EVALUATION OF WIDE CURB LANES AS SHARED LANE BICYCLE FACILITIES. FINAL REPORT

Bicycle transportation related research and development has, in recent years, steered away from separate facilities and concentrated on improving the existing highway environment for bicycle use. Practicing cyclists have recommended that the outside lane of urban highway cross-sections be widened to accomodate bicycle/motor vehicle lane sharing. At the present time, there is insufficient data available on which to base specific width requirements for wide curb lanes for existing levels of bicycle use. This study, using volunteer bicyclists from the Baltimore Bicycling Club, investigated the lateral displacement effects of the presence of a single bicyclist on motor vehicles within the outside lane of a 5 lane urban minor-arterial highway. Observations were performed on three selected highways with 12.5', 13.8', and 17.6' outside lane dimensions. A 4 lane urban minor - arterial highway cross-section that included 4' bike lanes contiguous to the roadway was also studied. The study determined that outside lanes wider than 12' improved bicycle/motor vehicle lane sharing, but that lane widths can be excessive. The bike lane configuration was found to have certain advantages in flow characteristics. Whether the bike lane would be an improvement over simple shoulder construction is unclear. Optimum lane widths can be theorized, but further study is required to form a data base for optimum lane width selection. Regional differences must also be considered when determining minimum curb lane width for bicycle/motor vehicle lane sharing.

• Corporate Authors:

  Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration

  707 North Calvert Street
  Baltimore, MD  United States  21202

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • McHenry, S R
  • Wallace, M J
• Publication Date: 1985-8

Media Info

• Pagination: 90 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bicycle lanes; Motor vehicles; Optimization; Traffic lanes; Width
• Uncontrolled Terms: Sharing
• Old TRIS Terms: Traffic lane width
• Subject Areas: Design; Highways; Pedestrians and Bicyclists; Planning and Forecasting; Safety and Human Factors; Terminals and Facilities; I21: Planning of Transport Infrastructure;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00462264
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Federal Highway Administration
• Report/Paper Numbers: FHWA/MD-85/06
• Contract Numbers: AW083-280-046
• Files: TRIS, USDOT, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Feb 28 1987 12:00AM