Ann Arbor intends to make a leap forward in the next decade when it comes to bike lanes now that Ann Arbor Mayor John Hieftje plans to double the number of bike lanes in the city within five years.
The city has already made a tremendous progress in expanding the number of lanes this decade, going from four to 24 miles of roadway with designated cycling lanes. Next year calls for the addition or 10 more miles. The city has been able to accomplish this by earmarking the lanes on its alternative transportation plan map whenever road work is done.
The city is going after creating more bike lanes by carrying on that philosophy, harnessing some transit funds designated for alternative transportation and federal stimulus funds.
"We're going to see a series of improvements that I would described as a long time cpoming," says Eli Cooper, transportation manager for the city of Ann Arbor.
The city is also installing more pedestrian crossing islands as a way to make it more walkable. Three more of these pedestrian islands are being built now and the city is adding 13 countdown signals and crosswalk improvements at 22 intersections.
Source: Eli Cooper, transportation manager for the city of Ann Arbor
Writer: Jon Zemke
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