Columbus installs protected bike lane on North 4th Street—cost and detours
Columbus finished installing a protected bike lane on North 4th Street that adds reflective posts to separate bicyclists from vehicle lanes and nearby parking, WOSU reports. The city also repaved the corridor and made additional roadway safety changes in the area.
What’s open on North 4th Street
WOSU reports the city installed what it calls the longest protected bike lane on North 4th Street, running from Italian Village through Hudson Street in the University District. WOSU says thick, reflective plastic white posts now run nearly the entire two-and-a-half-mile length of the corridor, replacing a prior setup without barriers between the bike lane and adjacent traffic.
Where the lane runs (corridor limits)
City documents define the protected segment as North 4th Street from Warren Street to E Hudson Street. The city’s DPS fact sheet for the Warren-to-E-Hudson project segment also lists a protected bike lane length of 2.5 miles.
How the design separates riders from traffic and parking
Engage Columbus says the existing North 4th Street bike lane along the west side of the street was moved to the curb lane. In the updated layout, the parking lane shifts to the outside of the new protected bike lane, separating bicyclists from vehicle traffic. The project also includes resurfacing and floating pedestrian islands at Neruda Avenue and at 6th Avenue (near existing pedestrian crossing signals).
Cost: what the city says it includes
Engage Columbus lists an estimated project cost of $2.1 million for the N. 4th Street and E. 5th Avenue bikeway and roadway safety improvements.
WOSU reports that the project—which included safety improvements to 5th Avenue—cost $2.1 million, funded almost entirely by an Ohio Department of Transportation safety grant, with the city covering approximately $365,000.
Separately, the City of Columbus Department of Public Service fact sheet for the North 4th Street segment from Warren Street to E Hudson Street lists $1.1 million in construction costs and says the work includes resurfacing the existing bike and parking lanes and reconfiguring on-street parking and the bike lane to provide a protected bike lane.
Road and parking impacts during the conversion
Engage Columbus says construction began Monday, June 8, with crews milling and repaving the parking and bike lanes on the west side of North 4th Street, starting at Warren Street and moving north to Hudson Street. The resurfacing was meant to prepare the lanes for installation of the new protected bike lane along the curb, with the parking lane moved next to it.
Engage Columbus also describes temporary parking restrictions during the work. It notes signage for temporary “No Parking 7 a.m.–7 p.m. June 8–July 2,” and says the restrictions may extend as needed to complete installation of striping, the protective posts, and other pavement markings (with work weather dependent). The existing bike lane was set to close during construction.
Detours and connections: Olentangy Trail and Summit Street
Engage Columbus says North 4th Street cyclists can detour to low-stress east-west streets such as 1st Avenue, 2nd Avenue, or 3rd Avenue to access the Olentangy Trail.
For connections toward Summit Street, Engage Columbus recommends using east-west streets in the University District area north of E. 11th Avenue to reach the two-way bike lanes on Summit Street—so riders can build a full trip without rejoining higher-speed traffic on North 4th Street.
What to watch next
Engage Columbus says E. 5th Avenue resurfacing was completed for the rest of the safety project, with crews finishing roadway striping and pavement markings. Expect ongoing changes to lane markings in the North 4th Street and E. 5th Avenue area as final work wraps up, and check posted signage for the latest parking and bike-lane routing.
Sources
- WOSU — North 4th Street protected bike lane cost & corridor details (July 13, 2026)
- Engage Columbus — 4th Street & 5th Avenue bikeway project page
- City of Columbus DPS fact sheet — North 4th St bike lane (Warren to E Hudson)
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