TEWKSBURY – As part of road surface improvements and new sidewalks along Route 38 (Main Street) in Tewksbury, residents will notice new stripes to alert drivers to bike lanes.
Using internationally accepted standards for lane marking, Route 38 now has consistent symbols to indicate where a bicycle lane exists, and where an automobile must share a lane with a bicycle.
For most of the improved section of Route 38, bikes have their own lanes, a 4- to 5-foot-wide corridor next to the newly installed sidewalks.
In some sections of the road it was not possible to maintain a full bike lane. At those points, cyclists are guided on the main road, marked with sharrows. A sharrow, or split arrow, is a symbol that depicts a bicycle and a rider with two “v” signs that indicate that a cyclist has the right to use the road in that place equally as a driver, and must be given traction.
Bright green pavement markings are used to increase driver awareness at key intersection points. On Route 38, this includes the area of Main Street from the slip road at the Tewksbury Congregational Church past the Tewksbury Central Fire Station on the north side of Route 38.
The broken lines in the main passages, such as the road and the specific cuts of curbs, warn the cyclist that a zone of entry and exit of vehicles is imminent. The markings tell the cyclist to take care. The markings are intended to reduce “conflict” according to Mass DOT design guidelines.
A new public safety law came into force in April 2023 aimed at protecting cyclists as “vulnerable road users”. Safe passage is necessary for all road users, including walkers, those pushing a cart, skateboarders, etc.
Drivers must provide a “safe passing distance” of at least 4 feet when passing vulnerable road users. Massachusetts is the 36th state to define safe riding as at least 3 feet, according to the advocacy group MassBike.
Jayne Wellman, a member of the Board of Selectmen, an advocate for bicycling in the community, said, “Having a bike lane on Main Street is another big step toward improved bicycle and pedestrian safety in Tewksbury. Cyclists they have caught me over the years recounting harrowing experiences in the city with motorists driving recklessly and not giving enough space.”
Motorists should not feel hindered when they meet a cyclist on a main road. Motorists are allowed to pass with a wide lane, and motorists are explicitly allowed to cross a double yellow line to pass as long as it is safe to do so while staying with the speed limit, according to the legislation.
“Bike lanes are safer for cyclists and motorists, as well as pedestrians,” Wellman said. “They keep the bikes on the road.”
It should be noted that this new law applies to all roads, regardless of whether the Passing Safe Bicycle is published or road markings, according to municipal engineer Andrew Stack.
