New Buffered Bike Lanes Come to Jacksonville

The buffered bike lanes on Stockton Street then connect to existing bike lanes on Beaver Street, which runs east to Acorn Street. What a great opportunity to practice your social distancing.

The photo at the top of the page shows the new buffered bike lanes on Stockton Street. They used to look like this.

Here is a photo of the connected Beaver Street bike lanes:

Buffered bike lanes are conventional bicycle lanes paired with a designated safety zone separating the bike lane from the motorist lane. Buffered bike lanes are safer because they allow a greater distance between vehicles and cyclists. They also give cyclists a greater sense of confidence in being able to ride out of harm’s way. They are especially helpful on roads with higher speed vehicles, higher traffic volumes, or higher numbers of large vehicles occupying the roads. They require a bit of extra right-of-way, but the safety enhancement is well worth it. Buffered bike lanes are also especially beneficial when there is vehicle parking on the edge of the road. These keep cyclists out of the “door zone”, where motorists might otherwise open their vehicle doors into the path of a traveling bicyclist.

Please continue to advocate for better, safer cycling and pedestrian facilities in your community!

Thank you City of Jacksonville for this needed improvement!

I hope you are able to celebrate National Bike Month! May is National Bike Month in the U.S.A. and has been recognized and celebrated by cities all around our country since 1956.