Urban Bikeway Design Guide, Second Edition

National Association of City Transportation Officials

• Publisher: Island Press
• Year: 2014
• ISBN:
  9781610915823
• Topic: Architecture
• Subtopic: Architecture General

The NACTO Urban Bikeway Design Guide, Second Edition, is based on the experience of the best cycling cities in the world. Completely re-designed with an accessible, four-color layout, this second edition continues to build upon the fast-changing state of the practice at the local level. The designs in this book were developed by cities for cities, since unique urban streets require innovative solutions.To create the Guide, the authors conducted an extensive worldwide literature search from design guidelines and real-life experience. They worked closely with a panel of urban bikeway planning professionals from NACTO member cities and from numerous other cities worldwide, as well as traffic engineers, planners, and academics with deep experience in urban bikeway applications. The Guide offers substantive guidance for cities seeking to improve bicycle transportation in places where competing demands for the use of the right-of-way present unique challenges.First and foremost, the NACTO Urban Bikeway Design Guide, Second Edition will help practitioners make good decisions about urban bikeway design. The treatments outlined in this updated Guide are based on real-life experience in the world's most bicycle friendly cities and have been selected because of their utility in helping cities meet their goals related to bicycle transportation. Praised by Former Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood as an "extraordinary piece of work, " the Guide is an indispensable tool every planner must have for their daily transportation design work.

Resources

Notes

Design Guide Project Teams

References

Notes

Bike Lanes	CONVENTIONAL BIKE LANES BUFFERED BIKE LANES CONTRA-FLOW BIKE LANES LEFT-SIDE BIKE LANES
Cycle Tracks	ONE-WAY PROTECTED CYCLE TRACKS RAISED CYCLE TRACKS TWO-WAY CYCLE TRACKS
Intersections	BIKE BOXES INTERSECTION CROSSING MARKINGS TWO-STAGE TURN QUEUE BOXES MEDIAN REFUGE ISLAND CYCLE TRACK INTERSECTION APPROACH
Signals	BICYCLE SIGNAL HEADS HYBRID BEACON FOR BIKE ROUTE CROSSING
Signing and Marking	COLORED BIKE FACILITIES SHARED LANE MARKINGS BIKE ROUTE WAYFINDING
Bicycle Boulevards	ROUTE PLANNING SIGNS AND PAVEMENT MARKINGS SPEED MANAGEMENT VOLUME MANAGEMENT MINOR STREET CROSSINGS MAJOR STREET CROSSINGS OFFSET INTERSECTIONS GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE

Introduction

¹ http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/bikeped/mutcd_bike.htm

Bike Lanes
CONVENTIONAL BIKE LANES

² “The recommended width of a bike lane is 1.5m(5 feet) from the face of a curb or guardrail to the bike lane stripe.”

“If the [longitudinal] joint is not smooth, 1.2m (4 feet) of ridable surface should be provided.”

AASHTO. (1999). GUIDE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF BICYCLE FACILITIES.

³ “If parking is permitted, … the bike lane should be placed between the parking area and the travel lane and have a minimum width of 1.5 m (5 feet).”

“Where parking is permitted but a parking stripe or stalls are not utilized, the shared area should be a minimum 3.6 m (12 feet) adjacent to a curb face … If the parking volume is substantial or turnover is high, an additional 0.3 to 0.6 m (1 to 2 feet) of width is desirable.”

AASHTO. (1999). GUIDE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF BICYCLE FACILITIES.

⁴ “On new structures [with railings], the minimum clear width should be the same as the approach paved shared use path, plus the minimum 0.6-m (2-foot) wide clear areas.”

AASHTO. (1999). GUIDE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF BICYCLE FACILITIES.

⁵ Markings shall be placed:

• At the beginning of bike lane

• At the far side of all bike path crossings

• At approaches and at far side of all arterial crossings

• At major changes in direction

• At intervals not to exceed 1/2 mile

• At beginning and end of bike lane pockets at approach to intersection

LOS ANGELES BICYCLE PLAN UPDATE (2010).
CHAPTER 5 — TECHNICAL DESIGN HANDBOOK-DRAFT.

⁶ “A bike lane should be delineated from the motor vehicle travel lanes with a 150-mm (6-inch) solid white line. Some jurisdictions have used a 200-mm (8-inch) line for added distinction.”

AASHTO. (1999). GUIDE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF BICYCLE FACILITIES.

⁷ “An additional 100-mm (4-inch) solid white line can be placed between the parking lane and the bike lane. This second line will encourage parking closer to the curb, providing added separation from motor vehicles, and where parking is light it can discourage motorists from using the bike lane as a through travel lane.”

AASHTO. (1999). GUIDE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF BICYCLE FACILITIES.

⁸ “Since bicyclists usually tend to ride a distance of 0.8-1.0 m (32-40 inches) from a curb face, it is very important that the pavement surface in this zone be smooth and free of structures. Drain inlets and utility covers that extend into this area may cause bicyclists to swerve, and have the effect of reducing the usable width of the lane. Where these structures exist, the bike lane width may need to be adjusted accordingly.”

AASHTO. (1999). GUIDE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF BICYCLE FACILITIES.

BUFFERED BIKE LANES

⁹ “Bicycle lane — the preferential lane-use marking for a bicycle lane shall consist of a bicycle symbol or the word marking BIKE LANE.”

FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION. (2009). MANUAL ON UNIFORM TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICES. SECTION 3D.01.

¹⁰ Standard guidance for Buffer-separated right-hand side preferential lane buffer configurations (MUTCD 3D.02 03-D):

1. A wide solid double white line along both edges of the buffer space where crossing the buffer space is prohibited.

2. A wide solid single white line along both edges of the buffer space where crossing of the buffer space is discouraged.

FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION. (2009). MANUAL ON UNIFORM TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICES. SECTION 3D.02.

¹¹ “When crosshatch markings are used in paved areas that separate traffic flows in the same general direction, they shall be white and they shall be shaped as chevron markings, with the point of each chevron facing toward approaching traffic…”

FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION. (2009). MANUAL ON UNIFORM TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICES. SECTION 3B.24.

¹² “The longitudinal spacing of the chevrons or diagonal lines should be determined by engineering judgment considering factors such as speeds and desired visual impacts. The chevrons and diagonal lines should form an angle of approximately 30 to 45 degrees with the longitudinal lines that they intersect.”

FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION. (2009). MANUAL ON UNIFORM TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICES. SECTION 3B.24.

CONTRA-FLOW BIKE LANES

¹³ Center line pavement markings, when used, shall be the pavement markings used to delineate the separation of traffic lanes that have opposite directions of travel on a roadway and shall be yellow (3B.01 01).

Two-direction no-passing zone markings consisting of two normal solid yellow lines where crossing the center line markings for passing is prohibited for traffic traveling in either direction (3B.01 04.C).

FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION. (2009). MANUAL ON UNIFORM TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICES.

¹⁴ “Where there is room for bike lanes on both sides of the street, they should be included to clarify where bicyclists should travel. If there is no room for a full bike lane, other pavement markings or signs should be considered to clarify direction.”

PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE INFORMATION CENTER. (2006).
BIKESAFE: BICYCLE COUNTERMEASURE SELECTION SYSTEM.
PUBLICATION NO...

Table of contents

• Cover
• About Island Press
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Contents
• Foreword
• Introduction
• Bike Lanes
• Cycle Tracks
• Intersections
• Signals
• Signing and Marking
• Bicycle Boulevards
• Resources