CARRBORO, N.C. -- The Town of Carrboro will participate in a community bike ride starting from Carrboro Town Hall (301 W. Main Street) at 4:15 p.m. Friday, Oct. 29.
The purpose of the ride – organized by the Carrboro Bike Coalition/Bike Carrboro -- is to help publicize the pilot protected bike lane installed along the eastbound lane of Jones Ferry Road in August. Protected bike lanes generally have a separation element between the bike lane and the vehicular travel lane. On Jones Ferry Road, this element is a row of flex posts. The flex posts serve to identify the bike lane as a space for people on bikes.
The route of the bike ride is from Carrboro Town Hall and down Jones Ferry Road to the Willow Creek shopping center, where the group will turn around and then cruise back up the new protected bike lane and return to Town Hall.
The protected bike lane in Carrboro was approved by the NC Department of Transportation (NCDOT) as a pilot project and installed by the Town’s Public Works Department. It begins just south of the N.C. 54 eastbound ramps and extends north to the point near Barnes Street, where the street narrows and the buffered bike lane end. The pilot project is expected to be in place for through August 2022, and during this period, Town staff will be collecting data and will assess maintenance procedures during the winter months.
To reinforce road safety, Town staff will offer free safety gear (such as front lights and rear lights) to participants. The lights are a reminder for local cyclists to get ready for shorter days, in anticipation of day light savings time which starts next weekend on Nov. 7. As a reminder, when riding at night, equip your bicycle with a front lamp visible from 300 feet and a rear reflector or flasher visible from a distance of 200 feet. Lights are required by law from sunset to sunrise and when there is insufficient light to clearly see a person on the highway 400 feet ahead. (General Statute 20-134.e)
Should anyone like to join the Community Bike Ride on Oct. 29 and need a bike, or would like to try out an electric bike, folks are welcome to borrow one from The Clean Machine Bike Shop just before the ride. Contact tamara@thecleanmachine.com to make arrangements for borrowing a bicycle.
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