GUIDELINES FOR BIKE LANE DESIGN

The primary authority for the design for Bike Lanes and multi-use pathsis the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (see AASHTO Guide for the Planning, Design, and Operation of Bicycle Facilities). Bike Walk Tennessee supports those recommendations and suggests transporation planners and public works staff adopt these engineering standards.    

Although the AASHTO Design Manuals require purchase, the details as they relate to bike and pedestrian routes are summarized on the BicycleInfo.com Web site, The Chicago Web Site.  

Accommodating Bicycle and Pedestrian Travel is a policy of the United States Department of Transportation. USDOT hopes that public agencies, professional associations, advocacy groups, and others adopt this approach as a way of committing themselves to integrating bicycling and walking into the transportation mainstream. Furthermore it is the intent of the Tennessee Department of Transportation to promote and facilitate the increased use of non-motorized modes of transportation, including developing facilities for use of pedestrians and bicyclists and promoting public education, and safety programs for using such facitlities.

     - TDOT Long Range Transportation Plan (note the Bicycle & Pedestrian Plan as one of the plan elements)

Issues with Bike Lane Designs

The objective of installing a Bike Lane is to improve road safety for all users.  The design to the left actually reduces safety.  It attempts to force a traffic lane, a bike lane, and a parking lane into limited space.  The bike lane is in the "door zone" for the parked cars.  Most bicyclists will want to travel the traffic lane to avoid the "door zone." When a municipality legislates that bicyclists must use a bike lane when provided, this road becomes unuseable to safe passage.

   [picture is a from Munster, IN a suburb of Chicago]

The National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) have published their Urban Bikeway Design Guide.  Recommended by the League, the Alliance, and America Bikes this work provides substan-tiative guidance for cities to improve bicycle transportation where competing demands for right of way present unique challenges.