Changes boost bicyclists' travel

SANDPOINT — Bicyclists should have an easier time getting around town with some changes to local roadways, according to public officials.

In the effort to increase ease walking and biking in the city, Sandpoint crews recently installed the earliest road enhancements proposed by the Downtown Streets Design Guide. According to Public Works Director Kody Van Dyk, the project got its start with new advisory bicycle lanes on Oak Street between First and Fifth avenues. The section of road has been altered to a single shared two-way lane bookended by five-foot advisory bike lanes and nine-foot parallel parking spaces.  

“The advisory bicycle lanes may be used by motorized vehicles when not occupied by bicycles,” Van Dyk said.

Van Dyk said the changes fulfill several plans authorized by the council. For one, it’s one of the first changes in accordance with the “Explore Sandpoint!” bike routes crafted by the Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee. The idea is to give bicyclists and pedestrians easy and safe pathways — and away from the busiest vehicle routes — to the downtown and the lake.

Now that the lines have been repainted, there are several other improvements that will be added on Oak Street. Special pavement markings called sharrows, usually represented by a bike-shaped symbol, help alert both drivers and bicyclists to exhibit caution on a shared roadway. Van Dyk also expects to introduce signs downtown to help bicyclists find key locations like the beach. These signs will likely spread to the residential areas of the Explore Sandpoint! routes in the next few years.

In the future, the Oak Street bike route could separate vehicle traffic and bike traffic entirely. City employees are pursuing a grant to allow installation of a cycle track to the area. These tracks make traffic safer for all modes of transportation by separating bikes and cars with a curb. A parallel parking zone would provide yet another buffer between motorized and non-motorized traffic. However, since the street reconfiguration would require adjustments to curbs and stormwater inlets, it’s not on the radar for the near future, according to Van Dyk.