Seventh Street dedicated bike lane construction to be finished until August 9

Bloomington, Indiana – The City of Bloomington in a press release informed that the dedicated bike lane along Seventh Street will be finished until August 9 in preparation for the return of IU students.

The lane runs east-west starting on the south side of East Seventh Street and connecting at the B-Line Trail in 2018. According to the Bloomington Mayor John Hamilton, the project of the dedicated lane construction is part of the seven Bicentennial Bond projects.

Hamilton also explained the difference between the new dedicated lane and the current one. According to him, the one that is under construction right now is an improved version of the current one because it will be separated from vehicles and motorists via a 16-inch-wide cement divider. This will improve safety while driving your bike and make commuting faster. In the press release, the mayor said city officials hope to encourage IU students to use their bike as a daily transportation utility.

“I’m proud that our city, like many others around the globe, is investing in protected bike lanes and multi-modal streets,” Hamilton said at the 7-Line Construction Kickoff event June 3rd. “It’s one more way Bloomington is advancing equity, sustainability, and quality of life.”

Lane Wolf, social media manager for Bike Indianapolis and IU alumnus, also attended the press release and agreed with the mayor on everything. Wolf added that the new bike lane will by far improve the flow of traffic and pedestrian safety.

“It’s a great addition; any bike infrastructure is,” Wolf said. “That [Seventh Street] is a strip that is always getting really backed up on traffic, so a lot of students will opt to ride on the sidewalks, which makes the already very busy sidewalk an even more dangerous place.”

Bicentennial Bond is a multi-year project which includes improving pedestrian amenities, improved bus corridor, and sidewalk replacements. The Bloomington Common Council approved $10 million bond to bring the whole project in life in 2018.