Bike Treatments - Transit

Bicyclists and transit often use the same travel corridors; therefore, it is important to ensure bicyclists and transit vehicles integrate safely and efficiently by providing bicyclists safe and accessible routes. Strategies such as floating bus islands, left-side bike lanes, and shared bus-bike lanes are strategies that can be implemented to eliminate or reduce the conflict zones between buses and bicycles.

Source: NACTO, Transit Street Design Guide

DESIGN FEATURES

Floating Bus Islands Where feasible, bike lanes should be routed behind bus stops by constructing a floating Bus Island, a dedicated waiting area that improves accessibility for transit passengers and bicyclists by creating an area separated from the sidewalk by a bike path or bike lane. This design may be used at locations where the transit vehicle may stop in a travel lane. Separating bicycles from bus flow also eliminates “leapfrogging” which improves bicyclist comfort and bus operating speeds.

Bike lanes located on the left side of the street minimize bicycle-transit conflicts. Conventional bike lane design guidelines apply to this treatment. Signage should accompany left-side bicycle lanes to clarify proper use by bicyclists to reduce wrong-way riding. A “Yield to Bikes” sign should be installed in advance of and in conjunction with a left turn lane to reinforce that bicyclists have the right-of-way going through the intersection.

The loading area is typically 8’ wide by 5’ long at a minimum. The loading area must at least span the length of the front door and rear door of a typical bus, but may be longer at high capacity stations to accommodate people waiting.

Bus Islands must be designed to a height that permits accessible boarding

The bike facility may be at street level or raised to sidewalk level. If raised, there should be some delineation such as pavement markings or paving materials to differentiate the two spaces.

Pedestrian crossings should be provided in the bike lane with yield lines to indicate bicyclist must yield to pedestrians.

Shelters should be located at least 10’ from crosswalks over the bike lane to allow visibility between people on bicycles and people exiting the island. Left-Side Bike Lanes Left-Side Bike Lanes are typically installed on one-way streets or two-way median divided streets that have frequent bus stops or truck loading zones on the right side.

Source: NACTO, Transit Street Design Guide

DESIGN FEATURES (CONTINUED)

Shared Bus-Bicycle Lanes Shared Bus-Bike Lanes can accommodate both bicyclists and buses on low speed streets with moderate bus headways. On streets without dedicated bicycle infrastructure, curbside bus lanes may be appropriate for bicycle traffic.

Pavement markings should include a solid white line and BIKE BUS ONLY marking.

Buses must operate on the right side of the lane and pull to the curb at stops when possible.

Install signs permitting buses and bicycles and excluding other traffic

Typical width of a shared bus-bike lane is 11’ for offset lanes, and 12’ for curbside lanes.

Sharrow pavement markings should be placed in the center or left side of the lane.

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

Floating Bus Islands are the preferred treatment for bus and bike lane conflict zones, however, constrained roadway widths will not always be able to accommodate this treatment.

Consider Left-Side Bike Lanes on one-way streets with high parking turnover, rush hour parking restrictions, high volume of right turn movements, or on streets where traffic enters into an add lane on the right-hand side, as from a freeway off-ramp.

Colored pavement may be used along the facility to draw attention to the unique function of the lane, or within conflict areas for increased visibility of bicyclists. REFERENCES

NACTO, Urban Bikeway Design Guide NACTO, Transit Street Design Guide FHWA, Separated Bike Lane Better Market Street SF, Best Practices – Transit and Bicycle Integration MassDOT, Separated Bike Lane Planning & Design Guide