Title: Selecting Bicycle Facility Types and Evaluating Roadways
1Selecting Bicycle Facility Types and Evaluating
Roadways
Publication No. FHWA-HRT-05-110
Lesson 13
(Some of these pictures show bicyclists not
wearing helmets. FHWA strongly recommends that
all bicyclists wear helmets.)
2Lesson Outline
- Bicycle facility type selection.
- Comparison of approaches.
- AASHTO guidance.
- Roadway evaluation.
- Bicycle compatibility index.
- Bicycle level of service.
3Bicycle Facility Types
- Shared road with regular lane width.
- Most existing roads.
- Wide curb lane.
- Shared outside lane.
(This picture shows bicyclists not wearing
helmets. FHWA strongly recommends that all
bicyclists wear helmets.)
4Bicycle Facility Types
- Bike lane.
- Dedicated road space with dividing paint stripe.
- Separate path.
- Dedicated path or trail.
- Significant separation.
- Mostly shared-use.
(This picture shows bicyclists not wearing
helmets. FHWA strongly recommends that all
bicyclists wear helmets.)
5How to Select Facility Type
- No national standards.
- Different State and local guidelines.
- Common factors
- Vehicle traffic volumes.
- Vehicle traffic speeds.
- Other road cross section or traffic variables.
6Comparison of Approaches
- 2002 Review of North American and European
guidelines. - Shared roads low volumes/speeds.
- Wide curb lanes moderate volumes/speeds.
- Bike lanes higher volumes/speeds.
- Separate path special case.
7AASHTO Guidance on Facilities
- Facility selection is essentially a State/local
policy decision. - It may be based on several factors
- Specific corridor conditions.
- Facility costs.
- Bicyclist skilllevel.
Advanced
Basic
Children
Source PBIC (Dan Burden), www.pedbikeimages.org
8Roadway Evaluation
- Integral to planning an inventory of existing
conditions. - How suitable are certain roads for bicycling?
- Bicycle compatibility.
- Bicycle level of service.
- Bicycle suitability.
- Bicycle stress level.
- Other names.
9Bicycle Compatibility Index
- Product of 1998 FHWA study.
- Empirical model that uses
- Presence and width of shoulder or bike lane.
- Vehicle traffic volume and speed.
- Presence of vehicle parking.
- Type of roadside development.
10Bicycle Level of Service
- Product of 1997 study in Florida, with subsequent
testing and validation. - Empirical model that uses
- Road width.
- Presence and width of shoulder or bike lane.
- Vehicle traffic volume, speed, and type.
- Pavement surface condition.
- Presence of vehicle parking.
11Applications for Evaluation Tools
- Documenting existing conditions.
- Comparing alternatives.
- Identifying design configurations for
improvements to existing roads. - Prioritizing/programming improvements.
- Creating bicycle maps.
12Lesson Summary
- No national standards for facility selection
- Use State/local guidelines.
- General principles.
- Roadway evaluation tools
- Two commonly used models.
- Numerous applications.