7/29/2019 15th Street Bikeway Update

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15th Street Bikeway Update

15th Street Bikeway Update

Denver Public Works is in the final stages of designing an innovative bike facility featuring anenhanced buffered bikeway from Cleveland Place to Larimer Street along 15th Street. Clearly,

there are many competing modes of transportation on 15th Street; buses, vehicles, bicycles and

pedestrians. The design of this new bikeway reflects a progressive approach to balancing all themulti-modal needs of the users along 15th Street while taking into consideration the busy

conditions of this corridor.

The 15th Street bikeway is currently planned to be under construction this summer and to becomplete by the end of the season with a target month of August. The project will debut and pilot

ground-breaking bicycle infrastructure in Denver, including:

A designated bike lane on the left side of the roadway. The bike lane will be marked witha patterned, plastic material that clearly delineates the bike lane from the travel lane.

A bike box will be installed on Cleveland at 15th Street. This is a designated area infront of the stop bar that allows bicyclists to stage in front of traffic. Once the signal turns

green, bicyclists are able to cross in front of traffic, into the designated bike lane.

Green mixing zone pavement markings will define where a vehicle and bicycle sharespace, such as an alley, driveway or turn lane. Due to the nature of 15th Street, there are

at least 15 access points where cars and trucks need to access businesses, residences and

alleys along 15th from the left side of the road.

A queue jump A signal specific for bicycles allowing them a head start to proceedin front of vehicular traffic. This will be installed at 15th and Lawrence and gives

bicyclists an opportunity to move from the left side to the right side of 15th Street.

The goal of separating the bike lane from the travel lane using advanced pavement marking

material allows us to balance the needs of all transportation modes with important maintenance

needs and access to businesses, residences and alleys that would end up inside the bike lane.

With at least 15 identified points of conflict on this corridor, the placement of vertical barriers

would be irregular at best, compromising their effectiveness.

Our immediate goal is to move forward with the construction of this exciting new facility on

15th Street so that bicyclists can use it as soon as possible. Because it is a pilot project, after it is

installed we will further evaluate and discuss the elements of the facility. We will remain open to

adjustments to the facility after it has been in use and reviewed by users of all modes, as well as

the adjacent stakeholders.

Posted on Wednesday, January 30, 2013 (Archive on Monday, January 01, 0001)

Posted by Manager Contributed by Manager