Public safety committee votes to finish Central Avenue bike lanes with buffered, protected design

The Homewood City Public Safety Committee voted unanimously Feb. 17 to complete bike-lane striping on Central Avenue according to the engineering drawings presented by Clark Bailey of Kimley-Horn, with the addition of a 2-foot buffer and a 4-foot bike lane, committee members said.

Committee members and consultants said the finished configuration is intended to create a parking-protected, separated facility that connects to planned trail work and lowers vehicle speeds along the corridor. Clark Bailey, the project engineer, described the approach as part of a broader move toward separated bike lanes: "It is becoming kind of more standard practice to have, we'll call it separated bike lanes." Bailey also presented cross-sections showing typical dimensions used in the design: a 10.5-foot travel lane, a 7.5-foot parking lane and the bike-lane area adjusted to include a 2-foot buffer.

The decision follows months of community feedback after temporary striping was placed during…