I live near the Aiken bypass. Construction on the bypass project is coming up between Silver Bluff and Dibble roads. The paving phase has started, it looks good and it’s nice to drive.
I have a question though. Why was an adjacent bike lane created instead of widening the entire road to four lanes? The city council is keeping population growth stressful in Aiken, so it looks like increased traffic is expected in the future.
The creation of a bike lane is unnecessary and unjustified. I don’t see many cyclists in Aiken or know many cyclists who want to ride on a road next to a busy road where the car speed limit is 45 mph. The hills are also very steep for bike travel between Silver Bluff and Trail Ridge.
Traffic flow will continue to slow as long as the bypass remains two lanes and the population in Aiken continues to grow. For many residents like me, it is the closest road we have to either side of the city.
The city should eliminate the bike lane and expand the bypass from Silver Bluff Road to Dibble Road to four lanes. It makes the most logical sense.
Randy Law
Aiken
Insightful piece