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Imagine a wide boulevard through the center of Albuquerque where bicycles outnumber cars.

All the way from the bosque through Nob Hill, cyclists cruise unimpeded, while cars crawl at a stately 13 mph before turning onto the nearest main street.

This pristine image of pedal- and petroleum-powered harmony could become a reality, backers say, under a bill creating bike boulevards up for consideration by the City Council on Wednesday.

Sponsored by Councilor Michael Cadigan, the bill would create three linked bike boulevards: Mountain Road from Gabaldon Road to 14th Street Northwest, 14th Street south to Silver Avenue, and Silver east to San Mateo Boulevard Southeast. At their west end, the boulevards would link to bosque bike trails.

While motor vehicle traffic would be permitted on the boulevards, a number of measures would make them bike-friendly: Traffic would be halted by stop signs; speed limits would be set low to encourage motorists to use the closest main streets.

"The recommended speed limit is about 13 (mph)," Cadigan said. "The speed is low and it's odd because you want drivers to really be thinking about it, and one way to do that is to use an unusual number."

The boulevards wouldn't create traffic congestion because motorists already tend to opt for parallel major streets, he said.

The cost of implementing the bike boulevards is yet to be determined, but Cadigan said it would be relatively low because there wouldn't be much construction.

"It mainly has to do with changing signs, putting up speed limits and making sure that traffic doesn't stop directly on the bike route," Cadigan said.

Cadigan said the boulevards should take eight to 12 months to complete, depending on how they are coordinated with other street repairs.

Negotiations would still be needed on a route through the Alvarado Historic District and for possible construction of a bicycle tunnel under I-25.

The Bike ABQ bicycle club originally proposed the bike boulevards on the Duke City Fix blog (Dukecityfix.com). During the drafting of the bill, Cadigan worked closely with the club's president, Ben Savoca, to design the boulevards.

Savoca said bicycles are subject to the same laws as motor vehicles despite cyclists' vulnerability on high-traffic streets. The bike boulevards would make travel safer for bicyclists by giving them their own commuter route.

"The bike boulevard just makes bikes vehicles in the literal sense instead of just in the legal sense," Savoca said.

A cyclist himself, Cadigan said it is currently too dangerous to ride from one side of town to the other because of the speed of traffic. He believes the bike boulevards would be a good use of the transportation infrastructure tax.

"That tax is supposed to pay not only for roads but also bus and bike facilities," Cadigan said. "We need to remain faithful to the voters who passed that tax many years ago."