Abstract

In the 1970s, bicycling was a key topic in U.S. transportation planning. It was seen as a clean and efficient mode of transport. However, using bicycles for transportation creates several dilemmas for both riders and planners. One issue is the public’s many misconceptions about bicycling. This includes what skills are required, which places are safe for riding, and the legal rights of bicyclists on public roads.

Professionals have often ignored bicycling, failing to consider riders in roadway design or traffic enforcement. The most useful routes for cycling are often the most challenging, especially for beginners. Also, the bicycle is not a standard design vehicle, so roads are not routinely designed with cyclists in mind. Another problem is that transportation funding focuses on capital spending, not maintenance, which is more important for cyclists. Traffic enforcement is often lax. Finally, designated bicycle facilities can have unintended effects and may not always be useful.

Introduction

Since the 1970s, bicycling has been a major issue in U.S. transportation planning. Everyone supports these vehicles in theory because they are non-polluting and energy-efficient. In practice, however, many objections exist. This is just one of several dilemmas facing bicyclists and planners. Anyone interested in promoting bicycling should be aware of these issues.

1. Perceptions Versus Facts

Common but flawed perceptions about cycling are at the heart of many problems. These include the skills needed, the risks involved, and the legal status of bicyclists on public roads.

Required Skills

Many people think they know how to ride a bike, but they may lack basic bicycling skills. They do not know what they do not know. In the popular imagination, once you learn to balance and steer, you know how to ride. However, bicycling is more like swimming or skiing; some instruction is necessary to be safe. Many people do not realize this and continue to have dangerous habits.

Sources of Danger

Many people fear being hit by a vehicle from behind. This fear leads to a preference for riding on sidewalks or paths. However, collisions from behind are rare. The vast majority of car-bike collisions happen in urban areas and involve turning and crossing movements.

Inexperienced riders are not as afraid of other common dangers. Riding on sidewalks or in the wrong direction places cyclists in positions where they are not expected. A bicyclist riding on the sidewalk may appear to a turning motorist as if they came “from nowhere.” Riding against traffic or on the sidewalk significantly increases accident risk.

Paths and trails have their own dangers. Roadway crossings can be hazardous. Paths may be too narrow for safe riding, and some have sharp curves. Bicycling on unpaved surfaces can also increase the risk of falls.

Legal Road Users

The law in every U.S. state treats bicyclists as drivers of vehicles. They are granted the same rights and responsibilities. The public often believes otherwise. Motorists may feel that bicyclists have no right to be on the road.

Bicyclists often feel they should not block traffic. They may ride too far to the right, despite hazards like road debris and drain grates. This is rooted in the perception that bicyclists are not really drivers. If they were, the basic principle of traffic flow would apply: first-come, first-served.

Laws requiring bicyclists to ride “as far to the right as practicable” can contribute to this confusion. This rule often conflicts with the legal principle that bicyclists are vehicle drivers. It places the burden on the cyclist to justify any movement away from the rightmost edge.

Inherently Dangerous

Another problem is the belief that cycling is inherently dangerous. It can be dangerous, but much more so when traffic rules are ignored. This belief may deter people from cycling. It may also encourage illegal actions toward cyclists. When cyclists are injured, people often think of the inherent risk rather than the errors committed by drivers or cyclists.

2. Professional Neglect

Bicycling has long been neglected by professionals responsible for roadway design and maintenance. This neglect has resulted in two problems: a failure to address cyclist concerns and a lack of quality publications on bicycle transportation. The small community of scholars in this area means that some papers contain misleading or erroneous information.

3. Necessary Routes are Difficult

Cyclists often prefer to avoid heavy traffic. However, in most urban areas, major roads are often the most direct and practical routes for transportation. They are easier to follow and have priority at intersections.

Arterials May Be Unwelcoming

Urban arterials generally have heavy traffic. Road designers often stripe them with many narrow lanes. A standard lane may be too narrow for safe lane sharing. In a narrow lane, a cyclist should ride in the middle to prevent drivers from squeezing by. Although this is legal, it is often resented by motorists.

Improving Arterials is Not Always Feasible

Widening the outside travel lane is an important step to accommodate cycling. This is often difficult in urban areas due to fixed rights-of-way. Removing on-street parking to add width is often met with strong resistance from merchants and residents.

4. Bicycles are Not Design Vehicles

Bicyclists are legally allowed on almost every road in the U.S., but engineers do not use bicycles as a design vehicle. Because it is not a design vehicle, engineers are not required to consider the special needs of bicyclists.

Road Design Deficiencies

Several road design flaws reveal this lack of consideration. Insufficient width for lane sharing is a common problem. Parallel bar drain grates can also be hazardous, as they can catch a bicycle’s front wheel. This sends the rider headfirst onto the pavement. While few jurisdictions are still installing them, many exist on roads today.

Drain Grates

A common design mistake is the use of parallel bar drain grates that can catch a bicycle’s front wheel and send the rider headfirst onto the pavement. The danger of such grates has been known for some time, and it appears that few jurisdictions are currently installing them, except on limited-access roads. However, many still exist on the road.

Traffic Signal Issues

Traffic signals are often not designed with bicyclists in mind. Many signals are actuated by buried loop detectors that are not sensitive to bicycles. This can force cyclists to wait for a signal that will never change. Some signals also do not provide enough green time for bicyclists to cross a multilane intersection safely.

5. Funding Focuses on Capital Spending

The U.S. federal government’s transportation funding largely goes toward construction. It is not for operating expenses like maintenance. This arrangement gives states an incentive to overbuild and undermaintain roads, which can create problems for cyclists.

6. Lack of Enforcement

Many bicyclists ride in a manner that is dangerous or unlawful. However, few law enforcement agencies ticket these violators. Bicyclists are not a high priority for police. Some bicyclists believe they are not subject to traffic laws because they are rarely ticketed.

7. Bicycle Facilities Can Have Unintended Effects

The main goal of many advocates is to build bikeways, which include paths and lanes. While these can improve conditions, their usefulness is limited. If improperly designed, they can be dangerous and worsen bicycling conditions.

Bicycle Paths

The safety hazards of bicycle paths are often related to their width. They can be too narrow for all users. The paths may intersect with roads at odd angles, creating confusion about the right of way. A path next to a roadway, known as a sidepath, is recognized as dangerous. It has many of the same dangers as using a sidewalk. Furthermore, using a path does not build the skills necessary for riding in traffic.

Bicycle Lanes

Bicycle lanes can encourage bicyclists and motorists to disobey the rules of the road. A lane that extends to an intersection encourages bicyclists to stay right. This conflicts with the rule that drivers should merge into the lane position closest to their destination before turning.

8. Who Supports the Education of Cyclists?

Advocates Focus on Facilities over Skills

Bicycle advocates tend to prioritize building facilities over improving the skills of cyclists. A widely cited classification system for cyclists identifies three groups.

The belief is that Group B and C riders will be best served by designated bicycle facilities. This system, however, ignores that some riders lack basic skills even if they ride on the roads. Many Group B riders make errors like ignoring signals or riding against traffic. Even with many designated facilities, these riders will still need to use the current street network. There is no substitute for the basic skills and knowledge needed to ride on ordinary roads. Bicycle paths do not teach these skills. The presence of bike lanes does not replace knowing how to operate in traffic.

This does not mean that no roadway improvements are needed. Increasing road lane width to allow for safe lane sharing can benefit cyclists. So can building wide, well-located recreational paths.

Is There an Audience for Education?

Some believe that changing new riders into skilled ones is an impossible task. However, safe cycling follows the same basic rules as safe motor vehicle operation. This is familiar to most adults. A major skill, checking for traffic by looking over one’s shoulder, is within average capability. More difficult maneuvers, like a left turn on a high-traffic street, can be avoided by making a pedestrian-style left turn.

Obstacles to education are not the material, but popular beliefs that traffic is dangerous, bicyclists do not have to follow laws, and there is nothing to learn about bicycling. People afraid of traffic might take a class to build confidence. It may be harder to reach those who already ride dangerously. For them, traffic enforcement is the way to change their behavior. Offering an education class in place of a fine is one way to reach them.

9. Getting Beyond the Dilemmas

These dilemmas have existed for many years. Bicycle advocates have made some improvements, but few communities have appropriate policies.

Change Public Opinion

A key task for planners is to change public opinion. All road users should know that it is legal to bicycle on the road. Political leaders and celebrities can help legitimize bicycle use. Television can be an effective medium for messages about obeying traffic laws and respecting cyclists’ rights. Instructing police to enforce laws evenly for both cyclists and motorists is a necessary step.

Train Bicyclists

A central activity for safety is to help bicyclists overcome their fear of riding in traffic. This can be done through formal education, group rides, and guidebooks. Formal instruction is available from programs such as the League of American Bicyclists’ Smart Cycling program and the Canadian Cycling Association’s CAN-BIKE program.

Enforce Traffic Laws Evenly

Enforcement of laws for cyclists is necessary for safety. It is impossible to urge cyclists to obey the law if they know police never issue tickets. The most important infractions to enforce are riding the wrong way, lack of lights at night, riding on sidewalks, and disobeying signs. News of enforcement can be used to emphasize both the rights and responsibilities of bicyclists. Increased compliance with traffic law can have a positive effect. While bicyclists should not be ignored for violations, they should not be targeted for special crackdowns. Police training is needed to ensure effective and even-handed enforcement.

Improve Road Design

Many U.S. roads are already safe for cycling. Others are unpleasant even for experienced cyclists. This is especially true for urban arterials. As discussed, widening the outside lane to allow for side-by-side lane sharing will make these roads more hospitable. A bicycle lane stripe could worsen the situation if it encourages improper merges. A bike stencil on a wide lane could encourage without the complications of a full lane. Some jurisdictions have also started posting “Share the Road” signs. While road widening is a better solution for significant traffic, this signage can be an effective and inexpensive solution.