Photo Cathy Tyson

Bicycle navigation in Lafayette just got a little easier thanks to nearly a hundred bright green signs that are sprouting up around town.

Looking to encourage non-motorized transportation in Lafayette, city transportation staff was able to secure a $46,000 grant to install 92 guidance signs and markings along key bicycle routes. The only cost to the city was staff time to get the project off the ground.

The money comes from a Transportation Development Act Article III Grant from the State of California, however projects are selected at the county level specifically to promote pedestrian and bicycle use.

Locations for the large green placards were based on the Lafayette Bikeways Master Plan and "were selected as desirable or preferred routes based on safety, convenience and destinations served," said Leah Greenblatt, Transportation Planner. Those preferred routes include destinations like the Lafayette -Moraga trail, the Library and Learning Center, and BART. Cyclists who prefer to stay off Mt. Diablo Boulevard should look for "Downtown Bike Bypass" signs that redirect riders to less congested streets.

"The signs are the first of their kind east of the Caldecott Tunnel and represent the latest approach for designating bikeways and providing way-finding signage," said Greenblatt. "While the new signage extends only to the city limits, the routes have been coordinated with adjacent jurisdictions with an eye toward a regional network of bikeways."