Pilot program hopes to increase biker safety around Raleigh, but some argue it's not enough, tell me about this news in (https://www.wral.com/news/local/raleigh-bike-lanes-safety-curbs-program-september-2026/)

The news covers the City of Raleigh’s pilot program launched in September 2026 to test physical vertical barriersspecifically bolt-down rubber and concrete curb stopsalong bike lanes to increase cyclist safety by creating tangible separation between bikes and vehicle traffic.Overview of the Pilot Program

• What is being tested: The city is installing bolt-down curb stops within existing bike lane buffers (starting with corridors like Industrial Drive between East Six Forks Road and Front Street). These low-profile curbs act as physical boundaries to deter drivers from drifting or parking in bike lanes.
• The City’s goals: Transportation planners want to evaluate whether these modular curb stops are a cost-effective, durable, and easily maintainable solution before rolling them out more broadly. The city is collecting baseline data on vehicle speeds and driver behavior, with follow-up assessments planned over a 6-to-9-month period to see how the barriers impact cyclist safety, driveway access, and municipal operations like trash collection.

Why Advocates Argue It’s Not EnoughWhile local cycling advocates and commuters welcome physical separation over standard painted lanes, many argue that the pilot falls short of what is truly needed:

1. Inadequate Physical Protection: Unlike high concrete walls, bollards, or grade-separated (raised) cycle tracks, low-profile curb stops can still easily be mounted or driven over by large pickup trucks and SUVs, offering limited impact protection in high-speed areas.
2. Intersection and Driveway Vulnerability: The curb stops are interrupted by frequent commercial driveways and intersectionsthe exact conflict zones where vehicle-bicycle collisions are most likely to occur.
3. Debris and Maintenance Concerns: Hardened barriers prevent standard street sweepers from clearing bike lanes, frequently leading to accumulated broken glass, gravel, and trash that force cyclists back out into traffic.
4. Fragmented Network: Critics emphasize that short, disconnected pilot segments do not solve the broader issue: Raleigh’s bike network remains disjointed, leaving riders stranded between protected stretches and dangerous, high-speed multi-lane roads. Advocates continue to push for permanent, continuous, and fully protected cycling corridors across the entire city.