City Plans to Build Four New Bike Routes

News Release: From: City of Evansville, Mayors Office City to Move Forward on Four New Bike Routes (EVANSVILLE, IN)- With the price of regular unleaded gas at more than $4.00 a gallon and increased awareness of the environmental and health impacts of our transportation choices, Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel announced today that Evansville is going to make it easier and safer to ride bicycles around the City. The City plans to designate more than 20 new miles of on-street bikeways including a north-south route along Oak Hill Road from Lynch Road to U.S. 41; an east-downtown route along Lincoln and Bellemeade Avenues from the county line to downtown; and a west side-cross town route from Howell Park to Franklin Street, and along Michigan and Virginia Streets to U.S. 41. A Kentucky Avenue bike route will be created between Walnut Street and Riverside Avenue. Several connectors and spur routes will also be designated. The addition of more bikeways will be studied after these main routes are established. “We hope the addition of these bike paths will encourage more folks to leave their cars at home as they head out to work or school,” said Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel. “Not only does it encourage a healthier lifestyle, but it also supports our sustainability policy and makes Evansville a more environmentally friendly city.” Bike routes will be marked with bike route signs and road markings where appropriate. Connector routes and spurs will have signs that indicate bicycles may use the full lane if necessary, directional signs to the bike routes, road markings in certain locations, and bicycle warning signs on selected cross streets. The conversion of Lincoln Avenue between Green River Road and UE, which will include the addition of a continuous center left hand turn lane and wider outside through lanes to accommodate cyclists, will cost approximately $267,000. The section of Lincoln between Vann Avenue and Hebron Avenue will be repaved at a cost of approximately $150,000. 100% of this project will be paid for with federal funding. The total reconstruction cost for the entire length of Oak Hill Road from U.S. 41 to Lynch Road is $10 million dollars with 80% to be covered by federal funds. The cost of signage and marking for the four bike routes, plus the connectors and spurs, is approximately $67,300, which will be partially funded with federal transportation dollars. (more) Proposed Evansville Bikeways 1. North – South • Currently under design as part of larger project to improve Oak Hill Road • Continuous center left turn lane and designated bicycle lanes will be added • Construction in two phases • Phase one – U.S. 41 to Pigeon Creek – tentatively set to begin in 2009 • Phase two – Pigeon Creek to Lynch Road – tentatively set to begin in 2010 • Pedestrian bridge to be built over the Lloyd Expressway by INDOT for new Lloyd Expressway/U.S. 41 interchange project • This new interchange is currently in design phase with construction tentatively scheduled for 2010 2. East Side – Downtown • Change Lincoln Avenue to a three-lane road between South Hebron and Rotherwood Avenues and widen outside lanes for bicyclists. • Route will turn south on Rotherwood Avenue and link to Bellemeade Avenue, which will serve as a connector to downtown. • Bicyclists will be allowed to use the full lane when necessary along Bellemeade Avenue and other designated connector streets and bicycle spur routes • Lincoln Avenue will also be widened from the city limits to Martins Lane, with construction tentatively scheduled to begin in 2008 and end in 2010. • Remaining segments of Lincoln and Bellemeade, along with connectors and spurs, tentatively scheduled to be complete in 2009 • Lincoln Avenue between Martins Lane and Newburgh Road is currently wide enough to accommodate cyclists and will be designated with the appropriate signage 3. West Side – Cross Town • Will only require signs and road markings • Follows Barker Avenue from the Howell Park area to West Franklin Street • Travels along Franklin Street to Mary Street, with a spur into downtown on Mary Street/Martin Luther King Jr., Boulevard • Route continues along Michigan Street to North Evans Avenue • Turns on to Virginia Street to the U.S. 41/Virginia Street intersection • Will link to the route on Oak Hill Road and U.S. 41 • Planned completion in 2008 4. Kentucky Avenue • Will only require signs and road markings at intersections • Between Walnut Street and Riverside Avenue • Planned completion in 2009