Navigating the Intersection of 4th and Cherry by Bike

Yesterday, the City's contractors finished resurfacing 4th Street behind the Laurel.  As soon as we can get some decent weather, DPW will stripe out the lane markings. There will be some subtle changes to the lane striping heading southbound as you approach Cherry Lane and Gude Lake.  Here is the previous lane configuration on 4th Street, with a left turn lane and a right turn lane:

Left and right turn lanes on 4th Street, heading south

Now, here is the new striping layout for the southbound approach on 4th Street.  Most notably, the bike lane that is on the right, shifts toward the middle of the approach:

New striping layout.  Representation only.  (click  for larger size)

If you're a driver, nothing changes - you will still have a left turn lane and a permissive right turn lane.  However, if you are a biker, you will take the center bike lane.  This allows you to go straight toward Gude Lake or turn left, without fear of a "right hook" collision with a car.  As shown with the green arrows, bikers can use the widened median opening on Cherry, with the widened sidewalk on Cherry and the new hiker/biker trail in order to access the paths around Gude Lake.   These new features also allow inexperienced bikers to turn left to access Laurel Place or Route 1, without having to bike on Cherry Lane (which is still legal).