AGENDA #3a(2)
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To: |
Mayor and Town Council |
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From: |
The Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board |
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Subject: |
Planned Shared Bus/Bicycle Lane S. Columbia Street |
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Date: |
March 27, 2007 |
The University is currently designing a shared bus/bicycle lane as part of improvements to narrow South Columbia Street to 3 lanes of travel between Manning Drive and Cameron Avenue in accordance with stipulation 18c approving a development plan for the University on October 3, 2001. Notwithstanding this approval by the Council, the Board has concerns about the safety for bicyclists of this facility.
The Board notes that proposed improvements to South Columbia Street scheduled for 2010 include striped bicycle lanes from Purefoy Road to Manning Drive, also that the NC86/ Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard Corridor study calls for striped bicycle lanes from North Street to I-40. The Board desires the connection of these facilities through the University Campus along the remainder of South Columbia Street and North Columbia Street.
The University’s planned improvement will reduce the existing 4 lane street section to provide wider sidewalks with a 3 lane street section including 2 eleven foot travel lanes and 1, fourteen foot shared bicycle and bus lane between Manning Drive and Medical Drive.
The Board wishes that the street section be redesigned to provide a separate bus lane and a separate 5 foot wide striped bicycle lane located to the left of the bus lane.
The Board considers that buses and bicycles are not compatible because of the frequent stops buses make and because of the size difference between bicycle and buses.
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Vote: |
7 – 0.
Aye: Jed Dube, Ray Magyar, Dave Love, Kate Millard, Perri Morgan, Wendy Sarratt, Ray Piplani and Linda Gaines
Recused: Ray Magyar (University representative) |
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Prepared by: |
Wendy Sarratt, Acting Chair, Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board |