connect to minibus transit stops.

 

This bike lane shows a bike crossing with another mode of transit.  The signage shows pedestrian crossing.  This lane allows for bi-directional bike direction, connection to bus line, and even a walking path.  This is something that could implemented on La Gonave with the minibus system. 

Bike Stations

 

This bike station allows for indoor bike storage as well as outdoor.  This will allow for the bicycle to not be involved with weather conditions on the island.  From hot sun to rain, these shelters will prevent the riders/owners from inconvenience.  These type of stations would be illuminated using a solar panel, and bike owners would have to lock their own bikes up.  Stations such as above would not be the norm, but would be along some routes.

 

This is a bike station that allows for all the bikes to be parked outside, and the station is more of a repair shop.  An on duty attendant will sell bike services for those who need it.  These type of stations also allows owners to lock up their bikes, but doesn't protect again sun and rain.

Bike Paths

 This bike path in Taiwan looks like a road, but is a functioning bike path in a rural setting.  Since most of La Gonave is rural, such a bike path could be constructed on the island.  If you notice a truck is also on the path, potentially doing maintenance.  This path follows a river and offers not only exercise, but also great views.  Paths such as this allows rural villages quick access to where they have to go using bikes, vs hours it would take walking and driving the dirt roads of La Gonave.  This path allows for pedestrians to walk as well on the side.  Also drainage is taken into consideration so that rain will drain off of the bikeway, and into the nearby river.

 This bike path doesn't allow for people to walk it, however it is possible.  Again following a river, this path allows for bi-directional movement in the rural parts of South Korea.

 This bike path is just a basic path that appears to be asphalt and doesn't have any markings.  It is again in a rural or park setting.

This bike path is a concrete type of path that doesn't have any markings as well.  Also it shows how it would look in a rural or park setting.

Again another bike path in the rural part of South Korea that allows for bi-directional travel.  Along the route, which follows a river, there is beautiful landscaping.  This allows La Gonave to have an area that can help build the ecosystem as well as travel.

Signs

Signs like this could be built that will allow riders to know where they are going and how far away it is.  These signs are very inexpensive to build and would use local labor.

This sign is more elaborate but also talks of rules of the bikeway and the length.

South Korea's Bikeway Network

While Korea is an ultra modern country, it has a large bike network that stretches hundreds of miles.  Below are the map of the bikeway network of South Korea.  They are again placed mostly along important rivers.

Such a network promotes health, but also it allows smaller areas alternatives of getting to larger cities.  While S. Korea has high speed rail, highways, and roads to connect every corner of the country, it also incorporates bikes into the system as well.  Initially this can prove to be an affordable way of building up the infrastructure on the island that will allow mobility to villages and allows tourists to visit different villages and areas on the island.

Bike Routes Online and at Bike Stations

The bike routes will be available online and also at bike stations.  This will allow riders the opportunity to know how to get from one place to the other.  Say a person in a remote village wants to go to the Open Air Market in Anse-a-Galets.  They can see where their nearest bike station is, and then plan their route.  It will show if they need to connect to several different bikeways, or if they can stay on the same bikeway.

 

Our plan is to connect important areas of the island via bikeway.  This allows riders to connect to the hospital, open air market, wharf, or important beaches and points of interest.

Other Uses

 

Mail can be delivered to remote villages using mail bikes.

 Food delivery can also take place due to these bikeways.

 This electric mobile emergency unit will allow for remote villagers to have access to the hospital on the island using the bikeway.  While the bikeways will not allow regular motor traffic or 4 wheel traffic, it will allow for emergency and farm approved vehicles.

 Local police can also use the bikeways to respond to any issues that may come up.

These utility vehicles can also use the bikeways to either repair, or maintain the bikeways.  They also can move farm crops from the rural area into the city.  This vehicle weighs much less than a typical truck, and will not constantly use the bikeways.  Given the small footprint the bikeways will have, these type of vehicles will not damage the bikeway.

Retail

Finally retail.  Possibly around bike stations, transit stops, and points of interests, there will be retail units.  Many of these can be mobile labs using some of the trucks I mentioned above, or they can be some type of container facility.

 This store built from a shipping container is similar to what I would like to see on the bikeways.  They allow riders the chance to shop for items that maybe related to bicycles, but also will offer things from groceries, flowers, food, shoes, and paintings. 

This bike retail center is bike related, but it also has an awning for bikes to protect them from the sun.  It is in an area that looks like a small bike village.  I imagine this could work in far remote areas that are connecting two far flung important areas.  These stops could even have small hotels to allow for rest.

This is a project that makes the most sense for the island.  Not only can these bikeways be covered with overhead solar panels, they allow connectivity.  Planning today for the future of the island's infrastructure is key for the growth of the island.

In the next blog I will talk about how quickly these bikeways could be built.

Go Gonave!