Big news, Florida bikers: new bike lanes are getting wider. FDOT has changed its buffered bike lane standards from 5 feet to 7 feet. That’s 24 extra inches for you and your bicycle to be protected from fast-moving traffic. This means that the white painted line that normally separates humans on bikes from two-ton driving machines is getting upgraded to a 2-foot, pavement-striped buffer. Drivers will lose 1 foot of space in their lanes. For streets with on-street parking, a 3-feet wide buffer will be provided in the door zone of the parked cars and the bike lane will be 4 feet wide.
Unfortunately, this doesn’t mean that your favorite bike lane is changing tomorrow. This policy is only going to be applied to new construction, but it’s exciting to see FDOT prioritize bicyclist safety. Read More.
