PAVING TRAINS PUT BIKEWAY WORK IN HIGH GEAR

THE U.S. BIKING POPULATION IS ESTIMATED TO REACH 100 MILLION BY 1975. IN 1968 THE CONGRESS PASSED A NATIONAL TRAILS SYSTEM ACT THAT DEFINED A NEED FOR 150,000 ROUTE MILES IN URBAN AND SUBURBAN AREAS ALONE, AND IN 1971 THE BICYCLE TRANSPORTATION ACT PROVIDED PLANNING FUNDS. HR 692 IN THE PRESENT CONGRESS WOULD ALLOW SOME USE OF HIGHWAY TRUST FUND MONEY FOR BUILDING EXCLUSIVE BIKE LANES. OREGON ALREADY SETS ASIDE 1% OF HIGHWAY FUNDS FOR PUTTING EXCLUSIVE BIKEWAYS ALONG ALL NEW ROADS. THERE ARE THREE RECOGNIZED CLASSES OF BIKEWAYS. CLASS I WAYS ARE COMPLETELY SEPARATED FROM OTHER TRAFFIC, TO THE EXTENT OF PROVIDING OVERPASSES AT BUSY INTERSECTIONS. CLASS 2 WAYS CONSIST MAINLY OF WIDENED AND IMPROVED SHOULDER STRIPS, OFTEN SEPARATED FROM OTHER TRAFFIC BY A SLIPFORMED CURB OR BARRIER. CLASS 3 WAYS ARE PATHS BUILT OUT OF EXISTING ROADWAYS, USUALLY THROUGH STRIPING A SECTION AT THE EDGE AND MARKING IT FOR BIKE USE. ITTE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA HAS ALREADY MADE SOME STUDY OF CONSTRUCTION METHODS AND PRICES FOR THESE WAYS. WHILE A MINIMUM OF 30 CENTS PER LINEAR FOOT FOR 8-FOOT WAYS COVERS NORMAL 6-INCH-DEEP RIGHT-OF-WAY GRADING WHERE THERE ARE NO SPECIAL TERRAIN PROBLEMS, A GROUND-UP PROJECT COULD INVOLVE HEAVY CUTS AND FILLS. AT 40 CENTS PER LINEAR FOOT MINIMUM FOR A 4-INCH-THICK COURSE, BASE PREPARATION GOES MOSTLY TO AUTOMATED MACHINES, SUCH AS STRINGLINE-GUIDED FINEGRADERS AND TAILGATE SPREADERS ADJUSTED TO THE EXACT WIDTH OF THE BIKEWAY TO HANDLE STONE PLACEMENT IN A SINGLE PASS. COMPACT, SELF-PROPELLED VIBRATORY ROLLERS ARE IDEAL FOR GETTING THE APPROPRIATE BASE DENSITY. A 2-INCH AC SURFACE ON AN 8-FOOT WAY WILL RUN A MINIMUM OF 85 CENTS A LINEAR FOOT.

• Publication Date: 1973-4

Media Info

• Features: Photos;
• Pagination: p. 28-30
• Serial:
  • Construction Equipment
  • Volume: 47
  • Issue Number: 4

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bicycles; Bikeways; Construction; Construction equipment; Costs
• Uncontrolled Terms: Construction costs
• Subject Areas: Construction; Finance; Highways; Pedestrians and Bicyclists; Safety and Human Factors; Terminals and Facilities;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00215635
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jun 19 1973 12:00AM