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Bicycle Lanes:
Bike lanes indicate a preferential or exclusive space for bicycle travel
along an arterial street. Bike lanes have been found to provide more
consistent separation between bicyclists and passing motorists. Marking
bicycle lanes can also benefit pedestrians—as turning motorist
slow and yield more to bicyclists, they will also be doing so for pedestrians.
Bike lanes are typically designated by striping and/or signing. Colored
pavement (e.g., blue or red surfaces) is also used in some locations,
although it is not yet an accepted MUTCD standard. As striping bike lanes
reduces the space dedicated to motor vehicles, safety may be enhanced
for pedestrians who wish to cross the street. Bicycle lanes provide a
buffer between motor vehicle traffic and pedestrians when sidewalks are
immediately adjacent to the curb. On high-speed, high-volume roads, it may
be more appropriate to provide a multi-use path to physically separate both
bicyclists and pedestrians from motor vehicle traffic. However, the application
of this treatment requires that care be taken to minimize the conflicts
between bicyclists and pedestrians.
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| Photo by Cara Seiderman
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| A well-marked bicycle lane and bicycle parking in Cambridge, Massachusetts. |
• Create on-street travel facilities for bicyclists.
• Narrow the roadway to encourage lower motor vehicle speeds.
• Provide additional separation between pedestrians and motor vehicles.
• Adding on-street bike lanes reduces the distance pedestrians must travel
to cross automobile lanes. |
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• All roads should be evaluated for on-street bicycle facilities.
• Provide adequate space between the bike lane and parked cars so that
open doors do not create a hazard for bicyclists. |
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| The cost of installing a bike lane is approximately $3,100 to $31,000 per kilometer ($5,000 to $50,000 per mile), depending on the condition of the pavement, the need to remove and repaint the lane lines, the need to adjust signalization, and other factors. It is most cost efficient to create bicycle lanes during street reconstruction, street resurfacing, or at the time of original construction. |
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