Traffic Committee Hears Street-Striping Recommendations

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Fairhope, Alabama

Planning Director Johnathan Smith and Public Works' Jennifer Fidler presented their recommendations for striping recently-paved streets according to advice from consultant Dan Burden and previous engineering studies.

Some of the recommendations were:

  1. Eliminate double yellow center lines downtown, except on major roads. A single broken line may be substituted.
  2. Widen crosswalks to ten feet.
  3. Eliminate parking 25' from intersections to improve sight lines.
  4. 5' wide bike lanes downtown; but only if there is room on both sides of the street
  5. Utilize shared lane markings ("sharrows") for bikes and cars -- where there is insufficient room for bike lanes.
  6. Colorize some turn lanes and bike lanes.                                                   
  7. Bike lanes on Fairhope Ave. from Greeno to Bancroft.
  8. Sharrows on Ingleside between Gayfer and CR 44.
Sharrow Symbol

BICYCLISTS MUST OBEY LAWS

Councilman Kingrea insisted that some way should be found as well to ensure that cyclists follow state laws where bike lanes were made available, perhaps via some kind of public awareness program.

YIELD TO PEDESTRIAN SIGNS REPLACED

In response to a question from an attending citizen, Fidler promised the yield to pedestrian signs that had been placed at some intersections at the request of a local girl scout troop would be reinstalled as soon as the paving projects were completed.

POLICE TO WEIGH IN

It was agreed that the list would now be reviewed by the police department -- and final recommendations made to the city council for approval at its regular meeting this Monday.

(Publisher's Note: Fidler drew chuckles when she said some of the proposed bike lanes would connect the biking community to the hospital.)

Comments

Anonymous said…
cyclists shoud be reqired to follow traffic laws.
Anonymous said…
A dotted line would be great...maybe I can pass these horrible drivers we have before they kill me or someone around me.
Anonymous said…
its going to take a lot more than just striping streets to make them safe for pedestrians and cyclists.
Anonymous said…
Yea, it's going to take people who can actually drive!!!