Green is for Bikes!

Have you seen Tualatin’s first green bike lanes at the newly redesigned intersection of Martinazzi Avenue and Sagert Street? 

Colored pavement in a bike lane increases the visibility and makes clear the location of the bike path, where people riding bikes have the right of way. It discourages people from driving or parking their cars there, and helps reduce turning conflicts.  

Why green? Green has become the nationally accepted color because it avoids confusion with other pavement markings. New, durable green coatings that adhere to asphalt and concrete have made the green bike lanes a cost-effective approach to making roads safer for everyone.  

There are climate benefits, too. Choosing a bike over a car reduces the average person's daily carbon emissions by two-thirds. Apart from inclement weather, road safety is reportedly the greatest constraint to increased bicycle travel. More people will travel by bike when the roads are designed to make people on bikes visible to, and separated from, car traffic. 

In the future, more green bike lanes will be installed at strategic locations in Tualatin, as they have been in Wilsonville, Tigard, and other surrounding communities. “The goal is safe streets,” emphasizes Mike McCarthy, the City's principal transportation engineer. 

The green bike lanes are funded by Tualatin Moving Forward, the $20 million transportation bond program approved by voters in 2018. To date, 22 projects have been completed and another 12 are underway.