Some people automatically decide biking is not for them because of safety concerns. However, the same people often don’t think twice about the risks of taking a car to go to work, school, or run an errand multiple times a day. Being in a car can be one of the most dangerous actions we do every day. In the best-case biking scenario, you might be able to avoid roads completely and make your trip safer–and more enjoyable–than being in a car.
When we first started biking, we didn’t know much about road design. We thought that if there was a bike lane then it was safe. Now, we know that different infrastructure can be viewed as a safety hierarchy to make decisions when biking. Of course, any time you are faced with a low-safety option, you can consider taking public transportation for all, or portions, of your trip.
Dedicated Bike Trail or Cycle Track: Our favorite! This is the safest type of biking infrastructure where the route is dedicated to bikes without any cars. Bike trails are often in natural settings, either going through a park or lined with trees. Cycle tracks are typically elevated from the road and separate from the sidewalk.
Bike Lane with Slow Road Speed Limit: Great option. Dedicated bike lanes are typically reserved for roads with higher speed limits, but if you can find one on a road with slower speed limit, you’ll get the best of both worlds – quiet and dedicated space.
No Bike Lane with Slow Road Speed Limit: Still a good choice. This is common in neighborhoods and quieter roads parallel to main thoroughfares. The roads have slow speed limits but no bike lane so cars and bikes share a road. This is typically not a problem with limited traffic. Some of these are designated as “greenways” in Portland.
Sidewalks with Various Road Speed Limits: not necessarily a bike-specific infrastructure, but sidewalks are something to consider if your city doesn’t design for bikers and there is low pedestrian traffic on sidewalks.
Protected Bike Lane with Fast Road Speed Limit: Approach this one with caution. On roads with faster speeds, urban designers will typically add a level of protection to bike lines. This can range from plastic wands, concrete curbs or bumps, or additional space next to the bike lanes. Although this design can help with traffic calming, the “protection” can provide a false sense of security–it won’t necessarily stop a car from entering the bike lane.
Bike Lane with Fast Road Speed Limit: Can be risky. Past biking design just added bike lanes to any roads to check the box so to speak. In these cases, cars are riding at fast speeds and very close to bikers. Even if the route seems most direct, we recommend trying to find a quieter road.
No Bike Lane with Fast Road Speed Limit: Avoid–Not recommended in our opinion. Bikers are relying 100% on cars to see them in the lane, go around them, and give space while traveling at a fast speed. This can apply to very large roads or country roads that are popular with recreational long-distance bikers. If you decide to take a road like this, it is recommended to do some upfront research to make sure it is low traffic and high visibility (not too windy or hilly).
Why is bike infrastructure important for safety?
Infrastructure can help reduce the risk of accidents between cars and bikes. When you understand urban design, you can make more informed choices for your safety. Your city might not have any biking infrastructure, or it could be limited. What is the most important is that you don’t just automatically take the same route you would by car but investigate all potential routes and infrastructure before leaving. Even in cities in Portland that have expansive and diverse road design, bikers have been hit by cars when taking bike lanes on a 50mph road when we know that there were other safer options just a couple streets away.
It can take a little bit of a mindset shift not to always take the main road or map recommendation. In future blog posts, we’ll guide you through the process of how we find the most efficient–and safest–bike route.
Leave a Reply