Salem Bike Lane Posts Reduce Speeds On Wilson Street, Survey Says

SALEM, MA — If the plan is to reduce driving speeds and promote bicycling in Salem, the Traffic and Parking Department has data to show it may have found a way to accomplish both.

With help from a state Shared Streets grant to benefit the city's Bicycle Master Plan, temporary posts were put on Wilson Street this fall. Average driving speed was surveyed before and after the posts were installed with the department saying that speeds were reduced when the posts were in the road, then rose back higher than pre-post levels once they were removed in the winter.

The study said speeds while the posts were in place reduced average speed, 85th percentile speed, top speed and the percent of cars traveling over the speed limit.

"When the flex posts were removed for the winter, every measure went back up, and in many cases, those speeds were, in fact, higher than they had been before the project was implemented," the department said. "Roadway speed matters because every mile per hour slower a vehicle is moving helps reduce the likelihood of severe injury or death in a crash."

The department said data shows safe bike infrastructure makes roads safer for cyclists, pedestrians and drivers.

Area residents and drivers can expect to see the posts in the road again soon.

"We were glad to see the positive effects of the protected bike lanes when they were installed, and we look forward to bringing the flex posts back this spring and continuing to monitor the data to make sure we're making our roads safer for everyone," the department said.

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(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)