Des Moines cyclists are scratching their heads over the
latest round of bike and pedestrian improvements the city plans to build
downtown.
The city plans to break ground this fall on
projects that include two short trail segments, two road crossings and
lots of "sharrows," the painted markings meant to remind drivers to
share the road with cyclists. No bike lanes are included.
Bike
advocates say the projects — totaling $460,000 — are “puzzling” and the
money could be better spent on other improvements to make downtown
safer and more welcoming to cyclists.
“It seems like the
city is basically spending almost half a million dollars to build two
trail segments to nowhere,” said Jeremy Lewis, executive director of the
Des Moines Bicycle Collective, a bike shop and advocacy group.
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