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Types of Bike Paths and where appropriate.
ReplyDeleteProtected lane Two-way protected lane
The safest type of bike path is called a protected bike lane. In the lane there is a barrier separating the bike rider from the traffic lanes and potential accidents. This type of bike lane can encourage other people to use bikes as a mode of transportation as there is little risk of injury to the rider. Though this type of lane is preferred by riders, it cannot be implemented in every location due to the amount of space it takes up as well as its high price tag ($239,440 average). In a two way protected lane. Bikes can go in opposite directions in just one side of the road. Protected lanes work best in areas of higher bike use and lower car use as high car use would cause to much congestion.
Buffered bike lane
This type of bike lane is not as safe as the protected ones, however, still safer than regular lanes. These type of lanes provide a few feet of space from traffic but with no protective barrier. This type of lane also allows for cyclists to pass one another and is quicker to implement than protected lanes. This type of lane however, takes up road space and averages about $133,170 to construct. Buffered lanes prosperin places where the usage of vehicles and bikes are about the same
Conventional bike lane
This is the most common type of lane. Though it is not the type of lane that is preferred by riders, it is still better than no lane. There is no protection from cars or lines that give the riders space from the vehicles so many people are discouraged to ride their bikes with this type of lane. The price is about the same as a buffered lane averaging around $133,770 but costs are lower due to the less amount of paint used when creating the lane. This type of lane is seen when there is a majority of vehicle users compared to bike riders.
Sharrow
This type of path requires no lane and it serves mostly as a reminder to vehicle drivers to keep an eye open because there can be bike users sharing the road with them. It is very cost efficient as it uses small amounts of paint to make the bike symbol. This type of path can be very dangerous, especially in the night time when visibility is low. Bikers are discouraged to ride in these paths as the risk of getting hit by a car is much higher.
Sources:
http://www.ctre.iastate.edu/pubs/itcd/bicycles.pdf
https://peopleforbikes.org/blog/a-field-guide-to-north-american-bike-lanes/
https://peopleforbikes.org/blog/a-field-guide-to-north-american-bike-lanes/
https://www.smartcitiesdive.com/ex/sustainablecitiescollective/lanes-and-sharrows-and-buffers-oh-my-four-types-bike-lanes-explained/1200740/