Cyclists and Bikeways: What s your match? A guide to bikeway options for a variety of cyclists

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1 Cyclists and Bikeways: What s your match? guide to bikeway options for a variety of cyclists

2 The workshop and this resource were made possible by funding from the Province of Ontario via the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care s Healthy Community Fund. Reference Burlington Cycling dvisory Committee and IBI Group. Cyclists and Bikeways: What s your match? guide to bikeway options for Halton communities, Burlington, Ontario. June 2014.

3 guide to bikeway options for a variety of cyclists communities Purpose The purpose of this resource is to communicate information about bikeway options as it pertains to different kinds of cyclists. This resource reflects the current best evidence available in engineering bikeways. Our understanding of good cycling infrastructure is growing. Further guidance can be found in various bikeway planning and design guidelines available in North merica. This resource also includes input from some of our most engaged citizens, expert staff, and decisionmakers. This resource is intended to be used by engaged citizens in Burlington and other Halton communities to support their communications with staff and decision-makers. It is a free resource available for everyone. Background This resource is the outcome of a workshop hosted by the Burlington Cycling Committee on Saturday March 15, 2014 at Tansley Woods Community Centre in Burlington, Ontario. The workshop was facilitated by engineering consultants Norma Moores, P. ng. and Marian Saavedra from IBI Group. The workshop was open to all communities in Halton and invitations were sent to staff from all municipalities, all elected officials in every municipality in Halton, and all known cycling stakeholders in Halton. Workshop participants represented many types of cyclists, and included representation from: Burlington Cycling Committee Burlington Sustainable Development Committee City of Burlington Transportation Services Staff Cycle Oakville Halton Region Health Department Staff Halton Region Transportation Services Staff GreenTrans Oakville Cycling Club Tourism Burlington Town of Halton Hills Regional Councillor Town of Milton Community Services Staff Town of Milton Regional Councillor Unaffiliated Burlington Residents Page 1

4 There are many types of cyclists People Ride Bikes People of all ages like to pedal their paces to shop, work, or play in near or far places. People ride bikes for all different reasons and though many like fair weather, some ride in all seasons. People ride bikes for freedom, fitness, or fun; some for recreation, others for transportation. The purpose for pedaling changes when confidence grows, life circumstances change, or new opportunities sowed. Page 2

5 Bikeway Options The following three pages describe different types of bikeways and the benefits and considerations that need to be made for each option. S H R D S P C 1 happy face means the bikeway appeals to some cyclists; 4 means it appeals to many types of cyclists Bicycle Boulevards $ $$ $$$ Signs, pavement markings, and traffic calming on local streets that are prioritized for cycling. Crossings of busy streets are improved ppropriate for local streets with low speeds (preferably below 35 km/hr) and low traffic volume. variety of treatments can be used and phased in over time Provides a safer alternative to riding on nearby, busy roads asy to maintain since it is part of the roadway Signs and pavement markings are relatively inexpensive It s not just a bikeway but a neighbourhood improvement project! Traffic calming can be expensive and requires neighbourhood support Changes to the street may not seem dramatic enough to change behaviour of drivers and cyclists Sharrows & Super Sharrows Pavement markings and signs that inform motorists to expect cyclists Super Sharrows include green boxes or lanes to make the sharrow stand out and highlight the space that cyclists need ppropriate for streets with low traffic speeds Need to be in the right place, not everywhere, to be effective asy and inexpensive to implement Sharrows can be placed on the right side of a wide lane, in the middle of a narrow lane, and outside the door zone next to parked cars Can change motorist and cyclists behaviour The public may need education about what a sharrow means Some cyclists do not feel safe with only sharrows and signage Uncertain if they work well when speeds are low but traffic volumes are high 1 dollar sign means the bikeway is relatively inexpensive to construct; 3 means it is relatively expensive to construct $$ $ Page 5

6 S P R T S P C O T H R Bikeway Options (continued) Paved Shoulders Paved area adjacent the travel portion of a rural roadway (no curbs and gutters) Relatively inexpensive if gravel shoulder is paved when the rural road is resurfaced Beneficial to cyclists and other road users xpensive if the shoulder has to be widened Needs to be maintained (swept and plowed) and the quality of the pavement needs to be good so that cyclists do not swerve into the car lane to avoid debris and other hazards Bicycle Lanes dedicated lane for cyclists that is separated from traffic by a painted line ppropriate for busier roads like collector or arterial roads and some local streets where cycling ridership may be high or traffic volumes are high Can be implemented by narrowing very wide travel lanes, or restriping four travel lanes to three travel lanes plus bike lanes, or easily include in new roadway designs Cyclists follow the rules of the road Safer for cyclists, particularly when passing many driveways or moving through intersections compared to boulevard trails The bike lane shows motorists how much space to leave cyclists when passing Busses pull into them a bus stops Buffered Bicycle Lanes bicycle lane separated from travel lanes or parked cars by two painted lines that are hatched ppropriate for much busier and higher speed streets or where cycling ridership may be high Can be implemented by narrowing very wide travel lanes, or easily include in new roadway designs xpensive to widen roadway to provide buffered bike lanes asy to include in new roadway designs Cyclists follow the rules of the road Safer for cyclists, particularly when passing many driveways or moving through intersections compared to boulevard trails The bike lane shows motorists how much space to leave cyclists when passing More expensive to widen the roadway to provide buffered bike lanes Busses pull into them a bus stops Sidewalks Off-road concrete path intended for pedestrians Can be a critical link for a bike route such as over a bridge ppropriate for children learning to ride a bike at slower speeds Uncomfortable (bumpy) for cyclists Intersection and driveway crossings can be unsafe because cars are not watching for cyclists traveling faster than a pedestrian. Very high risk of not being seen by motorists Difficult for pedestrians and cyclists to share space Page 6 $$ $ $$$ to $ $$$ to $

7 S G R G T D S P C Bikeway Options (continued) Off-road Multi-use Trail hard-surfaced trail that does not run parallel to the road xamples are trails that run through parks, along the waterfront, through utility or former rail corridor The width must match the level of use and type of users Feels safe (away from motor vehicle traffic) Great for recreation or learning to ride a bike Trail width must match the level of use and the types of users Must include appropriate designs for road crossings Cyclists must be cautious of meandering pedestrians and dogs Different users at different speeds and with different abilities may not mix well together Less practical for commuting depending on location, connections, width and type and volume of users $$$ More difficult to maintain (separate equipment and crew from road maintenance) and may not be maintained all year Boulevard Multi-use Trail Trail built along parallel to the roadway, in the boulevard ppropriate when there are limited driveways and side street intersections Feels safe (away from motor vehicle traffic) High risk of not being seen by turning motorists at driveways and intersections Different users at different speeds and with different abilities may not mix well together (example: cyclists must be cautious of meandering pedestrians and dogs) Less practical for commuting depending on location, connections, width and type and volume of users More difficult to maintain (separate equipment and crew from road maintenance) and may not be maintained all year Segregated Bicycle Lane or Cycle Tracks Separate lane for cyclists with more than an painted line separating it from motor vehicle traffic ppropriate for busier urban streets where cyclists are anticipated (examples: urban cores, transit corridors) asier to include in new roadway designs Can make easy, convenient and comfortable connections Motorists don t have to think about how much space to give cyclists when passing Positive separation makes them more comfortable than bike lanes, addressing the perception of safety Requires more road space than bike lanes, making it more difficult and expensive for retrofitting and widening existing roads Intersections and bus stops can be challenging to design $$ Page 7 $$$

8 XPRINCD CONFIDNT YOUTH PRNTS N Matchmaker: Which cyclists The type of bikeway selected depends on the type of road, the destinations we want to connect to, and the kind of cyclists we are hoping to attract. These two pages match bikeways with cyclists and are intended to be used for discussion, not the final word. Other factors will also influence what type of bikeway is implemented where. 1 Learning to ride 1B Riding with my family 1C Youth 1D Recreation and leisure 2 Short trips with purpose 3 Sport or fitness 3B Routine and fair weather 3C Touring 4 Dedicated ll year s often as possible Page 8

9 Cycle Tracks Boulevard Trails along roads Multi-use Trails in parks, open space, etc. Buffered Bike Lanes Bike Lanes Paved Shoulders Sharrows Bicycle Boulevards Segregated Space Separate Space Shared Space Sidewalks Other want to ride on these bikeways? 2 if a critical link 1 if designed well 4 if designed well and direct 2 if low speeds 3 3C 3 if designed well 4 if designed well and direct Page 9