Charlottesville's Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Committee recently unveiled a plan that could make Charlottesville's roads safer for cyclists by spending more funds on bicycle infrastructure projects. The plan, which goes into effect in May, will apply to an east-west stretch of road extending from Ivy Road along University Avenue and down West Main Street.
The plan calls for more clearly displayed sensors and markings, which allow bicycles to trigger traffic signals. Whereas traffic lights can sense cars electromagnetically, they cannot sense bicycles. Accordingly, the City has been implementing the use of cameras to detect bicycles.
Additionally, there will be an increased amount of bicycle lanes and general signs that help make drivers aware of cyclists. So-called "sharrows," or shared-lane arrows, also will be placed on some roads to indicate that cyclists are allowed to share the lane with vehicles. "It's the first time something like this has been implemented in Charlottesville," said Heather Higgins of Bike Charlottesville.
Past incidents at the University have revitalized efforts to increase bicycle safety. Last October, first-year College student Patrick Monk was hit by a SafeRide van and underwent surgery to repair a broken ankle. Last April, Graduate Arts & Sciences student Matthew King was killed after colliding with a Charlottesville utility truck. Less than 24 hours after the fatal accident, third-year College student Sherwood Richers was hit by a taxi and sustained minor injuries.
The City has expanded its budget to include $50,000 for bicycle infrastructure in 2011, an increase in $25,000 compared to last year. Further, the council has amended the proposed 2012 budget to increase funding to $100,000. "I'm excited the city is finally putting funds into bike infrastructure; it's had a tiny share of transportation funds for the last several decades," said Politics Prof. Leonard Schoppa, who is also president of Charlottesville's Alliance for Community Choice in Transportation.
The City plans to spend $5,000 to put about 20 markings along Water Street. Based on feedback from the cycling community, markings will be added in other locations.
"If [the plans] go well, they will look for other routes around where cyclists are heavily trafficked," Higgins said. This likely will include further expansion of bike safety on Grounds with similar initiatives.
The installation of detection devices that allow traffic signals to recognize bicyclists also will require new markings indicating where cyclists should stop to be detected. These position markings likely will be added this summer.
Despite the increase in funds, there are still safety concerns for cyclists. Although Schoppa considers a two-mile zone around the University quite feasible for biking, he said, "If we're going to make Charlottesville a more welcoming community for cyclists, we need to improve the safe bike realm to areas like Fashion Square and beyond the Downtown Mall."
Some cyclists "have no idea what they're doing," Cycling Club President Marcos Lazzarotto said. He noted the need for education so that new cyclists can be familiar with Charlottesville's cycling laws. In Charlottesville, for example, it is possible to get a traffic violation for running a stop sign or traffic light while on a bike.
In an effort to increase education, Community Bikes, in cooperation with the University Department of Parking & Transporation, is teaching a Traffic Skills 101 course to be held Thursday, April 21 and Saturday, April 23.
"There are a lot of cyclists around town and the more familiar motorists are with bikers, the better," Lazzarotto said.
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