Bicycle boulevard

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A bicycle boulevard is a shared roadway which has been optimized for bicycle traffic. In contrast with other shared roadways, bicycle boulevards discourage cut-through motor vehicle traffic, but typically allow local motor vehicle traffic. They are designed to give priority to cyclists as through-going traffic.

Bicycle boulevards are designed offer the advantages of cycling on shared arterials roadways that experienced cyclists typically value combined with the advantages of bicycle paths that appeal to would-be, inexperienced, and young riders. Thus, bicycle boulevards can be beneficial to both types of cyclists. Experienced cyclists can enjoy lower traffic without significant increases in trip time. For less experienced cyclists, bicycle boulevards can serve as "stepping stone" facilities that help them move from bicycle paths and trails onto shared roadways.

Bicycle boulevards use a variety of traffic calming elements to achieve a safe environment. For instance, diverters with bicycle cut-outs at mid-block allow motorists to enter the block in order to park or otherwise access a property, and allow cyclists to continue to the next block as well, but do not allow motorists to continue. Typically, these modifications are thought to calm traffic and improve pedestrian safety as well as encouraging bicycling.

The purpose of a bicycle boulevard is to improve bicycle safety and circulation by having or creating one or more of the following conditions:

low traffic volumes (or bike lanes where traffic volumes are medium);
discouragement of non-local motor vehicle traffic;
free-flow travel for bikes by assigning the right-of-way to the bicycle boulevard at intersections wherever possible;
traffic control to help bicycles cross major arterial roads; and
a distinctive look and/or ambiance such that cyclists become aware of the existence of the bike boulevard and motorists are alerted that the roadway is a priority route for bicyclists.

Examples exist in a few cities, including Berkeley, California; Palo Alto, California; San Luis Obispo, California; Portland, Oregon; Eugene, Oregon; and Vancouver, British Columbia. Generally speaking, any street that is a potential rat run for motorists around a thoroughfare dangerous to cyclists can be converted to a bicycle boulevard.

In Berkeley, California the boulevards are mostly residential streets, however some sections pass through commercial areas. Generally there are few cars on these streets, in large part because of the pre-existing traffic calming devices that slow and/or divert traffic. Bicycle boulevards may or may not have bicycle lanes.

Critics of bicycle boulevards and other types of bike routes, such as John Forester, have argued that they encourage cyclists to be seen as inferior by consigning them to poor quality roadways and discouraging them from riding on major arterial roads. Instead, they argue for the concept of vehicular cycling, positing that cyclists are safer when they behave like drivers of any other vehicles, and follow traffic laws accordingly. Bicycle boulevards often have higher road surface standards than other residential streets, and encourage riders to use the full lane as necessary, bringing roadway parity to bicycles and motor vehicles. [1]

In the Netherlands city of Amsterdam, around 40% of journeys are by bicycle, and planners at the Directorate Infrastructure Traffic and Transport [2] have adopted a bicycle policy that blends segregated bicycle lanes with in-traffic, "bicycle boulevard-style" cycling. The general rule is that cyclists can integrate safely with traffic traveling at or below 30 km/h, but that segregated bike lanes should be installed along roads with a higher speed limit. With these policies in place, Amsterdam remains one of the more active cycling cities in the world.