Submitted Photo A worker paints a bike lane marker on Central Avenue in Fredonia recently.

Central Avenue in Fredonia has new markings as a “Complete Streets” pilot project gets underway.

The markings are intended to add visibility to the street’s bike lane. Bike line identification markers were enlarged and made more visible. Diagonal stripes were put in the existing lane. Green stripes were painted across intersections where the bike lane runs.

An additional touch is a blue-painted shoulder where the street intersects with Forbes Place.

“The green lines are to increase visibility and notice for cars and bikes that they are entering an area where bikes and cars intersect, known as the conflict zone,” said Susan Parker, Chautauqua County Legislator from Fredonia and an advocate of the project. “The lines are green so as not to be confused with other traffic markings.”

Parker also explained the blue at Forbes Place: it’s to “increase visibility of the bump out into the street for pedestrian safety, and it is blue as a nod to SUNY Fredonia’s colors.” The university’s Fenton Hall is near the intersection.

Fredonia’s trustees approved the Central Avenue markings earlier this summer. The village’s portion of the road is scheduled to get repaved in a couple years and the markings are intended to only last until then. The idea is to gain feedback from people on them, using it to make a decision on what gets painted after the repaving.

Parker has been a part of Fredonia’s Complete Streets Workgroup, working on this and other efforts, for more than two years. Workgroup members in addition to Parker are Fredonia Trustees Paul Wandel and Nicole Siracuse, Police Chief Dave Price, and Department of Public Works Supervisor Scott Marsh.

“Complete Streets” is an urban planning concept to boost usability of roadways for pedestrians and cyclists. The state government supports it — which means grant funding is there for municipalities that get on board.

“The Central Avenue project was completely grant funded – no village funding,” Parker said.

The project is sponsored by GOBike Buffalo. According to a page about the project on the organization’s website (gobikebuffalo.org/project/dunkirk-fredonia-central-connection), “Over the next several months, GObike will work with the community to identify additional design interventions along Central Ave. between the Village of Fredonia and the City of Dunkirk to improve safety and accessibility along the corridor. This process will involve community outreach to identify priority locations, gather feedback on potential designs, pre- and post-implementation data collection (qualitative and quantitative), and implementation of priority design interventions.”