New 7th Street traffic pattern eschews East-West stop signs; Median traps drivers who mistakenly drive into bike lane

BLOOMINGTON, UNITED STATES – 2021/10/08: Stop signs have been removed on 7th Street so drivers no longer stop, Friday, October 8, 2021, in Bloomington, Ind. Drivers traveling north and south to cross 7th should take note. The City of Bloomington announced the new traffic pattern in a press release Friday. 7th Street now has bicycle lanes, as well as lanes for cars. The median running along the bike lane also traps any driver without an SUV or truck who makes the mistake of driving into the bike lane instead of one of the new narrow lanes, so beware. (Photo by Jeremy Hogan/The Bloomingtonian)

Here is a Friday press release from The City of Bloomington listing some changes to traffic along 7th Street:

“FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 8, 2021

For more information, please contact:

Andrew Cibor, Director of Engineering, [email protected], or (812) 349-3598

City Implements New Traffic Pattern on East Seventh Street as 7-Line Nears Completion

Bloomington, Ind. – The City of Bloomington advises motorists to be aware of a new traffic pattern on East Seventh Street as the 7-Line project nears completion. All stop signs on E. Seventh St. between North Walnut Street and North Indiana Avenue have been removed and traffic along the corridor is no longer required to stop at the intersecting streets. All traffic approaching E. Seventh St. on North Washington Street, North Lincoln Street, North Grant Street, and North Dunn Street must now stop at E. Seventh St. and yield to all traffic (motor vehicles, bicyclists, and pedestrians) on E. Seventh St. In addition to the stop sign changes, temporary flags and ‘cross traffic does not stop’ plaques have been installed on the stop-controlled approaches to the E. Seventh St. corridor to reinforce the new traffic pattern. The City is also placing electronic message board signs to increase awareness of these changes.

The 7-Line is a multimodal corridor providing a protected east-west bicycle lane, improved bus stops, and improved pedestrian features along E. Seventh St. to connect downtown, the Indiana University campus, and the city’s east and west sides while improving comfort, safety, and efficiency for all road users. The 7-Line is one of seven Bicentennial Bond projects proposed by Mayor John Hamilton and approved by City Council in 2018. Extending from the B-Line Trail to Woodlawn Avenue, the first phase of the 7th Street improvements extend 0.72 miles. More information regarding the project can be found on the project website: https://bloomington.in.gov/engineering/projects/7th

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