Crunches ready for the new bicycle trailers will arrive soon.
But before they arrive, they have to be tested.
The state Department of Transportation will begin installing the bike cargo trailers on the highway to allow them to operate safely, and a new trailer design will also be developed for use on existing roads.
The department plans to start testing the trailers this week, the first of a series of tests scheduled to begin in March.
The first trailer is expected to arrive on Feb. 12, but DOT said that may be delayed as it goes through testing.
The second trailer, which will arrive in March, will also arrive later.
The final trailer is scheduled to arrive in June.
All trailer sizes will be approved by the state Transportation Department, but it’s not clear when the department will be able to begin accepting the trailer.
DOT also is expected have to certify the trailer designs for use in the new vehicles.
It’s a huge shift for DOT, which has been struggling to develop new trailers for use by people on bikes since the beginning of the century.
It started testing trailers for bicycles in the 1970s.
The DOT has been looking to change that, as the state’s vehicle fleet is aging.
The department said in March that it had tested 6,000 trailers, but had found only 5,000 met DOT standards for proper use on state roads.
More: DOT expects to start shipping bicycle trailers by mid-June, but they won’t be ready until late May or early June.
The new trailer designs will have new seat posts and more room for wheel wells.
The trailer will be much smaller and lighter than the current bike trailers.
DOT said it has tested 3,000 trailer sizes for motorcycles, and has found that trailer sizes are only 3 to 4 inches longer and 9 to 12 inches taller on bikes than on cars.
In addition, DOT said in a March press release that it was using its new trailer development to develop a new bicycle trailer for its state’s Bicycle Transportation and Development Program.
The bike trailer will use a combination of existing and new technology.
“Our goal with this trailer is to develop an effective, affordable, and high-performance bicycle trailer system,” said DOT Secretary Paul Ritter.
“We are looking forward to seeing this innovative trailer in the roadways of Washington state by the end of the month,” he added.