DESIGN FOR BICYCLES

JOINT USE OF RIGHT-OF-WAY BY MOTOR VEHICLES AND BICYCLES WILL PRESENT SERIOUS DESIGN AND SAFETY CHALLENGES SHOULD THE RATE OF INCREASE IN BICYCLE USAGE BE SUSTAINED OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS. A MAJOR PROBLEM IS THAT WHILE BICYCLES ARE ORDINARILY TREATED LIKE OTHER VEHICLES, THEY AT TIMES BECOME PART OF PEDESTRIAN FLOWS AND FACILITIES. EVEN WHEN CONSIDERED TOGETHER WITH MOTOR VEHICLES THEY ARE CLEARLY DIFFERENT WITH RESPECT TO SPEED AND MASS. BRIDGES PRESENT A SPECIAL CASE, SINCE MANY RIGHT-OF-WAY FACILTIES THAT CAN BE SET ASIDE FOR BICYCLES ON THE ROAD DISAPPEAR WHEN THE ROAD BECOMES A BRIDGE. THREE MEANS OF SHARING RIGHT-OF-WAY ARE DISCUSSED: MEDIAN TRAILS, ROADWAY PATHS (BETWEEN MOVING AND PARKED VEHICLES, BETWEEN PARKED VEHICLES AND THE CURB, BETWEEN MOVING VEHICLES AND THE CURB), AND ONE- AND TWO-WAY PATHS BEHIND THE CURB. EACH OF THESE HAS ITS OWN PROBLEMS, ESPECIALLY AT INTERSECTIONS; SOME PROBLEMS RELATE TO DESIGN AND TRAFFIC OPERATIONS, OTHERS TO EXISTING LAWS. IN SOME CASES IT MAY BE DESIRABLE TO COMBINE PEDESTRIAN AND BIKE FACILITIES, BUT CONSIDERATION SHOULD BE GIVEN TO THE ANTICIPATED VOLUMES OF EACH TYPE OF FLOW, THE AVAILABLE PATH WITH, AND POTENTIAL INTERFERENCE WITH OR BY MOTOR VEHICLE TRAFFIC. IN GENERAL, THE MORE FACILITIES THAT ARE BUILT WITH SPECIAL PROVISION FOR BICYCLE TRAFFIC, THE FEWER THE PROBLEMS WILL BE.

• Authors:
  • Andrews, B
• Publication Date: 1972-8

Media Info

• Features: Photos;
• Pagination: p. 32-4
• Serial:
  • Traffic Engineering, Inst Traffic Engr
  • Volume: 42
  • Issue Number: 8

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bicycles; Bikeways; Bridges; Intersections; Motor vehicles; Pavement design; Pedestrians; Psychological conflict; Walkways
• Uncontrolled Terms: Right of way
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Pavements; Pedestrians and Bicyclists; Terminals and Facilities;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00226456
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Feb 12 1974 12:00AM