DENVER (CBS4)– Drivers and bicyclists will continue to share more of the road on one of the busiest stretches of South Broadway this year with an additional eight blocks added to the protected bike lane. The transit-only lane will also be expanded to 24 hours.

Denver Public Works says the new bike lane on South Broadway between Bayaud and Virginia will be expanded to include a total of 12 blocks.

The bike lane will be expanded from Virginia to the Cherry Creek Bike Path along Speer Boulevard through 2018.

“Lots of people drive in this thinking it’s a lane and obviously isn’t,” said resident Ryan Hennessey. “I don’t think the bike lane is a bad idea, standing in it does though… you should get out of the way.”

Denver’s first two-way protected bike lane with a parking lane to separate cyclists from traffic was installed last summer.

Not everyone thinks it’s a good idea.

“Ninety-nine percent of all the merchants hate it with a passion,” said property owner Ron Tarver.

Tarver says in swapping the lanes, the City of Denver took away 36 on street parking spots over a six-block stretch.

“It’s taken away their parking for customers and if you have no parking, you have no customers, you have no business,” said Tarver.

The bike lane was installed on the left hand lane in an effort to reduce accidents between vehicles and bicycles. The parking lane is located between the bike lane and traffic lanes.

Denver Public Works said the feedback has been positive, citing that vehicle travel time has not been significantly impacted by the bikeway study, that more people are riding bikes on the bikeway than on the sidewalk and that more people feel safer walking on the sidewalk.



LINK: denvermovesbroadway.com