As part of the city of Port Townsend’s ongoing efforts to make local roadways more pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly, the municipality has launched a pilot project on two blocks of …
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As part of the city of Port Townsend’s ongoing efforts to make local roadways more pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly, the municipality has launched a pilot project on two blocks of Uptown’s Blaine Street to add an “edge lane” road.
Edge lane roads (also known as advisory bike lanes or advisory shoulders) are a type of street in which two-way vehicle traffic shares a single, middle lane with wide lanes on both sides of the roadway for bicycles, pedestrians on foot, and other travelers. This style of street is most common in European countries like The Netherlands and Denmark, and is used to give a safe, reserved travel lane to cyclists.
The city’s trial edge lane road will span from the Tyler Street intersection of Blaine street to the Adams Street intersection and will be in place from June through July.
“Our team is continuously finding innovative ways to deliver value and make our community safer and more active,” said John Mauro, city manager. “With a long history of steadily developing the bicycle and pedestrian network, Port Townsend is ripe for testing new and cost-effective approaches like edge lane roads.”
Studies from across 11 U.S. cities over the past eight years showed a 44 percent overall reduction in crashes when compared to previous existing two-lane configurations. Advantages of the edge lane road include: speed reduction, safer passing, increased pavement life, reduced installation costs, and better organization of multiple modes.
Sample signage will accompany the pilot project to assist drivers in understanding the rules, with the biggest one being that when pedestrians or cyclists are present, motorists must yield to those in the edge lane before passing.
“Edge lane roads have been successfully tested in communities around the U.S. and show great promise in reducing crashes and enhancing active transportation,” said Laura Parsons, civil engineer for the city. “We look forward to the results of our local demonstration project to determine whether a permanent approach is right for our community.”
Comments from the community on the pilot project can be emailed to the city via engagept@cityofpt.us.
