Better rides ahead for bicyclists

If you are a bicycle rider like me, you’re excited about the ongoing and upcoming construction along State Road A1A and U.S. 1 in north county.

One of the best rides in Palm Beach County is on A1A starting around the Juno Beach Pier and heading north to Jupiter Island.

The ride overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and past Carlin Park has always been great until you get to Jupiter Beach Road at DuBois Park. Riders then either take their chances on the sides of A1A or pedal on the bumpy sidewalk to get to the Martin County line on U.S. 1.

Three projects are changing all that.

■ Jupiter is spending $8 million to add bicycle lanes and make other improvements to Bill DiPaolo A1A from Jupiter Beach Road north to the U.S. 1 bridge. Lanes have been added to both sides of the roadway on the threequarter-mile stretch.

■ Then there is the planned replacement in about five years of the U.S. 1 bridge over the Loxahatchee River, just north of Burt Reynolds Park. Now, bicycle riders either gingerly walk their bikes or pedal across on the side of the road as the vehicles whiz by a few feet away. Some bike riders use the narrow sidewalk. I’ve seen others even use the median.

The estimated $80 million plan includes bicycle lanes on both sides of the bridge. Not only that, there will be a 20-inch-wide buffer lane between the bicycle lane and traffic. The exact cost, start date and height of the bridge has not been determined.

■ And here’s the third piece of good news for us bic ycle riders.

Tequesta next year plans to build bicycle lanes from the U.S. 1 bridge north to the Martin County line.

The yearlong job to reduce U.S. 1 to four lanes from six lanes — along with new lighting, landscaping and sidewalks — is expected to start next fall on the two-mile stretch.

Reducing the width of U.S. 1 in Tequesta is part of the state’s Complete Streets Program to encourage walking, bicycling and other driving alternatives.

“Our goal is to improve safety and encourage more people to get on their bicycles,” said Franchesca Taylor, the bicycle/pedestrian/ transportation demand management coordinator for the Palm Beach Regional Planning Council.