A sign for bicyclists and drivers on Route 117.
As part of a larger effort by several town committees to promote cyclist and driver safety in Lincoln, the Department of Public Works is placing nine signs saying “Cyclists May Use Full Lane” along several major roads in town.
The signs reflect a state law that allows cyclists to enter the center of the lane when necessary. Usually this is a temporary action and occurs when the shoulder narrows or is blocked by tree limbs, dirt/sand, or potholes and cyclists are unable to ride safely there. They are located on 117/South Great Road (two signs), Route 126 (two signs), Bedford Road (three signs), and Lincoln Road and Trapelo Road (one sign each).
Research has shown that “Cyclists May Use Full Lane” signs increase awareness and create safer roadway conditions for all users, noted the Lincoln Cycling Safety Advisory Committee (LCSAC), which recommended the sign placement to the Roadside and Traffic Committee as a public safety measure to remind drivers that vehicles and cyclists must share the road.
“We also hope that the signage will help to ease tensions between drivers and cyclists at pinch points on our busiest thoroughfares,” said committee member Megan Kate Nelson.
In addition to placing signs, the LCSAC has also completed “road audits” to assess the state of road shoulders and intersections, and is working with Lincoln Police to educate and enforce rules for cyclists who ride through town.
The LCSAC was established in 2017 after two fatal accidents in Lincoln involving bicyclists and cars. The group will present a progress report at the State of the Town meeting on November 12 and expects to issue more recommendations, mostly around the condition and shoulder width of the town’s roads and making the most dangerous intersections safer for drivers and cyclists, Nelson said. The LCSAC has been consulting with Director of Planning and Land Use Jennifer Burney about integrating some of these improvements into Lincoln’s Complete Streets proposals, and with the Roadside and Traffic Committee regarding road/intersection conditions.
For more information about the signs or the laws they reflect, email the LCSAC at lincoln-cycling-safety-adv-comm@googlegroups.com.