A new study provides more evidence that people on bikes need more of a buffer from drivers in cars than a mere strip of paint can offer.
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.
FULL STORY: Study: Driver Behavior Shows Greater Need for Protected Bike Lanes
Austin Outlaws Blocking Bike Lanes
Drivers who park in bike lanes will receive citations of up to $300.
Nation's Top Safety Board Recommends Protected Bike Lanes
The NTSB chair issued a stark warning on Nov. 5: "If we do not improve roadway infrastructure for bicyclists, bicyclists will die who otherwise would not," stated Robert Sumwalt in introducing their first report in 47 years devoted to bike safety.
Protected Bike Lane Plan Shelved in San Francisco
Bike advocates say a protected bike lane near the downtown Caltrain station can't wait. The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) says the project will have to wait.
The state-sanctioned urbicide of Austin
People don’t kill cities. Freeways do.
US to reduce Colorado River water deliveries to Mexico
A new Colorado Treaty amendment reduces Mexico’s Colorado River water allocation by 250,000 acre feet.
New Jersey’s second-largest city bans standalone data centers
Jersey City will continue to allow co-location facilities, such as those meant for research institutions that store their own data.
Amtrak not solely to blame for New Jersey commuter rail's unreliability, report finds
A new study from the Garden State Initiative found that NJ Transit’s budget grew 20% across a 4 year period, but reliability declined significantly over the same period.
EPA erases limits on planet-warming pollution from power plants
Under Monday’s plan, power plants would still have some limits on how much mercury, arsenic and other contaminants they can emit.
Phoenix announces new on-demand transit service, more frequent RAPID buses
Both new services will launch in October, and are part of Phoenix's Project Effective Access Solutions for Easing Congestion.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association