A bicycle crossing or cyclist crossing, is a part of a road used by cyclists to cross a roadway or cycle path. It is the cyclist's version of a pedestrian crossing, where cyclists have the right of way and therefore, other traffic must give way to cyclists.
A study found that cyclist crossings with pronounced designs and an increasing rider's view into junctions (for example, by intersection daylighting), can help reduce accidents. [1]
Several types of cyclist crossings exist.
In Sweden, bicycle crossings (Swedish: cykelöverfart) [2] [3] were introduced in 2014, and must be designed so that motor vehicles cannot pass at a speed greater than 30 km/h. The crossing is marked with white squares in the roadway (road marking M16), while cars have yield markings and signs indicating a bicycle crossing.
A "bicycle passage" [4] [5] (Swedish: cykelpassage) is an older type of crossing for cyclists in Sweden. It is also marked with painted white squares in the area (road marking M16), but here cyclists generally must yield to crossing vehicles. [6] A bicycle passage can be combined with a pedestrian crossing, in which case one row of squares can be replaced by the lines of the crossing (road marking M15, rectangular squares for pedestrians), but cyclists still have to yield for vehicles. Even though vehicles have the right of way, they must still adjust their speed for cyclists who are already in the crossing to avoid danger. [7] The cyclist must slow down and may only cycle across if it can be done without danger.
Since both bicycle crossings and bicycle passages are very similar to each other, as well as there being large variations in their designs in Sweden, they can create uncertainty for road users about which rules apply at any given time, which can lead to misinterpretations of traffic rules and an increased risk of accidents. [8]
| In-roadway bikeways |
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| Right-of-way paths |
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| Health, safety and infrastructure |
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| Design guidelines |
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