Cambridge was the first U.S. city to make protected Boston bike lanes. MandatoryBoston bicycle lanes are 4 to 6 feet wide and along a curb or next to car parking. After that there are a host of option sets throughout Great Boston cycling. For more information check out The Boston Cyclists Union.
30,000 bike trips per day in Boston
2.4% of people who work in Boston bike in
14% yearly reduction in the odds of cycling injuries
Buffered bike lanes
Boston bike lanes are suppose to provide more space for people biking and the folks driving and/or parked. Buffers are between 1 to 2 feet wide, can be found on one or both sides of the bicycle lane.
Buffered lanes are adjacent to parking.
Separated bike lanes
“Similar to buffered bike lanes they provide more space between people bicycling and those driving or parking cars, but separated bike lanes also provide vertical separation between people on bikes and people in cars.” https://www.boston.gov/departments/boston-bikes/better-bike-lanes
- Why Choose Separated Bike Lanes?
- Implementing Separated Bike Lanes Using a Flexible Approach
- Separated Bike Lanes and Connected Low-Stress Bicycle Networks
- Safety Context
- Identifying a Successful Location
- Consider: Users of Separated Bike Lanes
- Consider: Connections with Separated Bike Lanes
- Consider: Context of Separated Bike Lanes
- Opportunities for Separated Bike Lane Installation
Parking-protected bike lane
Where there is on-street parking, separated bike lanes between parked cars and curbs can exist. This type of bike lane is a parking-protected bike lane. This placement reduces your risk of crashes from opened car doors. People on bikes don’t need to swerve into the travel lane to avoid cars parked in the bike lane.
Sidewalk-level bike lanes
Designated for use by people riding bikes, these lanes are at the same height as the sidewalk. People should not walk along these lanes, but are able to cross them to access bus stops or parked cars or to cross the street. Bike-riders must yield to pedestrians crossing the bike lane.
Urban Bikeway Design Guide
- Bike Lanes
- Cycle Tracks
- Intersection Treatments
- Bicycle Signals
- Bikeway Signing & Marking
- Bicycle Boulevards
- Designing for All Ages & Abilities
- Don’t Give Up at the Intersection
Primary Routes
Primary routes connect neighborhood centers, regional multi-use paths, ransit hubs, major employment centers, and institutional destinations.
Primary routes:
• Are the “spine” of the network and provide long distance routes across the city.
• Carry the highest volumes of bicyclists.
• Have as much separation from traffic as possible in order to provide a comfortable, low-stress experience that will welcome riders of all ages and abilities.
• Utilize the existing paths along the City’s linear parks and waterways.
• Include all major bridges connecting neighborhoods and adjoining municipalities.
Secondary Routes
Secondary routes stretch into neighborhoods and provide access to local businesses and neighborhood destinations.
Secondary Routes:
• Connect to schools, neighborhood stores, parks, transit hubs, and primary network routes.
• Carry varying volumes of bicyclists depending on the population density and destination.
• Have varying levels of separation from traffic depending upon the context and character of the street.
• Are mainly comprised of bike lanes, contraflow lanes, and priority shared lanes.