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The city just installed a bright green bike lane that's painted onto 4th St. at the intersection of College St. The lane runs for about half a block, and gradually leads cyclists from the shoulder of the road on 4th St. to the middle of the road, in between the turning lane and the lane that continues straight ahead to cross College St.
It's part of an effort to make Charlotte more cyclist-friendly. If the first attempt goes well, there will be more green lanes popping up at Kenilworth and Charlottetowne, and 10th St. at E. 12th Street.
It's a good start... But like all the other bike lanes it just pops up and then vaporizes very quickly. I find navigating those more frustrating than just riding with traffic.
I think the green lanes are a good idea, not for the bikers, but more for the drivers. I notice on third street that the bike lane gets wider as you get closer to the Tryon intersection and tons of people treat it as a turn lane.
I think it's a great idea. I've seen it done in other cities and it causes motorists to be more aware of cyclists when they are crossing the bike lane to turn right. Good to see that our city is keeping cyclists' safety in mind.
Unnecessary waste of money. Anyone who is riding downtown should know how to navigate traffic without some green path telling them where to go.
I'd like to present the counter-argument...
If the city can invest money making the city more cycle friendly, then more people will cycle. If more people cycle for simple trips, the city has to spend less on road maintenance and air pollution counter measures. Populations that get more physical activity are healthier. Healthier populations are cheaper on society to maintain. It may well be that this type of expense is one of the smartest infrastructure investments a municipality can make!
Bike lanes are good for cities. I hate when I'm driving and there is a Lance Armstrong doing 4 mph in the middle of the street like it's a car. Dedicating space for them makes it safer for the driver and the cyclist.
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