Middle Street & Lafayette Road Bicycle & Pedestrian Corridor Project
To kick off the 2019 biking season, all street lines will be re-painted as part of the annual citywide line striping program. Beginning on Monday, April 15th through mid-May, staff will be observing traffic behavior along the bike lanes prior to reinstalling bollards in early June. This year, there will only be 60 bollards along the corridor which is a reduction of posts by 54 percent compared to last year. Please click here for full details.
The goal of this project, implemented in the fall of 2018, was to make travel along a critical section of Route 1 safer and more appealing for pedestrians and bicyclists of all ages. Initially identified in the City's Safe Routes to School Action Plan in 2010, this project was also highlighted as a high priority in the City's recently completed Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan.
The project, which received funding from a NHDOT Safe Routes to School Grant, evaluated options for creating an on-road bike route along Route 1 between the High School and Downtown. Pedestrian crossings at the intersections along this corridor were also assessed to determine where improvements might be necessary to improve safety and accessibility. The City worked with an engineering team led by Greenman-Pedersen, Inc. on this project.
For more information or with comments or questions about this project, please contact Juliet Walker, the City of Portsmouth's Planning Director, 603-610-7296 or jthwalker@cityofportsmouth.com.
Resources
- How to use a bike box
- Learn more about cycle tracks, protected and buffered bicycle lanes by reviewing this guide from NACTO (National Association of City Transportation Officials).
- Review these videos of buffered and protected bicycle facilities in other communities:
Public Meetings and Presentations
- Update to Parking & Traffic Safety Committee (December 5, 2019)
- Update to Parking & Traffic Safety Committee (April 4, 2019)
- Report Back to Parking & Traffic Safety Committee (December 6, 2018)
- Presentation to Parking & Traffic Safety Committee (October 4, 2018)
- Public Meeting (June 8, 2017)
- Presentation to Parking & Traffic Safety Committee (October 6, 2016)
- Demonstration Projects of Proposed Designs (September 23, 2015)
- City Council Presentation of Preferred Alternative (April 6, 2015)
- Public Meeting to Review Design Alternatives (February 12, 2015)
- Public Information Gathering Meeting (November 19, 2014)
Project Documents, Studies, Plans, Data
- Speed Counts (includes pre and post bike lane installation)
- Bicycle Counts (includes pre and post bike lane installation)
- Crash Report Summary and Details (October 2018 to December 2019)
- Crash Report Summary (October 2017 to October 2018)
- Revised Plans (March 2019)
- Final Engineering Plans (November 2017)
- Preliminary Engineering Design Plans (updated June 2017)
- Evening Parking Counts (April 2017)
- Preliminary Engineering Design Plans (September 2016)
- Preliminary Design Alternatives presented February 12, 2015
- Concept A – Two-Way Protected Bike Lane (Cycle Track) on one side with parking lane on one side between travel way and bike lane
- Concept B – One-Way Protected Bike Lane on two sides with parking lane on one side between travel way and bike lane
- Concept C – Unprotected Bike Lanes on two sides with parking lanes on both sides against the road edge
- Base Map of Study Area