Atwater-Henderson project approved

Discussion over an ordinance that gives $149,512.38 for improvements at Atwater and Henderson turned into a debate over the future of bicyclists in Bloomington.

The City Council approved ordinance 10-01, appropriating funds for the improvements on the heavy trafficked Atwater and Henderson intersection. The money will be used for the construction of the project.

There were 639 passing vehicles through the intersection from 7 to 10:55 a.m., according to a presentation by the city’s Engineering Services. The intersection also has more traffic from pedestrians than other intersections such as Atwater and Jordan.

The project includes installing traffic signals that would help calm traffic, said Justin Wykoff, manager of Engineering Services.

Wykoff said there were nine accidents in that intersection, which is down from the 17 accidents that occurred in 2005. The project hopes to reduce significantly the amount of vehicle crashes in the area.

Council member Dave Rollo introduced an amendment to the ordinance that would create a sharrow as part of the project for bikes. Sharrows have painted arrows indicating that bicyclists have the right to use the full lane. The sharrow would include signs indicating that bikes are allowed to use the full lane.

The sharrow would connect with another bike route about two blocks down from the intersection, said council member Chris Sturbaum.

The amendment is an alternative to a full bike lane, which would delay the project.
However, some council members were concerned about what the sharrows mean for the rest of the city.

“I’m concerned that this miseducates people that bikes only have the right to use the full lane when there are these sharrows,” said Andy Ruff, City Council Vice President.  
Bloomington resident Buff Brown wanted the plan to include more advances for
bicyclists in the city.

“You have to want your city to be bicycle friendly,” he said.

Brown wanted to see the reduction of turn lanes and wanted to include more crosswalks. He also wanted to see more modern approaches dealing with bicyclists in the city.

City Council President Isabel Piedmont-Smith said a bike lane would be ideal but it would delay the entire project, which is slated to start in August.

“This is a big improvement of what we have now,” Piedmont-Smith said.