Philadelphia Unveils First Protected Bike Lane
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Philadelphia's first protected bike path has been officially unveiled on Ryan Avenue in front of Lincoln High School in the Mayfair section of the city.
Clerena Tolson with the Office of Transportation explains a "bike barrier" was created by relocating the car parking lane closer to the traffic lane and creating a two-way bike path between the parked cars and the curb.
"So our bikers have a buffer," she says.
"So you put the bike lane against the curb," adds Bicycle coalition executive director Sarah Clark Stuart, "then the parked car, then the travel lane. That way, the bicyclist is protected from the moving cars by the parked cars and the increased separation makes everyone feel more comfortable."
John Boyle, research director with the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, says while bikes are still legally allowed anywhere on the roadway, creating a separation makes everyone more comfortable:
"I think there's a large percentage of the population that wants to bicycle, but they are freaked out by the traffic."
Clark Stuart anticipates we'll soon be seeing more bike friendly roads like this one.