|
The US 287 / South College Bicycle Lane Project developed a Vision Plan for the project corridor. The plan accommodates cyclists of varied experience levels and provide connections to the area's on-street bicycle lanes and off-road multi-use trail system. There are priority recommendations for phasing the project to match current funding levels and as additional funding becomes available. First phase of construction is anticipated in 2006.
|
|
This project is sponsored by the City of Fort Collins and funded by a grant provided by the North Front Range Metropolitan Planning Organization (NFRMPO) and the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT).
|
|
The following links provide more information:
|
|
This “Shared Lane Marking” is intended to inform cyclists and motorists where a travel lane is shared by both modes. It has been shown to be helpful in situations where motorists may squeeze cyclists against the curb, where it may not be obvious where cyclists should be riding, such as intersections with multiple turn lanes, or where cyclists commonly ride too close to parked cars. (Source: San Francisco's Shared Lane Pavement Markings: Improving Bicycle Safety. Prepared by Alta Planning + Design for the San Francisco Department of Parking & Traffic.)
|
|
(Pictured left) The new pavement marking will appear on Laurel Street from South College Ave. to Shields Street, and South College from Harmony Road to Carpenter Road. The shared lane marking is being used in areas where it is not possible to provide separate lanes for motorists and bicyclists. In a shared lane situation, the new shared lane marking cautions motorists and bicyclists to expect to share the lane.
|
|
|
|
|
Project Related Questions
|
|
Will this project affect access to my business?
|
|
The new bike lanes should actually improve access to businesses in the corridor by providing a safer way for cyclists to get to their destinations in the corridor. The purpose of the new bike lanes is to improve facilities for cyclists in the corridor, not to change or negatively affect existing automobile business access locations.
|
|
I thought it was illegal to ride my bike on College Avenue?
|
|
Cyclists are prohibited from riding only on the portion of College Avenue north of Harmony Road and south of Laurel Street. Cyclists are allowed on other parts of College Avenue/US287, for example south of Harmony Road and north of Laurel Street.
|
|
Is there too much traffic on College Avenue to establish a bike lane?
|
|
Actually, bicycle lanes have been successfully implemented on streets with upwards of 30,000 vehicles per day The City includes bikelanes on our major arterials and they are intended to carry 35,000+ vpd). Special design considerations such as wider bike lanes will be included in the design to safely accommodate both cyclists and motorists in the corridor.
|
|
Why put bicyclists on the College Avenue? Why not on sidewalks or bikepaths?
|
|
Sidewalks are primarily for pedestrians. Bicycle use on sidewalks with high numbers of pedestrians results in crashes and injuries for both bicyclists and pedestrians.
|
|
In most cases, the street is the safest place for bicyclists to ride in the city. National studies have shown that riding on the sidewalk (and especially when riding against traffic in the wrong direction) is a significant contributor to car/bike collisions because the motorist is not looking for a relatively fast moving bicycle on the sidewalk.
|
|
Bicycles are legal vehicles and bicyclists have the same rights and responsibilities as motorists when traveling on the street. Many cities prohibit persons 12 years and older from riding on the sidewalk unless it is specifically posted for bicycle use.
|
|
Bicycle paths (multi-use trails or shared use paths) are good facilities for some trips and less experienced cyclists. Off-road multi-use paths and on-street bikelanes often worked together to link people of various riding abilities to their destinations.
|
|
Bike lanes encourage bicyclists to use the street as opposed to the sidewalk, which eases congestion and improves safety on the sidewalks.
|
|
Streets by their very nature serve the bicyclist in the same way they serve every other user: they get people where they want to go. The street system is already in place and streets provide access to virtually all destinations: homes, businesses, shops, schools, churches, parks, etc. There is not enough space or money to create separated bike paths all over the city.
|
|
Is it a concern that the US287 bike lanes do not connect to other bike lanes?
|
|
The new US287/South College Avenue bike lanes will connect to existing bike lanes on Triangle Drive, Trilby Road, Fossil Creek Parkway, and Harmony Road. In the near future, the City is building the Fossil Creek trail and Mason Transportation Corridor trail , providing important connections to the existing City wide trail system. Even if a bike lane won't take you all the way to your final destination, a segment of bike lane will make your trip safer and more enjoyable. Most bike trips in the city involve using a combination of streets with bike lanes and streets without bike lanes as well as off-road trails. Studies indicate that providing designated bikeways (bike routes, lanes, and trails) is a big factor in encouraging people to bicycle.
|
|
When will these bikelanes be built?
|
|
The bikelanes along this portion of US287/South College Avenue will be built over time as funding is available. Part of this project includes identifying all of the necessary bikeway improvements and prioritizing these segments based upon available funding as well as future opportunities. It is likely to take several years before the project is fully complete from Harmony Road to Carpenter Road.
|
|
General Questions
|
|
What is a bike lane and who is permitted to use them?
|
|
Bicycle-or bike-lanes are marked lanes in the public right-of-way that are for use by bicyclists. Bike lanes are usually striped with a 6" stripe separating the bike lane from the vehicle travel lane, and a 4" stripe separating the bike lane from the parking lane. If there is no on-street parking, then the bike lane is against the curb and no 4"stripe is necessary.
|
|
Bike lanes are marked with a bike symbol and arrow indicating the direction of travel. Motorists are not allowed to travel or park in the bike lanes and are subject to a fine if they do so. They are allowed to cross the lanes when turning or when entering or exiting a legal parking space.
|
|
Can bicyclists still use the roadway where there is a bike lane?
|
|
Cyclists are still permitted to travel in the regular vehicle travel lanes even when a bike lane is present. When making a left turn, a bicyclist can make the turn from the left lane and not the bike lane. Cyclists should signal and make sure it is clear before moving into the vehicle travel lane. Motorists should always be aware that cyclists may merge to avoid an obstacle in the bicycle lane or may need to move to the appropriate lane to make a left or right turn.
|
|
What happens at the intersections?
|
|
At intersection approaches, the bike lane striping is usually dashed to indicate that motorists may be entering and crossing the bike lane to make a right hand turn. There are pavement markings and signs to indicate this. Where there is not adequate width to stripe the bike lane up to the intersection approach, the curbside lane can also be signed as a shared-use lane. In some cases use of the shared-use lane is restricted to buses, bikes and right turns.
|
|
Is the bike lane necessary?
|
|
Arterial streets are very popular streets for bicycling because of the mix of commercial, residential and institutional land uses they serve. Small segments of bike lane can provide an opportunity for someone to ride their bike when they might otherwise not. Designated bike lanes help cyclists know where to ride and also help make motorists aware that bicyclists are expected along that corridor.
|
|
How long will the bike lane markings last?
|
|
Some bike lanes are striped using paint. Paint is not permanent and typically lasts two years. Some bike lanes are striped using Thermoplastic. Thermoplastic lasts longer, about three to five years.
|
|
What about bus stops, what happens to cyclists there?
|
|
After the intersection, where most bus stops are located, the bike lane is dashed to indicate that the bus can pull across the bike lane and to notify the cyclist that buses will be pulling over. Bikes and buses have to merge just like the buses do with motor vehicle traffic. When a bus is at the bus stop the cyclist should either wait behind the bus or pass on the left. The cyclist should not pass the bus on the right because they would run into people getting off the bus.
|
|
How do you get cyclists to obey the laws? I never see cyclists stop at stop signs.
|
|
All groups (motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians) are human beings and they don't always obey the laws. If you were to go out to a stop sign at any location you would see all of these user groups not behaving correctly. Enforcement needs to be reasonable, design needs to be good, and users need to be educated.
|
|
It seems that when you add a bike lane it gives cyclists permission to ignore traffic lights and stop signs.
|
|
Actually the opposite is true. National studies have shown that bike lanes influence positive behavior and improve safety. Well-designed facilities encourage proper behavior and decrease the likelihood of crashes. Bike lanes have also been shown to discourage riding on the sidewalk, which can be hazardous for adult bicyclists.
|
For more information, please contact:
Kathleen Bracke
Senior Transportation Planner
City of Fort Collins Transportation Planning
970-224-6140
|
|
Comments
|
|
We'd love to hear your comments or ideas! Please send us an e-mail!
|
