Bike lanes help cyclists get out on the street
As soon as the temperature warms up to about 50 degrees, Graham House is on his bicycle as much as possible.
And the downtown bicycle lanes the city installed in August 2006 make it easier for bicyclists like House to navigate their way through downtown traffic.
“I think overall it’s helpful,” House said. “And as drivers become more aware, ‘oh yeah, there’s a bike lane there,’ it will be safer for bicyclists.”
It cost the city about $20,000 to stripe the lanes and put up the bike lane signs on 11th Street south from Q to K and 14th Street north from L to R.
Officials say it was worth the cost.
User counts conducted twice in 2007 and once so far this year have shown a “significant” increase in bicycle traffic along those streets from before those lanes were installed, said Dave Cary, transportation planner for the city.
And though more bicyclists are taking to those streets, the number of bicycle-related crashes on those streets has not increased, Cary said.
“Motorists, especially those who live in the city and who work or go to school downtown, have learned pretty quickly how to maneuver with bike lanes installed,” Cary said.
During a bicycle count on April 16, about 100 bicyclists used 11th Street during a six-hour period, with only 33 using the sidewalk, Cary said.
On the 23rd, 142 bikes were counted on 14th Street during a six-hour period, and of those, only 17 used the sidewalks, Cary said.
Lincoln is moving in the right direction as far as becoming more bicycle-friendly, Cary said.
While there are no immediate plans to put in more bicycle lanes, the Downtown Master Plan does suggest adding bicycle lanes on M and N streets from east to west to coincide with the existing north/south lanes downtown, Cary said.
Bicycle lanes and trails likely will be incorporated into future development downtown, including the Antelope Valley Project, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln research facility and the Haymarket renovations, Cary said.
“There’s a whole lot of activity about to happen,” Cary said. “We are incorporating the bicycle portion with all of these things.”
Reach Hilary Kindschuh at 473-7120 or hkindschuh@journalstar.com. Anthony Roberts contributed to this story.
And the downtown bicycle lanes the city installed in August 2006 make it easier for bicyclists like House to navigate their way through downtown traffic.
“I think overall it’s helpful,” House said. “And as drivers become more aware, ‘oh yeah, there’s a bike lane there,’ it will be safer for bicyclists.”
It cost the city about $20,000 to stripe the lanes and put up the bike lane signs on 11th Street south from Q to K and 14th Street north from L to R.
Officials say it was worth the cost.
User counts conducted twice in 2007 and once so far this year have shown a “significant” increase in bicycle traffic along those streets from before those lanes were installed, said Dave Cary, transportation planner for the city.
And though more bicyclists are taking to those streets, the number of bicycle-related crashes on those streets has not increased, Cary said.
“Motorists, especially those who live in the city and who work or go to school downtown, have learned pretty quickly how to maneuver with bike lanes installed,” Cary said.
During a bicycle count on April 16, about 100 bicyclists used 11th Street during a six-hour period, with only 33 using the sidewalk, Cary said.
On the 23rd, 142 bikes were counted on 14th Street during a six-hour period, and of those, only 17 used the sidewalks, Cary said.
Lincoln is moving in the right direction as far as becoming more bicycle-friendly, Cary said.
While there are no immediate plans to put in more bicycle lanes, the Downtown Master Plan does suggest adding bicycle lanes on M and N streets from east to west to coincide with the existing north/south lanes downtown, Cary said.
Bicycle lanes and trails likely will be incorporated into future development downtown, including the Antelope Valley Project, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln research facility and the Haymarket renovations, Cary said.
“There’s a whole lot of activity about to happen,” Cary said. “We are incorporating the bicycle portion with all of these things.”
Reach Hilary Kindschuh at 473-7120 or hkindschuh@journalstar.com. Anthony Roberts contributed to this story.
Copyright © 2002-2008 Lincoln Journal Star. All rights reserved.