Bike lanes are usually spoken of as a means of making it easier to commute and as an asset in bringing business into retail areas. In other words, the utilitarian side of bicycle accommodations is what people think of first.
Less often, discussions arise about the merits and pitfalls of installing bike lanes in non-commercial areas, where their use appears to be less utilitarian. Whether or not this use of bike lanes is less utilitarian is debatable. However, when bike lanes are proposed in non-commercial areas, different interests come into play.
One such case occurred recently in Alexandria, Virginia. Local officials were considering a plan to install bike lanes on a residential stretch of road which leads to the King Street Metro station from the west. Continue reading ….
