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Safer Roadways: A Complete Streets Guide
BICYCLE FACILITIES General characteristics and preferences of both existing and potential active transportation users are important to understand before selecting and designing a bicycle facility. A variety of factors influence an individual’s decision to travel by bike, such as neighborhood characteristics, traffic volumes and speeds, the quality of existing facilities, distance between destinations, and personal preferences. There are a range of existing and potential users who each may have different motivations, barriers, preferences, and needs. People who travel by bicycle can be categorized in several ways, including by demographics, trip purpose, or by level of experience. The generally accepted way to categorize people who cycle is based on people’s willingness to use a bicycle for transportation. The general population can be classified into a ‘bicycle rider spectrum’ made up of the following four groups of bicycle users, ordered by their level of stress and risk tolerance from high to low: Strong and Fearless - People who are generally comfortable riding on major roads, regardless of motor vehicle volumes or speeds, weather conditions, or the presence of existing bicycle facilities. Enthused and Confident - People who are generally comfortable on most roads with bicycle facilities. These people may select a route with lower motor vehicle volumes or speeds, or separated facilities where provided, over a more direct route. Interested but Concerned - These people often own a bicycle but do not ride frequently due to concerns about the safety of cycling. They are interested in cycling more, but usually restrict their riding to roads with physically protected facilities or lower motor vehicle volumes and speeds. This is the largest segment of the population in communities of all sizes and contexts. There is a significant opportunity to focus on the needs of this large market segment to achieve a substantial increase in regular bicycle ridership. This is generally the recommended design user, as the resulting bikeway network will serve bicyclists of all ages and abilities, which includes Strong and Fearless and Enthused and Confident Bicyclists. No Way, No How - This group may be uninterested or unable to ride a bicycle, or they may perceive severe safety issues with cycling in motor vehicle traffic. A significant portion of this group will likely never choose to ride a bicycle under any circumstances. Bicyclists are vulnerable road users who experience fatality rates significantly higher than the general mix of road users. Varying skills of riders will also perceive and experience different levels of stress on roads. According to research conducted by the Portland Bureau of Transportation, most bicyclists that use on road bicycle facilities are classified as strong and fearless and are generally comfortable operating a bicycle intermixed with high traffic volumes and fast speeds. All other types of bicyclists are not comfortable riding in mixed traffic. Excluding the No Way, No How user group, Figure 2-2 illustrates the feeling of safety on different types of bicycle facilities. Various bicycle facility selection criteria exist from AASHTO, NACTO, FDOT and others that identify speed, volume, user levels, and traffic mix. The Washington State DOT has created selection criteria for “Interested but Concerned Cyclist” as shown in Figure 2-3. The primary takeaway from the Washington State criteria is
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