The Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) and the Charlotte Department of Transportation (CDOT) will launch a dedicated bus-bike lane on East 4th Street beginning Dec. 16.
The dedicated lane will use the existing bike lane and the rightmost travel lane to create a single combined bus-bike lane between South McDowell and the Charlotte Transportation Center.
The goals of the pilot program include making bus trips quicker and more reliable for CATS commuters; enhancing safety for bicyclists; and reducing the conflict between cars, buses and bikes by creating a clear separation between these modes of transportation.
The pilot includes:
Restricted use of the bus-bike lane for only CATS buses, school buses, bikes and scooters.
Cars may enter the lane to make right turns only.
No parking will be permitted on the east side of 4th Street.
General vehicle traffic will be maintained in the neighboring lanes.
During the pilot, over 20 CATS local and express routes will use the dedicated bus-bike lane. The goal is to improve travel on these routes which make 396 weekday trips.
CATS encourages Charlotte residents, local business members, bus riders, cyclists, motorists and pedestrians who regularly travel this route to provide feedback on their experiences in a survey that will be available Jan. 6. CATS will use this information to decide if this lane will become permanent.
Drivers and cyclists should look for signs and pavement markings that will define the bus-bike lane. Drivers should yield the right of way to vehicles traveling in the bus-bike lane when changing lanes to make a right turn. While the pilot program is in effect, paint striping will be modified as necessary along 4th Street to define the bus-bike lane from the general-purpose travel lanes.
CATS and CDOT are also partnering to pilot a series of “floating bus stop” platforms along segments of 4th St. Floating bus stops are designed to allow buses to make in-lane stops without disrupting the flow of the bicycle lane. Bicyclists will continue to travel in a dedicated lane, but must yield once approaching a bus stop to allow for bus passenger pickup and drop off.
These platforms are designed to allow buses to make in-lane stops without disrupting the flow of the bicycle lane. They will be located on Church Street and on Tryon Street.
