GOOD QUESTION: Will there be changed lanes during bike week this year?

By: Rebekah Carter | SCNOW
Published: May 13, 2011

MYRTLE BEACH -- If you've been in or near the Grand Strand for a while, you may be familiar with the Harley-Davidson Bike Week. In years past, the city of Myrtle Beach changed some traffic patterns during this time to accomodate all the extra people on the roads and to have an area for emergency vehicles to get through when needed.

To do this, the downtown area of Myrtle Beach along Ocean Boulevard has been made into a one-way street. The street blocked off was reserved for emergency workers and city officials.

So, can people in Myrtle Beach expect that for the 2011 bike week?

No. For the second year in a row, Myrtle Beach decided not to block those lanes downtown. The main reason is because of some recent construction in the area. Most of downtown has an added turn lane , which will be used for emergency vehicles. Myrtle Beach Police Capt. David Knipes said that's the reason traffic changes aren't need this year.

City Spokesperson Mark Kruea agrees the added lane is a main reason for not making the traffic pattern changes, but he said another factor is that there are not nearly as many bikers and vendors in downtown Myrtle Beach as they used to be. With fewer people, fewer accomodations need to be made.

Knipes reminds everyone in the area to be extra careful during the bike rally - resist speeding, double and triple check around you before turning, and realize that motorcycles are going faster than they appear.