SALISBURY – The city continued efforts this week to complete the Salisbury Bike Route effort by approving the Fitzwater Street portion on first reading.
Before the City Council for consideration on Monday evening was a proposed ordinance establishing a bike route to extend the developing city bike route system from the downtown area to the west side of the city.
The bike route will run along West Main Street from Mill Street to the intersection of Fitzwater Street and along Fitzwater Street to the intersection with Parsons Road and along Parsons Road to the intersection of Pemberton Drive.
The route will provide dedicated bicycle-only lanes and shared bicycle and motorized vehicle lanes as directed by Maryland Manual Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MDMUTCD) Traffic Control for Bicycle Facilities as well as installing lane striping for dedicated lanes, installing shared lane markings for shared lanes, installing bicycle markings on-pavement, and installing bike route signage along the route.
The ordinance before the council for approval stated, “The City of Salisbury desires to encourage cycling throughout the City…the curb-to-curb street width on affected streets shall be unchanged by the proposed bicycle route, and the Director of Public Works has determined that the impact of the proposed bicycle route on vehicular traffic flow will be minimal.”
Public Works Director Mike Moulds reminded the council the city is seeking funding in Fiscal Year 2016 from the Maryland Department of Transportation for design of the bike route.
Moulds furthered other infrastructure projects either occurring or planned in the near future provide an opportunity for the bike routes to be installed.
“The big projects we have coming up is the Fitzwater Pump Station at the marina in the fall with a force main replacement that goes to the Northside Pump Station that is under construction now. In addition there is also gravity sewer upgrades that we’re presently in design that would extend to Fitzwater Street, so with those projects the road will have some construction activity but with the repaving and restoration of that there is an opportunity there to integrate the bike lanes,” he said.
The council voted 3-0 to approve the ordinance on first reading with Council President Jake Day and Councilwoman Shanie Shields absent.
The proposed Fitzwater Street bike route is another piece to the ongoing city-wide effort. The Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) and the city have been working together to improve bicycle connectivity between the Downtown Central Business District and Salisbury University titled the Salisbury Bike Route – Wayfinding and Safety Enhancements Project.
The project includes installation of bicycle pavement markings for the three bicycle routes, the installation of three bicycle racks at the Downtown Plaza, Salisbury Zoological Park and Salisbury Park and construction and installation of four information kiosks in the Downtown, Peninsula Regional Medical Center, Salisbury University and Salisbury Park.