Floating bus stops – dedicated boarding areas for passengers between bike lanes and bus travel lanes – make busy roads easier for cyclists and bus riders by allowing buses to pick up passengers without obstructing bike lanes.

The Harford Road corridor is home to Baltimore City’s first floating bus stops – complete with a brand new stretch of protected bike lanes.

According to WBAL:

“It’s easier for them to get on and off the bus. Often, when a bus stop is obstructed by a car parked in it, that means that bus can’t adequately get over to the curb. This is a severe impediment for people who have mobility issues,”  [Baltimore City Councilmember Ryan] Dorsey said.

Dorsey calls it a much-needed road diet for the Harford Road corridor. The changes reduce the amount of road space for four-tenths of a mile.

“This project will not add more than one minute to drivers’ commute time, and at the same time, it is creating real improvements for 30% of Baltimore City households who rely on public transportation because they lack access to a car,” Dorsey said.

The improvements are part of the Hamilton Business District streetscape, a project involving the study, design, and engineering of safety enhancements to the Harford Road corridor between Echodale Avenue and White Avenue, in northeast Baltimore.

Read the full article for more information.