Capitol Mall and Carlson Drive Get Green Bike Lanes

Jim Brown, the executive director of the Sacramento Area Bicycling Advocates (SABA), said these green lanes provide clarity to complex intersections.

“Green lanes are typically used to help bicycles navigate through complicated street segments,” Brown said.  “It just clarifies paths of travel for everybody… (and) they’re fun to ride on because you suddenly recognize that this is a special place for bikes.”

Photo courtesy of Maya Wallace, SABA board member

Brown admits because Capitol Mall isn’t terribly complex or dangerous the addition of these lanes is probably more symbolic than anything. He’s far more excited about the improvements going in on Carlson Dr. between J and H streets. There have been three fatal collisions at this intersection in three years.

“This is a complex intersection that’s hazardous for everyone,” said Brown.

SABA launched a campaign two years ago to fix the Carlson Corridor and they developed and submitted a list of recommendations to the city in spring of 2011 including green bike lanes.

More than a year later the city presented their own set of recommendations, very similar to the solutions SABA had come up with.

“I don’t understand why it took the city a year to come up with a set of solutions it took us much less time to come up with,” Brown said.

The plan is a two phase operation; the first phase featuring a new traffic signal on H and Carlson visible to all northbound traffic, a bike lane buffer, and green lanes from H to J street on Carlson. The second phase includes reconfiguring the Carlson and H intersection to make it squarer and improved crosswalks on J and Carlson.

“In a lot of parts of the city we have a bike way network that favors the bold and the foolhardy. That’s not a good way to meet the needs of everybody who wants to ride a bike.”  - Jim Brown, Executive Dir. Sacramento Area Bicycle Advocates