A request for bike lanes on Old Auto Road will have road blocks to overcome.
Resident Art Borkent wrote to city council recently, requesting bike lanes on the steep, twisty roadway, noting that it is an important bike route and one that is particularly challenging because of the curves.
At the Oct. 24 meeting of council, in response to his letter, city staff reported that such lanes would be difficult there.
“I don’t know if we’d consider it,” said Rob Nieuwenhuizen, the city’s director of engineering and public works. “It’s a very narrow road to consider. It would be difficult to have a true bike lane.”
He said one factor to consider with bike lanes is parking; they affect where residents are permitted to park.
Coun. Ken Jamieson suggested erecting a “share the road” sign to alert motorists.
Nieuwenhuizen said that would be a possibility, but Coun. Chad Eliason said he finds that signs don’t work.
“Signs are expensive. People see signs all the time, and don’t always stop at stop signs,” Eliason remarked, suggesting, instead, a painting program for roads.
“Anything’s possible,” Nieuwenhuizen said. “Unfortunately there are restrictions on where we can place the bike lanes. It depends on width of road.”
Eliason said even a white line painted on the right side of the road would give cyclists a sense of security and a boundary.