Carbondale commission advances tactical-urbanism pilots to test bike lanes, intersection treatments

At the May meeting of the Pike Petrios Commission, members discussed a series of tactical-urbanism pilot projects that staff plan to install in June on West Main, Hendrick and portions of Sopris and Eighth streets to test bike lanes, intersection treatments and temporary medians.

The commission heard that staff are collecting baseline traffic data and intend to install temporary markings, short green delineator posts and signs as a trial before deciding on permanent changes. “We're gathering the preliminary data right now. You may have seen the counters out on Hendrick last week. They're on Main Street this week,” Kevin, a town staff member, told the commission.

Commissioners said the package is intended as a pilot to see how drivers and bicyclists react and to gather both measurement data and public feedback. The pilot elements described by staff include: painted bike lanes on West Main extending from the edge of town to Crystal and bending toward Hendrick; bike lanes on both sides of Hendrick except for a short section adjacent to Miners Park; short “pretend median” or intersection treatment near Ivy; and intersection tightening or center-line markers on Sopris to reduce corner-cutting from Highway 133.

Staff outlined several implementation details: bike-lane striping with bike symbols at start and end, two-foot-tall green flexible delineator posts placed roughly every 100 feet, stenciled bike lane markings, and small reflective signs at lane starts and ends. Kevin said the posts are intentionally short so they won’t visually block children and will be removed for winter plowing. On durability, he said the pilot is temporary: “None of this is permanent,” and that by next winter most vertical markers would be removed with only pavement markings and signs remaining.

Commission discussion focused on the Miners Park block where staff proposed omitting a bike lane on one side to avoid removing frequently used parking on event days. Commissioners asked about safety for pedestrians dropping off or picking up children at the park and whether crosswalk improvements would be needed. Andy, who identified himself as a middle-school teacher, emphasized concerns about school routes when discussing where to prioritize improvements.

At Sopris and Highway 133, staff proposed running a line of tubular markers up Sopris from the liquor store entrance to discourage drivers from cutting the corner and to tighten turning radii for some turning movements. The commission also discussed narrower driving lanes on West Main (targeting roughly 10–10.5-foot travel lanes with the remainder of pavement allocated to bike lanes) and the possible use of small intersection roundabout-style or median features at Barber and near Ivy as low-cost tests.

Kevin said staff will continue to collect speed and volume data on Hendrick, Main, Sopris and Eighth and will compare before/after results to see whether the pilots reduce vehicle speeds and change behavior. He noted budget limits for more elaborate temporary hardware (for example, speed tables) and said some measures could be added to next year’s budget if the pilot shows promise.

The item was presented as discussion and direction; the commission did not take a formal vote to adopt all elements. Staff said the pilot installations would be monitored through the summer and reassessed in the fall for potential adjustments or longer-term work.

The commission asked staff to provide visible, short-term messaging and ways for residents to give feedback once pilots are in place.

The discussion closed with staff reaffirming the pilot nature of the work and a plan to gather quantitative counter data and qualitative public feedback before making permanent design decisions.