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New bike lanes create leaf season challenge in downtown Share Shares Copy Link Copy

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WEBVTT US WITH A LOOK AT WHAT IS HAPPENING. WE HAVE CHANGED THINGS DOWNTOWN. MIKE: THAT IS THE KEY. IT IS NOT NEW TO HAVE LEAVES FALLING AND PILING UP DOWNTOWN AND BLOCKING OLDER BIKE LANES. WHAT IS NEW OF THESE PARKING PROTECTED BIKE LANES. THESE ARE THE ONES WHERE CARS PARKED IN THE STREET BETWEEN THE BIKE LANE AND THE CURB SO THE BICYCLIST LIKE THIS GUY NOW HAVE CARS TO PROTECT HIM. THE CONCERN THIS SEASON IS THIS. IT IS LEAVES AND DEBRIS PILING UP IN THESE NEW PARKING PROTECTED BIKE LANES BECAUSE THAT IS WHERE PEOPLE ARE RAKING THEM AND PILING THEM. I TALKED TO CITY OFFICIALS. THEY SAID THIS IS SOMETHING THEY HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT BECAUSE THEY NEED TO FIGURE OUT NEW SOLUTIONS TO PICK UP THE LEAVES. WHAT DO YOU NEED TO KNOW MOVING FORWARD AS THE CITY IS FIGURING THAT OUT? THREE THINGS -- FIRST, IF THE YOU -- IF YOU ARE RAKING UP AND PILING LEAVES, MOVE THOSE OUT OF THE CURB BECAUSE THAT IS GOING TO HELP WITH THE STORM RUNOFF AND AVOID THE PROBLEM OF CREATING PUDDLING AND PONDERING WITH THAT WATER MIGHT GET BLOCKED. FOR CYCLISTS, OFFICIALS SAY BE CAUTIOUS AND USE COMMON SENSE BECAUSE EVEN WHEN THERE ARE NOT LEAVE PILES, WHEN THE LEAVES GET WET THEY ARE SLIPPERY. THAT IS A HAZARD WHEN YOU ARE BETWEEN THE CARS AND CURB. THE CITY SAYS ONE SOLUTION THEY ARE LOOKING AT IS BRINGING MANY STREET SWEEPER’S. THEY ARE NARROW. THEY WILL FIT IN THOSE SPACES. THEY WILL FIT TO MORE EASILY PICK UP THE LEAVE PILES. IN THE MEANTIME, THE CURRENT CLOCK CAN FIT IN THOSE AREAS AND WILL CONTINUE ITS NORMAL PATTERN OF EVERY WEEK TO 10 DAYS COMING OUT AND PICKING UP LEAF PILES AND A BRIEF ON THE SAME SCHEDULE THEY ALWAYS DO. ONLY THIS YEAR THEY HAVE GOT PROTECTED LANES THAT ARE STARTING TO IMPACT CYCLISTS. BE AWARE THEY WILL BE OUT HERE PICKING UP LEAF PILES. YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE TO BE SMART TO AVOID THOSE PILES