The inclusion of bike lanes on a roadway can impact motor vehicle travel by potentially reducing travel lanes where right-of-way is limited. However, where a significant amount of bicycle traffic is expected, bike lanes can be beneficial by separating bikes and motor vehicles, enhancing both street capacity and safety.
(A) S. Main Street/ E. Eighth Street: College Street to Third Street.
(1) Description. Widen shoulders to provide bike lanes on OR 82 from College Street to Third Street.
(2) Impact. In general, the widening of shoulders to provide bike lanes would improve safety and operations by removing bicycles from the travel lanes used by motor vehicles. However, because the bike lanes would end at Third Street, dropping into a shared roadway with curb extensions and angled on-street parking, warning signs to alert bicyclists of this condition should be considered.
(B) Wallowa Avenue: Russell Street to East Street.
(1) Description. Widen shoulders to provide bike lanes on Wallowa Avenue (Imnaha Highway east of Main Street) from Russell Street to East Street.
(2) Impact. In general, the widening of shoulders to provide bike lanes would improve safety and operations by removing bicycles from the travel lanes used by motor vehicles. In this corridor, the most significant constraints are the two bridges over the irrigation ditches west of Main Street and the curb extensions at the intersection with Main Street. However, it appears that sufficient width is available in all locations to provide the proposed bike lanes.
(Ord. passed 6- -2009)