It’s easy being green
Continuing with some quick tutorials on new striping on Carlsbad streets, here’s a focus on green paint. The City of Carlsbad has added green paint in areas where bikes and cars are mostly likely to cross paths.

Green paint does not change the rules of the road; it is used to make drivers and bicyclists more aware of each other as they share the road.

Here is an overview of why green paint is used on our website, and here are a couple of specific examples:

Can you drive in the dashed green paint area?

• Yes! The dashed green paint just highlights areas where bicyclists and drivers are likely to cross paths, such as approaching intersections where you can turn right.
• Drivers must yield to bicyclists before driving across the dashed paint and make their right turn from as far right as possible. Doing so helps prevent a collision called the "right hook" when a car makes a right turn in front of a bicyclist. The video below shows how that can happen:

What does the solid green bike lane mean?

• This area is for bikes and shouldn’t be crossed, except to enter a driveway.
• You’ll likely see a solid green bike lane when there’s a designated right turn lane for cars available.
• Enter the right turn lane in the dashed green area, which may be earlier than you think.  

Who chooses what color green?
Some people have noticed that the color of the green bike lanes has changed. Here’s why:

• During the traffic emergency, we did not have as many options readily available and tried a few different shades of green paint on our roadways.
• The brighter green you’re seeing more recently is now our standard because it’s easier to see and brings more attention to those areas.

All of these new markings on our roadways are designed to improve traffic safety for everyone. What other street markings are you seeing and want us to explain? Let us know.

Construction map
City crews are continuing to do road work across Carlsbad, including some remaining restriping. Remember, our construction map is updated every week to show where many city-construction projects are taking place so you can plan ahead and consider an alternate route.