A cyclist rides on Riverside Avenue in Medford Friday. Medford plans to add a protected bike lane to Riverside next year, along with other improvements.

More bike lanes, narrower vehicle lanes, more crossing beacons and lower speed limits are being teed up for downtown Medford.

The City Council in a study session June 8 gave transportation planners direction to revamp Riverside Avenue from East Barnett Road to East McAndrews Road to make it more bike friendly, to slow traffic and make pedestrian crossings safer.

The city plans to repave Riverside next year at a cost of $2 million, and the width of the lanes would be narrowed to help carve out a bike lane and create a buffer area from vehicles. It will remain a one-way street for those heading northbound.

Kittelson & Associates Inc. completed a traffic study for the city that favored having two lanes of vehicle travel rather than three on Riverside.

But the Public Works Department didn’t want traffic backups at intersections and recommended retaining three lanes but narrowing them to accommodate bike lanes.

“We’re trying hard not to screw up this thing,” said John Vial, director of Public Works.

In addition to the new bike lanes on Riverside, the city is looking at other bike lanes on Bartlett Street, Niantic Street, Beatty Street and Boardman Street to offer a calmer alternative to busy Riverside.

Missing sidewalk sections along Riverside would also be installed as part of this rebuild.

Reduced speed limits on Riverside would also be part of the project, with many of the 35 mph sections dropping to 30, and a stretch through the downtown dropping from 25 to 20.

The city also plans to install a protected bike lane on Main Street as part of a different repaving project.

Karl MacNair, transportation manager, said one of the concerns raised over creating two lanes on Riverside rather than three is that it would cause traffic queuing at intersections, particularly at Fourth Street.

The city estimated peak-hour traffic would back up at least 450 feet at Fourth if it was reduced to two lanes, but 125 feet if it remained three lanes.

Peak hours for traffic queuing on Riverside, from Eighth to 10th streets, are noon to 6 p.m.

The project would mean most of the vehicle lanes would be narrowed to 12 feet wide, but the exact configuration depends on the particular stretch of Riverside.

From Boyd Avenue, just north of Barnett, to 12th Street, it’s currently three lanes of travel. The lanes would be narrowed to put in a 6-foot-wide bike lane on the east side that would be separated from vehicles by a buffer area.

From 12th to Sixth Street, there are currently three vehicle lanes with parking on the east side. The travel lanes would be narrowed and a bike lane would be installed on the east side, sandwiched between a travel lane and parking.

From Sixth to Walnut Avenue, the three travel lanes would be narrowed, and on the east side a shared bike lane and vehicle lane would be created.

From Walnut to McAndrews, there are currently three vehicle lanes and a right-turn lane. The new configuration would narrow the lanes, and a bike lane would be installed between the vehicle lane and the right-turn lanes.

From McAndrews to Ohio Street by the Rogue Valley Mall there are four lanes. Four narrower lanes and a bike lane protected from vehicles would be installed.

The Oregon Department of Transportation has separate plans to install a bike lane north of Ohio as part of a project at the intersection of Highway 99 and Crater Lake Highway, known as the Big X.

Because many of the bike lanes are not conducive for those worried about competing with traffic, the city wants to offer alternative routes on quieter streets.

“I really like the neighborhood bike lane programs,” Councilor Nick Card said.

He suggested doing the same thing on other Medford streets.

Card said he supported slowing traffic in the downtown, as well.

Councilor Kevin Stine wondered if the flashing beacons would cause other traffic problems. “Has that been a thought that it backs up traffic even more?” he asked.

Public Works, which is still working on where the beacons would go, hopes to space the flashing beacons out enough that it shouldn’t cause too many traffic problems.

Councilor Eric Stark said enhanced crossings with flashing beacons at various spots along Riverside would be helpful for both pedestrians and motorists. “I love that,” he said.