The road calming and bike lane additions are an important step to create safer streets for Frederick. Allowing more accessible transportation creates safer streets and communities. I frequently walk along this street and it is very common to see a motorist speeding past. The wide road designs leads to drivers feeling safer to increase their speeds as they aren't in fear of hitting anything, this also leads to a sort of tunnel vision as they are focused only on what is immediately in front of them. Thus leading to unsafe streets, dangerous crossings for pedestrians, and hazardous conditions for bicyclists that need to share the road.
This road calming project helps create a safer environment. Narrowing lanes will slow cars down, making it safer for pedestrians, and the two-way bike lane makes it much safer for cyclists of all ages to ride along.
To make some direct rebuttals to the attached comments:
- According to NACTO guidelines, a buffered or protected bike lane is the right choice here (https://nacto.org/wp-content/uploads/NACTO_Designing-for-All-Ages-Abilities.pdf).
- Also according to NACTO, this could be considered a high conflict, low activity area, showing that a 25mph speed limit is also the right choice (https://nacto.org/wp-content/uploads/NACTO-City-Limits-Quick-Guide-2024-Digital-Version-1.pdf).
- According to research papers by both University of Utah and John Hopkins, narrowing lanes lead to slower speeds and safer streets. (https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/2/628) (https://narrowlanes.americanhealth.jhu.edu/report/JHU-2023-Narrowing-Travel-Lanes-Report.pdf)
- I'm not sure where the vehicle widths are coming from, but federal regulations require a maximum vehicle width of 102" or 8.5'. (https://www.gsa.gov/buy-through-us/products-and-services/transportation-and-logistics-services/fleet-management/vehicle-purchasing/federal-vehicle-standards) (https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/freight/publications/size_regs_final_rpt/)
- Doing some math using a 35' bus at 102" width, you find the radius of the turn would be about 123' to get the 117" width that is stated in the comments. I don't have the actual radii of the turns, but measuring from aerial photos it seems that the smallest turn radius along this route is well over 123ft, meaning there's no problem with 2 wide vehicles passing each other in this design.
I fully support the road calming project and look forward to seeing more put in place!
Frederick is growing. Investing in active means of transportation now is the only way to reduce traffic and improve safety in the long run.
In addition to safety through reduced speeds, this project also increases options for those who may not be able to drive. Driving is not an option for many residents who need to use this road: children, especially those middle/high schoolers who reach TJ Middle/High using 16th Street, those who are elderly/disabled, those who may not be able to afford a car, or even those who normally drive but have had a temporarily breakdown and still need to access good/services in Frederick.
This bike lane is not just a one-off, but a part of a network of trails and connections from residents to destinations that the city is developing. The 16th Street bikeway will be an important connection to the North Market bikeway and the East Street rails-with-trails projects in the very near future.
I support this project moving forward.
Thank you for your consideration,
Jake Thurman
Member of the City of Frederick AMAC, and resident of North Frederick
This corridor runs through a densely populated residential neighborhood on the east side of downtown and serves as a key connection for students attending Governor Thomas Johnson Middle and High Schools. According to FCPS data for the 2024–2025 school year, approximately 30–33% out of the 2,000+ student population enrolled at these schools live within a walkable distance.
While many of these students may currently rely on buses or car drop-offs, the close proximity to school makes walking and biking viable and sustainable alternatives—provided the infrastructure is safe and accessible. Adding bike lanes would help facilitate these options, encourage healthy, independent transportation for students, and significantly reduce traffic congestion during peak pick-up and drop-off times along the already busy Market Street corridor.
As this area continues to grow, we must invest in multimodal infrastructure to support safer, more livable neighborhoods. A complete streets approach that includes bike lanes aligns with our community’s goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, promote Vision Zero, and provide equitable choices for all residents.
Heather Goddard, Frederick
The 16th Street Protected Bike Lane Project is in the best interest of the City of Frederick as a whole, especially for:
- students of TJ Middle and TJ High (and their parents/familes)
- people without cars
- for public safety (by slowing car speeds)
- for public health (both physical and mental)
- for climate resiliency. In the not-too-distant future, people in Frederick will have to deal with climate change impacts, when car travel will have to be reduced/replaced by other modes of transit.
- for relieving traffic congestion by offering safe alternate transportation options
- for economic resiliency. For some Frederick residents, facing job insecurity and housing, food, and medical costs that necessitate living without the expense of a car, bike lanes should be safe and available.
The City of Frederick has a responsibility to all Frederick residents. I believe that bike lanes are essential, especially for certain areas of Frederick. This particular road is a perfect PBL candidate: it is within a mile of 2 schools. Students deserve safe ways to get to school if we don’t offer bus service. This road is also near development projects that are increasing housing density. If the City continues to approve this growth, it is only responsible to provide accommodating infrastructure and safe, convenient transportation choices to prevent increasing traffic congestion.
The loss of some on-street parking, especially when most homes already have garages and driveways, is worth the sacrifice if it meets the needs of the City as a whole. The potential for car damage from fire trucks is not worth scrapping an entire bike path plan that would open opportunity for safe bike travel to hundreds of City Residents. A lot of City taxpayers don’t own cars and deserve safe roads too. And I beleive after installation, everyone, even the NIMBYs, will appreciate the safer road with slower speeds in front of their home.
The positive impact of this bike lane will be known only after it is constructed. Many people currently choose to not ride bikes because there is not a safe way to do so. By making bike lanes a priority in targeted areas like this, where they are most needed, you will see an increase in bike traffic and help foster a bike culture that can have long lasting positive impacts on the health, well-being, and safety of our community. Please do not side with fire trucks and a couple dozen parked cars over the people of Frederick.
The road calming and bike lane additions are an important step to create safer streets for Frederick. Allowing more accessible transportation creates safer streets and communities. I frequently walk along this street and it is very common to see a motorist speeding past. The wide road designs leads to drivers feeling safer to increase their speeds as they aren't in fear of hitting anything, this also leads to a sort of tunnel vision as they are focused only on what is immediately in front of them. Thus leading to unsafe streets, dangerous crossings for pedestrians, and hazardous conditions for bicyclists that need to share the road.
This road calming project helps create a safer environment. Narrowing lanes will slow cars down, making it safer for pedestrians, and the two-way bike lane makes it much safer for cyclists of all ages to ride along.
To make some direct rebuttals to the attached comments:
- According to NACTO guidelines, a buffered or protected bike lane is the right choice here (https://nacto.org/wp-content/uploads/NACTO_Designing-for-All-Ages-Abilities.pdf).
- Also according to NACTO, this could be considered a high conflict, low activity area, showing that a 25mph speed limit is also the right choice (https://nacto.org/wp-content/uploads/NACTO-City-Limits-Quick-Guide-2024-Digital-Version-1.pdf).
- According to research papers by both University of Utah and John Hopkins, narrowing lanes lead to slower speeds and safer streets. (https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/2/628) (https://narrowlanes.americanhealth.jhu.edu/report/JHU-2023-Narrowing-Travel-Lanes-Report.pdf)
- I'm not sure where the vehicle widths are coming from, but federal regulations require a maximum vehicle width of 102" or 8.5'. (https://www.gsa.gov/buy-through-us/products-and-services/transportation-and-logistics-services/fleet-management/vehicle-purchasing/federal-vehicle-standards) (https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/freight/publications/size_regs_final_rpt/)
- Doing some math using a 35' bus at 102" width, you find the radius of the turn would be about 123' to get the 117" width that is stated in the comments. I don't have the actual radii of the turns, but measuring from aerial photos it seems that the smallest turn radius along this route is well over 123ft, meaning there's no problem with 2 wide vehicles passing each other in this design.
I fully support the road calming project and look forward to seeing more put in place!
Thank you for your consideration.
Phillip Prestia
Frederick is growing. Investing in active means of transportation now is the only way to reduce traffic and improve safety in the long run.
In addition to safety through reduced speeds, this project also increases options for those who may not be able to drive. Driving is not an option for many residents who need to use this road: children, especially those middle/high schoolers who reach TJ Middle/High using 16th Street, those who are elderly/disabled, those who may not be able to afford a car, or even those who normally drive but have had a temporarily breakdown and still need to access good/services in Frederick.
This bike lane is not just a one-off, but a part of a network of trails and connections from residents to destinations that the city is developing. The 16th Street bikeway will be an important connection to the North Market bikeway and the East Street rails-with-trails projects in the very near future.
I support this project moving forward.
Thank you for your consideration,
Jake Thurman
Member of the City of Frederick AMAC, and resident of North Frederick
This corridor runs through a densely populated residential neighborhood on the east side of downtown and serves as a key connection for students attending Governor Thomas Johnson Middle and High Schools. According to FCPS data for the 2024–2025 school year, approximately 30–33% out of the 2,000+ student population enrolled at these schools live within a walkable distance.
While many of these students may currently rely on buses or car drop-offs, the close proximity to school makes walking and biking viable and sustainable alternatives—provided the infrastructure is safe and accessible. Adding bike lanes would help facilitate these options, encourage healthy, independent transportation for students, and significantly reduce traffic congestion during peak pick-up and drop-off times along the already busy Market Street corridor.
As this area continues to grow, we must invest in multimodal infrastructure to support safer, more livable neighborhoods. A complete streets approach that includes bike lanes aligns with our community’s goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, promote Vision Zero, and provide equitable choices for all residents.
Thank you for your consideration.
Heather Goddard, Frederick
The 16th Street Protected Bike Lane Project is in the best interest of the City of Frederick as a whole, especially for:
- students of TJ Middle and TJ High (and their parents/familes)
- people without cars
- for public safety (by slowing car speeds)
- for public health (both physical and mental)
- for climate resiliency. In the not-too-distant future, people in Frederick will have to deal with climate change impacts, when car travel will have to be reduced/replaced by other modes of transit.
- for relieving traffic congestion by offering safe alternate transportation options
- for economic resiliency. For some Frederick residents, facing job insecurity and housing, food, and medical costs that necessitate living without the expense of a car, bike lanes should be safe and available.
The City of Frederick has a responsibility to all Frederick residents. I believe that bike lanes are essential, especially for certain areas of Frederick. This particular road is a perfect PBL candidate: it is within a mile of 2 schools. Students deserve safe ways to get to school if we don’t offer bus service. This road is also near development projects that are increasing housing density. If the City continues to approve this growth, it is only responsible to provide accommodating infrastructure and safe, convenient transportation choices to prevent increasing traffic congestion.
The loss of some on-street parking, especially when most homes already have garages and driveways, is worth the sacrifice if it meets the needs of the City as a whole. The potential for car damage from fire trucks is not worth scrapping an entire bike path plan that would open opportunity for safe bike travel to hundreds of City Residents. A lot of City taxpayers don’t own cars and deserve safe roads too. And I beleive after installation, everyone, even the NIMBYs, will appreciate the safer road with slower speeds in front of their home.
The positive impact of this bike lane will be known only after it is constructed. Many people currently choose to not ride bikes because there is not a safe way to do so. By making bike lanes a priority in targeted areas like this, where they are most needed, you will see an increase in bike traffic and help foster a bike culture that can have long lasting positive impacts on the health, well-being, and safety of our community. Please do not side with fire trucks and a couple dozen parked cars over the people of Frederick.