Carthage begins rolling out citywide bikeway system; 14 miles this year - The Carthage Press

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New white lines mark bicycle lanes and shared lanes on some of Carthage's busier streets, and they have some residents asking questions on social media.

City officials and city council members have been looking at these lanes for more than a year no, but they became a reality last week as crews with Streetwise Inc, a Grandview company, started putting down the white stripes and stencils last week. . . .

“Bicycles were always meant to be on the road, they aren't supposed to be on the sidewalks because they are considered a vehicle,” Bull said. “Streets that weren't wide enough for bicycle lanes but are part of the designated bike route have the shared lane markers, the bicycle stencils. Streets that were wide enough, like Grant and Garrison, have the bicycle lanes, the double white stripes. These are white lines, so people can cross them to park on the street, but they are designated for bicycles. The driving lanes are the same as they always have been, 12 feet wide.” . . .

Carthage City Council Member Brady Beckham, a proponent of the bicycle lanes, estimated that a little less than 14 miles of the designated bicycle routes will be signed and lined this fiscal year, with more to come next year.

That includes a little more than three miles of bike lanes, mainly Grand and Garrison avenues, and about 10.5 miles of shared lanes marked with stencils like those on Centennial Avenue.

The initial bicycle route master plan laying out how bicycle lanes could make city streets safer was finished in June 2015.

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Carthage begins rolling out citywide bikeway system; 14 miles this year - The Carthage Press

MoBikeFed comment: When the Carthage bike plan is fully implemented, Carthage will likely have the most bike lanes and marked bicycle routes per capita of any city in Missouri.

Carthage City Council Member Brady Beckham has been a local champion for the plan and has done and absolutely amazing job.