Downtown San Jose’s bike lanes are getting a serious upgrade, and this time it is going to be a lot harder for drivers to drift over the line. Crews have begun installing long, raised concrete dividers along several central corridors, replacing the short plastic bollards that marked many of the city’s “protected” lanes. Cyclists say the new islands are far more visible and much tougher to ignore, while city staff describe the work as part of a multi-year push to turn quick-build lanes into permanent, curb-protected routes.
Where the barriers are going
According to project documents, the new concrete islands are going in on San Salvador Street from Fourth to Eighth streets, on Third and Fourth streets between Julian and Reed, and on San Fernando Street between Almaden Boulevard and 11th Street, with more upgrades planned along connecting corridors. The work swaps out the temporary plastic posts for permanent concrete curbs and landscaping as part of Better Bikeways Phase II, according to the City of San José…..