Separated bike lanes coming to Lakewood

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Lakewood is dedicated to creating a quality, safe, convenient, continuous and accessible bicycle transportation network to support bicycling as a mode of transportation for all ages and abilities. Besides having numerous health benefits, bicycling as a mode of transportation has the potential to relieve traffic congestion, improve air quality and increase overall mobility in the community.

What is a separated bike lane?

A separated bike lane, also known as a protected bike lane, is defined by the Federal Highway Administration as “an exclusive facility for bicyclists that is located within or directly adjacent to the roadway and that is physically separated from motor vehicle traffic with a vertical element." 

Because they are physically separated from vehicular traffic, separated bike lanes can contribute to increased bicycling volumes by appealing to less-confident riders who may not feel comfortable riding a bicycle directly adjacent to a moving vehicle. They can also improve overall safety on the roadway through traffic calming effects and by increasing motorists’ awareness of the bicycle facility.

Next steps

Lakewood is beginning the process of installing Lakewood's first separated bike lanes on South Garrison Street between Jewell and Mississippi avenues. As part of this installation, the striping pattern between Utah and Iowa avenues was changed to include a parking-protected bike lane during repaving in July 2023. The rest of the separated bike lanes will be completed in summer of 2024 with the installation of plastic curbing and posts separating the bike lanes from the rest of the road.

Following the completion of the separated bike lanes on South Garrison, the next separated lanes will be installed on Denver West Parkway and a section of Harlan Street near Alameda Avenue. With the upgrade from buffered bike lanes to separated bike lanes, they will have a similar installation of plastic curbing and posts. No restriping will be necessary on either of these roads as part of this project.

A proposed network of future separated bike lanes will be developed during the 2024-25 update of Lakewood's Bicycle Plan. In addition to pursuing recommendations in the updated plan, the city will continue to evaluate locations for installing separated bike lanes during the annual street maintenance program when roads are repaved. They will also be considered on an ongoing basis using the factors listed on the right side of this page.

Stay up to date on the status of these lanes as they are added throughout the city by subscribing to this page, and participate in this project in other ways:


Lakewood is dedicated to creating a quality, safe, convenient, continuous and accessible bicycle transportation network to support bicycling as a mode of transportation for all ages and abilities. Besides having numerous health benefits, bicycling as a mode of transportation has the potential to relieve traffic congestion, improve air quality and increase overall mobility in the community.

What is a separated bike lane?

A separated bike lane, also known as a protected bike lane, is defined by the Federal Highway Administration as “an exclusive facility for bicyclists that is located within or directly adjacent to the roadway and that is physically separated from motor vehicle traffic with a vertical element." 

Because they are physically separated from vehicular traffic, separated bike lanes can contribute to increased bicycling volumes by appealing to less-confident riders who may not feel comfortable riding a bicycle directly adjacent to a moving vehicle. They can also improve overall safety on the roadway through traffic calming effects and by increasing motorists’ awareness of the bicycle facility.

Next steps

Lakewood is beginning the process of installing Lakewood's first separated bike lanes on South Garrison Street between Jewell and Mississippi avenues. As part of this installation, the striping pattern between Utah and Iowa avenues was changed to include a parking-protected bike lane during repaving in July 2023. The rest of the separated bike lanes will be completed in summer of 2024 with the installation of plastic curbing and posts separating the bike lanes from the rest of the road.

Following the completion of the separated bike lanes on South Garrison, the next separated lanes will be installed on Denver West Parkway and a section of Harlan Street near Alameda Avenue. With the upgrade from buffered bike lanes to separated bike lanes, they will have a similar installation of plastic curbing and posts. No restriping will be necessary on either of these roads as part of this project.

A proposed network of future separated bike lanes will be developed during the 2024-25 update of Lakewood's Bicycle Plan. In addition to pursuing recommendations in the updated plan, the city will continue to evaluate locations for installing separated bike lanes during the annual street maintenance program when roads are repaved. They will also be considered on an ongoing basis using the factors listed on the right side of this page.

Stay up to date on the status of these lanes as they are added throughout the city by subscribing to this page, and participate in this project in other ways:


  • Frequently Asked Questions

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    Q: What can I expect these to look like?

    Separated bike lanes can take several different forms, marked by the type of vehicle barrier installed. The type of separation depends on many factors including existing street design, road width, vehicle speeds, on-street parking, connectivity, maintenance and cost. Below are examples of three types of separation.

    Q: Can I walk in a separated bike lane?

    Unlike a shared-use sidewalk or path, a separated bike lane is a facility exclusively for bicyclists. For this reason, pedestrians should not walk in a separated bike lane unless there is no sidewalk or other safe alternative.

    Q: How does snow removal and street sweeping work?

    Lakewood Public Works has scaled-down maintenance equipment that is small enough to travel along separated bike lanes between the buffer and the curb. Plowing of separated bike lanes will be prioritized alongside shared-use paths.

    Q: Why is on-street parking moved from the curb to the other side of the separated bike lane?

    When a bike lane runs directly adjacent to a parking lane on the left side, there is great danger of a cyclist being hit with a car door and pushed into moving traffic when a motorist parked on the street exits their vehicle. To avoid this, the separated bike lane is shifted to the passenger side of the vehicle where doors are opened less frequently. A 3-foot buffer between the parking lane and the bike lane adds extra protection and allows motorists leaving their vehicles to unload and cross the bike lane safely.

    Q: Where do I put my trash cans?

    Garbage trucks cannot reach over the bike lane to the curb when a vertical element is present, so trash cans should be placed in the buffer between the separated bike lane and the travel lane. If it is a parking-protected bike lane, trash cans should be placed on the edge of the parking lane between the parked cars and the travel lane.


Page last updated: 03 Apr 2024, 04:26 PM