Ruth Brown

Biking around traffic can be a dangerous task for students traveling to and from class. In a combined effort from the City Council, the Students’ Association and SDSU Facilities and Services, bike lanes could become a reality.

Bike lanes for the Brookings community have been in the works since early summer. Signage for the routes should be installed within the next few weeks and painting will be done when weather permits.

“I do think that it is a great project,” said Tim Reed, Brookings mayor. “It is however, something that has to be done in phases.”

The bike lanes were approved by the City Council on April 28 after being proposed by the Students’ Association. The entire bike route, including paint and signage, will cost the city approximately $3,000. This price does not include the cost of labor.

“Both the bike lanes and the signs have been approved, and we hope to have them up before winter comes,” said Reed. “We are responsible for putting up the signs and SDSU’s facilities and services will do the line painting.”

“Because there was a wait on the paint that was ordered, it is unfortunately getting too cold to paint,” said Dean Kattelmann, vice president for facilities and services. “I also no longer have my summer hires, who we had planned on having do the painting. It may just have to wait until it warms up and when the students are gone.”

Because school is back in session, Kattlemann said that high traffic from students would make it hard to paint.

“We usually try to get that all done during summer months,” Kattelmann said.

The bike routes signage includes 26 signs, placed at about every three blocks of the route. The signs will read, “share the road” and have a bicyclist symbol on them. The entire route is about 47 blocks long, said Jackie Lanning, the Brookings city engineer.

The routes will travel down Eighth Street, Third Avenue, 11th Street, Medary Avenue, 12th Avenue and 20th Avenue, as well as specific areas on campus streets.

“We just got the signs in about a week ago, so we hope to put them up soon,” said Lanning. “Even if the route can’t be painted right away, the signs will be there to help establish where the route goes.”

“The bike lanes are a way to alleviate traffic congestion,” said Jeff Weldon, Brookings city manager. “The number of students who are biking is also on the rise, so the routes are a way to find a safe route to bike on.”

With bike lanes going both on and off campus, everyone will benefit, officials said.

“The city is very interested in how the lanes will be used,” said Lanning. “It’s a project that will benefit not only students but also members of the community.”