New Roads, Bike Lanes Coming Soon

San Jose has some of the worst roads in the country, and the city is finally doing something about it.

Construction crews are reportedly tearing up and repaving Almaden Boulevard, Third Street, Fourth Street, 10th Street and 11th Street, which are some of the worst in the city. These roads are so choppy and busy, many bicyclists risk a ticket by riding on the sidewalk.

But fear not, the busy streets of downtown are being torn up and repaired to make roads not only smoother but also provide room for new bike lanes, according to the Mercury News.

Jesse Quirion, a transportation specialist with the city, told the paper that the program intends to make downtown San Jose “the most bike-friendly downtown in the Bay Area.”

While some of the roads will have regular bike lanes, others will have more room with painted buffer zones. Traffic lanes that are the most affected will go from three lanes to two, to encourage others to try commuting by bike rather than in a car.

“I think it’s a great idea,” says Bill Hyland, owner of Hyland Family Bicycles. “The easier they can make it for people here who ride bikes, the more people will get out of their cars.”

The city also plans to make fresh bike lanes on San Fernando Street from SJSU to Cahill Street green, making the roads stand out so drivers will notice the lanes and not drive into them.

San Jose will also be partnering with Bay Area Air Quality Management District to set up 20 bike stations around downtown. Bikes will be available at these stations for renting and you can return it to any bike station when you are done. This, again, will encourage more bike riding.

Hyland says he would also like for the city of San Jose to focus on Meridian Avenue next, which has no bike lanes and fast traffic that scares many new bicyclists back into their cars.

The project is expected to be complete in late July.

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