Description
Application
Advantages
Disadvantages
Design Considerations
Implementation Challenges
Example Cities

New York, NY	Portland, OR (Brian Roche)	Copenhagen, Denmark

Description
A bicycle exclusive facility that provides physical separation from motorized vehicle traffic within the right of way. Cycle tracks can either incorporate bicycle-only signal phases at intersections (for 100% separation) or utilize “mixing zones” to merge bicycle and motor vehicle traffic. Combines the user experience of a separated path with the on-street infrastructure of a bike lane.

Application

• Wide, high-volume, high-speed roadways that are on major bike routes.
• Roads with infrequent cross streets, curb cuts and long blocks.
• Often (but not always) applied on one-way streets.

Advantages

• Offers greatest degree of separation from automobile traffic on mid-block sections.
• Provides direct bicycle access to Main Street commercial areas.
• Reduces or eliminates risk of “dooring” (vehicle occupants opening their door into the path of an oncoming bicyclist).
• High degree of perceived safety and comfort appeals to a wide range of bicyclists.
• Reduces or eliminates blocking of the bikeway by motor vehicles and the swerving of bicyclists into mixed traffic.

Disadvantages

• Large amount of space required.
• May require removal of travel lane or on‐street parking.
• Left‐turns from a right-aligned cycle track (or right turns from a left-aligned cycle track) must be made in nonstandard manner, potentially resulting in delay.
• Expensive.

Design/Maintenance Considerations

• Separation can be achieved in multiple ways – grade separation, mountable curb, bollards, planters, markings, etc.
• Cycle track width based on bicycle volumes, design speed, and passing opportunities.
• Treatment of crossing driveways & non-signalized streets.
• Use of pavement markings, signage and grade separation to indicate cycle track has the right‐of‐way.
• Signalized intersections can employ the following treatments:
  • “Mixing zones” – Merge to standard bike lane at intersection.
  • Advanced stop bar or bike box.
  • Crossbike marking through the intersection.
  • Exclusive bike signal phase.
• Other considerations: special maintenance and snow removal needs, signage, interactions with transit, ADA requirements, and two-way cycle tracks.
• High-quality sidewalks are necessary to reduce of cycle track encroachment by pedestrians.

Implementation Obstacles

• Difficult to implement where intersections are closely spaced.
• Must have clear separation from pedestrian realm.
• Must address ADA access requirements to sidewalks from on street parking.
• Limited evaluation and research of U.S. examples, no design standards available.

Example Cities

• Cambridge, MA
• New York, NY
• Portland, OR
• San Francisco, CA (pilot)
• St. Petersburg, FL
• Washington, DC
• Multiple cities, Germany
• Copenhagen, Denmark
• Multiple cities, Netherlands

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