By Jim Genaro

Asheville bicycle enthusiasts got their first look last Thursday at a proposed plan that would create bike lanes, connections and facilities to make it easier for cyclists to navigate the city.

About 150 people packed the Public Works Building to view the draft of Ashevilleís first Comprehensive Bike Plan.

The plan was developed at the cityís request by Toole Design Group, a private consulting firm, and Livable Streets, a nonprofit that studies urban transportation.

The plan calls for interconnected bike paths and lanes that would allow cyclists access to most areas of the city, as well as connecting to greenways and other nearby municipalities.

Michael Moule of Livable Streets and Dan Goodman of Toole Design Group presented the plan to those in attendance.

The plan calls for several types of bike lanes, including separate lanes; shared roadways; striped, paved shoulders; and climbing lanes.

Striped, paved shoulders would be used primarily in suburban areas such as Sweeten Creek Road, where higher speeds are likely.

Shared roadways with markings will be used in denser areas where it is difficult to achieve a separate lane for bikes and where on-street parking is common, Moule said.

This system of shared lanes is a new method of creating bike space, and one that is likely to be incorporated into the 2009 federal guidelines for urban traffic design, he added.

The goal of the bike plan is ìto create a connected accessible network of bike lanes,î† Goodman said. Altogether, it incorporates nearly 160 miles of bike-accessible roadways.

The plan is meant to be implemented in phases. On streets where significant construction, such as widening the road, is necessary, bike lanes will probably wait until the next time the roads are scheduled for repaving anyway.

In other places, more room for bikes can be created simply though a ìlane diet,î Goodman noted. This involves shortening all of the car lanes to make room for an additional bike lane.

Whenever possible, this is desirable because it is less expensive, requiring only new lines to be painted, not new pavement, he added.

In some cases, such as Merrimon Avenue, the city will have to negotiate with the state Department of Transportation, which owns the road, Moule said.

On Tunnel Road, a climbing lane will be installed. Climbing lanes are bike lanes that run only along the uphill portion of the road, so that it is easier for cars to pass slow-moving bicycles as they climb. This minimizes the space requirments by sectioning off only one bike lane in a given area.

One of the hardest roads to work with will be Patton Avenue, Moule said. Calling it ìthe bear of West Asheville,î he noted that creating bike access will require a range of options to be implemented.

One goal of the plan is to create better access to areas outside of Asheville, as well as to connect with the countyís greenway system, Goodman added.

The groups also recommended better facilities for bikers, including more bike racks and better signage.

A final draft of the plan will come in the fall. City Council and the state Department of Transportation will then have to revise and approve it.

Final implementation of the plan might take as long as 20 years to complete, Moule said.