{"id":2335,"date":"2013-11-19T10:10:36","date_gmt":"2013-11-19T15:10:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.roadtrafficsigns.com\/blog\/?p=2335"},"modified":"2018-06-22T07:47:59","modified_gmt":"2018-06-22T11:47:59","slug":"oregon-dot-bike-traffic-signals-best-practices","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.roadtrafficsigns.com/blog\/oregon-dot-bike-traffic-signals-best-practices\/","title":{"rendered":"Oregon DOT lays down bike traffic signals best practices"},"content":{"rendered":"

Last month, the Oregon Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration released guidance for bike traffic signals in the U.S. in an extensive report titled \u201cOperational Guidance for Bicycle-Specific Traffic Signals in the United States,\u201d and prepared with the aid of the Portland State University Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.<\/p>\n

\"Row<\/a>

Courtesy the excellent Rupert Ganzer<\/a>.<\/p><\/div>\n

The researchers\u2019 objectives were simple: to analyze \u201cengineering guidelines for the design of bike-specific traffic signals, and, secondly, to \u201cdevelop operational guidelines for timing and phasing of bicycle-specific traffic signals or modifications that can be made to existing signals to better accommodate bicycles.\u201d<\/p>\n

The extensive report addresses in detail a range of bike traffic issues and safety concerns specific to bike traffic in Portland, but with valuable implications for bikers — and lawmakers — throughout the States. It also provides an analysis of cyclists’ biking behaviors, helmet usage, compliance with traffic laws, and other factors which contribute to traffic issues. The research was two-pronged, consisting of first, \u201ca synthesis of practice,\u201d and second, an \u201canalysis of cyclist performance characteristics.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the synthesis phase, the researchers studied literature, current engineering design and operational guidance documents, and surveyed the jurisdictions about their current deployments of bicycle-specific signals,\u201d with especial attention to information available to engineers and planners, as well as to the types of designs used in jurisdictions with bicycle-specific signals.<\/p>\n

Researchers collated data on bike traffic signals compliance and reaction time<\/h2>\n

During the analysis phase, the researchers collected and analyzed video data of cyclist behavior at a collection of nine \u201csignalized intersections\u201d throughout Portland; the information gathered was used to analyze 1) performance, including accelerations, cruising speeds and reaction time; 2) queue discharge; and 3) compliance.<\/p>\n

The need for a closer look at bike-specific traffic guidelines springs from biking\u2019s increasing popularity throughout the country. Car congestion and pollution have also been encouraging communities to devote more funding to bike-specific infrastructure. European countries and certain U.S. cities have already adopted bike-specific traffic signals; however, there is no official guideline on placement, phasing, timing, design or warrants for bike signal use, making for increased liability — and a pressing need for bike-specific traffic signal standardization.<\/p>\n

Of particular interest in the report is a new distinction between \u201cExperienced\/Confident Riders” and “Casual\/Less Confident Riders,” which each have different habits. For instance, Experienced\/Confident Riders avoid riding on sidewalks, prefer a more direct route, and “Most are comfortable riding with vehicles on streets and are able to navigate streets like a motor vehicle, including using the full width of a narrow travel lane when appropriate and using left-turn lanes.”<\/p>\n

Casual\/Less Confident Riders, on the other hand, “prefer shared use paths, bicycle boulevards or bike lanes along low-volume, low-speed streets,” may use less direct routes to avoid heavy traffic, and may ride on sidewalks, among other characteristics. These two types of cyclists often ride at different speeds — experienced riders tend to ride up to 25 mph on level surfaces and up to 45 mph on steep descents; casual riders ride at speeds between 8 to 12 mph– for the casual riders — which, the report explains, has an impact on bike traffic and safety.<\/p>\n

Yet there\u2019s much more to explore here: The extensive report is chock-full of guidelines, recommendations and research-backed studies that engineers, city planners and urbanists alike will appreciate, including illustrative case studies hailing from Montreal, Canada,Washington DC, and San Francisco, CA; images of current bike infrastructure and signage (as well as their associated problems); and signal timing discussions.<\/p>\n

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