Bicycle Lanes

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Bicycle Lanes
Publication No. FHWA-HRT-05-114
Lesson 15
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Lesson Outline

• Width standards.
• Retrofitting lanes on existing streets.
• Design at intersections and interchanges.
• Pavement marking and signing.
• Other design considerations.
• Practices to avoid.

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Width Standards

• No curb and gutter 1.2 meters (m) (4 feet (ft))
  min.
• If parking, then 1.5 m (5 ft) min.
• With curb and gutter 1.5 m (5 ft) min.
• 0.9 m (3 ft) min. ridable surface, not including
  gutter pan.
• Parking permitted but not striped
• 3.3 m (11 ft) total with no curb.
• 3.5 m (12 ft) total with curb.

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Retrofitting Bike Lanes
Typical Road Diet

• Reduce travel lane widths.
• Reduce number of travel lanes.
• Remove, narrow, or reconfigure parking.
• Other design options.

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Road Diet
Before
After
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Bike Lanes at Intersections

• Encourage crossing/merging in advance of
  intersection.
• Use of broken lane stripe at bus stops and
  intersections.
• Many possible configurations.
• Avoid dual right-turn lanes if possible.

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Bike Lanes at Interchanges

• Cross high-speed ramps in areas of good
  visibility.
• Cross ramps at right angle.
• Consider grade separation.

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Pavement Markings
Bike lane symbols

• Edgeline lane markings.
• Bike lane symbols.
• Traffic signal detector placement.
• Obstructions.

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Signing
Regulatory signs

• Use of MUTCD.
• Consistency in shape, legend, color.
• Regulatory signs.
• Warning signs.
• Route guide signs.

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Colored Bike Lanes

• Common in Europe.
• Delineate the preferred paths through complex
  intersections or across high-speed ramps.
• Tested in Portland, OR, with mixed results.

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Contraflow Bike Lanes

• Prevent circuitous travel on one-way streets.
• High bike demand.
• Warning signs at intersecting alleys and streets.

(This picture shows a bicyclist not wearing a
helmet. FHWA strongly recommends that all
bicyclists wear helmets.)
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Practices to Avoid

• Two-way bike lanes.
• Continuous right-turn lanes.

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Lesson Summary

• There are many ways to design for bicycle lanes
  on vehicular roadways.
• Use of specific design elements create safe and
  efficient bicycle lanes.