By Charles Pekow — We still lack a clear understanding of which strategies are most effective in improving cycling and pedestrian safety. While states employ various methods, the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) notes that there isn’t enough data to determine which work best. To address this, NCHRP conducted a study to assess current knowledge and identify gaps in research on these strategies, known as countermeasures. The most common approach involves bike lanes, but other measures include roadway diets and flashing or hybrid beacons.
One unique countermeasure highlighted in NCHRP’s synthesis is Colorado’s approach, which factors cyclist and pedestrian volume into speed limit determinations.
However, there is no nationwide standard for deciding where and when to accommodate bicyclists. Policies vary by state—Arizona’s Department of Transportation only considers bicycle safety if a local plan includes it in a project, while California requires complete streets planning by default, with exemptions granted only by the state.
“Many states have developed high-level overview documents that describe the types of bicycle facilities available—buffered bicycle lanes, separated bicycle lanes, shared-use paths, and shared lanes or bicycle boulevards—as well as selection criteria and facility benefits,” the report states.
For more, see Implementation of Federal Highway Administration Proven Safety Countermeasures at https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/28855/implementation-of-federal-highway-administration-proven-safety-countermeasures
Meanwhile, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is preparing to hire a contractor to develop the 13th and 14th editions of Countermeasures That Work and the 2nd edition of Countermeasures At Work. These publications offer state highway offices guidance on improving roadway safety, including bicycle safety measures. The updated guides will provide the latest data, detail successful interventions, and outline costs and implementation timelines.
The guides will be available on NHTSA’s website. More details: https://sam.gov/opp/0e6d1915477241b0bfc5aeac03d2e56e/view.
