
Bicycle transportation planning and engineering are the disciplines related to
transportation engineering
Transportation engineering or transport engineering is the application of technology and scientific principles to the planning, functional design, operation and management of facilities for any mode of transportation to provide for the safe, ...
and
transportation planning
Transportation planning is the process of defining future policies, goals, investments, and spatial planning designs to prepare for future needs to move people and goods to destinations. As practiced today, it is a collaborative process that i ...
concerning
bicycle
A bicycle, also called a pedal cycle, bike, push-bike or cycle, is a human-powered transport, human-powered or motorized bicycle, motor-assisted, bicycle pedal, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, with two bicycle wheel, wheels attached to a ...
s as a
mode of transport
A mode of transport is a method or way of travelling, or of transporting people or cargo. The different modes of transport include air, water, and land transport, which includes rails or railways, road and off-road transport. Other modes of t ...
and the concomitant study, design and implementation of
cycling infrastructure
Cycling, also known as bicycling or biking, is the activity of riding a bicycle or other types of bicycle pedal, pedal-driven human-powered vehicles such as balance bikes, unicycles, tricycles, and quadricycles. Cycling is practised around the ...
. It includes the study and design of dedicated transport facilities for cyclists (e.g. cyclist-only paths) as well as mixed-mode environments (i.e. where cyclists share roads and paths with vehicular and foot traffic) and how both of these examples can be made to work safely. In jurisdictions such as the United States it is often practiced in conjunction with planning for pedestrians as a part of
active transportation planning.
Networks, signage and maps
Most
national cycling route network
A national cycling route network is a nationwide network of designated long-distance cycling routes found in various countries around the world for the purposes of bicycle tourism. They are often created and maintained by the government of the ...
s have long-distance named routes, rather like highways. However, the international
has a modular design that enables arbitrary routes using simple signage. Both aim to minimize map use with plentiful signs.
Cycle networks of routes can be developed in co-ordination with cycle maps. Co-ordination can be local or national (the numbered-node cycle network has national co-ordination in some countries, and local co-ordination in others).
File:Colliers Wood London 2011 07.jpg, alt=Destinations of CS7 in the style of a tube line, on a large upright sign., Cycle Superhighway CS7 start point at Colliers Wood Underground Station]
File:Milton Keynes Redway.gif, Cycleway network in Milton Keynes. NCR routes 6 and 51 are highlighted in red. In 1970 in the United Kingdom, the Milton Keynes Development Corporation produced the "Master Plan for Milton Keynes".Modern Milton Keynes: the master plan
MK Web
File:Biketrail map2detail.jpg, A locator map
In cartography, a locator map, or just a ''locator'', is typically a simple map used to show the location of a particular geographic region within its larger and presumably more familiar context. Depending on the needs of the cartographer, this ty ...
on the , at node 20 in Schoten
Schoten () is a Municipalities in Belgium, municipality located in Antwerp Province, Belgium. The municipality only comprises the town of Schoten proper. As of 1 January 2020 Schoten has a total population of 34,311. The total area is which gi ...
, near Antwerp
Antwerp (; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of Antwerp Province, and the third-largest city in Belgium by area at , after ...
. Each intersection is marked with a numbered circle; any route through the network can be represented as a string of numbers.
Bikeways
Some examples of the types of
bikeways under the purview of bicycle transportation engineers include
partially segregated infrastructure in-road such as
bike lane
Bike lanes (US) or cycle lanes (UK) are types of bikeways (cycleways) with lanes on the roadway for cyclists only. In the United Kingdom, an on-road cycle-lane can be firmly restricted to cycles (marked with a solid white line, entry by motor ...
s, buffered bike lanes;
physically segregated in-road such as
cycle track
A cycle track or cycleway (''British'') or bikeway (''mainly North American''), sometimes historically referred to as a sidepath, is a separate route for cycles and not motor vehicles. In some cases cycle tracks are also used by other users such ...
s;
bike path
A bike path or a cycle path is a bikeway separated from motorized traffic and dedicated to cycling or shared with pedestrians or other non-motorized users. In the US a bike path sometimes encompasses '' shared use paths'', "multi-use path", or ...
s with their own right-of-way; and
shared facilities such as bicycle boulevards, shared lane markings, advisory bike lane, road shoulders, wide outside lanes,
shared street schemes, and any roadways with legal access for cycling.
In roadway
NACTO guidelines state "desired width for a cycle track should be 5 feet (1.5 m). In areas with high bicyclist volumes or uphill sections, the desired width should be 7 feet (2.1 m)".
CROW standard width for one way cycle paths in the Netherlands is a minimum of 2.5 m (8′). For bidirectional use the minimum is 3.5 m (11′).
Unsegregated
File:1dir-car, bike 2dir.png, One-way street with two-way shared cycling
New Road, Brighton - shared space.jpg, Streetscape in which all modes of travel (pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists) share the road
Lake Road Northshore Nov 08.jpg, Streetscape in which cyclists and motorists share the road
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Bicycle boulevard
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Shared bus and cycle lane
Partially segregated
Canberra bicycle lane.jpg, Streetscape with dedicated cycle facilities next to other traffic
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Cycle lane
Bike lanes (US) or cycle lanes (UK) are types of bikeways (cycleways) with lanes on the roadway for cyclists only. In the United Kingdom, an on-road cycle-lane can be firmly restricted to cycles (marked with a solid white line, entry by motor ...
*
Shared lane marking
A shared lane marking, shared-lane marking, or sharrow is a street marking installed by various jurisdictions worldwide in an attempt to make cycling safer.
Description
These markings are used in New Zealand, Australia, Canada, Spain, the Unit ...
Segregated
File:1dir-car, 2x 1dir-cyc.png, One way street with two way cycle tracks and shared road
File:1dir-car, 2dir-cyc re.png, One way street with a single two way cycle track on right
File:1dir-car, 2dir-cyc left.png, One way street with a single two way cycle track on left
File:Bicycle lane with concrete barrier ottawa 2011.jpeg, Cycle tracks with concrete barriers in downtown Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...
, Ontario, Canada on Laurier Avenue
Laurier Avenue (; Ottawa Road #48) is a central east west street running through Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Originally known as "Maria Street" (west of Waller) and "Theodore Street" (east of Waller), it was renamed in honour of Canadian Prime M ...
in 2011.
File:DNK bicycle light 1.jpg, Separate traffic light
Traffic lights, traffic signals, or stoplights – also known as robots in South Africa, Zambia, and Namibia – are signaling devices positioned at intersection (road), road intersections, pedestrian crossings, and other locations in order t ...
for automobiles and bicycles on cycle track in Denmark
Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...
File:Bicycle lanes in intersection ottawa 2011.jpeg, Cycle track with green lanes through intersection in Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...
, Ontario, Canada (also on Laurier) in 2011.
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Cycle track
A cycle track or cycleway (''British'') or bikeway (''mainly North American''), sometimes historically referred to as a sidepath, is a separate route for cycles and not motor vehicles. In some cases cycle tracks are also used by other users such ...
=Barriers
=
Options for barriers are soft-hit
posts, raised
curb
A curb (American English) or kerb (British English) is the edge where a raised sidewalk/pavement or road median/central reservation meets a street/other roadway.
History
Although curbs have been used throughout modern history, and indeed ...
or
traffic barriers.
Off road
etawahagra.jpg, long cycle highway between Etawah
Etawah (International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration, IAST: ''Iṭāvā''), also known as Ishtikapuri, is a city situated on the banks of Yamuna River in the state of Uttar Pradesh in India. It is the administrative headquarters of Etawa ...
and Agra
Agra ( ) is a city on the banks of the Yamuna river in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, about south-east of the national capital Delhi and 330 km west of the state capital Lucknow. With a population of roughly 1.6 million, Agra is the ...
in India
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
Søruten, Copenhagen.jpg, Copenhagen
Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...
, Denmark
Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...
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Bike path
A bike path or a cycle path is a bikeway separated from motorized traffic and dedicated to cycling or shared with pedestrians or other non-motorized users. In the US a bike path sometimes encompasses '' shared use paths'', "multi-use path", or ...
*
Rail trail
A rail trail or railway walk is a shared-use path on a Right of way#Rail right of way, railway right of way. Rail trails are typically constructed after a railway has been abandoned and the track has been removed but may also share the rail corr ...
Bike freeway
Fietssnelweg F35 at Go Planet.jpg, The bicycle highway F35 in Enschede
Enschede (; local ) is a list of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the province of Overijssel and the Twente region of the eastern Netherlands. The east of the urban area reaches ...
.
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Bike freeway
Intersections and signals
2 Fahrstreifen + 2-Richt-Fusz- u Radweg.png
Cyclist advanced stop line Liverpool.jpg, Advanced stop line, Liverpool, UK
Chine vert-partiel.JPG, Signals for cyclists in China
Protected roundabout 3D.png, Protected intersection
A protected intersection or protected junction, also known as a Dutch-style junction, is a type of intersection (road), at-grade road junction in which cycling, cyclists and pedestrians are separated from cars. The primary aim of junction protecti ...
Bicycle transportation engineers also are involved in improving
intersections/junctions and traffic lights.
Advanced stop lines are one example of road markings on mixed mode shared space as cycling infrastructure.
Other infrastructure
File:Old bike shed at Chokai JHS.jpg, Bicycle parking
Car shaped bicycle rack in Earlham Street - cropped.jpg, Bike rack shaped like a car
Road diet
A road is a thoroughfare used primarily for movement of traffic. Roads differ from streets, whose primary use is local access. They also differ from stroads, which combine the features of streets and roads. Most modern roads are paved.
The ...
s,
curb extension, improving the
road surface
A road surface (British English) or pavement (North American English) is the durable surface material laid down on an area intended to sustain vehicular or foot traffic, such as a road or walkway. In the past, gravel road surfaces, macadam, ...
; building
bicycle parking such as
bicycle locks,
bicycle stand
The term bicycle tools typically refers to specialty tools used on bicycles, as opposed to general purpose mechanical tools. such as spanners and hex wrenches. Various bicycle tools have evolved over the years into specialized tools for working on ...
s,
lockers.
Legislation
in California new bikeway design standards were last adopted in 1976. Those designs were adapted by the Association of American State Highway and Transportation Officials (
AASHTO
The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) is a standards setting body which publishes specifications, test quality control, protocols, and guidelines that are used in highway design and construction through ...
) to become the AASHTO Guide for Bicycle Facilities, which is followed in the USA.
See also
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Bikeway controversies
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Bicycle Master Plan
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Bikeway safety
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Cyclability
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CROW Design Manual for Bicycle Traffic
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Bicycle mobility
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Sustainable transport
Sustainable transport is transportation sustainability, sustainable in terms of their social and Environmental issue, environmental impacts. Components for evaluating sustainability include the particular vehicles used; the source of energy; and ...
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Outline of cycling
Cycling, also known as bicycling or biking, is the activity of riding bicycles or other Human-powered transport, human-powered vehicles with Wheel, wheels, for transportation, recreation, exercise, sport, and other purposes.
People who engage i ...
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Cycling infrastructure
Cycling, also known as bicycling or biking, is the activity of riding a bicycle or other types of bicycle pedal, pedal-driven human-powered vehicles such as balance bikes, unicycles, tricycles, and quadricycles. Cycling is practised around the ...
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Mikael Colville-Andersen
Mikael Colville-Andersen is a Canadian-Danish urban designer and urban mobility expert. He was the CEO of Copenhagenize Design Company, which he founded in 2009 in Copenhagen, and he works with cities and governments around the world in coaching ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bicycle Transportation Engineering
Utility cycling
Transportation engineering
Bicycle transportation planning
Bicycle parking