Low cost infrastructure solutions for bicycle safety

Cycling is an important mode of travel for work, education, and other trips, and is a viable alternative to car travel especially for shorter trips. However, cycling is perceived to be a less safe mode. Cyclists are vulnerable road users and don't feel secure in the company of faster motorised modes. In this paper, safety measures are examined for cyclists by presenting low cost infrastructure solutions. This paper describes four sets of solutions. The first solution set deals with the provision of basic infrastructure for cyclists which should conform to the Austroads guidelines with proper attention to cyclists' space, surface quality, continuous routes and proper management of shared parking lanes. The second set of solutions is based on the concept of Bicycle Compatibility Index (BCI). This is a level-of-service concept developed by the U.S. Federal Highway Administration and is an index of the cyclists' comfort level. Instruments for improving BCI include parking controls, widening of bicycle lane or paved shoulder, and speed management. The third set recommends the choice of special intersection treatments. A world-wide review of treatments has been undertaken and a spectrum of safety measures including dashed bike lanes, coloured blue bike lanes, raised and painted bicycle crossings, profiled pavement marking, advanced stopped lines, signal phase design, roundabout design etc. have been examined with a view to developing an inventory of possible strategies for improving bicycle safety. Finally, a proposal to undertake a comprehensive study on modelling the comfort level of cyclists at roundabouts and intersections is also presented. This research would enable the evaluation of a variety of geometric and operational characteristics at intersections and roundabouts with a view to prescribing low cost solutions for improving intersection safety