Bike lane considered for stretch of Madison Street in Everett

A bicycle owner crosses Madison Avenue along the Interurban Path on Thursday in Everett. The Metropolis of Everett is looking at including bicycle lanes to Madison Street to connect the Interurban Trail to other bicycle routes in the space. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)

EVERETT — Some of Everett’s initially buffered bicycle lanes could change on-road parking on Madison Road.

Initially, the metropolis wishes to listen to what people today believe about the proposal under thought as portion of upcoming year’s pavement overlay perform. Individuals can present input in an on line questionnaire right until Monday.

The 1.7-mile phase would be involving Commercial Avenue and Gateway Terrace, a little street just east of Sievers Duecy Boulevard.

Buffered bike lanes add length, and can involve physical barriers, involving autos and bicycles. Metropolis personnel say people current a a lot more cost-effective concept on Madison.

“As liable stewards of public resources, we know this is an option to not only do highway maintenance… this presents us an possibility to do our other strategies,” Everett energetic transportation planner Christina Anna Curtis mentioned.

Everett has a combine of bike infrastructure.

Interurban Path is a multi-use route divided from automobiles that operates north and south in the vicinity of Interstate 5. Several streets are shared by cyclists and motorists, such as Hoyt Avenue. Other people have bicycle lanes alongside the shoulder upcoming to automobile lanes, this sort of as On line casino Road.

Shielded bike lanes bodily separated from automobiles by bollards, parking, or planter and tree medians are thought of the most secure possibility.

Each individual yr Everett spends all over $3 million on pavement overlay to maintenance and resurface pick roads. Get the job done incorporates grinding out the existing road, rebuilding it, then restriping the lanes, parking and other markings.

Everett Public Will work employees also glimpse at the Everett Bicycle Learn Plan, a arranging document that guides metropolis investment, to few with some initiatives.

The bike system basically phone calls for reconstruction of Madison Avenue to consist of bicycle lanes in addition to parking. But that would involve a important overhaul of the roadway or property acquisition to broaden the correct-of-way. The two of those people choices are highly-priced and outside the house the city’s existing finances.

In prior tasks, the metropolis has utilised current roadway width to insert bicycle lanes.

Madison is diverse for the reason that it would as an alternative swap out parking for bike lanes as part of the overlay perform.

“This is form of a take a look at circumstance for us,” metropolis engineer Tom Hood claimed.

The town proposes changing on-street parking with 5-foot-vast bicycle lanes separated by 2.5 toes from the motor vehicle lane. It’s more than enough place for one bicycle owner in the lane at a time. At minimum 8 ft are essential for two cyclists upcoming to every single other in style expectations, Curtis said.

Design hasn’t commenced over and above early sketches to visualize the proposal. But crews possible will use a plastic product on the highway, instead of just paint, to deliver texture that alerts motorists and riders when they veer into it, Hood reported.

Vertical posts or bollards could be installed for further more separation in between motorists and cyclists. But “harder” protection like control median segments is not likely due to the fact it is certain by the overlay finances.

Tyler Rourke, chairman of the city’s Transportation Advisory Committee and a bike commuter, has chastised Everett’s deficiency of safeguarded bicycle lanes. If people today can get close to securely on a bicycle, he thinks it would lessen vehicles and greenhouse fuel emissions that lead to local weather transform.

If developed, 5-foot bicycle lanes on each side of Madison Street would join the Interurban Path with prepared bicycle lanes major toward the Boeing advanced and Paine Field.

“Thousands of folks go there each working day and we constantly get responses they would like lively transportation possibilities to get there,” Curtis mentioned.

At this time that extend of Madison Avenue has car or truck lanes east and west, a middle convert lane and parallel parking on equally sides. It has change lanes at intersections with Colby Avenue, Evergreen Way, and Sievers Duecy Boulevard.

Residences line most of Madison, with some commercial heaps.

Speed restrictions are between 30 and 35 mph on Madison, related to other arterials. Experiments have revealed better speeds when a driver hits a pedestrian lead to additional fatalities and severe injuries.

Everett’s conducting a citywide speed restrict review to figure out if any need to have to transform, which the city council would approve.

“It’s not possible Madison will get a decrease posted speed,” Hood reported. “We also come across frequently that decreasing the posted pace doesn’t essentially transform driver habits.”

Curtis and Hood reported they’ve listened to promises that people don’t bike on Madison Road now, so bicycle lanes are unnecessary. But town infrastructure is built and modified for long run use, related to not setting up a bridge centered on the amount of men and women swimming throughout the water.

“We know that when we construct it, persons use it,” Curtis reported.

Furnishing non-motorized transportation selections all over the city is a side of Everett’s weather action strategies.

Ben Watanabe: [email protected] 425-339-3037 Twitter @benwatanabe.

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