Monthly Archives: October 2015

Bicycles may use freeways – if they dare

The in basket:  Johanna Baxter of Port Orchard writes, “Lately when I’ve been driving, I’ve seen bicyclists on the highway. The other day I saw one on Highway 16 and then yesterday on

Highway 3.

“Is this legal for them to be there? I seem to remember something about pedestrians walking on the highway and the legality of

that, but I don’t recall ever seeing anything in reference to bicycles.”

The out basket: I must assume Johanna’s curiosity is about four-lane freeways, which describes all of Highway 16 and much of Highway 3.

Bicyclists have all the rights and responsibilities of motor vehicles so are permitted on freeways, though it must be a scary place to ride. I think bicycle events like the Seattle-to-Portland use local roads to stay off freeways.

Pedestrians and hitchhiking are prohibited on limited access highways like 16 and the four-lane stretches of 3.

Changes coming near Greaves and Clear Creek

The in basket: Kitsap County will be having a contractor revise the traffic signal at Clear Creek Road and Greaves Way north of Silverdale, where the big new shopping center is under construction. They were to start Oct. 1 and I imagine will add a signal arm for the access to and from the center. I asked if the other three legs of the intersection will be changed.

The out basket: No, says Jeff Shea, the county’s traffic engineer, but the state will be adding a turn lane near there.

“The channelization on the other three legs will remain the same,” Jeff said. “Some tweaking of the phase (red, amber, and yellow) changes will be done to accommodate the added traffic from the center.

“The developer is also working with the state on changes to their signal at the SR 3 off-ramp to Kitsap Mall Boulevard.They also will be adding a second turn lane for traffic coming from SR 3 and making the left turn onto Greaves Way,” he said.