Bike Lanes Coming to Bellflower Boulevard

Kirt Ramirez

A stretch of Bellflower Boulevard near Cal State Long Beach will lose a traffic lane to make room for a bike lane.

Bicycle lanes will be added to Bellflower between Seventh and Atherton Streets. Both sides of Bellflower will get bike lanes complete with green bollards but only the northbound side will lose a traffic lane.

“The city is in the process of resurfacing Bellflower,” Long Beach Public Works Director Craig Beck said through email. “Part of the project includes adding bicycle lanes to ensure safe access to and from the university.”

With three traffic lanes going each way in that curving, fast-paced stretch of Bellflower, the southbound side will keep the three lanes.

“After review of traffic patterns, a change is being made to the northbound lanes on Bellflower between Seventh and Atherton,” he said. “When completed, the lanes will go from three to two. Parking will still be provided on the east side of Bellflower once complete.”

Beck indicated Bellflower will receive upgrades specific to that locality.

“The entire project includes improvements from Loynes to Atherton, but the treatments are different north and south of PCH,” he said. “The area north of PCH is a high-volume, higher-speed street and bike bollards will be used to provide safety for the bicyclists. The area south of PCH will receive a different treatment.”

The plastic bollards, which in other parts of the city are bolted to the ground and wobble when pushed, will alert drivers that bike lanes are present.

“The project when completed will include bicycle lanes from Loynes to Atherton,” Beck said. “The entire stretch of Bellflower northbound will be two lanes of traffic until Atherton, where the project stops and the current configuration is active.”

Cal State Long Beach students Javier Carlos and Alberto Nuñez walked on Bellflower and were told of the proposed bike lanes.

“A lot of students drive,” Carlos said. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen bikes here (on Bellflower).”

Nuñez said, “There will probably be a lot more traffic because of the ratio of drivers to bikers.”

Those who do ride bikes usually ride on the sidewalk, Nuñez added.

Asked to address traffic concerns, Beck responded:

“Bellflower Boulevard in front of Long Beach State is an area active with vehicles, pedestrians and bicycles. Throughout the day students and others utilize the street as they enter and exit Beach Drive. Traffic analysis has shown that vehicle counts do not support a three lane road, and with the additional lane, cars are regularly speeding through the area. 

“To create a safety zone for bicycles and pedestrians, it is important the vehicle speeds remain at, or below speed limits. The Bellflower protected bicycle lane is an important link providing access to the university.

“The city is building a bicycle network to provide for alternative mobility options across Long Beach. Sixth Street, Fifteenth Street, Daisy and other bicycle priority streets will ultimately connect neighborhoods and allow for safe bicycle use, which will reduce traffic impacts.”  

kirt@beachcomber.news

 

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Comments

I drive Bellflower all times of the day and night. Bellflower is a busy busy street. Talking a lane away will make traveling Bellflower worse. I've seen so few bikes on Bellflower between PCH and Spring St.
STUPID IDEA

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