New bike lane planning tool
How do planners decide where to put bike lanes? Research and a new software tool may help.
Actual road usage metrics, guidelines from organizations like AASHTO (American Association of State and Highway Transportation Officials) and NACTO (National Association of City Transportation Officials), and public input are among planners’ repertoire of tools.
New research from the University of Waterloo (in Ontario province, Canada) may also assist. The authors suggest that marked bicycle lanes may reassure motorists that they may provide more clearance to people riding bikes than they would otherwise judge on their own. They are working on software that they believe will help planners identify appropriate locations for bike lanes.
