Bikes lane in Copenhagen, courtesy of StreetsBlog.

According to StreetsBlog, the Department of Transportation believes that 9th street has “excess capacity” — that is, it’s much wider than is needed for the number of vehicles that actually use it, which encourages speeding. To solve this problem, the DOT is proposing two bike lanes heading in each direction on 9th. Sounds like a great deal for cyclists, but local motorists aren’t too jazzed about the idea because they may not be able to stop their cars to load or unload their wares without blocking said bike lanes. However, StreetsBlog, citing the photo above, might have a solution: “A physically-separated bike lane might be an answer to those concerns and a real win-win.”
Opposition Brewing to DOT’s Proposal [StreetsBlog]
A Tale of Two DOT Plans [StreetsBlog]
Should DOT Install Separated Bike Lanes on 9th Street? [StreetsBlog]