Oklahoma City is pulling barrier posts off its bike paths after cyclists said the fixed obstacles were causing crashes rather than preventing them. The move has split opinion among riders and drawn concern from police, who worry that removing the posts could open the door to cars driving where they shouldn't.
The posts, commonly called bollards, have been used on shared-use paths. But according to KFOR, the city says bicyclists have crashed into the bollards and suffered serious injuries, prompting officials to start taking them out. Mark Otto, who owns Bike One, told the station that cyclists have come to him after hitting the posts and getting hurt.
Otto said bollards create a safety hazard for most cyclists, even as he acknowledged the tradeoff the city is wrestling with. Cars using the path are a real concern, he said, and vehicular access to trails is undesirable and must be weighed against the risk the posts themselves pose to riders.
Riders Split on Whether Removing Posts Makes Paths Safer
Not every cyclist is sold on the change. Mike Holmes, a cyclist, said removing the bollards could create its own problems because the posts helped separate the left and right sides of the path, a function that disappears once they're gone.
The city itself has said the barrier posts are a safety hazard for bicyclists, a position echoed by Carrie Coppernoll Jacobs of Oklahoma City Parks and Recreation, who said bollard collisions were causing catastrophic injuries among riders. She said the city relies on signs and pavement markings to warn drivers that cars aren't allowed on the path, using signage and paint on the ground as the primary deterrent now that the physical posts are being pulled.
The linked Oklahoma State Statutes document is a 2014 Town of Oologah traffic-and-vehicles recodification. It does not describe a prohibition on cars using shared-use paths.
National Guidelines Back the City's Reasoning
National engineering guidance addresses the use of bollards on shared-use paths. The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials' 2012 bicycle facility guide advises against the routine use of bollards on shared-use paths, recommending them only where there's a documented history of unauthorized vehicle intrusions, according to Access-Board.gov.
Federal Highway Administration and AASHTO guidelines go further, specifying that when vertical barriers are used at all, designers should stick to a single post at the centerline or an odd number of posts spaced at least 6 feet apart. The guidance also discusses shared-path design and the use of vertical barriers.
The Oklahoma City Police Department has expressed concerns about cars using the paths once the bollards are removed, per the KFOR report. The city says it is open to other barrier options and is considering different solutions, with plans to replace barrier features as budget allows. Coppernoll Jacobs said the city continues to look for new barrier technology and features that could deter vehicles without endangering cyclists.
A Growing Trail Network Faces the Same Tradeoff Citywide
The stakes are significant for Oklahoma City's parks and paths. The city manages more than 6,800 acres of parkland the department manages.
The city's infrastructure discussion includes planned sidewalk and bike upgrades at one intersection.
The debate over trail safety carries extra weight this year. Hoodline previously reported on a fatal crash in April at Newcastle Road and MacArthur Boulevard, an intersection that had already been flagged for safety upgrades under the city's GO Bond and bikewalkokc plans. The debate underscores the dilemma facing planners as they try to keep cars off paths without creating new fixed-obstacle hazards for riders.
