Roswell adds a bike box to pedal-friendly streets
Roswell borrowed an idea from Portland, Ore., to make life safer for bicyclists.
The North Fulton city painted a bright green "bike box" on the asphalt of Riverside and Dogwood roads — one of the most heavily cycled intersections.
Bike boxes are designated spots where cyclists can wait at the front of the line for traffic lights, making them more visible to motorists. The Roswell bike box has a narrow green lane that leads cyclists up to the box and guides them in making a left turn onto Riverside Road.
Rebecca Serna, executive director of the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition, said this is Georgia's first bike box. Bike boxes are common in towns with large biking communities such as Portland. That's where Steve Acenbrak, Roswell's director of transportation, got the idea during a recent visit.
"We wanted to do this as a test and see how it's received by the public," Acenbrak said. "This is ground zero for the most heavily traveled bike path in Roswell."
Acenbrak said he's heard plenty of positive feedback from cyclists about the bike boxes, and no criticism from motorists yet.
Monday the bike box got a favorable review from Marvin Young, who said he's had close calls with cars.
"I like it," said Young, a 64-year-old retiree from Roswell who averages more than 100 miles a week on his bike. "It makes people aware there are bikes out here."
As another step to improve bike safety, Roswell is painting "sharrows" on streets like Riverside. Sharrows, officially known as shared roadway markings, are an updated version of the familiar share-the-road symbol. Sharrows tell motorists to expect cyclists in their lanes. In city streets, the sharrows also show cyclists where they can ride without being hit by suddenly opened car doors, Serna said.
Roswell is known for an active bike community. Mayor Jere Wood is a bicyclist and Acenbrak is president of Bike Roswell!, a local cycling advocacy group.
"I'm a double agent," Acenbrak joked.
He said bike boxes and sharrows don't cost much, just a few cans of paint, so more are coming.
