Frequently Asked Questions

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.