Bogue Street protected bike paths -- pilot project
Example of similar paths in different community
August 5, 2019
MSU and East Lansing will convert one southbound lane of Bogue Street beginning this Thursday into a two-way protected bicycle and electric scooter path as a pilot project to study whether pedestrian and bicyclist safety is improved.
A first for mid-Michigan, the protected cycle path will run from Grand River Avenue to the MSU River Trail shared-use route, which passes between Owen and Van Hoosen halls. The new path will be separated from southbound vehicular traffic with a combination of surface-mounted curbs and break-away bollards along the almost half mile of Bogue Street.
“Our first priority when we propose changes like this is the safety of the campus community,” said Dave Wilber, a landscape architect with MSU Infrastructure Planning and Facilities who serves on the university’s bikes advisory committee and helped develop the bike path proposal. “We’ll be collecting traffic data from this pilot to evaluate whether the bicycle path increases safety along Bogue Street for area residents who walk or bike to campus.”
The markings for the dedicated bicycle lanes will be removed when the pilot ends at the end of October. If results and feedback from the pilot project are positive, the dedicated bicycle paths could be made permanent next year. Members of the public can submit feedback online at http://auttc.msu.edu/comment/.
“This project is a great example of MSU and East Lansing partnering to advance the city and campus, while working to meet the heightened community demand for safe, sustainable transportation options,” said East Lansing Mayor Mark Meadows. “We are looking forward to seeing the protected bike path in use and learning more about how it is received by the community.”
A new student housing development on Grand River Avenue is expected to increase pedestrian, bicycle and electric scooter traffic along Bogue Street when the fall semester begins. Already, many residents from Cedar Village Apartments use Bogue Street to enter campus, and, without the lanes, bicyclists now travel on the street with vehicles, or on the sidewalk with pedestrians.
Already a silver-level Bike Friendly University as designated by the League of American Bicyclists, MSU offers 10 miles of on-street bicycle lanes, two secure bike parking facilities, and eight do-it-yourself repair and air stations. MSU also hosts a bike shop in Bessey Hall that sells, rents and repairs bicycles. In addition to MSU’s Bike Friendly University designation, the City of East Lansing has been designated a bronze-level Bicycle Friendly Community by the League of American Bicyclists and continues to encourage non-motorized transportation through a variety of projects and initiatives.
The East Lansing City Council approved the Bogue Street lane changes in July following a presentation from MSU Infrastructure Planning and Facilities about the proposed changes. In April, the MSU Board of Trustees approved an ordinance allowing electric scooters on campus roadways and bicycle lanes.
Watch Tim Potter, MSU Bikes sustainable transportation manager, talk more about the benefits of this project.
If you would like to provide feedback about the project, you can do so through December 2019 at https://msu.crowdicity.com/category/120960