Marblehead cycler proposes bike lanes on Atlantic Avenue

MARBLEHEAD – Local lawyer and avid bike rider Carl King faced an uphill climb Wednesday when he tried to convince selectmen to paint bicycle lanes along Atlantic Avenue.King proposed the painted five-foot lanes on the town?s widest streets Feb. 9. He pointed out that Boston has painted bicycle lanes on streets running from the Public Gardens to the Fenway. Since then Salem has added bike lanes on both sides of Lafayette Street.At the time King was asked to discuss the idea with town traffic consultant Gary Hebert. Hebert issued a response two months later stating that the lanes would not work on all town streets and they could create crowded conditions for motorists.King told selectmen last night he only proposed the idea for streets that are 60 feet wide, like Pleasant Street and Atlantic Avenue.King said school children have told him they use the sidewalk when they ride their bicycles to school, a practice he called “most dangerous,” and said he would like to see the idea tried on Atlantic Avenue, which has a 42-foot stretch where there are no traffic controls except “the yellow line down the middle.”?This encourages safe driving,” he told the selectmen. “It?s an indication to a motorist that there may be a bike rider on the road.”King urged selectmen to appoint a committee to study the idea, including representatives from the Board of Health.?It?s going to take a lot more to convince me to do this,” said Selectman Judy Jacobi. She said she met with opposition to the idea from seniors. “They?re more concerned with people texting and using cell phones when they drive,” she said.With Jacobi?s support the board unanimously referred the proposal to the Traffic and Safety Advisory Committee for their recommendation.