CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CBS19 NEWS) -- The city of Charlottesville is "greening" West Main Street's intersection with Jefferson Park Avenue and Ridge-McIntire with pavement markings during the week of Feb. 4, according to a news release from the city.

The green pavement markings would make these intersections safer and more convenient for bicyclists as the pavement markings will provide more visibility for bicyclists in designated "bicycle only" waiting areas.

The waiting areas are to facilitate left turns onto Jefferson Park Avenue and clarify east and westbound travel on West Main Street, according to the release.

"Navigating intersections is among the more challenging and uncomfortable maneuvers for people riding bicycles and the uncertainty about the bicyclists positioning often creates confusion for drivers," said Charlottesville's Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator Amanda Poncy in the release. "The new markings will clarify travel patterns and will provide designated waiting areas ahead of traffic when the light is red."

They will also help bicyclists be more visible and predictable.

"They provide a way for people on bikes to be more visible, usually with a right turn, the most common conflict is a right turn conflict, but they also help positioned bicycle riders to make left turns and also make them more visible and predictable when a bicycle lane ends at an intersection," Poncy said. 

Instructions from the release on how to use the bike boxes are below:

  • To use the advance bike boxes, people riding bicycles should stop in the bike box when the traffic signal is red
  • People driving must wait at the stop line behind the bike box and not block the box
  • People riding bicycles should remain in the bike box until the light turns green
  • When the light turns green, people driving and riding bicycles may move through the intersection as usual, with people on bikes going first
  • Drivers turning right on green should signal and watch for cyclists to the right, especially in the green bike lane leading up to the intersection
  • Bicyclists should use extreme caution and watch for right-turning vehicles
  • Both drivers and bicyclists must obey all posted "stop here on red" and "no turn on red" signs.

Click here for more information on the new green pavement markings.