SEPARATED BIKE LANE PLANNING AND DESIGN GUIDE

Separated Bike Lane Planning and Design Guide Context Conforms to federal and state standards and guidelines: FHWA Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices, 2009 US Access Board, Proposed Rights-of- Way Guidelines, 2011 MAAB, Rules and Regulations (521 CMR), 2006 MassDOT Project Development & Design Guide, 2006 MassDOT Healthy Transportation Policy Directive P , 2013 MassDOT Engineering Directive E , 2014 MBTA Bus Stop Design Guidelines, 2014 Primary sources: AASHTO Guide for the Development of Bicycle Facilities, Fourth Edition, 2012 FHWA Bicycle and Pedestrian Facility Design Flexibility memorandum, 2013 FHWA Separated Bike Lane Planning and Design Guide, 2015 NACTO Urban Bikeway Design Guide, Second Edition, 2014 CROW (Netherlands) Design Manual for Bicycle Traffic, 2007 Peer reviewed academic research

Separated Bike Lane Planning and Design Guide Project Timeline 2014 Kick-off meeting with MassDOT staff Research SBL best practices and existing guidance Review SBL recent designs Prepare and submit 1 st Draft Presentation to MassDOT staff 2015 Incorporate staff comments Coordination with Stormwater division Coordination with Traffic Engineering Coordination with District Maintenance Engineers Prepare and submit 2 nd draft

Separated Bike Lane Planning and Design Guide About the Guide 1.Introduction 2.Planning 3.Design 4.Intersections 5.Curbside Activity 6.Signal 7.Maintenance

Separated Bike Lane Planning and Design Guide What is a Separated Bike Lane? An exclusive space for bicyclists along or within a roadway that is physically separated from motor vehicles and pedestrians by vertical and horizontal elements.

Separated Bike Lane Planning and Design Guide Why Build Separated Bike Lanes? Statewide goals: Triple walking, transit and bicycling by 2030 Provide access to safe and comfortable healthy transportation options Reduce greenhouse gas emissions Reduce obesity and chronic disease prevalence Research shows separated bike lanes: Attract more people to bicycling Improve safety for all road users Are preferred by motorists and bicyclists, especially those “interested but concerned”

Separated Bike Lane Planning and Design Guide Why Build Separated Bike Lanes?

Separated Bike Lane Planning and Design Guide Low-Stress Networks SAFETYCOMFORTCONNECTIVITY Separated bike lanes are an integral component of low-stress bicycling networks.

Separated Bike Lane Planning and Design Guide Planning High stress situations: higher speeds and volumes, multi-lane roads, curbside conflicts, large vehicles, vulnerable populations, network connectivity gaps, unusual peak hour volumes Generally speeds < 25 MPH and traffic volumes < 6,000 ADT Flexibility: where bicyclist and pedestrian volumes are low, a shared use path may be substituted

Separated Bike Lane Planning and Design Guide Examples in Massachusetts Completed: Western Ave, Boston Mt. Vernon Street, Boston Massachusetts Ave, Boston Western Ave, Cambridge Vassar Street, Cambridge Ames Street, Cambridge Binney Street, Cambridge Concord Ave, Cambridge Planned or under construction: Atlantic Ave/Commercial Street, Boston (under construction) Causeway Street, Boston (under construction) Staniford Street, Boston (under construction) Commonwealth Ave, Boston (planned) Beacon Street, Somerville (under construction)

Separated Bike Lane Planning and Design Guide Zones Sidewalk buffer 2.Bike lane3.Street buffer

Separated Bike Lane Planning and Design Guide Elevation

Separated Bike Lane Planning and Design Guide Width One-way: 5’ – 10’ Two-way: 8’ – 14’ Width factors: –Bicycle volumes –Bicyclist physical and operating space –Passing maneuvers –Shy distance to objects –Curb reveal and design –Bike lane elevation

Separated Bike Lane Planning and Design Guide Drainage and Stormwater Management Drain toward street buffer, sidewalk buffer or both Drainage factors: –Existing catch basins –Bike lane elevation –Raised median in street buffer Opportunity for stormwater management treatments

Separated Bike Lane Planning and Design Guide Accessibility Compatible with accessible curbside uses: –Parking –Loading –Bus stops

Separated Bike Lane Planning and Design Guide Elements of Transit Stops 1.Boarding and alighting area 2.Pedestrian access route 3.Rear door clear zone

Separated Bike Lane Planning and Design Guide Separated Bike Lanes at Intersections Design principles: –Minimize exposure to motor vehicle conflicts –Reduce speeds at conflict points –Provide adequate sight distance

Separated Bike Lane Planning and Design Guide Mixing Zones 1.Merging area 2.Merge point 3.Angled crossing 1 2 3

Separated Bike Lane Planning and Design Guide Elements of Protected Intersections 1.Corner refuge island 2.Forward bicycle queuing area 3.Recessed crossing and motorist yielding space 4.Pedestrian crossing island 5.Pedestrian crossing of SBL 6.Pedestrian curb ramp

Separated Bike Lane Planning and Design Guide Elements of Protected Intersections Bend-Out Deflection with Large Corner Island Bend-In Deflection (Constrained) Bend-Out Deflection with Taper

Separated Bike Lane Planning and Design Guide Transitions

Separated Bike Lane Planning and Design Guide Transitions Into a Two-Way Separated Bike Lane To Conventional Bike Lane

Separated Bike Lane Planning and Design Guide Intersections Driveways

Separated Bike Lane Planning and Design Guide Signals Signal design Concurrent bicycle phase Protected bicycle phase: –Two-way or contra-flow bicycle movements –Unique or high volume bicycle movements –High volumes of turning motor vehicles: Two-way: 100 veh/hr One-way: 150 veh/hr Bicycle detection

Separated Bike Lane Planning and Design Guide Signals

Separated Bike Lane Planning and Design Guide Thank you