Residents in the Anderson Street neighborhood were pleased that "neck-downs" were installed in early July to slow the 5,510 daily motorists using the street leading to Duke University's West Campus.

Some bicyclists weren't. They say they weren't consulted in the decision-making process and are uneasy navigating the neck-downs on a hilly street where city traffic studies show an average speed of 40 mph.

The result?

In October, city officials will evaluate the effect of the $112,000 project on bicyclists using the half-mile stretch of Anderson Street between Morehead Avenue and Prince Street.

The neck-downs, some up to 35 feet long, are concrete planters several inches high that sit 3 feet from the curb and reduce the width of traffic lanes to 10 feet. The 17 neck-downs are placed at street entrances, a park entrance and the tops and bottoms of hills.

Judy Martell, a member of the Durham Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Commission, said the city's decision-making process to construct the neck downs was an "oversight" that ignored the city bike plan and did not include a representative from the 12-member DBPAC. The city bike plan identifies Anderson Street as a good candidate for a marked bike lane due to the large number of cyclists using the street.

"It was an oversight by the city and they have acknowledged that and have very graciously accepted our request to do a study on bicycle traffic," Martell said. She said the commission has been assured it will be included in future bicycle-related decisions.

Mark Ahrendsen, city transportation manager, agreed that there had been an oversight by transportation planners due to two mitigating circumstances: there were no bicycle planners on staff at the time and the bicycle plan was approved after the Anderson Street neighborhood began pushing for traffic-calming measures.

The October evaluation could result in changes in pavement markings or signs, he said. Wholesale uprooting of the neck-downs "would be unusual, particularly if the evaluation shows they've been effective in reducing vehicular speeds," he added.

Martell said the neck-downs present bicyclists with two "uncomfortable" alternatives. They can remain in the traffic lane and hope motorists will swerve around them on hilltops. Or riders can shoot through the narrow space between the curb and neck-down and rattle over the uneven beveling between the concrete neck-down and asphalt road.