Protected bike lanes are the latest approach US cities are taking to help their residents get around by bike. But these protected lanes lose their buffer separation…
They just put in like six of these on the main street of my parent’s town in Washington. For a route that would otherwise be a stroad they beat the heck out of a traditional signaled intersection, but do little to make the area any more hospitable for biking and walking as they still take up so much space and feature continuous traffic. So, quite good for through routes but not great for density or street “completeness”.
When built correctly, the roundabouts mean you only have to cross lane(s) of one-way traffic, with the same sort of safety islands as in the pictured signalized intersections.
Then again with places that are adding roundabouts for the first time, it’s hard enough getting people to yield to other drivers let alone bikes and pedestrians.
They just put in like six of these on the main street of my parent’s town in Washington. For a route that would otherwise be a stroad they beat the heck out of a traditional signaled intersection, but do little to make the area any more hospitable for biking and walking as they still take up so much space and feature continuous traffic. So, quite good for through routes but not great for density or street “completeness”.
When built correctly, the roundabouts mean you only have to cross lane(s) of one-way traffic, with the same sort of safety islands as in the pictured signalized intersections.
Then again with places that are adding roundabouts for the first time, it’s hard enough getting people to yield to other drivers let alone bikes and pedestrians.