LA recently began a pilot program in which the city paints bike lanes bright green. Presumably, the benefit of this program is that it clearly marks bike lanes so bikers can feel more comfortable riding and it sends a message that the city is supportive of eco-friendly living. The program has not been effective as the city had hoped, because the paint has worn away after multiple coats in a short-time span. It seems LA could have achieved its goals of clearly marking bike lanes and sending a message that it support green living in a more efficient way. Even if the city uses a better paint, it will have to re-coat the paint every couple years, costing the city money. If the city put reflectors along the border of the bike lanes, it would be able to clearly mark the lanes and avoid the maintenance costs of paint. The reflectors could even be bright green reflectors to ensure the “green theme” is kept.

What are other cost-effective ways to encourage biking and convey a message that a city is committed to green living?