1st buffered bike lane installed in Napa

Napa recently got its first buffered bike lane, painted along part of Freeway Drive. And more are coming soon.

Buffered lanes are essentially standard bike lanes with greater separation from car traffic. That separation is achieved with striped buffer zones that are 2 to 3 feet wide, as opposed to a single painted stripe.

Napa’s first buffered lane, painted last month as part of a repaving project, is located on Freeway Drive and covers much of the area between First and Laurel streets. Another such lane will be installed on Jefferson Street, from Sierra to Trower avenues.

“There are people who will be more interested in biking and feel safer with buffered lanes,” said Kara Vernor, executive director of the Napa County Bicycle Coalition.

The separation provided by buffered lanes, she said, helps prevent collisions between cyclists and cars, and increases comfort for cyclists. Napa County’s 2019 Bicycle Plan found that though over 50% of the general public bike or are interested in biking, they don’t feel comfortable riding on street bike lanes.

Vernor said buffered lanes are distinct from protected bike lanes, which include some means of vertical separation between the bike lane and the rest of the roadway, such as a curb or posts.

Protected lanes further enhance safety and comfort, Vernor said. Not every road calls for a protected lane, though the coalition “absolutely” wants to see such lanes in areas with high traffic speed and volume.

The coalition did previously advocate for a protected lane on Freeway Drive, including during the city’s budgeting process.

But Julie Lucido, the city’s public works director, said vertical delineators used to create a protected lane would create an area too narrow for current city street sweepers.

The coalition previously asked the Napa City Council to prioritize purchasing equipment that would allow the city to sweep a protected lane, though the council didn’t move forward with that suggestion.

Lucido added city staff are researching options and contracts that would allow for protected lanes to be properly cleaned. An upcoming project in 2024 on Browns Valley Road will include protected bike lanes, she said, by shifting on-street parking to areas between the vehicle lane and the bike lane.

Still, buffered lanes on their own will lead to an increased sense of safety and comfort for bikers, Lucido said, helping to encourage less experienced bike riders to ride more.

The city will continue to add buffered lanes as part of paving projects along major roadways, so long as the streets are wide enough, she said.

Increasing the number of buffered lanes is important as it helps support the ability of bicyclists to traverse the city’s overall bike network with greater comfort, Vernor said.

Having a bike network that’s entirely separate from existing streets isn’t feasible, she said. So, street-side bike lanes are an essential way for bicyclists to get around, and such lanes need to be improved in such a way that people feel comfortable using them.

The coalition will continue to advocate for more buffered and protected lanes, she said.

“The more appropriate the bike lane is for the speed and traffic and vehicles, the more likely people are to ride,” Vernor said.

You can reach Staff Writer Edward Booth at 707-521-5281 or edward.booth@pressdemocrat.com.