Bicycle highway

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The bicycle highway F35 in Enschede, Netherlands. Fietssnelweg F35 at Go Planet.jpg
The bicycle highway F35 in Enschede, Netherlands.

A bicycle highway, also known as a cycling superhighway, fast cycle route or bike freeway, is an informal name for a bicycle path that is meant for long-distance traffic. There is no official definition of a bicycle highway. The characteristics of a cycling highway mentioned by authorities and traffic experts include an absence of single-level intersections with motorized traffic, a better road surface (preferably asphalt or concrete) and the absence of traffic lights. Bicycle highways are mentioned in connection with traffic jam. Owing to higher average speeds than normal cycling infrastructure, they provide an alternative to the car in commuter traffic. Often a cycling highway follows the route of a railway or other linear infrastructure. [1]

Contents

Definition

Traffic sign for ,,Radschnellweg" in Germany since 2020 Zeichen 350.1 - Radschnellweg; StVO 2020.svg
Traffic sign for „Radschnellweg“ in Germany since 2020

Netherlands

In the Netherlands the bicycle highway is not defined in the RVV (Dutch : Reglement verkeersregels en verkeerstekens). However, there is a guideline for developing bicycle highways. The Dutch Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management describes the bicycle highway as a long cycle path without crossings, on which cyclists can travel long distances. By building bicycle highways, the government hopes, among other things, to promote the use of bicycles for commuter traffic and thus prevent traffic jams.

In the Netherlands, the following people can use a bike freeway:

Belgium

In Belgium this type of cycle path is not mentioned in the Road Code. In Flanders, the provincial governments and the Flemish Region take the initiative for the construction of bicycle highways. At the Flemish regional level there are no guidelines on the design of cycle highways, only on 'normal' cycle paths. In practice, there are differences between the provinces. This is because the authorized Flemish departments (MOW, Department of Policy) and agencies (AWV) are organized per province, which results in different emphasis per region, and are under the jurisdiction of the provincial governments. They are called a bicycle highway because of the route signaling. The Flemish and Brussels bicycle highways are numbered and indicated as such.

There is no maximum speed (for cyclists), unless indicated otherwise.

Features

Elevated bikeway 3D sketch Elevated bikeway.webp
Elevated bikeway 3D sketch

Cost of construction

The cost of building a bicycle super highway depends on many things, but is usually between €300.000/km (for a wide dedicated cycle track) and €800.000/km (when complex civil engineering structures are needed). [2]

Technical parameters

In the Netherlands, the minimum desired width of the bicycle lane is 2.00 meters on the bicycle highway. The absolute minimum width of the bicycle lane is 1.50 meters.

In Flanders region of Belgium, the minimum width of new bicycle highways is 4.00 meters, allowing for bidirectional traffic with up to 4 cyclists side by side. This is one meter wider than the minimum width of new ordinary bidirectional cycleways.

In Poland, the Ministry of Infrastructure recommends that bicycle highways should be at least 4.00 meters wide (3.00 meters for one-way highways), while lane width should be at least 1.75 meters. The typical distance between the bicycle highway and footway clearances should be 3.00 meters. The recommended design speed is 40 km/h. [3]

Bike freeways by country

Belgium

The bicycle highway network of the Flemish and Brussels regions are managed by a consortium made up of the five Flemish Provinces and the Brussels-Capital Region. In Flanders, all routes are indicated with a number starting with an F, going from F1 to F791. The 'F' refers to Dutch : Fietssnelweg, lit. 'Bicycle highway'. In the Brussels-Capital Region, the 'F' is replaced by a 'C', with the route's numbering staying identical. Both regions use the same signage and signposts made up of a stylised light blue triangle; only the 'F' letter becoming a 'C' in Brussels territory.

Brussels-Capital Region

The bike freeways within Brussels are connected to the Flemish network and are identified through a number starting with C (for cyclostrade, a neologism compatible with both Dutch and French), going from C1 to C223, the numbers being identical to the Flemish pathways starting with F.

Furthermore, in and around the Brussels Region, four circular bike freeways: CR0, CR1, CR2 and CR20 loop around the city. The CR0 and CR20 numbering is related to the ring way next to which they were built: R0 for the Brussels Ring, R20 for the Small Ring.

Flemish Region

Map of Flemish cycle highways, some protruding to Brussels and Wallonia. Fietssnelwegen van Vlaanderen.svg
Map of Flemish cycle highways, some protruding to Brussels and Wallonia.

Within Flanders, a network of bike freeways, consisting of around 120 routes, is being rolled out, connecting all Flemish cities. All routes are indicated with a number starting with an F, going from F1 to F791.

The whole network will consist of 2700 km bike freeways, [4] connecting all Flemish cities. As of 2018, around 1500 km was completed. Most Flemish cities are therefore already connected by bike freeways or a temporary alternative. It's therefore possible to travel around the whole Flemish region by bike from city to city with a nearly absence (or at least minimum) of single-level intersections with motorized traffic ("without a single stop"). Ghent is for example connected by bike freeways to almost all neighbouring Flemish cities (Bruges, Deinze, Kortrijk, Roeselare, Oudenaarde, Antwerp,...).

As of 2022, 38 projects for constructions of parts of these cycle highways were under construction. 50 projects were in preparation. 8000 cyclists per hour were counted at some places. [4]

Many bike freeways are purpose-built, with dedicated bicycle bridges and intersections or at least (two-way) bicycle paths. Many purpose-built bike freeways follow the route of the railway system. However, many existing towpaths along rivers and canals have also been integrated within this network of bike freeways as they often responded to the minimum requirements with only minor adaptations.

Wallonia

Since the end of the 1980s, Wallonia has been developing an extended network of over 1,440 km (890 mi) of separated and long-distance pathways connecting all major cities and secondary municipalities through its RAVeL network. Therefore, the region is not implementing additional bike freeways, even though the RAVeL network is generally also open to pedestrians and sometimes horse riders, and the speed is limited to 30 km/h.

Netherlands

The first Dutch route opened in 2004 between Breda and Etten-Leur; many others have been added since then. [5] In 2017 several bicycle superhighways were opened in the Arnhem-Nijmegen region, with the RijnWaalpad as the best example of this new type of cycling infrastructure.

Denmark

In Denmark there exists a network of long-distance and high-speed cycle paths connecting the suburban areas of Copenhagen with the city core. There are eight routes in operation in September 2018. There are plans of building 45 routes with a total length of 476 km by 2021 in the cities and municipalities of the Capitol Region of Denmark. [6]

The first Danish route, C99, opened in 2012 between Vesterport railway station in Vesterbro, Copenhagen and Albertslund, a western suburb. The route cost 13.4 million DKK (approx. 1.8M EUR) and is 17.5 km long, built with few stops and new paths away from traffic. “Service stations” with air pumps are located at regular intervals, and where the route must cross streets, handholds and running boards are provided so cyclists can wait without having to put their feet on the ground. [7] Similar projects have since been built in Germany among other countries.

Germany

A repair station at a bicycle highway in Germany 2019Reparaturstation.jpg
A repair station at a bicycle highway in Germany

There are also bicycle highways and new plans in Germany to build bicycle highways, called Radschnellweg in German.

A 100 km long fast cycle route has been planned between the cities of Duisburg and Hamm, the first parts of which were completed in 2015, this includes a disused railway line.

In addition, there is a plan to connect Aachen via a 30 km-long cycle route with the Dutch town of Heerlen. This route is known as the Radschnellweg StädteRegion Aachen.

Poland

A bicycle highway in Jaworzno. Cycling underpass with 4 lanes under national road DK79 in Jaworzno-Poland.jpg
A bicycle highway in Jaworzno.

The first bicycle highway in Poland was opened in 2018 in the city of Jaworzno, in Katowice urban area, with a length of over 10 km. [8] Metropolis GZM is coordinating a project to construct a 120 km long network of bicycle highways connecting other cities of the urban area, [9] the construction of the network's first 4,4 km long segment began in 2024. [10]

Sweden

Sweden's first bicycle highway was built in the municipality of Örebro in 2012. Bicycle highways was also built in 2018 in Umeå Municipality. [11]

United Kingdom

Cycle Superhighway CS7 start point at Colliers Wood Underground Station Colliers Wood London 2011 07.jpg
Cycle Superhighway CS7 start point at Colliers Wood Underground Station

In London, twelve new bicycle routes, dubbed Cycle Superhighways, were announced in 2008 by Mayor Ken Livingstone, [12] with the aim of creating continuous cycle routes from outer London into and across central London by the end of 2012.

As of May 2016, only seven cycle superhighways were operational: CS1—CS3 and CS5—CS8.

United States

The United States Bicycle Route System (USBRS) is numbering bicycle routes including state bikeways. [13] [14]

One of the United States' first bicycle freeways is a portion of the Midtown Greenway in Minneapolis, Minnesota, completed between 2000 and 2004. [15] For 3 miles, this section travels along a below-grade railroad corridor underneath 35 street bridges in addition to I-35W bridges, a pedestrian bridge, and a skyway. There is one intersection at 5th Ave, but the cross-traffic is required to stop for the bicycle freeway traffic. There's also a streetlight dedicated to bicyclists and pedestrians on the north side of the one-way Park Avenue bridge so that bicycle traffic can cross between the bike lane on the east side of Park Avenue and the ramp for the bike freeway on the west side of Park Avenue. This bicycle freeway cost over $36 million to complete all sections in 2007. [16] Minneapolis also has other bicycle freeways that extend to neighboring suburbs from the Grand Rounds Scenic Byway. [17]

Some bike paths are built alongside a freeway made for automobiles, a notable example being the I-275 Metro Trail, a bike path along Interstate 275 in Monroe, Wayne and Oakland counties in Michigan.

United Arab Emirates

In 2023, plans were unveiled for a 93km cycling highway, a climate-controlled year-round structure designed to promote cycling and walking as a primary mode of transport for people in Dubai. [18] The project called The Loop, will connect 3 million residents to key services and locations within minutes by walking and cycling. [19]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bike path</span> Bikeway separated from motorized traffic

A bike path or a cycle path is a bikeway separated from motorized traffic and dedicated to cycling or shared with pedestrians or other non-motorized users. In the US a bike path sometimes encompasses shared use paths, "multi-use path", or "Class III bikeway" is a paved path that has been designated for use by cyclists outside the right of way of a public road. It may or may not have a center divider or stripe to prevent head-on collisions. In the UK, a shared-use footway or multi-use path is for use by both cyclists and pedestrians.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Non-motorized access on freeways</span>

Non-motorized access on freeways may allow or restrict pedestrians, bicyclists and other non-motorized traffic to use a freeway. Such roads are public ways intended primarily for high-speed travel over long distances, and they have resulted in highways in the United States with engineering features such as long sight-distances, wide marked lanes and the absence of cross traffic. These provide faster and safer travel, at least for vehicles driving at similar speeds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bicycle transportation planning and engineering</span>

Bicycle transportation planning and engineering are the disciplines related to transportation engineering and transportation planning concerning bicycles as a mode of transport and the concomitant study, design and implementation of cycling infrastructure. It includes the study and design of dedicated transport facilities for cyclists as well as mixed-mode environments and how both of these examples can be made to work safely. In jurisdictions such as the United States it is often practiced in conjunction with planning for pedestrians as a part of active transportation planning.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bicycle boulevard</span> Street designed as a bicycle route

A bicycle boulevard, sometimes referred to as a neighborhood greenway, neighborway, neighborhood bikeway or neighborhood byway is a type of bikeway composed of a low-speed street which has been "optimized" for bicycle traffic. Bicycle boulevards discourage cut-through motor-vehicle traffic but may allow local motor-vehicle traffic at low speeds. They are designed to give priority to bicyclists as through-going traffic. They are intended as a low-cost, politically popular way to create a connected network of streets with good bicyclist comfort and/or safety.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transportation in Vancouver</span>

Transportation in Vancouver, British Columbia, has many of the features of modern cities worldwide. Unlike many large metropolises, Vancouver has no freeways into or through the downtown area. A proposed freeway through the downtown was rejected in the 1960s by a coalition of citizens, community leaders and planners. This event "signalled the emergence of a new concept of the urban landscape" and has been a consistent element of the city's planning ever since.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cycling in the Netherlands</span>

Cycling is the second-most common mode of transport in the Netherlands, with 36% of Dutch people listing the bicycle as their most frequent way of getting around on a typical day, as opposed to the car (45%) and public transport (11%). Cycling has a modal share of 27% of all trips nationwide. In cities this is even higher, such as Amsterdam which has 38%, and Zwolle 46%. This high frequency of bicycle travel is enabled by excellent cycling infrastructure such as cycle paths, cycle tracks, protected intersections, ample bicycle parking and by making cycling routes shorter and more direct than car routes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cycling in London</span> Overview of cycling in London, England

Cycling is a popular mode of transport and leisure activity within London, the capital city of the United Kingdom. Following a national decline in the 1960s of levels of utility cycling, cycling as a mode of everyday transport within London began a slow regrowth in the 1970s. This continued until the beginning of the 21st century, when levels began to increase significantly—during the period from 2000 to 2012, the number of daily journeys made by bicycle in Greater London doubled to 580,000. The growth in cycling can partly be attributed to the launch in 2010 by Transport for London (TfL) of a cycle hire system throughout the city's centre. By 2013, the scheme was attracting a monthly ridership of approximately 500,000, peaking at a million rides in July of that year. Health impact analyses have shown that London would benefit more from increased cycling and cycling infrastructure than other European cities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cycling in Toronto</span>

Toronto, Ontario, like many North American cities, has slowly been expanding its purpose-built cycling infrastructure. The number of cyclists in Toronto has been increasing progressively, particularly in the city's downtown core. As cycling conditions improve, a cycling culture has grown and alternatives such as automobiles are seen as less attractive. The politics of providing resources for cyclists, particularly dedicated bike lanes, has been contentious, particularly since the 2010s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Expressway S86 (Poland)</span> Road in Poland

Expressway S86 – built from 1978 to 1986 section of national road 86 with a length of 5.9 kilometres (3.7 mi), connecting Katowice with Sosnowiec. In Katowice the road is a part of Walentego Roździeńskiego Avenue. The route has two carriageways with three lanes on each other.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cycling in Perth</span>

Cycling in Perth, Western Australia is common on the roads and paths for recreation, commuting and sport. Between 1998 and 2009 the number of cyclists in Perth increased 450%.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cycling in Los Angeles</span> Bike usage in Californias most populous city and county

Cycling in Los Angeles accounts for less than one percent (0.6%) of all work commutes. Because of the mild climate, there is little need to carry the variety of clothing that cyclists require in other less temperate climates.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cycling in Copenhagen</span> Means of transportation in Copenhagen, Denmark

Cycling in Copenhagen is – as with most cycling in Denmark – an important mode of transportation and a dominating feature of the cityscape, often noticed by visitors. The city offers a variety of favourable cycling conditions — dense urban proximities, short distances and flat terrain — along with an extensive and well-designed system of cycle tracks. This has earned it a reputation as one of the most bicycle-friendly cities in the world. Every day 1.2 million kilometres are cycled in Copenhagen, with 62% of all citizens commuting to work, school, or university by bicycle; in fact, almost as many people commute by bicycle in greater Copenhagen as do those cycle to work in the entire United States. Cycling is generally perceived as a healthier, more environmentally friendly, cheaper, and often quicker way to get around town than by using an automobile.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transport in Brussels</span> Overview of transportation in the Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium

Brussels has an extensive network of both private or public transportation means. Public transportation includes Brussels buses, trams, and metro, as well as a set of railway lines and railway stations served by public trains. Air transport is available via one of the city's two airports, and boat transport is available via the Port of Brussels. Bicycle-sharing and car-sharing public systems are also available. The city is relatively car-dependent by northern European standards and is considered to be the most congested city in the world according to the INRIX traffic survey.

Cycling in the Australian state of New South Wales is a common form of recreation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cycling in Munich</span>

Cycling accounts for 18% of all traffic in the German city of Munich. This makes Munich the leader in bicycle modal share amongst the large German cities; as a result, Munich named itself Germany's Radlhauptstadt in the summer of 2010. Around 80% of the population of Munich own a bicycle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cycling in Canada</span> Overview of cycling in Canada

Cycling in Canada is experienced in various ways across a geographically huge, economically and socially diverse country. Among the reasons for cycling in Canada are for practical reasons such as commuting to work or school, for sports such as road racing, BMX, mountain bike racing, freestyle BMX, as well as for pure recreation. The amount and quality of bicycle infrastructure varies widely across the country as do the laws pertaining to cyclists such as bicycle helmet laws which can differ by province.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cycling infrastructure</span> Facilities for use by cyclists

Cycling infrastructure is all infrastructure cyclists are allowed to use. Bikeways include bike paths, bike lanes, cycle tracks, rail trails and, where permitted, sidewalks. Roads used by motorists are also cycling infrastructure, except where cyclists are barred such as many freeways/motorways. It includes amenities such as bike racks for parking, shelters, service centers and specialized traffic signs and signals. The more cycling infrastructure, the more people get about by bicycle.

The history of cycling infrastructure starts from shortly after the bike boom of the 1880s when the first short stretches of dedicated bicycle infrastructure were built, through to the rise of the automobile from the mid-20th century onwards and the concomitant decline of cycling as a means of transport, to cycling's comeback from the 1970s onwards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shared-use path</span> Pathway for pedestrians and cyclists

A shared-use path, mixed-use path or multi-use pathway is a path which is "designed to accommodate the movement of pedestrians and cyclists". Examples of shared-use paths include sidewalks designated as shared-use, bridleways and rail trails. A shared-use path typically has a surface that is asphalt, concrete or firmly packed crushed aggregate. Shared-use paths differ from cycle tracks and cycle paths in that shared-use paths are designed to include pedestrians even if the primary anticipated users are cyclists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cycling in the United Kingdom</span>

Cycling in the United Kingdom has a long history, since the earliest days of the bicycle, and after a decline in the mid-20th century has been undergoing a resurgence in recent decades.

References

  1. "Home - Fietssnelwegen". Cycle highways. Retrieved 2022-04-16. Cycle highways are often built along railways, waterways or highways. They are high-quality cycling routes, simple and straightforward, for inter-city cycling trips. A backbone to which other cycle connections connect. A cycle highway comes in many different guises: cycle street, cycle path, towpath, separate cycle lane...
  2. Buekers, J; Dons, E; Elen, B; Int Panis, L (2015). "Health impact model for modal shift from car use to cycling or walking in Flanders: application to two bicycle highways". Journal of Transport and Health. 2 (4): 549–562. doi:10.1016/j.jth.2015.08.003.
  3. Andrzej Brzeziński, Karolina Jesionkiewicz-Niedzińska, Magdalena Rezwow-Mosakowska, Paweł Włodarek (2022-09-19). Wytyczne projektowania infrastruktury dla rowerów. Część 2: Projektowanie dróg dla rowerów, dróg dla pieszych i rowerów oraz pasów i kontrapasów ruchu dla rowerów (Report). Minister Infrastruktury. Retrieved 2024-05-13.{{cite report}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  4. 1 2 "Home - Fietssnelwegen". Cycle highways. Retrieved 2022-04-16. 2700 km cycle highways in Flanders. 8000 cyclists per hour at some counting places. 38 projects under construction. 50 projects in preparation for construction
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  7. "The project | Cykelsuperstier". www.cykelsuperstier.dk. Archived from the original on 17 April 2012. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
  8. Velostrada już działa. To pierwsza w Polsce autostrada dla rowerów
  9. 120 km Velostrad w GZM. Miasta GZM wchodzą w etap realizacji pierwszych czterech dróg
  10. Początek budowy pierwszej velostrady w Katowicach. Połączy Giszowiec z Brynowem
  11. "Cycle superhighway on campus soon reality". www.umu.se. Retrieved 2020-08-06.
  12. Taylor, Matthew (9 February 2008). "City's two-wheel transformation". The Guardian . Retrieved 11 August 2010.
  13. "U.S. Bicycle Route System" . Retrieved 31 May 2022.
  14. "U.S. Bicycle Route System". 12 November 2015. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
  15. "Midtown Greenway Extension Impact Study" (PDF). July 2021. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
  16. "Midtown Greenway" (PDF). Retrieved 31 May 2022.
  17. "Why Minneapolis' beautiful bike freeways are totally the best". 15 October 2014. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
  18. Skirka, Hayley (2023-02-01). "Designs for Dubai's The Loop revealed, a sustainable 93km cycling and wellness highway". The National. Retrieved 2023-12-02.
  19. Salim, Sahim. "93km climate-controlled Dubai highway: How proposed project will connect 3 million residents". Khaleej Times. Retrieved 2023-12-02.