Green crosswalks in downtown Lincoln
Posted By: Kelsey Murphy
kmurphy@klkntv.com
You might be use to seeing orange around downtown Lincoln, but recently there is a new color on the roads, green.
The lines, that appear to be a second crosswalk, act as safety barrier for bicyclists.
It’s something bike commuter Zac Francis has been waiting for.
"We can easily fit into those blind spots . By nobody’s fault necessarily, we are just smaller objects than cars so having a dedicated space it does volumes," Francis said.
Biking crosswalks are a part of the 2012 downtown master plan.
They run through N St. to connect the Jamaica North Trail in the west Haymarket, with the Billy Wolf Trial in Antelope Valley.
Could these bright lines, meant to keep bicyclists safe, be more of a distraction than protection?
I spoke with a project manager working with the lanes, and he says the color is bright for a reason.
"It’s green to help highlight it, and differentiate it from the pedestrian and make it obvious who it is for," Caleb Swanson, Project Manager, said.
The idea is to separate all different modes of transportation. Giving pedestrians the sidewalk, drivers the street, and bikers their own small road with a cross walk for protection.
"Its like that saying if you build it they will come. So the fact that these paths are here I think people will utilize them as much as they can,” Francis said.
The green crosswalks are located only on N street. Officials say they do not have plans for any additional major bike lanes or crosswalks at this time.
