By Charles Pekow — How do you determine the safest design to get bicycle riders through an intersection? The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has come up with a highly- technical guide on what factors to consider in any given case. A suggestion: the type of facility at the intersection should remain the same as the one that got the riders through the block. Nor should bike lanes end at corners. Specific bike signals, not just red/green and walk/don’t walk lights also help. Find the report at https://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/ped_bike/tools_solve/docs/FHWA-SA-21-010_Traffic_Analysis_Intersection_Considerations.pdf.
The FHWA also added to its list of proven safety countermeasures to reduce roadway fatalities and injuries, this autumn. Officially included on the list now: bicycle lanes, crosswalk visibility enhancements that help cyclists determine where to cross (lighting, pavement markings, signs), and rectangular rapid flashing beacons (yellow flashing lights). See the list at https://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/provencountermeasures/.
