The Federal Highway Administration is considering wider shoulders to accommodate bicyclists on Skyliners Road west of Bend as part of a reconstruction project scheduled to begin in two or three years.

An early design for the project specified 5-foot shoulders, but the Deschutes County Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee asked the federal agency last month to consider adding more space for cyclists.

That would allow cyclists to more safely pass each other without entering the travel lanes where motorists are driving, said Cheryl Howard, chairwoman of the committee.

Howard would also prefer formal bicycle lanes, instead of shoulders, but she said the federal agency has not made a decision on that issue.

Michael Odom, project manager at the Federal Highway Administration, thanked cyclists for suggesting wider lanes at a Deschutes County Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee meeting Thursday afternoon.

“We took a look at that, and are thinking it is a reasonable way to go in terms of bike use,” Odom said of 6-foot shoulders.

The Skyliners Road project is expected to cost approximately $9 million, and widening the shoulders from 5 feet to 6 feet would cost roughly $250,000, Odom said. To save money, the federal agency would use a steeper grade on the shoulders to avoid having to purchase additional right-of-way from private property owners.

This strategy would lead to a safety trade-off, said Odom and Federal Highway Administration Environmental Specialist Jennifer Corwin.

The steeper slope — the equivalent of one foot down for every three feet horizontally — has been shown in studies to make it more difficult for drivers who veer to the side of the road to recover, Odom said.

“That’s a trade-off, because we actually think the six-foot (shoulder) improves safety for the bike-and-car mix,” Odom said. Federal traffic safety engineers are reviewing this proposal.

Matt Kern, who lives in the neighborhood at the end of Skyliners Road, said he was concerned about winter driving safety if the road shoulders have a steeper grade down from the road. Kern said he had an accident in which he flipped his vehicle while driving on the road last winter.

Wider still? Not likely

Tad Hodgert, a Skyliners Road resident and cyclist, said there should be 8-foot-wide bicycle lanes on Skyliners Road because it is such a popular cycling route.

That might be too costly, Odom said, and he would need strong reasons to justify shoulders wider than 6 feet.

“Riding two abreast, I’m not convinced that’s necessary,” Odom said.

Hodgert said cyclists will ride side-by-side regardless of whether they fit in bicycle lanes or the road shoulder.

Howard said 8-foot bicycle lanes or shoulders encourage drivers to park their vehicles in them, obstructing the lanes for bicyclists.

Federal and local agencies are working on the design for Skyliners Road this summer. One of the things they will do is weigh the safety benefits of different options.

“We’re wrestling with the trade-offs, and we’re letting you know what those trade-offs are,” Corwin said.