What is the purpose of a bike lane?

In my opinion, it is to increase the safety, and (just as importantly) the perceived safety of a cycling route.  The biggest benefit of a bike lane is that it makes people feel safe enough to cycle on a route that they would otherwise avoid.  If a bike lane makes people feel safe, it’s likely to lead to increased cycling in a community.  If not, it’s unlikely to do much of anything.

There are basically 2 types of bike lanes.

1. Those that physically separate the cyclist from traffic, and often include a curb or other physical barrier (aka a cycle track)

Image via BostonBikes.org.

2. Those that are simply a line painted on the side of the road, indicating that the shoulder is meant for cyclists

Image via BostonBikes.org.

In the past year I’ve noticed more and more bike lanes painted on the road shoulder.  I can see the appeal for cities – there is basically no cost beyond some white paint.  But as I’ve ridden in these bike lanes I’ve come to worry that they don’t actually improve the safety/perceived safety of a bike route.  In my opinion, they sometimes make cycling routes less safe than simply having an unpainted shoulder.

Below are a few examples of the problems I’ ve noticed with painted bike lanes.  These are mostly pictures I’ve taken in and around my hometown, although I’ve seen the same problems in many other cities.

Problem 1: Lanes are too narrow

One problem that I’ve observed in multiple cities, is that these painted bike lanes are of varying sizes and shapes.  Essentially, they take up whatever space was left over once the car lanes are accounted for (which I think underscores their perceived importance).  This can lead to odd scenarios like the above, where a bike lane abruptly loses 2/3 of it’s size without warning.  I’ve been in several bike lanes recently that are as narrow as a person on a bike (my son’s bike trailer is wider than the lane itself).  I don’t know what possible purpose a bike lane can serve when it is physically too narrow for a bike to safely ride in.

Problem 2: Bike lanes filled with manholes

This is an issue that is rampant in the bike lanes in and around my hometown.  The bike lanes often have deep manholes, sewer grates (sometimes facing the wrong way, meaning that a narrow bike tire can fit perfectly within them).  This isn’t a huge problem when the bike lane is wide enough, but it’s a huge problem when the bike lane narrows to only a couple feet wide.  I’ve ridden in bike lanes where the manhole took the entire bike lane.  This forces the rider to swerve into traffic, completely defeating the purpose of the bike lane, and making a dangerous situation for both cyclists and drivers.  In cold climates, bike lanes often fill up with sand, snow and/or gravel, adding another challenge to riding in them safely.

Problem 3: People park in the bike lane

This is a problem that happens in cities both big and small (check out the great video below for examples from New York).  If cars can park in a bike lane, it’s not a bike lane. It’s just the side of the road.

Problem 4: The lanes disappear at random (especially near intersections)

This is a problem mostly in small towns, especially around intersections  The bike lane will end just before an intersection – the one location where a bike lane is most important.  One of the most dangerous situations for a cyclist is when a car pulls ahead of you, only to immediately make a right-hand turn (the opposite would be true in countries that drive on the left).  Bike lanes should help to prevent that from happening.  I understand the logic of these disappearing bike lanes – they need the extra space for the left-turn lanes.  But this also makes it clear that the roads are really for cars, and that bike lanes are a luxury reserved for when the road happens to be wide enough.

Another odd example of a disappearing bike lane can be found in the below tweet.

Shortest bike lane ever. Amazing. pic.twitter.com/nTUusAiBzr

— Justin S (@urban_future) December 9, 2014

5.  Bike lanes on very busy roads

This is another problem I’ve noticed mostly in smaller cities. A town will paint a bike lane on a busy street, to help make it safer to bike there.  However, painted bike lanes don’t really make you feel all that safe, especially when you combine the above problems with heavy traffic.  In these situations, a separated bike lane would make a lot of sense.

What’s the solution?

In my mind, the clear solution is separated bike lanes (which I know is a long shot in most small towns). How to fit a separated bike lane on a busy street?  It turns out there are a lot of ways! Check out the video below, which outlines various options – my favourite option is to take oversized 12′ car lanes, and shrink them to 10′ lanes.  This has the added benefit of forcing cars to drive closer to the speed limit and improves safety,  without having a big impact on travel times.

Featured image via @urban_future.