Blog: City Blog

Bike/ped safety improvements on Henley Bridge benefit all road users

On Dec. 5, City crews upgraded the existing bike lane on Henley Bridge to a separated bike lane by installing delineators and green bike lane markings. Two weeks prior, crews painted a buffer where the delineators are now installed. Henley Bridge bike/ped improvements

Protected bike lanes are proven to increase safety and reduce collisions for all users -- including vehicles.

TDOT, which oversees maintenance of state highways including Henley Street, approved these upgrades based on the City’s proposals to increase bike and pedestrian safety on and around the bridge. Since the Gay Street Bridge’s closure in June 2024, more users are utilizing the Henley Bridge, emphasizing the need for safety for all road users.

At the City’s request, TDOT reinstalled two missing crosswalks across E. and W. Hill avenues at Henley Street.

City crews also:

- Installed a Leading Pedestrian Interval for the pedestrian crossings at Blount Avenue and Chapman Highway. Leading Pedestrian Intervals give pedestrians a “head-start” to enter the intersection, establish their presence, and increase their visibility to drivers. Leading Pedestrian Intervals are a low-cost improvement that can reduce pedestrian crashes by 13 percent.

- Improved lane assignments and traffic signal timing on E. Blount Avenue. The Gay Street bridge closure greatly changed the intersection flow at Blount Ave and Chapman Hwy. Changes reflect the new traffic patterns.

- Relocated the green bike box from E. Blount to W. Blount. Bike Boxes are a designated area for cyclists to get ahead of queued traffic at traffic signals.

- Added a "Blank out" No right turn sign on E Blount for pedestrian safety. This sign illuminates when crossing pedestrians have the right-of-way, reducing conflicts between turning vehicles and pedestrians.

- Added an island to the northeast corner to improve pedestrian safety. This island is a “quick-build” style project that forces vehicles to make slower, wider and safer right turns.

- Added "greenbacked" bike lane symbols to the bike lane to make it visually “pop” for all road users.

For more Vision Zero road safety projects and information, visit KnoxvilleTN.gov/VisionZero.

Posted by ptravis On 06 December, 2024 at 11:04 AM