Delaware Avenue has undergone an incredible transformation with the addition of bike lanes. Last week I wrote that The City was facing some opposition to the lanes that were slated to appear. After the post, City Hall received over a hundred phone calls from community members who were in favor of the lanes. I am told that the calls were welcome news, and that the overwhelmingly positive response from the public helped to show that the lanes were indeed needed. Whether that ultimately helped to move the project forward, I can only say that it certainly didn’t hurt.
Ultimately Delaware Avenue looks great, and is now a thoroughfare for cyclists from North Street to Niagara Square. Let’s hope that this connectivity will continue, so that cyclists can easily navigate from this stretch of Delaware to other parts of the city (including the waterfront – both Erie Basin Marina and the Inner Harbor). Michigan Avenue is screaming for bike lanes (Medical Campus to Cobblestone District), and North Street connectivity to Porter Avenue must be a consideration (unfortunately the street is super narrow). Regardless, the striping of Delaware Avenue is a huge push forward for the Complete Streets initiative and shows that City Hall is serious about creating a bike-friendly city.