T
he Green Lane Project, an initiative of People for Bikes, released a report with online survey results from cities across the country to share information on the construction of innovative bike projects, the adequacy of existing design guidance, and project funding. While the survey was not intended to be statistically significant, responses came from 107 people in 82 cities in 36 states. Innovative projects included barrier or buffer protected bike lanes, green colored bike lanes, bike boxes, bicycle signals, and bicycle boulevards.
Some of the key findings are:
- A majority of surveyed cities are at a minimum talking about innovative bike projects. Respondents indicated they have either already built facilities or plan to build them by 2016.
- There is a strong desire for better national guidance on how to design the projects so they are safe, comfortable, and successful. Seventy-six percent of respondents find the Urban Bikeway Design Guide from the National Association of City Transportation Officials helpful, and 91percent of respondents feel it would be helpful if the Federal Highway Administration recognized the Guide. When asked where they felt the most need for guidance on innovative bikeway design, respondents listed the following, in order of priority:
- Detail on intersection design for protected lanes
- Context
- Transit operations on streets with protected lanes
- Use and application of green color
- Complying with Americans with Disabilities Act
- Maintenance strategies and costs
- Construction costs
- State departments of transportation are not always supportive of city efforts to build these facilities.
- Cities are using a wide variety of funding sources to build bikeways.