ROADSKY TRAFFIC SAFETY CORPORATION

Q: I am very confused about the new bike lane markings on New Scotland Avenue in the Forest Avenue area near Albany Med. While the new paving and paint job is remarkable, the bike lane markings are in the middle of the road at points with nowhere to drive without either crossing over the bike lane or into oncoming traffic!

Was this by accident or on purpose? It seems to be extremely dangerous to me if someone is riding right along the markings. At certain places there is even a significant amount of space to the right of the bike lane, even when cars are parked along the road. What gives?

-- Allison Joel, Albany

A: The road markings do not indicate bike lanes. They show that cyclists have a right to share the road.

"The bike markings you refer to do not designate a traditional bike lane," said James Miller, spokesman for the city of Albany. "They do indicate where a bike should travel while using a roadway such as New Scotland Avenue. The "sharrow" bike markings indicate to a motorist and a bicyclist that the roadways has a shared travel lane."

Under the Vehicle and Traffic Law, Miller noted, a bicyclist is permitted to use the travel lane on a street to commute just the same as a motor vehicle.

"Since there is not enough street width on New Scotland Avenue to stripe a formal bike lane the "sharrow" pavement marking was chosen," he said. "On streets with curbside parking, the marking is placed on the roadway far enough away from a parked car so they are outside where the vehicle door will swing when opened."

You can expect to see more of these on city streets, Miller added. The city developed a plan for making the city more bicycle friendly that was completed in December 2009.

"We will be installing more of these marking on city streets in the future as we implement the bicycle master plan," he said.

Q: It seems just about every local road had their yellow and white stripes repainted this summer, from the Thruway to the Northway and the entire stretch of Western Ave. in Guilderland. However, once you hit the Guilderland/Albany city line near the UAlbany entrance, the new paint stops and the badly faded and sometimes missing crosswalk and lane markers remain. Did the city of Albany choose not to have the lines repainted? Why? Was it due to a budget issue? Albany is where lanes need to be repainted most, in my opinion.

-- Adam Girard, Albany

A: There is a longstanding issue with Albany and the suburbs: The state pays to pave suburban roads, while the city is expected to pay for its own. This dates, of course, to when the cities were where the money was and the suburbs were country towns that couldn't afford paving.

"Crosswalks and other pavement markings are replaced in parts of the city each year based upon need, manpower and budget," Miller said. "We have not excluded areas because of budget. This past season, we were replacing pavement marking including crosswalks in other areas of the city. We replace pavement markings within the city with city employees. A large majority of Western Avenue, within the city, has had the pavement markings replaced over the past few seasons. The areas mentioned (outside the city) are all roadways maintained by the state of New York and are replaced through a maintenance contract."

DOT does not maintain pavement or pavement markings within the city's boundaries, he noted.

"We are outside of the window to replace pavement markings this year," Miller said. "We will evaluate the area (mentioned in the question) and add this to our marking list for next season."

"Getting There" is compiled by staff writer Tim O'Brien. Do you have a question about transportation? Call 454-5020 or e-mail gettingthere@timesunion.com. Please include your name, town and telephone number.

Hot spots

What to watch for this week:

Fuller Road, Albany, Colonie and Guilderland: Construction has begun at the southern end near Western Avenue heading north. This year, the section between Western and Washington avenues is expected to be finished. Traffic will be one lane in each direction. The section between Washington and Central will be done next year.

Thaddeus Kosciuszko Bridge, Latham: Bridge maintenance work will occur on the Interstate 87 northbound "Twin Bridge" (between exits 7 and 8) on Monday night through Friday morning. The work is scheduled to take place between the hours of 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. on all four nights.

A single right lane will be closed between 7-8 p.m. Monday and Tuesday night. Two right lanes will be closed between 8 p.m. Monday and 7 a.m. Tuesday and between 8 p.m. Tuesday and 7 a.m. Wednesday.

A single left lane will be closed between the hours 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday nights. Two left lanes will be closed between 8 p.m. Wednesday and 7 a.m. Thursday and again between 8 p.m. Thursday and 7 a.m. Friday.

During the double lane closures, motorists should watch for stopped traffic, expect delays, and consider alternate routes.

Route 9N, Corinth: Maintenance of the bridge that carries Route 9N over the Hudson River in Lake Luzerne and Corinth will cause round-the-clock, one-way alternating traffic controlled by a traffic signal system. The bridge is scheduled to be replaced next summer.

Route 9, Moreau: Work at and near the intersection of Route 9 and Spier Falls Road continues. There are various lane and shoulder restrictions in the vicinity.

Birch Street and Grand Avenue, Saratoga Springs: The intersection is being reconstructed.

Route 9P, Saratoga/Saratoga Springs: The bridge over Saratoga Lake at Fish Creek is being replaced and is now closed. It is scheduled to reopen in May. A detour will direct motorists onto Route 9 and Interstate 87 to return to Route 9P.