By Jim Mimiaga

Local cyclists met Tuesday with representatives of the Colorado Department of Transportation and the lobbying group Bicycle Colorado to discuss which state highways need wider shoulders and the problems associated with rumble strips.

Gouged into the shoulders of state roadways as of 1999, the "washboard" strips cause a loud ringing noise when crossed over by a vehicle, waking up drowsy drivers drifting off the road. It is estimated that one-third of accidents in the state are caused by single-vehicle crashes off the shoulder, said CDOT’s Bicycle Program Manager Gay Page. As a result, CDOT began installing the strips, which are cheaper than guardrails, to deal with the problem.

But road bicyclists despise the rows of seven-inch-long strips milled 3/4 of an inch deep, saying they are a hazard that causes bike crashes, reduces the already limited amount of shoulder space available to cyclists, and compromises highway safety for drivers.

"They are very dangerous and contribute to bicycle wrecks because they’re too deep for road tires to handle," said Cortez bicyclist Dave Stolz. "Also, they tend to prevent oncoming drivers from moving over (onto the grating rumble strip) when other drivers are courteously giving cyclists a wide berth — that can cause accidents."

The strips were blamed for numerous bike crashes and injuries last summer after they suddenly appeared along state highways, including Highway 160 between Cortez and Durango. More of the controversial rumble strips are planned for local highway-upgrade projects.

However, thanks to extensive public testimony against the strips, CDOT has passed a resolution promising to address the needs of the state’s growing bicycle industry, which, according to a recent study by Bicycle Colorado, contributes at least $1 billion annually to Colorado’s economy.

"They asked us to go out and get input from the bicycling community, and that citizen input can be extremely powerful in making changes that accommodate recreationists in Colorado," said Martha Roskowski, executive director for Bicycle Colorado.

New design standards by CDOT address bikers’ concerns by leaving at least four feet of clear shoulder outside the rumble strip, and five feet where there is a guardrail. Under the new resolution, resurfacing projects will go from edge to edge, encompassing the entire shoulder width.

Previously, that was not always the case, leaving an annoying ridge that was difficult for bikers and walkers to cross.

In addition, the strips will be placed in a pattern that leaves a 12-foot gap every 60 feet, allowing bicyclists to move into the travel lane in order to avoid traffic or debris on the shoulder. Bicycle advocates are also pushing for a less extreme "milling" depth of the strips to reduce their danger, but federal highway officials prefer the bigger divots, claiming the louder pitch of noise it creates is more effective.

CDOT has so far been unwilling to reduce the strips’ depth, saying that it would be unfair to make contractors that incur the costs of retooling their machines, Roskowski said.

CDOT and Bicycle Colorado have embarked on a 31-city road trip, visiting Cortez, Telluride and Durango this week to identify commonly used bicycle corridors, and to identify problems. Acknowledging the huge expense associated with road work (it costs $250,000 to add one mile’s worth of shoulder), Page and Roskowski stressed limiting the choices.

"If we come back and say we want it all, they’ll say ‘No way,’" Roskowski said.

Fifteen bicyclists from the area gave their input Tuesday night at the Cortez Conference Center on which state roadways should be considered priority bike corridors in Montezuma County. Participants were handed maps and asked to highlight bike routes they use, and then directed to choose the bike routes they believed were in most need of shoulder improvements.

The group of locals and future residents agreed that Highway 145 between Dolores and Telluride, Highway 184 between Dolores and Mancos, and Highway 160 at Mancos Hill were all in dire need of widening and shoulder improvements.

"Between Dolores and Rico is the worst, and there is a portion on Mancos Hill that has no shoulder," said Jim Andrus, an avid biker who pedals 3,600 miles every year along area highways. He adds that installing wider shoulders is in the best interests of all users of public roads.

"Building wider shoulders benefits drivers also, simply because there is more roadway to negotiate, plus you’ll have fewer accidents if speed ranges are clearly separated between fast-moving traffic and bikers or hikers using the shoulder."

The data will be presented to CDOT officials, who will take the public input into consideration during budget negotiations. The resolution commits the Colorado Transportation Commission to considering bikers and hikers on highway projects, and to including adequate shoulder width when repaving.

The directive ordered that public input be gathered on the state’s "high-priority bicycle corridors" so that they can be dealt with first if extra highway revenues become available, Page said, noting that currently there is no extra money available.

Other ideas discussed were establishing a bike tax that would be used specifically for shoulder widening and improvement costs, and developing separate multi-use paths along federal highway easements.