The thought of reducing College Drive to a single through lane in each direction had plenty of drivers responding with “no way.” College Drive is a major east-west artery between Second and Eighth streets, with significant intersections at Second Avenue and at Third Avenue (the Boulevard).
The idea is to create adequate width for bike lanes, and a left-turn-only lane probably between Second and Eighth avenues.
It does not make sense to cut in half the lane space for autos in order to benefit a handful of bike riders, was the knee-jerk reaction.
But with an explanation from those who know traffic flow, the plan makes good sense.
Now, the two lanes in each direction encourage drivers to move from one to the other, trying to pick up speed in the inside lane until being forced to the outside lane to move around a car slowing or stopped for left turn. That back and forth is not safe.
With a left-turn-only lane, used by drivers traveling in both directions, those traveling straight between Second Avenue or the Boulevard and East Eighth Avenue will be able to travel mostly unimpeded without the need (or the temptation) to change lanes. Drivers will slow for right turns, of course, and flashing yellow school zone lights will continue to slow drivers at times during the day, but through progress will be much safer and easier.
And, bicyclists will have a lane of their own on the far right.
And as for additional bicycle lanes, a recent Herald letter writer suggested that perhaps bicycles ought to be encouraged to travel along some of Durango’s less-traveled streets.
That might mean bicycle lanes on East Fourth, East Fifth or East Sixth avenues rather than the Boulevard, for example. Or on Fifth, Seventh or Ninth streets for east and west bound.
And the same thinking could be applied to utilize West Second Avenue rather than Main Avenue from 17th Street north to 24th Street and then on from 25th to 28th streets.
The use of West Second Avenue by bicyclists would be a component of the north Main Avenue reshaping which is being considered right now.
Very much worth considering.
As we all know, the really transformational addition to benefit pedestrians and cyclists will be unimpeded crossings of Camino del Rio in order to safely link the Animas River Trail with downtown.
Underpasses in one or two locations, 12th Street being one – we favor underpasses as being more appealing and more likely to be used than overpasses – as unleashing a flood of foot and bicycle traffic in Durango’s broad center.
So, think through the merits of a possible change to a single lane of traffic in each direction on College Drive. It makes sense.
