Here’s an “Innovative” Safety Idea for CDOT: More Protected Bike Lanes

All it took was some paint and plastic posts to protect this bike rider from auto traffic. Photo: David Sachs
All it took was some paint and plastic posts to protect this bike rider from auto traffic. Photo: David Sachs

A few days ago, Colorado DOT sent out this tweet asking for ideas to make cycling safer:

CDOT uses the word “innovative” a lot. That’s how it describes RoadX, a $20 million initiative to ready Colorado highways for autonomous and connected vehicles using private-public partnerships. Very high-tech. Maybe one day there will be a payoff.

Meanwhile, in the present day, CDOT’s deadly, urban surface highways like Federal Boulevard and Sheridan Boulevard lack basic infrastructure for safe walking and biking.

So when CDOT called for “innovative ideas to keep cyclists safe” — with $500,000 available for the winning proposal — inspiration struck Streetsblog reader Jody Robins.

This new CDOT grant also goes under the RoadX brand, but Robins’ suggestion is decidedly low-tech:

“We don’t need innovation — the solution exists and is obvious,” Robins wrote. “It only needs support and funding.”

Go Jody!

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