The last thing most people want to do in a heavy downpour is ride their bike. But some people do, and many, many more get back on their bike after the rain goes away, but with the roadways still wet.
This leads us to an increasingly common question: Aren’t the painted green bike lanes slippery in wet conditions?
The green bike lanes you see on streets like Market, The Embarcadero and lower Polk use a paint specially designed for use on streets. You can’t get this stuff at your neighborhood hardware store.
When painted, the green bike lanes not only increase general awareness of the bike lane and provide clear delineation between bike and vehicle traffic, they also come with slip-resistant materials that provides greater traction for bikes and people walking who may need to cross the bike lane.
So, while you might not be riding your bike in the biggest storm of the decade, you can still feel confident that if a green bike lane is wet from rain, there are materials in place to help your tires grip the green lane.
And if you’re a little curious as to the exact mix for the newest green bike lanes on Market Street between Duboce and Van Ness, Laurent Grenacher from the SFMTA Paint Shop took some time to walk us through the five-step recipe!
- Mix colorant, dryer, paint and water
- Apply coat
- Allow to dry (30 – 45 minutes in the sun and a little more than an hour in the shade)
- Repeat until 3 coats have been applied and dried ...
- Enjoy!
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