OKC bicycling get a boost from the creation of special bike lanes and expansion of downtown’s bike-share program. [OK Gazette]
Oklahoma City has begun work creating the first street lanes that will be shared between bicycles and cars. That development comes amid an expansion of the city’s downtown bike-share program.
Credit: Mark Hancock
The city is planning for more than 200 miles of bike routes, which includes so-called “sharrow” lanes. The word “sharrow” is a combination of “share” and “arrow.” The lanes are designated by pavement markings showing a picture of a bicycle below two arrows.
The bike routes will be added in phases. The first phase includes Eastern Avenue, South Villa Avenue and Interstate 235 and Interstate 35 service roads north of 63rd Street, in addition to downtown streets. In total, the first phase is expected to create 90 miles of bike routes.
Funded by a 2007 general obligation bond, the improvements are expected to cost around $362,000 to install.
“It’s a way to encourage cyclists and notify drivers that this is a prime bicyclist route; you should expect to see bicyclists here,” said Randy Entz, the city’s transportation planner.
While there are no hard data to show exactly how many bicyclists are in Oklahoma City, anecdotal evidence points to a jump in cycling enthusiasts.
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