Bicycle friendly roadways across the country.

Leave it to the Europeans to create an efficient use of public space. This innovative bikerack demonstrates how many bikes can be parked in the same area consumed by a single car.

Portland leads the country in road-improvements which benefit the public rather than merely the automobile. In this case a traffic island was installed with a turn lane specifically for cyclists. The island provides a safe haven for people turning left.

An amazing piece of infrastructure, this intersection at the end of River Road south of Portland, OR shows how roads can be designed to ensure that there is no conflict between bicyclists and cars making right turns.

This improvement to the bike path is the most courteous piece of infrastructure I have documented to date.In order to avoid dangerous situations which arise when automobiles merge from the right side of the bike lane, this Portland bike lane is stretched around the onramp to separate bike traffic from merging auto traffic.

What makes bicycle infrastructure so much easier to create than highways?

<---Low Overhead.

In the auto-dependant city of angels lies a little-known treasure. A 20 mile nearly uninterrupted recreational path that stretches from Palos Verdes to Topanga Canyon.The views are spectacular and a dip in the ocean is only a few feet away.

When I first moved to New York, this narrow strip bordering the West Side highway held nothing more than a dirt path. Through the valiant efforts of the New York State Parks Department, Transportation Alternatives, and forward thinking politicians this urban space has become one of New York's most popular recreational spots.

Portland has led the way on street safety for many years. Blue bike lanes are just one innovation which has kept Portland ahead of the curve. This highly visible road treatment makes auto drivers aware that they are crossing a vehicle lane which may contain a cyclist.

Speaking of colored bike lanes, Portland has pushed the envelope so far that they have created a new standard for roadway designations. There was much deliberation on the color which should be used for bike lanes. Blue was chosen because of public support and issues with using red. However since 1997 when blue lanes were installed, the federal guidelines have changed and blue has been designated for handicapped parking. Therefore the new bike boxes which were recently installed in Portland were painted green which will become the new federal standard.

Directional signs informing travelers which exit to take for East or West routes are common for automobile roads. However for planners who view bicycling as strictly recreational, such amenities are often overlooked. This sign informs users of which ramp to take depending on whether they are headed eastbound or westbound.

Alta Planning researched and recommended standards for roadway symbols which clearly state shared lanes. The study documented drastically reduced incidences of motor vehicles passing dangerously close as well as of bicyclists riding illegally.

The Rails to Trails program is an amazing and popular method of both preserving rail rights-of-way and creating highly useful transportation corridors. The unused rail corridors become blossoming public spaces where people can jog, ride bikes, or just connect with the outdoors..

'Right turn only, except bicycles'

Very few politicians have the courage to create infrastructure designed to limit the speed of cars. However in Portland there are an ever increasing number of streets designed for the safety of the individual rather than the convenience of the minivan.

What has been minimally addressed by politicians, may become important through citizens' action. Such is the reasoning behind a brilliant public relations campaign funded in part by the EPA and local groups such as Bicycle Habitat.

Bicyclists who drive like a vehicle find themselves feeling like 2nd class citizens when they see the traffic lights passing them by simply because a bicycle doesn't have enough metal to trigger the embedded road signal. Portland has addressed this issue by installing smaller metal detectors and marking the most sensitive portion.

Lois Hankins has created a hardware store which looks more like a flower shop. By removing the parking lot and planting it with shrubs, this store makes a prominent statement in favor of pedestrian/bicycle access.


Hankins Hardware

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