State of Oregon Pedestrian and Bicycle Program
The Oregon Pedestrian and Bicycle Program provides resources to help the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) achieve its mission to “provide a safe and reliable multimodal transportation system that connects people and helps Oregon's communities and economy thrive.” The goals of the Pedestrian and Bicycle Program are to reduce crashes involving people walking and biking, eliminate crashes that result in injuries and deaths, and promote walking and biking to improve health and safety. We work towards these goals by supporting implementation of the Oregon Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan, developing walking and bicycling safety and education materials, funding projects that improve conditions for walking and biking, providing planning and design guidance for pedestrian and bicycle projects, and staffing the Oregon Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee.
Regional and Local Bicycle and Pedestrian Contacts
Oregon Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee or OBPAC, is an eight-member committee appointed by the governor that acts as a liaison between the public and Oregon Department of Transportation. It advises ODOT in the regulation of bicycle and pedestrian traffic, the establishment of bikeways and walkways, and other statewide bicycle and pedestrian issues.
Cascades West Area Commission on Transportation
Oregon Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan - Executive Summary
Oregon Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan
Oregon Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan Work Program
Oregon Pedestrian, Bicyclist and Driver Selected Statutes Booklet
Summary of Oregon Revised Statutes Related to Walking & Bicycling
ODOT Modal and Topic Plans:
ODOT produces planning documents that provide policy framework and guidance for making it safer and easier to walk and bike in Oregon.
Transportation System Planning Guidelines - Includes Pedestrian & Bicycle requirements and recommendations for each step of the planning process
ODOT Design Guides & Manuals:
ODOT Bicycle and Pedestrian Design Guide (Appendix L to the Highway Design Manual) https://www.oregon.gov/odot/Engineering/Documents_RoadwayEng/HDM-L.pdf
ODOT Highway Design Manual – Chapter 13: Pedestrian & Bicycle
"Main Street... When a Highway Runs Through It: A Handbook for Oregon Communities"
ODOT Analysis Procedures Manual – Chapter 14 Multimodal Analysis
The standard width for a bike lane between a through travel lane and a right turn lane is 5 feet. This width is narrower than a standard bike lane against a curb. However, it is a minimum width and if the bike lane is too wide, it may appear to vehicle drivers as an added lane. Also, width added to a bike lane increases the overall width of the roadway section that must be crossed by pedestrians. Width of the right turn lane is critical as well. The standard width is 15 feet (12’ lane, 3’ shoulder) from the adjacent travel lane or bike lane to curb for an urban right turn lane. The additional 3 feet provides space for truck off-tracking and minimizes the need for a right turning truck to encroach on the adjacent lane when making the turn. In some instances, a 3 foot shoulder may not be adequate and additional width might be needed. However, that additional width has consequences. Right turn lane width in conjunction with bicycle lane width is a balance between providing enough space for the respective vehicle’s lane use, but minimizing the crossing distance for pedestrians at an intersection.
ODOT Bicycle and Pedestrian coordinator
The Oregon Bicycle and Pedestrian Design Guide p
Oregon and National Safety Resources
A Resident's Guide for Creating Safer Communities for Walking and Biking
Federal Highway Administration Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety
ODOT Bicycle and Pedestrian Design Guide (Appendix L to the Highway Design Manual) https://www.oregon.gov/odot/Engineering/Documents_RoadwayEng/HDM-L.pdf
Relationship between this document, AASHTO and the HDM: This plan contains some recommendations and best practices that exceed AASHTO and/or the HDM standards. Also included in this plan are designs that ODOT has developed for situations that are not covered by AASHTO or the HDM. On state highways, the standards in the HDM must be met as a minimum; on local agency projects where funds are administered through ODOT, the AASHTO standards must be met as a minimum; on local agency projects using local funds, local agencies can adopt AASHTO or the practices recommended in this manual.
Shoulder Bikeway: A shoulder bikeway is a paved shoulder that provides a suitable area for bicycling, reducing confl icts with faster moving motor vehicle traffic. Most bicycle travel on the rural state highway system, and on many county roads, is accommodated on shoulder bikeways.
Bike Lane: A portion of the roadway designated for preferential use by bicyclists. Bike lanes are appropriate on busy urban thoroughfares. They may be used on other streets where bicycle travel and demand is substantial. Bike lanes are marked to call attention to their preferential use by bicyclists.
Shared-Use Path (formerly called bike path or multi-use path): A facility separated from motor vehicle traffi c by an open space or barrier, either within the roadway right-of-way or within an independent right-of-way. These are typically used by pedestrians, joggers, skaters and bicyclists. Shared-use paths are appropriate in corridors not well served by the street system, to create short cuts that link origin and destination points and as elements of a community trail plan. See Chapter 7 for design standards.
Bike Lanes..................................................................................................1-10 Width.....................................................................................................1-11
Shoulder Bikeway:
When providing shoulders for bicycle use, a width of 6 feet is recommended. This allows a cyclist to ride far enough from the edge of pavement to avoid debris, yet far enough from passing vehicles to avoid confl icts. If there are physical width limitations, a minimum 4 foot shoulder may be used.
Shoulders adjacent to a curb face, guardrail or other roadside barriers must be 5 feet wide, as cyclists will “shy” away from a vertical face. Shoulders adjacent to a curb should have 4 feet of pavement from the longitudinal joint at the gutter pan. Curbed sections usually indicate urban conditions, where shoulders should be striped as bike lanes.
On steep uphill grades, it is desirable to maintain a 6-feet (min. 5-feet) shoulder, as cyclists need more space for maneuvering. Note: many rural roads are 28 feet wide, with fog lines striped at 11 feet from centerline. The remaining 3 feet should not be considered a shoulder bikeway (min. 4 feet); these are shared roadways, as most cyclists will ride on or near the fog line. But they provide an enjoyable riding experience where traffi c volumes are low to moderate.
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Bike Lanes
Bike lanes are a portion of the roadway designated for preferential use by bicyclists, and are provided on busy urban and suburban streets (arterials and some collectors). Motorists are prohibited from using bike lanes for driving and parking, but may use them for emergency avoidance maneuvers or breakdowns.
Bike lanes may also be provided on rural roadways near urban areas, where there is high bicycle use. Bike lanes are generally not recommended on local streets with relatively low traffi c volumes and speeds. In this case a shared roadway is the appropriate facility. Urban arterials should have paved shoulders. Bike lanes are created by adding an 8 inches stripe and stencils.
Bike lanes are generally not recommended on high-speed rural highways; at channelized intersections, the speeds are too high to place a through bike lane to the left of right-turning vehicles (see Chapter 4, Intersection Design). Shoulder bikeways, striped with a 4 inches fog line, are the appropriate facility for these roads.
Bike lanes are one-way facilities that carry bicycle traffi c in the same direction as adjacent motor-vehicle traffi c. Bike lanes should always be provided on both sides of a two-way street. One exception may be on steep hills where topographical constraints limit the width to a bike lane on one side only; in these cases, a bike lane in the uphill direction is acceptable as cyclists ride slower uphill. They can ride in a shared lane in the downhill direction.
Width
The standard width of a bike lane is 6 feet, as measured from the center of stripe to the curb or edge of pavement. This width enables cyclists to ride far enough from the curb to avoid debris and drainage grates, yet far enough from other vehicles to avoid confl icts. By riding away from the curb, cyclists are more visible to motorists than when hugging the curb. The minimum bike lane width is 4 feet on open shoulders, or 5 feet from the face of a curb, guardrail or parked cars. A 4-foot (min 3 feet)
wide smooth asphalt surface should be provided to the left of a longitudinal joint between asphalt pavement and the concrete gutter section. It is preferable to pave the bike lane to the curb face to avoid a longitudinal joint in the bike lane. Shoulders wider than 6 feet may be marked as bike lanes in areas of very high use, on high-speed facilities where wider shoulders are warranted, or where they are shared with pedestrians. Care must be taken so they are not mistaken for a motor vehicle lane, turn lane or parking area, with adequate marking or signing. A bike lane should be marked with pavement stencils and an 8 inches stripe. This width increases the visual separation of a motor vehicle lane and a bike lane. The 8-inch white stripe is a legal requirement in Oregon (OAR 734-20- 055). Refer to page 1-19 for bike lane marking standards. If on-street parking is permitted, the bike lane must be placed between parking and the travel lane, and be at least 5 feet wide -
Shoulder Bikeways.....................................................................................1-23
Shared Use Paths vs. Cycle Tracks ...................................................................7-2
Design Standards...............................................................................................7-5 Width and Clearances...................................................................................7-6 Paths with Heavy Use ..................................................................................7-6 Lateral Clearance..........................................................................................7-7 Overhead Clearance .....................................................................................7-7 Separation from Roadway............................................................................7-7
Shared-Use Path (formerly called bike path or multi-use path): A facility separated from motor vehicle traffi c by an open space or barrier, either within the roadway right-of-way or within an independent right-of-way. These are typically used by pedestrians, joggers, skaters and bicyclists. Shared-use paths are appropriate in corridors not well served by the street system, to create short cuts that link origin and destination points and as elements of a community trail plan. See Chapter 7 for design standards.