Section 7  of  House Bill 44  prohibits reconfiguring streets to include bike lanes under a variety of circumstances, effectively inhibiting a communities' ability to make context-based judgments, respond to community desires for improvements to non-motorized modes, and effectively plan for their transportation infrastructure.  Oaks and Spokes feels the provision in the bill is overly imposing and will reduce tools available to realize important safety improvements and address local transportation needs.  It will affect the power of communities to carry out changes identified in Bicycle and Pedestrian planning processes which have in many cases undergone extensive public involvement.

We believe that Section 7 of House Bill 44 is too prescriptive to the communities of North Carolina.

SECTION 7 OF HOUSE BILL 44

 SECTION 7:  (b) The number of travel lanes may not be reduced to accommodate the addition of   bicycle lanes within the existing paved and marked travel lanes of any State highway system   street or highway located within a municipality if either of the following conditions exists: (i)  the street or highway has an average daily traffic volume of 20,000 vehicles per day or greater or (ii) the action taken reduces the projected road capacity, for a 20-year period beginning at the   time the bicycle lane is established, to below a Level D, as defined by the Institute of   Transportation Engineers Highway Capacity Manual."