I’m learning more and more about terms related to bicycling and street infrastructure. So each month I’m going to list a few of terms I’ve learned, and hope that when you come across any, you’ll submit them for the newsletter. You can e-mail me at pat@bikewalkalameda.org with your terms. Thanks!
Here goes:
a. Class I Bike Lane
b. Class II Bike Lane
c. Class III Bike Lane
d. Class IV Bike Lane
Answers:
a. Class I Bike Lane is a bike path that is completely separated from traffic, such as one that goes along the Crab Cove shoreline.
b. Class II Bike Lane is a striped lane on the street for one-way travel, such the lanes on Central Avenue.
c. Class III Bike Lane isn’t actually a bike lane, it’s a “sharrow”–a picture painted on the street of a bicycle with a chevron. San Jose Ave. is a good example.*
d. Class IV Bike Lane is a “buffered” lane (also known as a cycle track)–meaning there is a physical barrier between the bicyclist and vehicles. It can be one-way or two-way and is the BEST solution to safe streets. You’ll find one on Fernside, and soon, we hope, on Central Avenue.
*Few motorists or bicyclists, for that matter, know what the “sharrow” is all about. Below is a great, quick video on what they are and how to ride on them by Bonnie from Easy Street Cycling in Alameda!
-Pat Potter, Board Vice-President