A major commuter route in Lafayette is set to become more bicycle friendly.
The city’s Parking Commission has approved a request to replace parking spots on Union Street with a bike lane.
City Engineer Jenny Leshney says the time has come to change driver behavior on that stretch of road.
"We've had a situation of a lot of crashes on Union Street over the years, I think mainly because it is so wide and the lanes move and people drift from side to side so this is an opportunity to actually make that corridor a safer corridor."
Other possible safety measures include a traffic signal at Union and 6th streets and a lane removal at the 9th Street intersection.
Leshney says major east-west and north-south commuter routes are prime targets for new bike lanes.
"Union Street and Salem were identified as one of those East-West routes, easy connection to Purdue, and then also to 18th Street where our trail system then picks up."
The bike lane would occupy the south side of Union Street, beginning after the Wabash River bridge and extending to the trail system at 18th Street.
Resurfacing the street is the first step, which could begin as soon as next month. Bike lanes will be added to Salem the next time the street is resurfaced.