When Broadway Street in downtown South Haven is repaved this spring bikers will find they have more room to themselves.
The City of South Haven is using the opportunity of the downtown road work to provide dedicated bicycle lanes at the same time as the road is paved.
The idea for the lanes came out of a broader plan for redoing the downtown streetscape that had City of South Haven engineers creating a
detailed plan of how traffic and bicycle lanes would function together.
Instead of one traffic lane in each direction, a center lane for left turns and bike lanes on both sides — a concept that has worked in many communities — a plan was created to deal with specific traffic concerns in South Haven, namely the tie-ups caused when the Dyckman Avenue bridge rises to let tall boats sail the Black River.
In response, a plan was drafted to include two northbound lanes on Broadway, instead of a center turn lane.
"Much careful consideration has been given to maximizing safety for pedestrians, cyclists, and motor vehicles in some very complex intersections on this project," a statement released by the city says. "While no plan is perfect, we believe this configuration of lanes and crosswalks represents the best overall safety improvement that can be accomplished without sacrificing the right turn lanes for Dunkley and Conger."
A contractor has been authorized to begin work on the pavement project at any time.
Writer: Kathy Jennings
Source: City of South Haven
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