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Politics & Government

Concord Gets Bad Marks For Cycling Safety

Meanwhile, the city is busy adding bike lanes.

While a news blog took a close look at the high number of bike accidents (including fatalities) in Contra Costa County, and Concord in particular, a city official points out that more safety-promoting bike lanes have been built — and are in the works — than ever before. 

The Bay Citizen analyzed bike accidents in the Bay Area from 2005 to 2009. Contra Costa and Santa Clara counties tied for the most cyclist fatalities in that period with 23 — including four in Concord. Concord recorded 277 bike crashes from 2005 to 2009.

The Bay Citizen article points out that Concord’s busy Clayton Road has a sign that says “bike route” but no biking lanes.

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Clayton Road has “geometric issues” in accommodating bike lanes — “It’s too narrow,” said Danea Gemmell, director of public works and engineering for the city of Concord. “When we put in bike lanes, we like to make them consistent.”

The city consults with local cycling advocates about its bike-lane plans, Gemmell said.

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“From 2005 on, we’ve really been coming on strong in putting in bicycle improvements,” she said.

This year, in big projects on Monument and Concord boulevards, the city plans to put in bike lanes. The latter project includes widening the boulevard in places to accommodate the lanes.

Also, the city is about to put out to bid a paving project that will include striping and signs for bike lanes on Ayers, Turtle Creek and Systron drives, and San Miguel Road. 

The city has received several grants, totaling $1.7 million, to add a bike path connector from Monument Boulevard, just west of Carey Drive, north almost to Willow Pass Road, paralleling the Iron Horse trail on the other side of Walnut Creek, Gemmell said.

The path, following old railroad and abandoned road rights of way, is to be a Class 1 bikeway, meaning it is separated from roadways, paved and at least 12 feet wide. The design documents are due to be filed with Caltrans by Feb. 1.

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