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Phoenix has several hundred miles of bike lanes, most of them on collector streets. Anyone who rides them frequently has most likely had the unfortunate experience of encountering "Bike Lane Closed" signs during construction or maintenance. It's understandable that car and bike lanes are occasionally merged during special circumstances.

What's less understandable is the wording of the signs used. The "Bike Lane Closed" signs may shield the City from some liability, but they also send an unwelcoming message to bicyclists and reinforce widespread perceptions that Phoenix's Street Transportation Department cares more about cars than any other mode of transportation. Since the signs are directed toward bicyclists but offers them no alternative, the message received by bicyclists may be that they're not welcome in the construction zone and should use another street.

That shouldn't be the case. The reality is that when construction or maintenance work temporarily narrows a street, bicycles and cars should share the lane, just as they would do in situations in which no bike lanes exist. Since the lanes in construction zones are typically too small to allow bikes and cars to travel side-by-side, the appropriate message is one that appears on signs already in use at some roundabouts in Phoenix: "May Use Full Lane" (preceded by a bicycle graphic).

Making this change in wording would replace a negative message that suggests second-class status for bicyclists with a positive message that makes it clear to both bicyclists and motorists that they must share the lane until the barricades related to the construction or maintenance project are gone. Yes, this may slow some cars down a bit, but collector street speed limits should already be low to begin with, and speeds should be even lower in construction zones where workers are present.