Reconstructed Monroe Street Bridge will feature bike lanes and light-controlled MBT intersection

Reconstruction of the Monroe Street Bridge began in late August and will last 600 days. During that time, cyclist riding over the bridge will use shared lanes, but once it is complete, the bridge will feature dedicated bike lanes in each direction. (Presentation materials called these "new" but there have been bike lanes on the bridge for some time now).

In the meantime, cyclists are encouraged to take the lane.

For cyclists, the intersection of 8th and Monroe (where the Met Branch Trail passes through) will get a traffic light, which should make crossing easier, and a path through the intersection;

and 8th will get improved landscaping south of Monroe and a block long "place holder" cycletrack.

But alas, there will be no tunnel under Monroe as was once envisioned because DDOT caved to the Dance Place developer. A former WABA director wrote:

DDOT caved to the Dance Place developer on the underpass. There was supposed to be a trail from 8th underneath Monroe to connect to the trail on the east side of Monroe Street Market. If I recall WABA gave the Dance Place developer a letter of support for their project because that connection was promised.

Comments

[Jack]

With cycle tracks having all kinds of big green areas, some parallel to the street and some perpendicular to it, the orientation of the bike symbol needs to be less ambiguous. When I encounter a biker symbol on the pavement that's oriented "crossways" - the head further from me and the wheels closer to me - my instinct is to think I should be riding over it crossways -- e.g. left to right if the biker is facing left. But in fact you're meant to ride forward over such a symbol, riding from the figure's feet towards his head. Unless the symbol is accompanied by arrows, it's confusing!