Green Lane Project Kicks Off in Chicago

There’s no denying that separated facilities, like buffered bike lanes in Los Angeles, are getting more folks riding. Yesterday in Chicago, our partners at Bikes Belong officially launched their new and exciting Green Lane Project to propel the development of such innovative facilities across the country.

Top transportation officials, including Federal Highway Administrator Victor Mendez, headlined the launch of a new initiative to bring protected bikeways to six U.S. cities — Austin, Chicago, Memphis, Portland (Ore.), San Francisco and Washington, D.C. — over the next two years.

“We are seeing an explosion of interest in making bicycling stress-free on busy city streets,” Martha Roskowski, Green Lane Project director for Bikes Belong, said in the press release. “The selected cities have ambitious goals and a vision for bicycling supported by their elected officials and communities. They are poised to get projects on the ground quickly and will serve as excellent examples for other interested cities.”

Integrating “green lanes” — dedicated, inviting spaces for people on bikes in the roadway, protected by curbs, planters, posts or parked cars — has the potential to boost bicycling in a big way. Here in Washington, D.C., bicycle volume tripled after a protected cycletrack was installed on 15th Street, a key connector between residential neighborhoods and downtown workplaces. In Portland, Ore., more than 70 percent of survey respondents said bicycling is easier and safer in green lanes, too.

“Green lanes benefit everyone who uses city streets, not just people on bicycles,” Roskowski continued. “With these facilities, people in cars and on foot know where to expect bicycles. More people on bikes eases congestion. When people ride bikes, they are healthier, and they save money.”

Read more and see additional resources on the new Green Lane Project website: www.greenlaneproject.org.