Pacific Avenue to get contraflow bike plan

Get ready for a big change on Pacific Avenue in Santa Cruz. The City Council today approved a plan that will allow bicyclists to ride in the opposite direction of motor vehicle traffic between Church and Cathcart streets.

The plan came about in response to complaints about people riding the wrong way on Pacific Avenue and bicyclists riding on the sidewalk, according to the City of Santa Cruz Public Works Department.

The new southbound contraflow bike lane will convert the one-way traffic street between Church and Cathcart into a two-way street that will accommodate drivers and cyclists, separated by a solid green lane.

The Public Works Department says the plan includes installation of stop signs for cyclists at stop controlled intersections along with new bike lanes between Cathcart and Laurel.

The $85,000 project, funded by Transportation Development Act grants, is expected to begin this spring and finish before summer.

“By making it easier and more convenient to ride a bike downtown, the Pacific Avenue contraflow lane project supports the City’s Climate Action Plan goals to double bike ridership and reduce single occupancy vehicle commutes by 10 percent by 2020,” according to the Santa Cruz City Department of Public Works in a press release issued today.