Regular Maintenance

Cities should proactively monitor and address maintenance needs on the bikeway network. Maintenance needs cannot rely solely on crowdsourced information, such as 311 or social media reports. 

There is often a backlog of maintenance needs in historically redlined neighborhoods and those that have experienced divestment or neglect. Without proactive maintenance, these patterns of inequity will be exacerbated as street elements fall into disrepair.  

Streets with higher motor vehicle volumes or speeds or more truck traffic, curbside activity, and motor vehicle drivers entering the bikeway will often require more frequent maintenance.

Raised or vertical elements that distinguish the edges of a protected bike lane will require varying maintenance levels depending on what was used to create that separation.

Markings 

Bikeway markings should be maintained and periodically refreshed to a high standard, especially at intersections and major driveways where markings play a crucial role in safe operations, such as with crossbike markings. Using durable high-friction surfacing treatments, such as glass aggregate in a resin binder or pigmented asphalt, will reduce the frequency of maintenance. 

Bike lane lines may or may not need to be refreshed more often than other lane lines. Constrained bikeway markings need more frequent remarking than lane lines because they receive more motor vehicle wear. Protected bike lane markings typically need less frequent remarking than motor vehicle lanes.

Snow clearance damages roadway markings. Streets with bikeways should be in the first round of scheduled maintenance after winter operations end for the season.

Constructed Medians 

Constructed medians are typically durable, lasting years without needing repair. However, their upfront costs in design and construction are much higher than modular elements, making them a less common feature in emerging bike networks in North America.

Constructed medians should feature object markers and periodic vertical elements, such as signs, to improve their visibility in rain, dark, or other low-visibility weather conditions.

Over time, locations with frequent incursion by heavy vehicles may need to be reconstructed. Damage degrades the bikeway but typically does not prevent use.

Durable Barriers

Durable barriers are custom or off-the-shelf products that can be installed or removed with crews and specialized equipment. These range from curb-height precast medians or parking stops to mid-height barriers such as concrete jersey barriers or planters. 

Maintenance costs can be mitigated by using a consistent barrier type citywide, with the same anchors. Choosing an off-the-shelf product offered by multiple manufacturers simplifies procurement and will shorten the time between need, purchase, delivery, and installation.

Durable barriers should feature object markers, retro-reflective flags, and/or periodic flex posts with retro-reflective strips. These elements improve the visibility of barriers and decrease the likelihood of vehicle strikes.

Durable barriers are typically heavy, weighing hundreds to thousands of pounds, and require specialized equipment for installation and maintenance. Even durable barriers can get knocked out of place by repeat or high-speed motor vehicle strikes. Objects dislodged into the bikeway or travel lane require immediate response, often necessitating the purchase of new equipment or a contracted company able to respond quickly.

Flexible Delineators and Other Modular Materials

Off-the-shelf modular items are flexible in design, low in cost, and quick to install or replace. These include flexible delineator posts, often with plastic curb bases and low, wide, rounded rubber stops known as “armadillos.” Although installation complexity varies, delineators can be transported and installed with standard trucks and tools. 

Flexible delineators and other modular materials must be retroreflective and visible in all weather conditions. This will reduce the likelihood of vehicle strikes.

Replacing broken or missing delineators is a simple but routine need and maintenance should be expected. Seasonal inspection is recommended, with additional inspections after winter or storm season.

When used to separate a bikeway from an adjacent travel lane, the frequency of replacement needs will likely be proportional to motor vehicle traffic volume and speeds. When installed adjacent to parking, these materials can last years without replacement. However, when placed next to travel lanes, flexible delineators and modular materials will be struck, driven over, or parked on top of. Replacement will be necessary annually, if not more often. Cities should plan for end-of-useful-life replacement or upgrades to more durable materials.

More durable separation is typically recommended at intersections as these materials cannot withstand constant strikes from motor vehicles.