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Driver Confusion, Underutilization Drive Removal of Fort Crook Road Bike Lanes in Bellevue

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Bicyclist on the Road
Photo: Unsplash

It will cost approximately $20,000 to remove the bike lanes on Fort Crook Road in Bellevue. Running from Chandler Road south to Capehart Road, the bike lanes measure six miles, and according to Jim Ristow, Bellevue City Administrator, the decision was prompted by two reasons.


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Omaha World-Herald reports that Bellevue Mayor Rusty Hike decided that the bike lanes had to go as they have been underutilized and confuse drivers. The decision, which Ristow supports, does not require approval from the City Council as funds for the bike lane signage removal and road re-striping will come out of the general budget for the city.

The joint effort of Bellevue Mayor Rita Sanders and Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert revealed the bike lanes in 2013. Along with 150 cyclists, the mayors took a ride on the new lanes. Now, the bike lanes will be deleted within the next 30 to 60 days.

“The project, which Ristow said cost the city $50,000 and the Nebraska Department of Transportation $250,000, reduced north and south traffic to two lanes each way. The outside lanes in both directions were designated as bicycle-only lanes,” reports the Omaha World-Herald.

Although the bike lanes in Bellevue may be underused and confused drivers, a new study conducted by University of Colorado Denver and University of New Mexico researchers that analyzed 12 cities has determined that roads equipped with protected bicycle lanes are actually safer for bikers, pedestrians and drivers.


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“Protected separated bike facilities was one of our biggest factors associated with lower fatalities and lower injuries for all road users,” study co-author Wesley Marshall, a University of Colorado Denver engineering professor, told Streetsblog. “If you’re going out of your way to make your city safe for a broader range of cyclists…we’re finding that it ends up being a safer city for everyone.”

News Source:Omaha World-Herald, StreetsBlogUSA