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Urban Bikeway Design Guide Index

Urban Bikeway Design Guide
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Low-Speed, Low-Volume Roadways Can Be Shared

Low-Speed, Low-Volume Roadways Can Be Shared

Bicycle Boulevards & Shared Streets

Bicycle boulevards and shared streets place bicycle and motor vehicle traffic in the same space at the same time. These facilities meet the All Ages & Abilities criteria when motor vehicle volumes and speeds are so low that most people bicycling have few, if any, interactions with passing motor vehicles.

What to do:

Use both peak-hour volume and off-peak speed to determine whether a shared roadway can serve as an All Ages & Abilities bike facility. High peak period volumes or high off-peak speeds create a high-stress bicycling environment. These sources of stress can be addressed through speed management or volume management, or may indicate the need for a separated bicycle facility.

Set a 20 – 25 mph target speed (10 mph on shared streets) for motor vehicles in the majority of urban street contexts. Use the 95th percentile motor vehicle speed, along with the overall speed profile of motor vehicle traffic, to determine whether high outlying speeds exist, since even small numbers of motor vehicles traveling at high speeds can degrade the comfort of people bicycling on shared roadways.

Manage motor vehicle speeds through operational and network tools such as speed humps, pinchpoints, and neighborhood traffic circles.

Reduce motor vehicle volume by constructing diverters, prohibiting through traffic, or removing parking. The All Ages & Abilities condition is likely to be reached below approximately 1,000 – 1,500 vehicles per day or approximately 50 vehicles per hour per direction.

Use time-of-day analyses to match regulations or access restrictions to demand. Commercial setting can also work with bike boulevards if stressors are managed. Prioritize delivery and freight access off-peak, or allow only transit and bikes at peak periods.

Conventional & Buffered Bicycle Lanes

Conventional and buffered bike lanes on urban streets delineate space for bicyclists but provide no physical separation between people bicycling and driving. With on-street parking, they also place the bicycle between parked vehicles and moving motor vehicles. Since bicyclists must enter the motor vehicle lane to avoid conflict with turning vehicles, parking maneuvers, double parking or curbside loading, or open doors, it is important for passing events to be minimized.

What to do:

Set target speeds at or below 25 mph. Speeds of 20 – 25 mph improve comfort and allow drivers to more easily react when bicyclists need to move into the motor vehicle lane. Use strategies such as lower progression speed and shorter signal cycle lengths to reduce the incentive for drivers to speed, and reduce top-end speeding incidents.

Discourage motor vehicle through-movement to reduce volumes. Lower motor vehicle volumes reduce the number of passing events. Depending upon the presence and intensity of other operational stressors, an All Ages & Abilities condition may be reached below approximately 3,000 – 6,000 vehicles per day, or approximately 300 to 400 vehicles per hour.

Reduce curbside conflicts, especially freight, loading, and bus pull-outs (see page <?>). Carefully manage loading activity and parking demand. On one-way streets with transit activity, move the bike lane or buffered bike lane to the left side of the street to alleviate intersection and curbside conflicts. On streets with heavy curbside use but low motor vehicle volume, consider moving truck traffic or curbside loading to other streets.

Address intersection conflicts through motor vehicle turn prohibitions, access management, and signal phasing strategies. Due to the likelihood of both left- and right-turning conflicts from bi-directional motor vehicle traffic, use the same motor vehicle volume threshold on two-way streets as on one-way streets.

Increase buffer distance where traffic characteristics adjacent to the bike lane decrease comfort, including large vehicles or curbside parking. Where adjacent sources of stress are present, a buffered bike lane can improve comfort by increasing shy distance between bikes and motor vehicles. Where multiple motor vehicle lanes, moderate truck and large vehicle volumes, or frequent transit indicate that most bicyclists will need more separation to be comfortable.

Adapted from the Urban Bikeway Design Guide, published by Island Press.

References

References for Low-Speed, Low-Volume Roadways Can Be Shared: 2 found.