2023 Pine/McCarrey PBL Pilot
The first protected bike lane (PBL) pilot was installed on Pine Street/McCarrey Street between DeBarr Road and Mountain View Drive during the month of September 2023.
This location was chosen as the initial pilot project site for PBLs for a variety of reasons. The pilot corridor featured the only buffered bike lane in Anchorage and provided connections to the larger bicycle network, including the Glenn Highway Path, Chester Creek Trail, Ship Creek Trail, and the Moose Loop route. Russian Jack Springs Park, which borders the east side of the corridor, is also a destination park, with a popular playground, several recreational fields, and many trails of its own.
This first PBL installation along Pine and McCarrey Street provided valuable information and data to guide future consideration of roadway design projects in Anchorage.
Pine/McCarrey Protected Bike Lane Pilot, September 2023
Pine/McCarrey Protected Bike Lane Pilot, September 2023
During the September 2023 Pine/McCarrey PBL Pilot, the project team learned:
- About the process and cost of planning and installing a temporary project
- How different materials perform
- The importance of communication
- Temporary pilot projects are feasible!
- The presence of even a temporary vertical flex post dramatically calmed traffic
- The challenge of implementing a pilot PBL that changes the parking configuration
- The community has strong feelings about protected bike lanes:
- Some are enthusiastic about new types of bike facilities in survey responses and at a public event
- Some drivers and residents were concerned about the types of materials, impacts to driving, and perceived danger of bikes being in the road at all
- The most common question during the pilot was how permanent protected bike lanes would work with snow maintenance operations
The goal of the project was to improve safety, reliability, and equitable access for people of all ages and abilities – including pedestrians, bicyclists, and transit riders.
