Neighborhood Greenways

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3 Foot Passing Law

“The operator of a vehicle overtaking another vehicle shall pass to the left at a safe distance and shall not again drive to the right until safely clear of the overtaken vehicle. When a motor vehicle overtakes and passes a bicycle, three feet or greater is considered a safe passing distance.”

Neighborhood greenways, also known as bike boulevards, are:

• Quiet, slow streets

• Streets that prioritize people walking, bicycling, and rolling

• The backbone of a Safe Routes to School network

• Connectors between neighborhoods, parks, schools, and business districts

F Street | Lincoln, NE

A bike tour of the now-open Beacon Hill Neighborhood Greenway – Seattle Bike Blog

Beacon Hill | Seattle, WA

Components of a Greenway can include:

  • Wayfinding: Distance and estimated travel times for popular destinations are posted on signs throughout the network.
  • Speed tables: These and other traffic calming devices keep the street slow & safe.
  • "Sharrow" street markings: The sharrow markings indicate where to ride on the street, and can also serve as a helpful wayfinding tool.
  • Low-stress crossings at busy streets: Crossings over major streets are always at a signalized light. Median islands shorten crossing distances on bigger roads; high visibility crosswalks and signs highlight that many people will be crossing there.

Example Signage

Questions? Reach out to jenna@bikecleveland.org.


West Park Greenways Proposed Route

St. Clair-Superior Proposed Route

Greenways Survey


FAQs

What is a neighborhood greenway?  

Neighborhood greenways are designated residential streets that are designed for low vehicle speeds and volumes to provide safer bicycle and pedestrian connections for all ages and abilities. Greenways can provide safe access to schools, trails, parks, transit and neighborhood businesses for people biking. A successful neighborhood greenway will have:

  • Low vehicle speeds
  • Low vehicle volumes
  • Wayfinding (signage and road markings) to help people walking and biking navigate
  • Intersection improvements as needed to ensure safe and smooth crossings for people walking and biking. 

When would the greenways be installed?

With the planning & community engagement support from Bike Cleveland's Better Street Committees, the City intends to install signage and roadway markings later this summer. You can find regular updates at www.bikecleveland.org/neighborhood-greenways

 

How will neighborhood greenways change the streets?

Common elements along neighborhood greenways include directional signs and pavement markings to alert drivers that bicyclists are likely to be present.

Depending on current vehicle speeds and volumes on neighborhood greenway routes, tthere may be traffic calming elements such as speed tables installed in the future, though preliminary data collection on the West Park routes has not identified any proposed greenway streets as high-speed. At busy intersecting streets, there may be improved crossing treatments in the future, such as using green paint and/or adding or removing stop signs to prioritize the flow of bike traffic.

Local access to homes along Neighborhood Greenways is always preserved and there are rarely impacts to on-street parking.

Will the speed limit change on my street?

There are no plans to change speed limits in Phase 1. Long-term, lowering the speed limit to 20mph on Neighborhood Greenways may be considered. You may see yard signs encouraging slow speeds. An official change to the speed limit will not happen without community dialogue and would require a special exemption from the city & state.

Will I still be able to park on my street?

There are rarely impacts to on-street parking when a street becomes a Neighborhood Greenway. No changes to on-street parking are anticipated as part of this project.

Will it be confusing for people to navigate the street with new rules and signs?

There will be no new rules for people driving to follow. Right now, we only anticipate installing wayfinding signs to mark the route and roadway markings to raise awareness of shared use roads and make it easy to navigate.

Will pavement conditions improve? 

At this time, Neighborhood Greenways locations are not a factor in scheduling resurfacing, though some of the identified streets are slated to be resurfaced this year. In the future, the Better Street Committees may advocate for Neighborhood Greenways to be prioritized in the repavement schedule, though this might require identifying additional funding.

Will there be new speed tables or traffic circles installed on greenways? 

The City of Cleveland is still working to identify locations of speed tables as part of their traffic calming program. This program takes into account traffic volume and speeds. Several streets on the proposed route had speed data collected this spring and no streets met the city’s criteria for speed tables and none were identified as high-speed.

Will delivery trucks & emergency vehicles still be able to access residents and businesses? 

Yes. Access to homes and businesses is not impacted. 

What types of users will be allowed on the greenway?

The primary users will be people walking, cycling, rollerblading, skateboarding, or using a wheeled mobility aid.

How will this project be funded?

Because the Greenway routes use existing calm and quiet residential streets, the cost of the proposed enhancements is limited to new signage and roadway markings. The City of Cleveland allocated $1.5 million last year to streets improvements including better infrastructure for people biking & walking and safety improvements across the city. Installation of these neighborhood greenways & others across the will tap into this mobility fund.

Why do we want more people biking and walking in West Park?

With more people biking and walking there are more opportunities for social encounters where neighbors can meet and interact. This makes the neighborhood safer and more pleasant for everyone. Giving people more transportation options also reduces traffic and parking problems, and increases patronage of local businesses. Neighborhood Greenways make biking an easier choice for residents.