Students and Starkville residents can now take advantage of new bike lanes on University Drive. The lanes were painted Sept. 19 to help with safety for the increasing number of bicyclists.
The two main ideas behind the creation of the lanes are safety and quality of life, Ward 5 Alderman Matt Cox said. “If you can provide a safer alternative, we feel people will take advantage of it.”
The new bike lanes caused changes to traffic patterns, including a reduction in the speed limit and a redirection of vehicular traffic.
The new lanes are a product of the efforts of a group called Starkville In Motion, which advocates the construction of bike lanes, sidewalks and trails.
Cox, who is also a member of Starkville in Motion, said, “The group has been trying to get bike lanes long before the recent increase in gas cost.”
The lanes were approved for official planning at the beginning of 2005. The cost of the new bike lanes is about $6,000.
“In a lot of ways it’s an investment in the community and not a cost,” Cox said.
The increase in bike lanes and sidewalks would directly affect a reduction in traffic, Cox added.
“We all need to be sharing and responsible,” Cox said.
In an effort to help with the transition to bike lanes, there will be increased enforcement in the next few weeks. Law enforcement will mostly be watching for speeding violations. There may also be speed indicators and other deterrents to help with the transition.
“I ride my bike just about everywhere, and bike lanes make riding your bike a lot easier. You feel safer,” senior wildlife and fisheries major Beth Lavalley said.
Many students and residents have also been seen riding bicycles since the recent hurricane.
“I started riding my bike a lot after Hurricane Katrina. When gas went up I was glad I had an alternative,” senior agriculture, food and resource economics major Tyler Mullins said.
Cox said there is an ongoing composite plan for alternative transportation. Starkville In Motion, along with a national organization called Safe Routes to School, is reviewing the actual need for alternate transportation. After that step, grants will be written to help fund the project.
The two main roads that residents say need bike lanes are Lynn Lane and parts of Mississippi Highway 12. Although Lynn Lane is not a direct road off campus, it would help connect the community to Starkville Sports-Plex and McKee Park.
It is not likely that all improvements will be only bike lanes. There may be a combination of bike lanes and sidewalks, but either improvement would encourage walking or cycling.