Protected Bike Lanes
Table of Contents
Introduction
Transit is one of the 4 major sectors that we have to tackle to help bring global warming and climate change under control. While vehicle electrification, public transport, and walking are important parts of the transit decarbonization puzzle, most communities can benefit greatly from the addition of bicycle infrastructure.
However, not all bike infrastructure is created... or functions for that matter equally.
Unprotected bike lanes can actually make a bike route more dangerous, and even create community backlash when riders are too afraid to actually use the investment. On the other hand, other types of bike infrastructure such as trails and protected bike lanes can dramatically increase local bike ridership. In turn this makes communities safer, cleaner, and more comfortable to live in for everyone.
What Is Special About Protected Bike Lanes?
These lanes themselves can be the same width as unprotected and other types of bike lane, but use some extra buffer space along with physical barriers to help protect cyclists, people with disabilities, people with strollers, ect. and vehicles safely separated. These barriers can include poles, upcycles car tires, planters, or even permeants strips of vegetation which might include grass or larger foliage all the way up to large trees.
Plants used in the creation of protected bike lanes not only provide a more relaxing experience for active travelers, but can also help reduce noise and air pollution for the entire community.
How Are Protected Bike Lanes Created?
There are many ways about creating protected parking including small, cheap improvements such as poles or planters, to parking protected. Vegetative strips including grasses, wild flowers, and trees can boost local biodiversity while creating a cleaner, safer commuting experience.
6:26 minute video addresses some of the worst arguments against bike infrastructure that Oh The Urbanity! has encountered:
1. “Bike Lanes Pollute”
2. “Not Everyone Can Bike”
3. “Roads Are For Cars”
4. “Empty Bike Lanes”
5. “They Don't Pay Taxes”
6. “Cyclists Break the Rules”
7. “Just a Hobby”
Benefits of Protected Bike Lanes
Accessibility & Safety
Safe, accessible walking and bicycling infrastructure makes communities safer for everyone, especially for people with disabilities.
People with freedom of mobility can work and care for themselves. Ability to move around provides additional opportunities for communities to grow and take care of themselves. This might include gaining access to work opportunities, education, and local medical resources. Strong community connections have been shown as a key elements to saving lives during heatwaves, floods, and other climate-related dangers. In other words isolated communities experiencing more preventable deaths than communities where people of all ages and abilities can easily visit one another or public resouces like pools or community centers.
Walkable and bike-friendly infrastructure slows down traffic which results in less death or injury for people inside or outside of motorized vehicles. People in wheelchairs or guardians with push chairs can safely use protected bike lanes. Those who can't use standard bicycles or walk, may find tricycles or electric bikes provide the support needed to help them travel safely and efficiently.
Bike-Friendly Infrastructure Gives Us Safer Communities
Some motorists see cyclists as nuisances, not realizing how much danger their own vehicles pose to everyone else on the road and the community. Studies have found that bikes, especially in conjunction with safety improvements such as protected bike lanes actually increase public safety. Protected bike lanes and bike-friendly paths can be used by wheelchair and push-chair users, meaning accessibility and safety is improved. Dangerous air pollution and traffic-related run off is reduced. Potential customers travel at slower speeds which boosts local economies, and since regular riders have more spending money than car-owners, they statistically spend more than drivers). More eyes and ears on community roads which come with increased walking/biking has been shown to reduce crime rates, while the explosion of car-use has been linked with increased crime rates, deaths, and inequality.
Despite a growing understanding of how beneficial increase bike usage is for society and reducing emissions, one survey found that 52% globally say cycling in their area is too dangerous a further 62% of those surveyed also "say new road and infrastructure in their area should prioritize bicycles over automobiles". - A Survey of 28 Countries Found that Only 12% of Adults Commute by Bike
High Value Infrastructure
4:51 minute video "America's first parking-protected bike lane came to New York City in 2007. Here's what happened next.
...
When Janette Sadik-Khan was hired as chief transportation official for New York City in 2007, she took a page out of Denmark’s playbook and created America’s first parking-protected bike lane, right in the middle of downtown Manhattan.
A parking protected bike lane created a buffer between the traffic of cars, trucks and buses and cyclists. But it also eliminated parking spots.
The protected lanes didn't just make the streets safer for those on bikes; they also improved traffic flow for vehicles and spurred increased retail sales for businesses nearby.
You can read more about the 9th avenue protected bike lane pilot program here:
https://nacto.org/case-study/ninth-av...
And you read a full study on all of the data used in this video here:
http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/downloads...
Here is a full inventory of all implemented + planned protected cycle tracks in New York City:
Health Benefits
Healthier Communities with Lower Medical Costs
When people are able to move actively instead of passively, they get much more exercise, and this can translate into lower medical costs which is great no matter whether you have national medical coverage or your country requires costly health insurance.
Alternatives to Protected Bike Lanes
While there are a few alternatives to protected bike lanes, these each come with some benefits and drawbacks. These can include higher or lower costs, increased or decreased safety, as well as major impacts on how
Rider Confidence Impacts by Infrastructure Type
As we can see in the image to the right, lane type and intersection type can greatly increase or limit rider confidence that they can safely ride in these areas:
Protected Lane = 83% confident to ride.
Painted Lane = 22% confident to ride.
Protected to Intersection = 73% confident to ride.
Unprotected Intersection = 16% confident to ride.
From a cost perspective, this means that even if creating protected infrastructure may cost more to implement, it is 61% (for lanes) and 57% (for intersections) more impactful on people's confidence that they can safely use these types of amenities when they have additional protection.
Unprotected Bike Lanes
Pros
These are cheaper to install than protected bike lanes.
Cons
These provide less protection and a lower sense of safety (with only a 22% confidence rate) than buffered or protected bike lanes. This makes this type of bike infrastructure among the least likely to be used, or to increase bike ridership. When people see that they are not used, it can create resistance or even backlash against future bike infrastructure programs!
Buffered Bike Lanes
"Buffered bike lanes are conventional bicycle lanes paired with a designated buffer space separating the bicycle lane from the adjacent motor vehicle travel lane and/or parking lane." - NACTO: Buffered Bike Lanes
Pros
These provide slightly more protection and a sense of safety than unprotected bike lanes.
Cons
These provide less protection and a lower sense of safety than protected bike lanes.
Hike & Bike Trails
These are trails that can be used by anyone (including equestrians), but exclude motorized vehicles (except assisted mobility devices), making them much more relaxing options for travel and enjoyment. Greenbelts, greenways, and existing community green spaces such as parks can be a great place to create these types of trails, or to connect existing trails to larger networks.
Pros
These can be created by volunteers or paid crews, and can consist of dirt tracks or proper paving, giving communities a potentially cheaper option for installing new transit routes. The exclusion of regular traffic makes trails more relaxing, letting people take breaks to enjoy scenery and wildlife along their journey. Benches, water fountains, and other amenities along these routes can further boost the relaxing, welcoming qualities of trails.
Cons
Since these are build through non-central areas, they can remove cyclists and pedestrians from downtown areas, shopping districts, and other places that could benefit from their traffic. Their somewhat hidden nature can make them difficult for local residents or visitors to learn about, much less access, and can boost the impression that a community "doesn't have anywhere safe to ride", especially if there are no easy-to-see markers alerting people of their access points.
Guides & Best Practices
Best Practices
Speed-Based Implementation
"VicRoads Traffic Engineering Manual Volume 3 Part 2.16 recommends the installation of protected bicycle lanes on all streets where the speed limit is 40 km/h (~25 miles/hour) or above. This applies to all nominated arterials in Yarra, or any street that has not been slowed to 30 km/h (~20 miles/hour) or lower." - Streets Alive Yarra: Protected Bicycle Lanes
Traffic Volume-Based Guides
"The Netherlands CROW design manual offers best practice guidance that a protected bicycle lane is required when traffic speeds exceed 30 km/h, when traffic volumes exceed 4,000 cars per day, or when cyclist volumes exceed 2,000 bikes per day." - Streets Alive Yarra: Protected Bicycle Lanes
"A best practice bicycle lane is 2.0 – 4.0 metres wide, depending upon the rush hour volume, to enable it to be used by people of all ages and abilities, including allowing people cycling faster to overtake slower users. This guidance aligns with local Bike Lane Design Guidelines from the City of Melbourne." - Streets Alive Yarra: Protected Bicycle Lanes
Road Crossings
"A best practice protected bicycle lane is elevated up above the road, to distinguish it from the traffic lane, as well as being protected by a kerb. The lane continues at the same higher grade when crossing minor side streets, in a similar way to continuous footpaths." - Streets Alive Yarra: Protected Bicycle Lanes
Resources
Design Manual for Bicycle Traffic (€ 169.00) "The Netherlands has the highest rate of bicycle use, provides the widest range of cycling know-how and is famous worldwide for its cycling infrastructure. Worldwide there is increasing interest in the use of bicycles. This manual contains all important aspects for creating and maintaining effective cycling infrastructure."
Organizations
There may also bee some groups listed on the Bike Infrastructure page.
North America
USA
Smart Growth America "empowers communities through technical assistance, advocacy and thought leadership to create livable places, healthy people, and shared prosperity. We work with elected officials at all levels, real estate developers, chambers of commerce, transportation and urban planning professionals, and residents to improve everyday life for people across the country through better development."
Texas
Bike Houston
Oceana
Australia
Streets Alive Yarra "is a resident & ratepayer action group with a vision for thriving neighbourhoods where streets are used by people of all ages, irrespective of whether they choose to walk, cycle, use public transport or drive."