Nightmare on Elm Tree

Out on the streets, that’s where we’ll meet

By Captain Comannokers
NoC Transportation Czar

With the grand re-opening of The Lyric Theater (hoorah!!) in Lexington’s East End, the city has made adjustments to traffic flow affecting both motorists and cyclists. Perhaps not a nightmare as the title of the column suggests, but there are several tricky spots that need your attention. (Additionally, titling it something akin to “Changes on Elm Tree” is really lame. I know what sells: sex, fear, blood, gore, sex, sugar, convenience, power and a smart pair of trousers.)

The issue: the new windfall of on-street parking on Elm Tree and how these spots have changed the traffic patterns. As a daily commuter of Elm Tree, the adjustments have been slow thus far – especially at night. There’s been plenty of confusion as motorists figure out a single lane of traffic in certain stretches, the occasional right turn lane at intersections, and the new signage and striping.

Elm Tree is not a main city artery like Main or Vine, so have patience and give your fellow travelers some leeway as we all adapt. Let me break down some of the changes.

NORTHBOUND

Once you pass Wilson (the next street after Short), northbound traffic changes to a single lane, and the bike lane comes off the curb. The bike lane shift is painted with a dotted diagonal shift; it then lands between the single lane of through traffic and the multitude of things happening on the right of the cyclist.

• At Corral there is a right hand turn lane
• Between Corral and Third there are on-street parking spots
• At Third there is another right hand turn lane
• At Fourth the bike lane cuts across diagonally back to the curb. The through lane for vehicles turns into a left hand turn. The through traffic lane cuts across to the right (which also serves as the right hand turn lane). Confusing? You better believe it.

For cyclists, if you are riding northbound on Elm Tree and want to turn right onto Third, take extra precaution, because vehicles could potentially undercut you as they try to come across the bike lane into the right turn lane as well. Use hand signals and definitely be aware of how much traffic is around at any given time. This is not a gradual adjustment, it happens in a short stretch of pavement.

The Elm and Fourth intersection is even more of a conundrum. Motorists always had trouble with this intersection prior to the latest changes, so the odds of it getting better are slim to none—and Slim just left town to move in with his girlfriend in Nicholasville.

The bike lane used to be along the curb between Third and Fourth as vehicles made their adjustment to the traffic patterns shifting at Fourth. Now, bikes are thrown directly into the mix as they slide over from the middle of the street back to the curb. All the while, motorists punch the gas, slam on brakes, cut other motorists off, etc., to get into the lane they need in roughly the length of a bowling alley. At night, this isn’t very easy to see. As we head into Day Light Savings Time, when it will be dark during the later stages of rush hour, approach Fourth and Elm Tree with ninja-like reflexes.

Which leads to a quick aside: with the dark arriving earlier, I cannot stress the importance of lights on your bike, bag, body, wherever—just be easily visible! Oh, and if I pull up next to you, and you don’t have lights at night, I will recommend you get some. It will be a courteous suggestion, so please don’t tell me to fuck off.

SOUTHBOUND

Much of the same comes into play Southbound. I would like to point out that as you approach Corral the bike lane is between the through traffic and street parking lanes; however, after Corral the bike lane is back along the curb, and there are two lanes of traffic heading back into downtown. There is no diagonal painting for the bike lane shift, so cyclists need to get to the right quickly while watching for vehicles that could potentially undercut them when making the same slide to the right.

Where are the places on your commute that need extra attention to avoid cursing, honking or collision? This is a question for everyone—pedestrians, cyclists and motorists—let’s share our concerns and experiences as we share the road. Join in the conversation at noclexington.com or email ShareTheRoadLex@gmail.com. This is your Captain speaking—over and out.