Operations and Safety of Separated Bicycle Facilities at Single-Lane Roundabouts

Cycle tracks are becoming increasingly popular in the United States. These facilities provide separation from motor vehicle and pedestrian traffic resulting in increased comfort and convenience for bicyclists. Accommodating cycle tracks at intersections can be complex at a conventional intersection due to conflicting flows of motor vehicles and pedestrians. A roundabout intersection may provide a superior solution for operational and safety concerns. This paper will assess the operational and safety aspects of the following options for accommodating separated bicycle facilities at a single lane roundabout: Merge bicycles with the motor vehicle travel lanes; direct bicycles onto a pathway shared with pedestrians; provide bicycle paths separated from motor vehicle travel lanes and pedestrian paths. Current guidance recommends that bicycles use the motor vehicle travel lanes at single lane roundabouts. To preserve the separation from motor vehicles, bicycles could be directed to a shared-use path at the roundabout. Providing a separate bicycle path through the intersection has been employed at intersections in the Netherlands. This design has pedestrian crosswalks for both motor vehicle and bicycle lanes. Using a simulation analysis model, the operational performance of the three options for accommodating separated bicycle facilities at a typical design for a single lane roundabout were analyzed. The options were evaluated using motor vehicle volumes that generate a moderately busy intersection. The analysis results report travel time and delay for motor vehicles, bicycles, and pedestrians. To assess safety, the conflict points among the travel modes were identified, along with the speed of conflicting traffic streams.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • This paper was sponsored by TRB committee ANB75 Standing Committee on Roundabouts.
• Authors:
  • Stanek, David
• Conference:
  • Transportation Research Board 97th Annual Meeting
  • Location: Washington DC, United States
  • Date: 2018-1-7 to 2018-1-11
• Date: 2018

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 14p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bicycle facilities; Bicycle lanes; Bicycle lanes; Highway operations; Roundabouts; Vehicle mix
• Subject Areas: Operations and Traffic Management; Pedestrians and Bicyclists; Safety and Human Factors; Terminals and Facilities;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01660222
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: 18-00965
• Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Feb 20 2018 9:27AM