Influence of Bike Lane Buffer Types on Perceived Comfort and Safety of Bicyclists and Potential Bicyclists
Buffered and protected bike lanes are increasingly recognized as a valuable tool in enticing potential or wary cyclists to use a bicycle for transportation. These facilities—which provide extra space and (in the case of protected bike lanes) physical separation from motor vehicles—have been studied and are preferred by many bicyclists over traditional bike lanes. There has been little research, however, on the difference between buffer types and how they affect people’s sense of the safety and comfort of bicycling. This paper uses data from surveys collected for a multicity study of newly constructed protected bike lanes to examine the influence of various hypothetical and actual buffered bike lane designs (both with and without physical protection) from the perspective of current bicyclists (n = 1,111) and of residents living near the new facilities (n = 2,283) who could be potential bicyclists. Findings suggest that striped or painted buffers offer some level of increased comfort, whereas buffers with some sort of physical protection, even protection as minimal as a plastic flexpost, yield significant increases in perceived comfort for potential cyclists with safety concerns (the interested but concerned). Of residents living near recently built protected bike lanes, 71% of all residents and 88% of the interested but concerned indicated that they would be more likely to ride a bicycle if motor vehicles and bicycles were physically separated by a barrier.
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Availability:
- Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/9780309369589
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Authors:
- McNeil, Nathan
- Monsere, Christopher M
- Dill, Jennifer
- Publication Date: 2015
Language
- English
Media Info
- Media Type: Print
- Features: Figures; References; Tables;
- Pagination: pp 132–142
- Monograph Title: Bicycles and Motorcycles
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Serial:
- Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board
- Issue Number: 2520
- Publisher: Transportation Research Board
- ISSN: 0361-1981
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: Barriers (Roads); Bicycle lanes; Cities; Comfort; Cyclists; Perception; Traffic safety
- Uncontrolled Terms: Buffer separated lanes
- Subject Areas: Operations and Traffic Management; Pedestrians and Bicyclists; Safety and Human Factors; I85: Safety Devices used in Transport Infrastructure;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 01555230
- Record Type: Publication
- ISBN: 9780309369589
- Report/Paper Numbers: 15-3701
- Files: PRP, TRIS, TRB, ATRI
- Created Date: Feb 26 2015 10:03AM