Mark Twain once said, “Get a bicycle. You will certainly not regret it, if you live” — a sentiment suggesting that even in Twain’s time climbing on a bicycle could prove a perilous endeavor. However, city officials are striving to improve safety for those brave enough to don helmets and merge into Louisville’s automobile traffic. “This year, we plan on adding more bike lanes,” says John Villines, the bicycle and pedestrian coordinator for Metro Government. “The lane on Main Street will be extended from Jackson Street to Baxter Avenue and more lanes will follow the yet-to-be announced state and local repaving schedule.”
Many other plans are in the works, including several trail projects within the City of Parks initiative. A portion expected to be completed this year would connect Waterfront Park to Chickasaw Park and the Farnsley-Moreman Landing as part of the 100-mile City of Parks loop trail that will circumnavigate the county. Also expected is new signage along certain well-cycled roads not wide enough for a dedicated bike lane. The sign will depict a “shared-lane” symbol to remind motorists that peddlers may be present in the same lane.
Here are some rules of the road cited by Villines for both those who sit behind a wheel and those behind a set of handlebars:
• Bicycles are considered vehicles like any others on the roadways; they are allowed to ride in the center of a lane.
• Bike riders must use the roadway, even if there is no bike lane; it is illegal and dangerous to ride on the sidewalk.
• Motorists must respect the rights of cyclists and share the road.
• Drivers of cars must give bikes at least three feet of clearance when coming up behind them or passing them.
• Car drivers must yield to bikes that are in or approaching an intersection when making right-hand turns.
