FERNDALE, Mich. – Drivers parking along Woodward Avenue in the Ferndale area, beware: There are new bike lanes present, and you can’t park in them.
Construction on the busy Metro Detroit road wrapped up in the Ferndale/Pleasant Ridge area just before the holidays. But instead of the usual four lanes on Woodward Avenue, there are now only three lanes in both directions from 8 Mile Road to I-696.
Why?
The construction project included the installation of bike lanes on Woodward, following alongside the far right lanes on both sides of the road. In some areas, there are dividing posts to indicate where the bike lanes begin and where the roadway ends.
Those new bike lanes are also having an impact on parking in the area. The bike lanes have taken over some parking bays situated on Woodward Avenue, eliminating those spaces for motorists.
Drivers are not allowed to park their vehicles where bike lanes are present. The city maintained a grace period for a while, allowing drivers to get used to the new setup -- but motorists who violate the rules will get ticketed going forward.
Ferndale officials expect to step up their parking enforcement related to bicycle lanes this month. Starting Friday, Jan. 12, repeat offenders -- those who continue to park in the bicycle lanes -- will receive tickets with $50 fines.
Since there were only minimal road markings and signage at the start of January, the shift may still be confusing to some drivers. City officials told Local 4 that more permanent road markings and signage will be installed soon to make the rules clearer.
“Part of the confusion, I think, is where there was a parking bay, [it’s] now a part of our bike lane. We recognize that, if people look, this looks like what parking used to look like, and is not anymore,” said Jennie Beeker with the Ferndale Downtown Development Authority.
“When we’re able to finish the more permanent striping, it’s going to be a lot more apparent that this is a bike lane. It’ll be clearly painted differently,” Beeker said. “There will be a lot more delineator barriers all along Woodward, showing folks, ‘Hey, this is where cars should no longer cross,’ and, ‘Hey, cyclists, this is where you are further protected from traffic.”
See the new lanes in our video report up above.