A new bicycle lane on John Ireland Blvd. that runs from Kellogg Blvd. to Summit Avenue is among the changes made this summer to improve safety for motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians.

The new lane now extends bike lanes on Summit Avenue to Kellogg, something City Sustainable Transportation Engineer/Planner Reuben Collins said helps the city address "a gap in our bicycle network." Hundreds of bicyclists use the route each day to reach the Capitol area and downtown St. Paul, he said.

In adding the new bike lane, one traffic lane was removed. John Ireland now is a single lane in each direction in the area instead of two each way. Counts indicated that there was not sufficient volume to retain two lanes in each direction, he said.

Other improvements in the area include left turn bays at Kellogg Blvd., and Marshall and Dayton Avenues. This addition should help traffic flow especially during rush hour as motorists making left turns will now be out of the through lanes.

Pedestrians also got a benefit in the form of ADA compliant crosswalks and an audible crossing signal.