July 31, 2014

Bright Green Bike Lanes Boost Safety on Central Parkway

Study: Drivers More Likely To Use Turn Signal At Painted Pavement

Commuters and residents in Over the Rhine, Downtown and the West End may have noticed some bright green paint appearing on Central Parkway this week.

The special bright green treatment is used in high-traffic areas where motorists turning onto or off of Central Parkway cross over the path of the new bicycle lanes.

Motorists turning across the colored pavement should signal, look for pedestrians and bicyclists (and yield if any are present), and then make their turn with care. Bicyclists crossing over the colored pavement should be alert, look for cars, and proceed ahead with care.

Cities such as Indianapolis, Chicago, Minneapolis, and Washington DC have used bright paint to make motorists more aware of bicyclists at points where their paths cross. In fact, a recent study from Austin, Texas, showed that motorists were almost twice as likely to use a turn signal when crossing over colored pavement.

Cincinnati first used a bright green paint treatment in 2012, when it was added to bike lanes along Ludlow Avenue (where Ludlow intersects Central Parkway, the Cincinnati State driveway and Old Ludlow Avenue).