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1. Can an intersection be changed to allow 2 lanes to turn right?

In order for 2 lanes to turn right, the intersection needs to have 3 lanes on the roadway they are turning onto. This allows for the different turn radius capabilities of various vehicles (such as trucks), as well as giving drivers more leeway in making the maneuver adjacent to another car turning right at the same time. For example, the dual right-turn at eastbound Main Street turns into 3 lanes on Dallas Parkway and is striped so that the right-most lane on Main Street can turn into the first or second lane of Dallas Parkway and the other right-turn lane on Main Street must turn into the third lane of Dallas Parkway.

2. How should bicyclists ride on the road?

State law generally treats a bicycle as a vehicle with the same rights and duties as a car. State law states that a bicyclist can ride down the middle of the lane if the lane is narrower than 14 feet wide. This is not considered “impeding traffic” even on a road with only one lane in each direction. State law also allows bicyclists to ride 2 abreast in a single lane. Side by side bicyclists are considered to be impeding traffic if they take up 2 lanes on the roadway, but not if they take up a single lane that is narrower than 14 feet wide. Most roads have lanes that are narrower than 14 feet, but as our major roadways are widened to 6 lanes, we will provide an outside lane that is 14 feet wide so that bicycles can ride to the right according to State law. Motorists should always ensure that there is a 3-foot separation between their car and a bicyclist they are passing.

3. Why are some roads marked as bike routes?

The green “Bike Route” signs generally show bike riders which roadways are at least 2 lanes wide in each direction so that a car can use another lane to pass a bicycle that is in the road. These on-street bike routes also connect to other roadways (or sidewalks) to provide interconnectivity with other portions of the off-street trail system.

4. When will you raise (or lower) the speed limit? How are speed limits determined?

The speed limits on major roadways are not set according to any pre-determined plan. Instead, speed limits are determined based on engineering studies (a standardized process that is used nationwide). We conduct engineering speed zone studies on every major roadway in the city at least once every 3 years in order to see if the posted speed limits need to be adjusted. Each roadway is broken into logical segments and studied individually. These studies will sometimes result in different speed limits on different segments of the same roadway if those segments have different characteristics (such as hills, curves, or number of driveways).

State law defines the speed limit on a residential street as 30 mph and the speed limit in a residential alley as 15 mph.

5. Can golf carts legally be driven on city streets?

By city Ordinance, golf carts can be driven on city streets with a speed limit of 35 mph or less, as long as they meet the following criteria:
- The driver must have a valid driver’s license.
- The driver must have insurance for the golf cart.
- The golf cart must have headlamps, tail lamps, reflectors, and a slow-moving vehicle emblem.
- The golf cart must have mirrors and a parking brake.

Golf carts cannot be driven on roads that have speed limits higher than 35 mph, but they can cross such roads. Golf carts cannot be driven on sidewalks (other than golf course paths designated for golf carts).

6. When will the sidewalk be built between Point A and Point B?

Sidewalks are generally installed when development occurs along a roadway; each developer is responsible for building the stretch of sidewalk along the front of their property. As result, there will often be gaps in the sidewalk in the more sparsely developed parts of the city.

The Engineering Department has a program that prioritizes missing pieces of sidewalk in the developed areas of the city each year and builds them according to their priority and according to the funds available. In recent years, most of these funds have been prioritized and expended on building missing sections of sidewalks that would serve students walking to new public schools as they open.

The Parks & Recreation Department has a program that builds certain sections of its hike & bike plan each year, which sometimes adds sidewalk to some of the longer stretches of undeveloped roadway.