Bloomington is expanding its traffic barriers alongside East Third Street bike lanes, according to a press release Friday. The barriers, meant to improve safety and accessibility, will be installed in the painted buffer between the bike and vehicle lanes on South Indiana and South Rose Avenue.
Weather permitting, the installation will take place over IU’s spring break from March 17-22, according to the release. It’s phase two of the city’s $107,500 “East 3rd Street Protected Bicycle Lane” project. The city installed safety barriers on the street in March last year.
The release stated that first phase used two types of barriers, a rubber vehicle stop and an engineered barrier called “CycleLane.” According to manufacturer TrafficLogix, CycleLane barriers are also made of rubber and include a two-sided design. The bicycle side is sloped to guide bikers back into their lane, while the motor vehicle side is elevated to keep motorists out.
According to the release, the CycleLane barriers have been more durable than the rubber stops. During the expansion this March, the city will replace the rubber stops with CycleLane or similar barriers and fill in remaining gaps between Indiana and Rose Avenues.
Barriers won’t be installed at bus stops, intersections with necessary turns or driveways, the release stated. The installation will require lane restrictions and flagging operations on East Third Street.
Bloomington is also reinstalling four-way traffic stops on Seventh Street after a Bloomington Transit bus collided with a bicyclist in January. Last month, a city and county committee approved a plan outlining transportation needs through 2050, including community feedback about improvements to cycling infrastructure.
The city adopted a “Safe Streets for All” plan last year, which aims to reduce deaths or serious injury on the roads to zero by 2039.
