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Effects of On-Street Bicycle Facility Configuration on Bicyclist and Motorist Behavior (USA)

This research report, published in 2011, examines the safety impacts of design elements, including the type and width of the bicycle facility, the presence of adjacent motor vehicle traffic, parking turnover rate, land use, and the type of motoristbicyclist interaction. Notable results include the observation that bicycle lanes create a safer and more predictable riding environment relative to wide outside lanes, and that the provision of a buffer between parked cars and bicycle lanes is the only reliable method for ensuring that bicyclists do not put themselves at risk of being hit by opening car doors.

Growing awareness of environmental and public health problems associated with motorized transportation has led to a recent effort to promote nonmotorized modes of travel. Previous studies have shown that facility design plays a large role in encouraging bicycling. 

Observational studies conducted at 48 sites in three large Texas cities characterize bicyclist and motorist behavior through lateral position measurements and instances of motorist encroachment on an adjacent lane. These observations were used to build two multivariate regression models and allowed for direct site-to-site comparisons

The research was published in the TRB’s Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, No. 2190 which contained six papers that explore the influence of the built environment on route selection for bicycle and car travel; automated bicycle counts; multimodal travel choices of bicyclists; effects of gender on commuter cycling and accident rates; on-street bicycle facility configuration effects on bicyclist and motorist behavior; and parking lane width effect on bicycle operating space.

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