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Don't Give Up at the Intersection Index

Don't Give Up at the Intersection
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Minor Street Crossings

Minor Street Crossings

The point where a bikeway crosses a minor street or driveway is a transition zone between a moderate-speed, signalized traffic environment and a very-low speed street. A well-designed minor-street intersection gives everyone—people driving, biking, and walking—a clear indication that bikes and pedestrians have the priority when crossing the minor street.

In addition, minor intersection redesigns are an opportunity to improve pedestrian safety and access as well. Many major streets have no existing crossing accommodations for pedestrians at minor streets. Minor crossing features, such as compact corners, can also reduce pedestrian crossing distances and increase visibility, creating a safer overall bicyclist and pedestrian environment.

Description

Minor street crossings use compact corners and raised elements to keep turn speeds low. The raised crosswalk and bikeway indicate to drivers that they are entering a low-speed environment, and must prepare to yield to other users. Traffic control devices, such as signals, are uncommon. Ensuring a clear approach sightline is essential to encourage drivers to yield to people in the bikeway or the crosswalk.

On minor street crossings, a number of design features work to keep speeds low. These include pedestrian islands or bulbouts, marked pedestrian safety zones, planters, in-street bike parking, or bike share stations. As in dedicated intersections, turn wedges  and/or hardened centerline treatments can reduce turn speeds while providing turn flexibility for emergency vehicles and trucks.

Minor Street Crossing Diagram

1. Clear Sight Distance
A clear approach sightline gives drivers time to see and yield to people in the crossbike, and gives people on bike or on foot time to see and react to turning cars.

2. Crossbike & Crosswalk Markings
Crossbike and crosswalk markings provide conspicuity to people on bike or on foot. High-visibility markings provide the formal crosswalk and crossbike.

3. Raised Crossing
Raised crossings improve bicyclists’ visibility and reduce the speed at which vehicles turn by bringing the vehicle crossing up to (or near) the sidewalk level. In addition, the raised crossing is a signal to turning cars that through-moving bikes and pedestrians have the right of way.

4. Detectable Warning Surfaces
Detectable warning surfaces alert people who are blind or have low vision that they are entering an intersection.

5. Compact Corners
Small turn radii force turning drivers to slow down. If there is no raised crossing, the corner radius is the primary method to reduce turn speed.

 

Implementation Guidance

Raised Crossing slopes should be designed for very low speeds. On minor streets that accommodate through traffic, a 5-8% slope is recommended. On alleys and driveways, a slope of up to 15% may be used.30 When a sharp grade is used, care should be taken to design the top of the raised crossing smoothly enough that the control vehicle can climb and descend at a low speed (<5 mph) without bottoming out. If large vehicles such as buses routinely use the ramp, a sinusoidal shape should be used for the vehicle ramp and crossing.

The sidewalk and bikeway may gradually slope downward to meet the raised crossing as they approach the intersection. These slopes should be 1:24 or gentler in most cases. Even an ADA-compliant slope (1:12), can jolt riders on a bike, in a wheelchair, or using other mobility devices. If necessary, the entire roadbed can be slanted gradually up when approaching the minor-street intersection, generally at no more than a 1:20 slope.

Compact Corner radius should be designed based on the effective turning radius, which is typically larger than the curb radius itself since vehicles rarely turn from a position exactly at the curb.

Detectable Warning Surfaces should be placed across the transition between the sidewalk and the crosswalk, and may extend across the bikeway. Green or another contrasting color may be used across the bikeway to support people with low vision in distinguishing between the crossbike and the crosswalk.

Clear Sight Distance is determined by the desired bicycle approach speed. 

Particularly where there is no raised crossing, green bike intersection markings should be used in the crossbike. Provide detectable warning surfaces across the entire raised crossing unless local guidance indicates that it should be limited to the crosswalk entrance.

Minor Street Crossings: Applications

Raised bikeway crossings should be considered where bikeways cross minor streets, neighborhood streets, driveways, and other small streets. Where the bikeway is not signalized, such as at uncontrolled or stop-on-minor intersections, the raised crossing provides unambiguous priority to bikes in the intersection.

References