Better Ask Barry: Is the bike lane open yet?

It may be a cliche to say the wheels of progress turn slowly, but that’s been the case in two stories we previously reported in Better Ask Barry.

Here’s an update on their progress:

Work on the North Fremont Street bike lane started in June 2018, and it is almost ready for riders.

The project called for a dedicated bicycle lane in the median of Fremont Street with new signals, landscaping and bicycle protected intersections.

This past June, we reported that it would be completed by late August, but even today, the bike lanes are still closed, because delivery of the protective rails, or fences, was delayed. The rails are now being installed.

Crews are also working to fine tune the bicycle-only signal lights, which some motorists mistook for vehicle turn signals.

” We ordered different heads for the bike signals, so they are further differentiated from the vehicle signals. We think they are going to arrive between a week and two, ” said Andrea Renny, Monterey City traffic engineer.

City officials say the Fremont Street median bike lanes are the first of their kind in California and hope the project will be a model for other cities.

Another project to replace a missing city limits sign in Salinas is also delayed.

In May of 2019 , Salinas City Councilmember Steve McShane said the missing sign had probably been stolen, and the City, Assemblyman Robert Rivas, and Caltrans were working to have it replaced.

” Caltrans is going to come back out, replace it, and batten it down, better than ever, ” McShane said, adding, ” Caltrans is supposed to have something in place in a couple of months. ”

As of October, there was no sign of any replacement sign.

Caltrans spokesperson Colin Jones said the new sign has been ordered, but has been delayed because of a backlog of orders at the manufacturer. He expects it to be installed in 2-3 months.

If you have a question, let Barry know. Click here to Better Ask Barry .

KION 2019