New lane markings designed to make Downtown's busiest arteries safer for bicyclists and pedestrians have caused more rush-hour traffic snarls and left motorists frustrated and confused. City officials, bicycle advocates and even drivers agree that traffic problems with the new bike lanes on 3rd and 4th streets through Downtown will improve with time and familiarity.

New lane markings designed to make Downtown�s busiest arteries safer for bicyclists and pedestrians have caused more rush-hour traffic snarls and left motorists frustrated and confused.

City officials, bicycle advocates and even drivers agree that traffic problems with the new bike lanes on 3rd and 4th streets through Downtown will improve with time and familiarity.

In the meantime, though, traffic is backing up onto highway ramps at rush hour and cars are darting in and out of the fresh lanes on 3rd and 4th streets as they try to make sense of new pavement markings that eliminated space for cars to make room for bicycles.

�I think there�s enough other roads where they maybe could have put (bike lanes) instead of the two busiest rush-hour roads,� said Michael Murry, a Downtown worker who commutes from Dublin.�I think it�s very dangerous for bicyclists right now until the drivers figure it out and sort of learn what they�re supposed to do.�

Bike lanes on both streets alternate between hugging the curb and running between parked cars and moving traffic. Pavement markings vary from intersection to intersection.

In most cases, local officials say, drivers should follow two basic principles: Watch out for bicycles, and only cross dashed lines painted on the street.

City law says only bikes can use the bike lanes unless a vehicle is accessing a legal on-street parking space or merging with them in preparation for a right-hand turn onto a street or driveway.

�It�s the same thing you do if there is a pedestrian,� said Catherine Girves, executive director of Yay Bikes. �You have to stop and look.�

Cars, skateboarders, rollerbladers and pedestrians all are prohibited from using the bike lanes. But bicyclists legally can drive in regular traffic lanes and should be treated like a vehicle.

The new bike lanes are part of the city�s long-term plan to slow traffic on 3rd and 4th streets. Rush-hour parking restrictions were ended on both streets in 2014, and the city added the bike lanes to a planned $7.7 million resurfacing project between I-670 and Fulton Street for this year. They are an extension of bike lanes installed on Summit and 4th streets between Hudson Street and I-670 last year.

Traffic studies showed that both streets could handle traffic even if a vehicle lane was removed for a dedicated bike lane, said Jeff Ortega, assistant director in the city�s Department of Public Service.

The city received some complaints about the new alignment when temporary lanes were in place, but Ortega said that has slowed down since road crews started painting permanent stripes.

�Roads are designed for people traveling, which is a really different statement than roads are designed for cars,� Girves said. �This design, I think, will be much easier for people to understand once the construction barrels go away and they live with it for a couple weeks.�

More signs will be posted to help clear up any confusion, Ortega said, and new �queue boxes� will be painted green in some intersections to help bicyclists make turns. Bicycles are supposed to stop in the painted area and wait for the light to change before they turn.

�It obviously slowed traffic down too much and created gridlock,� said Mike Elicson, a Downtown worker who commutes from Sunbury. �It�s great to make room for bikes and be eco-friendly, but slowing cars down to the point of gridlock is not very eco-friendly or efficient.�

The bike lanes are a welcome change for those who don�t commute by car, said Chad Shepherd, who owns the Downtown Bike Shop on Long Street. They make it easier for inexperienced cyclists to navigate Downtown.

�It really makes a huge difference,� he said. �We need to learn to work together to be together on the road.�

Both drivers and bicyclists are trying to get used to the new bike lanes and should be defensive on the road, said Alex Smith, who commutes Downtown on his bike.

�Not only is there bad driver behavior out there, but there�s bad cyclist behavior out there. It works both ways,� he said.

rrouan@dispatch.com

@RickRouan