It’s always great to visit Burlington to see the latest efforts by the city government to make the city more livable for it citizens and more rideable for people on bicycles.
The latest addition is a Bike Box on a major east-west thoroughfare, Pearl St., at its intersection with Union St.
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Update 10-10-19 ~ The City of Albany has four bike boxes – three at Shaker Rd/Northern Blvd. (see “Bicycle Lanes in the City of Albany”) and one at Madison Ave./Lark St. None has colored pavement as a background color.
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If you are unfamiliar with “bike boxes,” view “How to use a Bike Box” by Streetfilms.
Or, read the instructions.
The basic concept is pretty clear – if you are on your bicycle, traveling in the bicycle lane, and need to turn left (in this case, east bound off Pearl St. onto northbound Union St.), the petrovehicles are stopped before the green box allowing you to safely ride into the box ahead of the cars and make your left turn as soon as the traffic light indicates. See also: https://nacto.org/publication/urban-bikeway-design-guide/intersection-treatments/bike-boxes/
Why have bike boxes? (SOURCE)
- Increases visibility of bicyclists.
- Reduces signal delay for bicyclists.
- Facilitates bicyclist left turn positioning at intersections during red signal indication – This only applies to bike boxes that extend across the entire intersection.
- Facilitates the transition from a right-side bike lane to a left-side bike lane during red signal indication. This only applies to bike boxes that extend across the entire intersection.
- Helps prevent “right-hook” conflicts with turning vehicles at the start of the green indication.
Typical Applications: (SOURCE)
- At signalized intersections with high volumes of bicycles and/or motor vehicles, especially those with frequent bicyclist left-turns and/or motorist right-turns.
- Where there may be right or left-turning conflicts between bicyclists and motorists.
- Where there is a desire to better accommodate left turning bicycle traffic.
- Where a left turn is required to follow a designated bike route, access a shared-use path, or when the bicycle lane moves to the left side of the street.
- When the dominant motor vehicle traffic flows right and bicycle traffic continues through as at a “Y” intersection or access ramp.
- Provides priority for bicyclists at signalized bicycle boulevard crossings of major streets.
- Groups bicyclists together to clear an intersection quickly, minimizing impediment to transit or other traffic.
- Pedestrians benefit from reduced vehicle encroachment into the crosswalk.
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Here’s another Burlington feature, a “Neighborhood Greenway” – how nice is that!
Albany Bicycle Coalition 