Agenda - Parks and Recreation Commission - 01/12/1995

Home

Feb. 8, 198.~ BI KEWAYS I ahead to the bicyclist. Fencing of both sides of the bike. way at each end of the undempass might serve as detem~nt to undesirables. Where a bikeway is muted under a struc- ture,= fencing on the trail side between and adjacent to piers and abutments to screen out points of possible ambush might be in order. Where nighttime riding is expected, adequate lighting shall be provided under struc- tures and in underpasses and as deemed necessary at ap- proaches, in certain cases, lighting may be required on a daily 24 hour basis. VI, INTERSECTION TREATMENT A. INTRODUCTION Safe movement of bicyclists through intersections is of pararaount concern. A high percentage of bicycle.motor vehic)e colhsions take place at intersecdons. The cause of these accidents are numerous, but no one type se~ms dominant. A number of elements compound the bas/c fact that intersections are inherently points of significant traffic coati/ct. Among these are human error, bas/c confl/ct between behavior and expectations, and the fact that measures undertaken to improve motor vehicle flows and safety may conflict with bicyclist operational convenience and safety. It must be remembered that them is no single measure that will provide a primary solution to the inter- section problem. Each intersection must be studied in- dividually. B. DESIGN APPLICATION Statistics show that accident occurrence depends sigrdficantly on the age and/or experience of the bicyclist: adult vs. young children; the expert vs. the inexperienced. The bicyclist can be placed into three general categories: the young bicyclist, the average adult bicyclist, and the expert bicyclist. The young bicyclist is not old enough to possess a driver's license and thus the bicycle often become a major and inexpensive means of transportation. This category includes children under the age of 16. This group involved the highest percentage of bicycle/motor vehicle accidents. Most children's accidents occur when they are just "riding around". The average adult bicyclist includes adults and children over the age of 16. Usually, this class of riders prefer to use residential streets and off-road bicycle facilities, but will occasionally fide on major streets for a short distance. They ride only occasionally and may not be very skillful. The expert bicyclist consists of a small group which has extensive bicycle knowledge and skill. Included within this group are bicycle commuters and touring bicyclists. Since the expert bicyclist can generally handle them- selves in most traffic situations, the following design guide was developed primarily with the inexperienced cyclist in mind. C. CONFLICTS INTERSECTIONS PRESENT Conflicts between bicyclist behavior motorist ex- peetation, relatSve to traffic behavior, is a significant cause of accidents at intersections. Some of these conflicts are: 1. The fight turning motorist vs. the bicychst Bicyclist traveling on the right ~de of the road. way, either going straight through an intersection or turning right, often have a problem with right.turning motonsts approaching the intersection in the same direction. The reasons for th/s are: - Poor visibility to the fight rear of a motor vehicle and limited target visibility of the cyclist. I I I I I - Lack of expectation on the part of a motor vehicle operator in the dght hand travel lane for a "through" vehicle on b. is fight. I - Poor driver perception of cyclist speed. - Preoccupation of the motorist with cross-street traffic, particularly that coming from his left, or with ped- estrian traffic in the crosswalk area. - Motorist's expectation that cyclist will 5hetd to a "bigger" vehicle. -F~lure to signal properly for the fight turn. I I I I ! I - The mandatory fight turn lane. In the case of mandatory fight turn lanes, where all road users have to turn fight, bicyclists, often, violate the lane mandate. If he travels straight through in keep. lng to the right, he violates the law and causes difficul- ties to motorist observing him since the motorist expects him to turn. If the cyclist uses the left through lane to avoid the mandatory fight turn lane, he must weave through the right turning traffic and this is a difficult ~th/ng for young cyclist to do. In the case of optional right turn lane, it is difficult for both the motorist and cyclist to recognize the intent of each other. 2. Left Turning Bicychsts When making a left turn maneuver the difference between an experienced bicyclist and the inexperienced bicychst shows up the most. The experienced bicyclist will tend to follow the same maneuver that motor vehicles use. The weaving movements necessary to cross to the center lane or ]eft turn lane are difficult for the bicyclist and unanticipated by motorists. The tendency for bicyclists to "double-up" with turning vehicles, rather than fall in line, also creates sideswipe exposure. Opposing vehicles tend to not see or fail to grant right-of-way to turning bicycle. !' I I