Designing 4 the Bike

positive examples of bicycle friendly roadways

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 freeways?

 

<---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
On one hand this intersection is positive in that the bike lane is clearly marked where the right-turning vehicles cross it.  However the roadway could be improved for safety by painting the bike lane (blue for example) and reducing the radius of the roadway.  The larger the radius, the faster vehicles will travel.
Directional signs informing travelers which exit to take for East or West routes are common automobile roads.  However for planners who view bicycling as strictly recreational, such amenities are often overlooked.  This onramp to the Hawthorne Bridge in Portland is an exception.  Cyclists are clearly informed of the proper route for the direction they are traveling.

Alta Planning 		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 most promising effort which I've found to date is the rails to trails program.  This is an effort to convert unused rail lines into recreational paths.  The resultant trails are not only convenient  routes which are separated from traffic, but actually connect to real destinations.

'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.
Louis Rugger 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.
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