Downtown Cleveland Gets First Ever Protected Bike Lanes

The city of Cleveland will install its first ever protected bike lanes on a stretch of Prospect Avenue and Huron Road downtown, marking a step toward meeting the goals laid out in the Cleveland Moves plan.

As Steven Litt explains in an article for Ideastream Public Media, the city will launch the “Streets for People Quick-Build Project” in mid-June and complete the bike lane installation within one week. “The goal, officials say, is to enhance pedestrian and bike safety and simplify traffic flow in a highly active area just north of the Gateway Sports District, home to the Guardians and Cavaliers.”

The project involves turning stretches of the two streets into one-way roads, one eastbound and one westbound. According to city planning staff, the new arrangement will smooth the flow of traffic entering and exiting garages in the area in addition to improving safety for pedestrians and cyclists. The streets will be reduced to two vehicular lanes with new protected bike lanes.

As currently planned, the project includes only paint and delineators. “Eventually, some features of the project, including pedestrian bump-outs at intersections, could be constructed in permanent materials with new curb lines,” according to Litt.