By: centraljersey.com
TRENTON – Cyclists in Mercer County could get a bit more "shoulder room" under a proposal by Mercer County Executive Brian Hughes to explore the addition of bike lanes when major roadway improvements are made to county routes.
"In past generations," Mr. Hughes said in a press release, "many county roads were built to be four-lane highways. Because traffic volumes never justified using all four lanes, we can stripe shoulders to accommodate bicyclists in many locations."
Where county highways are not wide enough to accommodate bicycle lanes, further analysis and more extensive projects may be required. Possibilities include "road diets" that reduce the number of through-travel lanes, narrowing wide travel lanes, and selective roadway widening.
New policies for county transportation facilities that Hughes has proposed are found in the Mercer County Master Plan’s draft Mobility Element, which can be viewed at http://nj.gov/?counties/?mercer/?departments/?planning/?master_plan.htm. The plan is slated for adoption in early fall, with a public comment period that closes Aug. 15.
Policies in this update of the county Master Plan include improving safety for all travelers and promoting choice of travel mode, according to the release Implementation strategies include developing mode-specific plans – and a bicycle mobility plan in particular – for travel on county roads, trails and paths.

