Study: Cars Give Bike Lanes Less Space

Angie Schmitt shares news of a new study that builds the case for protected bike lanes rather than the old-fashioned, painted bike lane.

"The study, published this month in the journal Accident Analysis and Prevention, analyzed the way drivers interact with cyclists on various types of streets," according to Schmitt. "It found that drivers pass cyclists on average about 1.25 feet closer on streets with a painted bike lane and car parking than on streets with no bike infrastructure."

Instead of coming to the conclusion that less bike infrastructure, and more "vehicular cycling" (or riding a bike in the flow of traffic, like a car), the study's researchers suggest more robust infrastructure as the solution to this behavior by automobile drivers.