A new resource has been published to help transportation agencies identify key factors that influence the safety of people riding bicycles.
Many cities around the country share the related goals of increasing bike use, improving safety, expanding access and connectivity, and promoting equity. More and more, agencies and communities understand that meeting these goals requires building bike networks that work for people of all ages and abilities, with routes that feel safe and comfortable for everyone.
"On-Street Bicycle Facility Design Features" is a data-driven guidebook created to assist practitioners in selecting appropriate design elements for bicycle infrastructure, depending on the surrounding context.
The report is especially valuable for state and local agencies wishing to enhance safety and expand bicycle ridership, as it provides a framework for choosing the safest, most effective bicycle facility designs for different settings.
The guidebook and its companion report, "Safety Evaluation of On-Street Bicycle Facility Design Features," are based on research funded by the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP).
Access both documents here:
- On-Street Bikeway Design Features: A Guide presents a state-of-the-art and data-driven guide for selecting context-appropriate design features for safety improvements of separated and non-separated on-street bicycle lanes.
- Safety Evaluation of On-Street Bicycle Facility Design Features charts how state DOTs and other transportation agencies deploy safe bicycle facilities.
The study was led by Texas A&M Transportation Institute, (TTI) with partners Toole Design Group, Safe Streets Research & Consulting and Portland State University (PSU). The PSU research team included Sirisha Kothuri, Chris Monsere and Nathan McNeil.
The guidebook was developed through a comprehensive literature review and safety analysis of bikeway types, including detailed crash data and roadway analysis of midblock (non-intersection) bicycle crashes. It includes before-and-after evaluations of new infrastructure installations, to assess the effectiveness of the different infrastructure types.
PSU supported TTI in several areas of this research, including the development of the literature review, site selection, and data collection. The locations chosen for study were Seattle, WA; Arlington County, VA; Austin, TX; Dallas-Fort Worth, TX; Philadelphia, PA and Minneapolis, MN.
Sites were selected partly on the basis of what kind of bicycle data were available: The researchers needed crash data as well as bicycle counts and volumes to calculate cyclists' exposure to risk.
The safety analysis identified several factors that either improved or reduced safety. However, because of data limitations, the analysis did not account for specific design details or local conditions that likely influenced safety outcomes. To fill this gap, the research team also conducted a visual review of separated bike lane segments where crashes were concentrated, to better understand possible contributing factors.
The visual review focused on separated bike lanes because they generally offer better safety than other bikeway types and shared lanes. This is largely because they limit interactions between drivers and bicyclists to specific crossing points like streets, alleys, and driveways.
Separated bike lanes are of particular interest to planners and engineers since they vary widely in design, and best practices for their construction are still evolving.
The guidebook concludes with a general discussion of policies and planning strategies that agencies could have in place to address common challenges with midblock bikeway design. Learn more by downloading the guide or reading it online: "On-Street Bicycle Facility Design Features: A Guide."
Portland State University's Transportation Research and Education Center (TREC) is a multidisciplinary hub for all things transportation. We are home to the Initiative for Bicycle and Pedestrian Innovation (IBPI), the data programs PORTAL and BikePed Portal, the Better Block PSU program, and PSU's membership in PacTrans, the Pacific Northwest Transportation Consortium. Our continuing goal is to produce impactful research and tools for transportation decision makers, expand the diversity and capacity of the workforce, and engage students and professionals through education, seminars, and participation in research. To get updates about what's happening at TREC, sign up for our monthly newsletter or follow us on social media.
