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Cyclists will have a new way to get around Anchorage this summer: downtown’s first dedicated bike lane. From May through September, the two-way bike lane will connect the Chester Creek Trail to A Street downtown and continue along 6th Avenue to Elderberry Park and the Coastal Trail. Residents and visitors can cycle through the greenbelt trail and into the downtown business district. This is the second phase of a pilot study conducted by the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, City of Anchorage Department of Transportation and Bike Anchorage to evaluate installing summer bike lanes on Alaska roads.
On-street bike lanes are the gold standard for bicycle transportation facilities. They separate bicycles from vehicles by creating dedicated bicycle space on the roadway with a physical barrier (such as a post, parked car, or curb) separating the two. This design makes it more likely that drivers will notice a cyclist than if they were riding on the sidewalk, and the physical separation relieves cyclists from the worry that vehicles will swerve into their path.
Bike lanes are a comfortable and pleasant experience for most people who want to cycle around town, and they’ve been proven to increase safety for everyone on the road, including drivers. Cities around the world have used bike lanes for decades with great success.
The bike lanes in this pilot study will be installed by modifying the left-most travel lane on A Street and 6th Avenue. Traffic analysis shows that a single travel lane on these streets can be easily modified with minimal impact to peak-hour traffic congestion. These downtown streets have low parking and ample space to accommodate both bicycles and vehicles, allowing everyone to access downtown shops, restaurants, and events. Our community should not have to choose one mode of transportation over another. We are fortunate enough to now be able to move freely by bike, foot, bus, or car.
Anchorage is a great place to ride your bike. The city has world-class green spaces, and new bike lanes connect cyclists to the downtown core during the summer. Area parks offer great singletrack trails perfect for summer biking, and increasingly popular fat tire bikes for winter adventures. City and state health departments support biking as a way to improve air quality and mental and physical health, and now with bike lanes running through the downtown core, cyclists can enjoy shops, restaurants and live music in safety and comfort all summer long.
We are excited for this project to begin at the end of May. Please give it a try and let the project team know what you think. Your input and experiences will help us create facilities that work for everyone. We count on your patience and kindness as we try out new ways to get around our city. As you cycle in protected bike lanes this summer, we are making progress towards a safer, more accessible transportation network for everyone.
Alexa Dobson He is the executive director of Bike Anchorage.
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