Bike path

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The Elliott Bay Trail in Seattle, Washington, USA. Rail-and-trail paved path seattle longtail cargo bike family.jpg
The Elliott Bay Trail in Seattle, Washington, USA.

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.

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Bike paths with independent rights-of-way

Bike paths that follow independent rights-of-way are often used to promote recreational cycling. In Northern European countries, cycling tourism represents a significant proportion of overall tourist activity. Extensive interurban bike path networks can be found in countries such as Denmark or the Netherlands, which has had a national system of cycle routes since 1993. These networks may use routes dedicated exclusively to cycle traffic or minor rural roads whose use is otherwise restricted to local motor traffic and agricultural machinery.

This Fietspad or Bicycle Path is in the Netherlands safely linking housing. Fietspad PeeWee32.jpg
This Fietspad or Bicycle Path is in the Netherlands safely linking housing.
A stretch of Ciclovia Adriatica, in Italy Ciclovia Adriatica ad Alba Adriatica (Teramo).JPG
A stretch of Ciclovia Adriatica, in Italy

The Fietspad or Bicycle Path in the Netherlands is logically constructed to link shops, housing, stations, schools, workplaces for everyday cycling. The more sensible approach is based on efforts to increase utility cycling. In countries like Denmark, the Netherlands and Germany the high levels of utility cycling also includes shopping trips e.g. by 2007 9% of all shopping trips in Germany were by bicycle. [1]

Bike path transitioned from outdoor to indoor at Funan Mall in Singapore Bike path transitioned from outdoor to indoor at Funan Mall in Singapore.jpg
Bike path transitioned from outdoor to indoor at Funan Mall in Singapore
Bike loop in Arcovia City Bike loop1.jpg
Bike loop in Arcovia City

Although it is unusual, to connect people to places, bike paths may be extended into indoor spaces. An example is the indoor bike path at Funan Mall in Singapore that is extended from a shared-use biking and walking path along North Bridge Road. [2]

The UK has recently implemented the National Cycle Network.[ citation needed ]

Where available, these routes are often rail trails making use of abandoned railway corridors. A prominent example in the UK is the Bristol & Bath Railway Path, a 21-kilometre (13 mi) path for walkers and cyclists [3] that is part of National Cycle Route 4. Other UK examples include The Ebury Way Cycle Path, The Alban Way, the Hillend Loch Railway Path and the Nicky Line. In 2003 the longest continuous bike path in Europe was opened, along the Albacete-Valdeganga highway in Spain, a distance of 22 kilometres (14 mi). [4] Bogota's Bike Paths Network (Ciclorutas de Bogotá in Spanish), designed and built during the administration of Mayor Enrique Peñalosa attracts significant recreational use. Numerous cycle links between regions are being developed in Italy. The most important is the Ciclovia Adriatica, partially completed which extends, at times, from Trieste to Santa Maria di Leuca. [5]

The relative safety of bike paths that follow independent rights-of-way closed to motorized traffic is difficult to assess. In terms of car/bicycle collisions, this is clearly mediated by how the bike path network rejoins the main road network. In the English town of Milton Keynes, a study showed that cyclists using the off-road Milton Keynes redway system had on a per journey basis a significantly higher rate of fatal car-bicycle collisions at path/roadway crossings than cyclists on ordinary roads. [6] This safety can be altered substantially by design. For example, the Dutch Simultaneous Green Junction design has a nearly flawless record when it comes to accommodating cyclists at traffic light junctions. [7]

Shared use path

Bike paths help combat climate change, and a third of European Union citizens interviewed for the European Investment Bank climate survey want more because of this, with highest support in Estonia, Slovakia and Poland. A third of EU citizens want bike paths built to help combat climate change, especially in Estonia, Slovakia and Poland.-prioritised to fight climate change..svg
Bike paths help combat climate change, and a third of European Union citizens interviewed for the European Investment Bank climate survey want more because of this, with highest support in Estonia, Slovakia and Poland.

In many jurisdictions bike paths are shared with pedestrians, but there is a wide variety of quality in helping to minimize cyclist-pedestrian conflicts.

Pop-up bike paths

Pop-up bike paths are created rapidly in response to unforeseen events, usually with short timescales between their inception and implementation. The creation of pop-up bike paths typically involves "reallocating road space to better enable this shift and make it safer for people who choose to walk, cycle or wheel for essential trips or for exercise". [9]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sustrans</span> British walking and cycling charity

Sustrans is a United Kingdom-based walking, wheeling and cycling charity, and the custodian of the National Cycle Network.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bike lane</span> Road traffic lane for cyclists

Bike lanes (US) or cycle lanes (UK) are types of bikeways (cycleways) with lanes on the roadway for cyclists only. In the United Kingdom, an on-road cycle-lane can be firmly restricted to cycles or advisory. In the United States, a designated bicycle lane or class II bikeway (Caltrans) is always marked by a solid white stripe on the pavement and is for 'preferential use' by bicyclists. There is also a class III bicycle route, which has roadside signs suggesting a route for cyclists, and urging sharing the road. A class IV separated bike way (Caltrans) is a bike lane that is physically separate from motor traffic and restricted to bicyclists only.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vehicular cycling</span> Practice of riding bicycles on roads while obeying roadway rules

Vehicular cycling is the practice of riding bicycles on roads in a manner that is in accordance with the principles for driving in traffic, and in a way that places responsibility for safety on the individual.

<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">Milton Keynes redway system</span> Shared path network in Milton Keynes, England

The Milton Keynes redway system is an over 200 miles network of shared use paths for cyclists and pedestrians in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England. It is generally surfaced with red tarmac, and criss-crosses most of the city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Subway (underpass)</span> Underpass for pedestrians and cycles

A subway, also known as an underpass, is a grade-separated pedestrian crossing which crosses underneath a road or railway in order to entirely separate pedestrians and cyclists from motor or train traffic.

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

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">Cycle track</span> Cycleway between a road and sidewalk, protected by barriers

A cycle track or cycleway (British) or bikeway, sometimes historically referred to as a sidepath, is a separate route for cycles and not motor vehicles. In some cases cycle tracks are also used by other users such as pedestrians and horse riders. A cycle track can be next to a normal road, and can either be a shared route with pedestrians or be made distinct from both the pavement and general roadway by vertical barriers or elevation differences.

<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">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">Safety of cycling infrastructure</span> Overview of bicycle safety concerns

There is debate over the safety implications of cycling infrastructure. Recent studies generally affirm that segregated cycle tracks have a better safety record between intersections than cycling on major roads in traffic. Furthermore, cycling infrastructure tends to lead to more people cycling. A higher modal share of people cycling is correlated with lower incidences of cyclist fatalities, leading to a "safety in numbers" effect though some contributors caution against this hypothesis. On the contrary, older studies tended to come to negative conclusions about mid-block cycle track safety.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bikeway controversies</span>

Controversies have surrounded dedicated cycling routes in cities. Some critics of bikeways argue that the focus should instead be placed on educating cyclists in road safety, and others that safety is better served by using the road space for parking. There is debate over whether cycle tracks are an effective factor to encourage cycling or whether other factors are at play.

The Vancouver Greenway Network is a collection of greenways across Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Greenways are streets where pedestrians and cyclists are prioritized over motorized vehicles, through structures such as road closures and road diverters to prevent or limit motor vehicle traffic, widened sidewalk-promenades, narrowed road space, speed restrictions, bike lanes, raised sidewalks and speed bumps. The City of Vancouver hopes to create and maintain the trend of constructing new greenways to establish a network where, potentially, every citizen could access a city greenway within a 25-minute walking or a 10-minute cycling distance of their home.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bicycle highway</span> Transport infrastructure

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 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cycling in Halifax, Nova Scotia</span> Cycling infrastructure in Halifax, Nova Scotia

Cycling infrastructure in the Canadian city of Halifax, Nova Scotia includes most regular streets and roads, bike lanes, protected cycle tracks, local street bikeways, and multi-use pathways.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cycling tunnel</span> Tunnel designed specifically for cyclists, and can be an essential part of cycling infrastructure

A cycling tunnel or bicycle tunnel is a tunnel designed specifically for cyclists, and can be an essential part of cycling infrastructure. Due to speed differences, it is desirable that cyclists are separated from faster-moving traffic such as motor vehicles and slower moving traffic such as pedestrians. To make users feel safe, tunnels should also have an open design and good lighting, It can also be beneficial to have an artificial horizon by designing one-third of the tunnel situated above ground level, and natural lighting at the ends of the tunnel. Some tunnels are also ornamented with street art.

References

  1. "Shopping by bike". Bund für Umwelt und Naturschutz Deutschland . Archived from the original on 2020-12-07.
  2. Ng, Michelle (21 May 2019). "First-of-its-kind indoor cycling path in revamped Funan allows cyclists to ride through mall". The Straits Times. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  3. "Bristol & Bath Railway Path". Bristol & Bath Railway Path. Retrieved 30 March 2017. Managed by the Avon Frome Partnership, the Bristol & Bath Railway Path is a 13 mile off-road route between Bristol and Bath. The path is open to walkers and cyclists and access is provided for disabled users.
  4. "Inaugurado el carril-bici más grande de Europa". Archived from the original on 2003-04-26.
  5. "BI6 - Ciclovia Adriatica". Bicitalia (in Italian). Retrieved 2024-07-05.
  6. Franklin, John (July–August 1999). "Two decades of the Redway cycle paths in Milton Keynes". www.cyclecraft.co.uk. Traffic Engineering + Control. Retrieved 2024-07-05.
  7. "The best traffic light solution for cyclists. Simultaneous Green scales to almost any size of junction. Safe, convenient".
  8. IPCC: Climate Change 2022, Mitigation of Climate Change, Summary for Policymakers (PDF). ipecac.ch (Report). Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. 4 April 2022. Retrieved 2004-04-22.
  9. "£10 million to support pop-up active travel infrastructure".

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