by | February 19, 2022 · 2:37 pm

85-Percentile Rule

The 85-Percentile Rule is a guide for setting speed limits but one that must be used with a great deal of discretion to prevent creation of unsafe road and streets.

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85-Percentile Rule – No, it’s not where you were on the math SATs but a way of setting speed limits on roads and streets. Departments of transportation define the 85-percentile speed as the speed at or below which 85 percent of all vehicles are observed to travel under free-flowing conditions. Traffic and Transportation Engineers use the 85th percentile speed as a guide to set the speed limit at a hopefully safe speed, minimizing crashes and promoting uniform traffic flow. Data are gathered using radar guns or other devices and then analyzed. Engineers take the observed speeds and eliminate the top 15 percent. The indicated speed is then at the 85-percent level (to the nearest 5 mph increment). This procedure – if the set speed is not excessively low – ensures that all drivers will be going at about the same speed with few opportunities for conflict. This, of course, means that 15 percent of the drivers are exceeding what the other 85 percent view as a comfortable and safe speed. So who is correct?

This is fine until the design speed and the posted speed are in conflict.

The Caveat – The catch is the “. . . speed at or below which . . . vehicles are observed to travel under free-flowing conditions.” When design speed – the speed that feels safe or comfortable for most drivers – markedly exceeds the posted speed, we are in trouble. Many people are comfortable driving faster than is safe for them and or comfortable for others especially when there are confounding factors. Those few who adhere to the posted speed will be passed where possible or “tailgated” when not. “Free flowing” also presents a problem if the rule is applied to streets that are, at times, free flowing but at others, not so much.

Built for 55 – Please go 30 MPH

Right Here, Right Now – A local poster child is Albany’s Washington Ave., an unnumbered State route. It was clearly built – designed – as a 55 mph road. Nonetheless, going outbound from Brevator St. to Rt. 155/New Karner Rd. it is posted at 30 mph (Brevator St. to Fuller Rd.) and 45 mph (after Fuller Rd.) These reduced speed limits are based on the increasing non-highway activity with University at Albany residences and crossing pedestrians, motels, medical and other offices, convenience stores, big-box shopping, social clubs, churches, the dump, and cross roads. There is talk of a massive rebuild of at least the Brevator-Fuller segment but no action to date.

Washington Ave. FLY over

So what went wrong? If we used the 85-Percentile Rule today with the current built up environment, one might guess that the speed thus suggested might well exceed 45 mph and certainly 30 mph. Just drive on it at the speeds posted currently to demonstrate this to yourself. Put another way, the world changed but Washington Ave. did not. We are in the 2000s, and it is in the 1950s. Rest assured that Washington Ave. is not the only such example in our area.

Death Alley – A similar situation is the so-called Cohoes Blvd. or Cohoes’s own “death alley.” Briefly, the State originally built I-787 to blast into the middle of Cohoes with ¾ of the city on the west side and ¼ on the east. The transition from interstate to city street was invisible with expected results. After many years and much pressure, the in-city portion was completely rebuilt featuring raised crosswalks or speed tables, lighting, a chicane, a multiuse side path, enhanced traffic control, a center median, turn lanes, and signage. When asked, a representative stated that NYSDOT would base the redesigned boulevard’s (new) speed limit on the 85-percentile rule. Coming into Cohoes, the posted speed is now 45 mph and then 35 mph. Whether or not drivers follow these limits is for others to judge.

Cohoes Blvd or I-787 – road, street, or stroad?

Driver Behavior – One source (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDYQaa3K_BA ) posits that the change from a street to a road challenges drivers to “shift mental gears” from highway mode – which is more or less unconscious, intuitive, and automatic driving behavior – to being focused, observant, engaged, and deliberate. So how does one force fit driver behavior to street conditions?

Appropriate Use – For rural roads and with no countervailing data (e.g., excessive crash data, blind curves, schools, pedestrian and cyclist traffic, no shoulders, many entries/exits) the 85-Percentile Rule is probably a good first step. Note that the term here is “roads” not “streets.”

Inappropriate Use – When we get to a “street” the situation changes. A road is a high-speed connection to get from here to there with a simplified environment with minimal cross streets and driveways, and no accommodation for pedestrians or cyclists.

A street is a complex environment used by people where cars are guests that have to be caused to be on good behavior. A street is not intended for fast motor vehicles as a thoroughfare but a place where people go – the end point of a trip. Setting the posted speed limit based on car travel speeds does not seem like an appropriate application of the 85-percentile rule. In fact, it’s a “cart before the horse” to set the speed limit AFTER the street is built. A better option is to decide on the desired safe speed and THEN spec the design (or alter an existing design).

You cannot just ask for good behavior (e.g., “30 MPH” [please], “Share the Road” [please], “School Zone – 20 MPH” [please] ) you have to design out bad behavior. Drivers do not constantly adjust and re-adjust their speed based on the roadside signage. Instead, they cruise along at a comfortable rate (e.g., the design speed) partially based on what other nearby drivers are doing. The street’s DESIGN is a much more effective speed control than a sign buried with all the rest of the roadside garbage signs that transportation officials believe will offset inappropriate street design. The message from the street’s design is clear with no static; that from the sign (e.g., 30 MPH) has to force its way through a very noisy channel with dismal results.

Back to Our Sample – Washington Ave. becomes a street at roughly Brevator St./Rt. 85 heading toward downtown Albany. That is, the nature of the right of way changes from a road to a street with people, residences, schools, shopping, offices, churches, restaurants, and pedestrian/bicycle traffic. Put another way, Washington Ave. transitions from a road to a “stroad” – a thoroughfare that is neither a road nor a street. This is why, for example, 20 mph speed limits with vehicle speed displays in school zones are a failure – nothing in the road design says “slow down!” As an historical aside, Washington Ave. once had a center median but it was removed in the 1930s – too bad!

This is a street

They are INTRAstates – In many towns and cities in the USA with street layout dating to the 19th, 18th, and even 17th centuries, streets have become stroads with inappropriate outcomes for all concerned. Even with interstate highways – which have morphed into INTRAstate highways – motor vehicles entering or leaving cities have caused this “stroadization.” Cars come flying off 4-lane, high-speed roads (with a 4-lane, high-speed mentality) and are then faced with narrow, winding, people-filled streets with traffic lights, double-parked cars, snow piles, people trying to cross, squirrels, children going to school, and so on. Without proper STREET design, the result is chaos and, frequently, property damage, injury, or death. Albany, as but one example, is completely ringed and bisected by 4-lane, super highways – 787, 85, 90, NYS Thruway, and 87. Each both feeds traffic into the city but also is a goal for those leaving. “Drive time” has become “all the time.”

High car speeds intrinsically mean greater chances of injury or death for pedestrians or people on bicycles and compression of driver reaction time to the dynamic nature of a street. The solution? There has to be something that tells drivers that (1) the road (or highway) has now ended and (2) the street has now begun. These “somethings” can include narrowing of the road or travel lanes, speed tables or speed humps, vertical objects like trees, center medians, or chicanes.

This is a street. This is a human. That is a bicycle. That is a cross walk. That is an ADA curb cut.

Conclusion – The 85-percentile rule is a starting point for determining posted speed limits. It is probably appropriate for roads. It is the wrong rule when there are safety and social concerns that supersede the desire of people in cars to “get through here as fast as possible.” Streets are for people. Parks are for people. Intersection crossing are for people. Stores, restaurants, offices, apartments, and houses are for people. A traffic engineer who applies the 85-percentile rule to urban or suburban streets might consider a career shift.

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Notes – Strong Towns coined the term “stroad” to explain dangerous, multi-lane thoroughfares that are in every city, town, and suburb. They are what happen when a street – a place where people interact with businesses and residences and where wealth is produced – is combined with a road (a high-speed route between productive places). https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2018/3/1/whats-a-stroad-and-why-does-it-matter Strong Towns (https://www.strongtowns.org/about ) supports people across the United States and Canada who are advocating for a radically new way of thinking about the way we build our world.

Resources –

85th Percentile Speed Explained – http://www.mikeontraffic.com/85th-percentile-speed-explained/

Understanding the 85th Percentile Speed – https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2020/7/24/understanding-the-85th-percentile-speed

The Wrong Way to Set Speed Limits – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bglWCuCMSWc

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Filed under Activisim, Editorial, Product Review, Washington Ave.

by | February 13, 2022 · 1:17 pm

Safe Connection of Mohawk-Hudson Bike-Hike Trail to Colonie & Points South

Concerned Town of Colonie residents and cycling/walking advocates are pushing for a multi-use path from the British American Blvd. bike lanes at Rt 7/Troy-Schenectady Road, across River Road to the Mohawk-Hudson Bike-Hike Trail (MHBHT). This path would provide a safe connection for bicycles and pedestrians and avoid the hazardous current route along Route 7 and Rosendale Road. It’s the missing link in the CapitalNYBikeMap UAlbany-to-Lions-Park route (see map below); it’s a strategic component of the Capital District Trails Plan’s “Shaker Trail” (page 33); and it will link directly to Colonie’s extensive Ann Lee/Shaker trail system and the airport. For a detailed analysis of why this path is vital, read David Pratt’s letter below, following the map.
See also: Times Union 02-12-22 and Save Colonie’s campaign

The Ask – To support this project, please write to or email both the Town of Colonie supervisor and the planning director at:

The Honorable Peter Crummey, Supervisor
Town of Colonie
Colonie Memorial Town Hall
534 New Loudon Rd.
Latham, NY 12110-0508 

coloniesupervisor@colonie.org

Sean M. Maguire, Director
Planning and Economic Development
Public Operations Center
347 Old Niskayuna Road
Latham, NY 12110-2290 

maguires@colonie.org

The UAlbany-to-Lions-Park route is a ten mile on- and off-road trail, providing a strategic north-south link across the I-90 / Central Ave. corridor. Commencing at Western Ave. / UAlbany, it eventually reaches the intersection of British American Blvd. and Route 7, as shown in blue on the map below. At that point the route becomes hazardous, as shown in red at the top. The proposed safe connection to MHBHT, under discussion, is shown in green.

Click the map to display it full-screen in a new tab.

Albany Colonie Connector

Google directions: Western Ave.-UAlbany to Six Mile Waterworks
Google directions: Six Mile Waterworks to British American Blvd

David Pratt is a Town of Colonie resident and regular user of the trail. Mr. Pratt presented a statement at the Town of Colonie Planning Board Meeting on January 25, 2022 the text of which follows below.

++++++ DAVID PRATT LETTER TEXT ++++++

Dear Town of Colonie Planning Board,  

My name is David Pratt. I would like to offer the following remarks. These remarks reflect my views only and not necessarily those of the multiple organizations that have signed the attached letter dated January 10, 2021.

I live on River Road approximately 1 mile east of the Northview Development. The Empire State Bike Trail (a.k.a. Colonie bike path, multi-use trail, Mohawk-Hudson Trail, Mohawk River hike & bike trail etc.) is 65 yards from our front door. Like hundreds of other town of Colonie residents, I love this bike path. I am grateful for it each and every time I go out for a run, bike ride or walk my dog. I also firmly believe it adds to the resale value of my property.

I share many of the concerns of my neighbors on Buhrmaster Rd., River Road, and in the Northview development who stand in opposition to this proposal by Keeler Motor Car Company. I agree that a road connecting Keeler motors to River Road would be dangerous and detrimental. This should not be part of the approved plan. River Road has already effectively become “alternate Route 7.” There is heavy traffic every rush hour on this rural and scenic road. There is also rampant speeding and littering that accompanies this overuse. So while I oppose a vehicular connection between the Keeler complex and River Road, a connecting bike and pedestrian trail is an entirely different matter and I think it is a great idea that, by itself, will not unduly harm my neighbors.

The purpose of my attendance here tonight is to submit into the public record a letter jointly created by several local public interest groups. We who have signed this letter believe that any approval of this Keeler Motorcar Company proposal should only be approved by this Planning Board if it includes the creation of a bike path similar to the one graciously proposed by Keeler in their initial proposal.

This Board must weigh the benefits and costs of any development of the Keeler property amongst all the stakeholders. The stakeholders include Keeler, Northview and River Road neighbors, and most importantly, the Town of Colonie citizens who this Board proudly represents. Reasonable compromise is required of all parties. I am confident that a satisfactory compromise will be worked out by this Board.

Any reasonable compromise for the Keeler expansion should include a connector bike/walking trail. My neighbors are correct to raise concerns about traffic, congestion, runoff, noise, and even light pollution. Their concerns should be addressed and ameliorated to the greatest extent possible. However, I part with my neighbors in their reported opposition to the bike/pedestrian connector trail that was part of the initial development proposal. The neighbors’ concerns do NOT preclude the creation of a bike path. Compromise is possible here. Unfortunately, the specific objection to the bike path proposal is a textbook example of the NIMBY (not in my backyard) response. It pits the objection of a very small group of neighbors against the overall benefit to a public group hundreds of times larger. Mr. Neidl’s 6/2/21 letter disparages what he called “various special interest groups” who for years have advocated for this bike-path connector. Indeed, many thoughtful planning committees over the years have advocated for this connecting trail. Their interest was the overriding public good that this linkage would contribute, not selfish “special interests.” In truth, the only “special interest group” being represented here tonight is Mr. Neldi’s clients who wish to block a safe bike trail connector. I urge this group to reconsider their opposition and work with us for a reasonable compromise.

This bike trail is needed to safely link the existing Mohawk River bike path to the existing British American Blvd./Watervliet Shaker Road bike path. This current path provides access to the Airport, Shaker Heritage Society, and Anne Lee Pond. Additionally, newly constructed bike and pedestrian lanes along Albany Shaker Road stretch this path all the way to the Desmond hotel, not terribly far from the Colonie Town Library and even The Crossings Town Park. It would be great to link these public assets together. Can someone please remind me of the exact millions of taxpayer dollars spent on the very pretty but under-used path bridge that crosses Watervliet Shaker Road near the airport? Should this path dead end on the treacherous Troy Schenectady Road as it does now? How many millions of dollars were spent on the exciting new Empire State bike trail that now safely connects Buffalo and Albany? The distance between these two trail networks is only several hundred yards. How does it not make perfect sense to have a safe connection between these two public assets? There is an obvious synergy to leveraging these two expensive projects together for the benefit of all users. Most of these users are constituents of this very Board that I stand in front of.

Peter Crummey is beginning his term as Town Supervisor. One of the most popular planks that he ran on was his promise of enhancing the town of Colonie’s parks and recreational opportunities. In his January 1st interview with WAMC, he made special reference to improving the town’s recreational facilities and parks along the Mohawk River. This bike path connector would do exactly that and would be a win for him and for everybody who enjoy these bike paths.

This connector would also benefit businesses along Troy Schenectady Road. I can personally attest to the huge increase I have seen in the numbers of people bicycling between Buffalo and Albany and beyond. I see them every day simply by looking out my front window. I myself made this journey with some three hundred other cyclists in July. This connector would allow users of the bike path to more easily and safely access hotels, restaurants, fast food, the airport, and often needed bike repairs at The High Adventure Ski and Bike shop. I would love the opportunity to be able to safely ride to a restaurant for dinner or lunch. My first visit would personally be Innovo Kitchen, but there’s lots of good competition!

This connector will also enhance bicycle commuting to all the businesses along British American Blvd and beyond. It is a painless way of furthering the “green initiative” ideals that increasingly drive public policy. It would also offer additional opportunities for healthy outdoor recreation that we have all come to appreciate in this COVID pandemic.

To capitalize on the huge growth in bicycle tourism, we need a safe connector between the Albany International Airport and the newly created Empire State bike trail. My neighbor and Shaker High School classmate, Steve Iachetta, also lives directly on the bike path, not 30 yards off of it. He also has noted the huge increase in bicycle tourism along this trail. He also happens to be a planner with the Albany Airport Authority. He told me he receives calls from air travelers traveling with touring bikes requesting directions and the pathway between Albany Airport and the Empire State Trail. I will quote him directly: “I regretted having to advise them “there is no safe connection and you need a car or bus to transport your touring bike from the airport to the nearby state trail system.” Touring the trail by bike is a national vacation destination … both you and I see that with the increasing number of touring bicycles on the path.” 

The most important argument for this proposed bike path has to do with the personal safety of runners, walkers, cyclists, and dog walkers etc. who currently use these two respective un-linked trails. Again, these adults and children are some of the constituents of this Board. Right now, any connection between these two popular bike trails requires pedestrian or cycle access along the busy Troy-Schenectady Road. One must then bike, walk, or jog down one of three narrow, twisty, and hilly roads – Rosendale Rd., Buhrmaster Road, or Fort’s Ferry Road. One must then access the bike path along the river by crossing River Road at random and unmarked crossing locations. Can anyone argue that Route 7 or any of these three roads are safe for pedestrian or bicycle travel? Would you be comfortable with your children walking or bicycling on these roads? Any of us who drive these roads and attempt to safely pass cyclists and pedestrians are aware of the perils present on these roads that lead down the bike path. Yet the bike path is understandably a popular destination for runners, walkers, and pedestrians. And it will remain so. It is obvious that an off-road connector would be far safer and would enhance the quality of life for the capital District. Mr. Neidl’s 6/21/21 argument asserting that a bike path connector would be dangerous is clearly a spurious one.

I want to close on a very personal note. I am literally a lifelong resident of the Town of Colonie. I grew up in Loudonville. On Veterans Day in 1966, I was walking along Turner Lane in Loudonville with some other neighborhood children when my five-year-old brother was struck and killed by a car on the shoulder of Turner Lane. Now, decades later, I travel the Troy Schenectady Rd., River Road, Rosendale Road, Buhrmaster Road and especially Fort’s Ferry Road, multiple times each week and I dread coming upon another tragic accident. Over the intervening year’s countless children and adults have been killed or injured on our Town of Colonie roads. This proposed bike path would result in fewer pedestrians, runners, and bicyclists using these dangerous roads. It is very possible that a future life could even be saved by implementing this proposal. This alone is reason enough to create this short trail.

Sincerely,

David Pratt

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The Gold Standard for Side Paths

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Filed under Albany-Colonie Connector, Capital Trails-New York, City Review, Mohawk-Hudson Bike-Hike Trail

by | February 6, 2022 · 11:05 am

Crash Victim Rights and Safety Act

Your support is essential to the success of a major new roadway safety campaign. Even if you do not ride a bicycle and do not walk except to and from your car, roadway safety still has to be a concern. Please take a few minutes to sign on to the campaign here – http://nysafestreets.org.  and select TAKE ACTION.

As motor vehicles have grown larger, with increases in distracted driving and speeding, more cyclists and pedestrians are being seriously injured and killed. While we have seen some minor improvements to pedestrian and cyclist infrastructure, our roads are still largely designed and built to carry motor vehicles and are unsafe for all other users.

Nicholas Richichi, age 53, 10/29/07

For these reasons, the Albany Bicycle Coalition has joined Walkable Albany and a statewide coalition of bicycling and other road safety advocates in our common effort to pass the NY Crash Victim Rights and Safety Act (CVRSA). The seven bills in the CVRSA will permit municipalities the option to lower their speed limits, mandate 3-foot clearance when passing cyclists, support Complete Streets initiatives that improve road safety for all users, better educate drivers to protect vulnerable road users, and provide support to those personally impacted.

As part of The New York Safe Streets Coalition’s launch of the campaign for the CVRSA, Albany Bicycle Coalition released the following short video:  https://youtu.be/2qpVRHWNd1A.

For further CVRSA information, see http://nysafestreets.org.

The complete set of bills in the CVRSA are as follows:

Speed Limit Authorizes cities, villages and towns (outside NYC) to reduce the speed limit to twenty-five miles per hour.S02021 (May)A01007 (Paulin)
Sammy’s Law Allows lower life-saving speed limits in NYCS524 (Hoylman)A4655 (Gottfried)
Complete StreetsIncreases state funding where the municipality agrees to fund a complete street design feature. S3897 (Kennedy)A8936 (Fahy)
Complete Streets MaintenanceIncludes, when possible, complete street design features in resurfacing, maintenance, and pavement recycling projects and further enable safe access to public roads for all users.S5130 (Kennedy)A7782 (Rivera)
Safe PassageRequire drivers pass bicyclists at a safe distance of min. 3 feet.S4529 (Harckham)A547 (Steck)
DMV Pre- Licensing CourseEducates NY drivers about safely interacting with vulnerable road usersS1078A (Gounardes)A5084/7032 (Gallagher)
Crash Victim Bill of RightsGuarantee rights & a voice for crash victims and their loved ones in legal proceedingsS8152 (Hoylman)Glick

Join the Push for Safer Streets for All – To do your part in pushing for safe roads, you need to contact both of your state legislators to express your support for the Crash Victims Rights and Safety Act.

Since many organizations that are not primarily involved with cycling, walking, or roadway safety should still have an interest in this initiative, you may want to sign your organization on to the campaign. You can complete this form.

Diva De Loayza, age 40, 6/6/07

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Filed under Activisim, Death on the Road, safety, Support the Cause

by | January 22, 2022 · 12:44 pm

Edge Lane Roads – Good or Bad?

Corrective Notice on Attribution – In preparing this article, the author failed to give proper attribution to some sources. Specifically, the website https://www.advisorybikelanes.com/  (also known as www.edgelaneroads.com ) was a source for much of the material in the article and yet was not identified except in the “resources used” listing. The full title of the website is “Edge Lane Roads, ​AKA Advisory Bike Lanes, a Website Providing Information on an Exciting New Roadway Configuration.” For an authoritative explanation and news about Edge Lane Roads, please see this website. Several images of Edge Lane Roads were also not properly acknowledged. The last “page” of the website has this caution “Except where otherwise noted, all information on this website licensed for use under CC BY-NC-SA license.” The article’s author was grateful for the helpful information provided by this Edge Lane Roads website as it provides some clear thoughts on how to proceed with this roadway/bicycle treatment. The author regrets the failure to attribute and assures readers that tackling a complex subject with potential safety impact for New York State may have resulted in excessive casualness and haste in this regard.

[Updated 8/17/22]

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Edge Lane Roads clarify positioning and priority on roads too narrow to provide a reserved travel space for people on bicycles or pedestrians. When pedestrians or bicyclists are present, motorists must yield to those in the Edge Lane before passing.

Terminology – Edge Lane Roads are known also as Advisory Bike Lanes, Dash Bike Lanes, Bicycle Advisory Shoulders, or Shoulder Lanes. As is not infrequently the case, transportation terminology can be confusing and less than informative. (Try “Sharrow” or “Slip Lane” for examples.) The Edge Lane Road is a shared street roughly (but not exactly) similar to the Dutch “bicycle priority” street. It has some similarity to the National Association of City Transportation Officials’ Bicycle Boulevard or Neighborhood Greenway. In both these cases, the road or street design is to suggest that those on bicycles or foot have priority and motor vehicles are “invited guests.”

Edge Lane Roads use a dotted white line to delimit the “bicycle-pedestrian priority” area. Motor vehicles can cross a dotted line – and thus briefly use the edge lane to allow another on-coming motor vehicle to pass. Motor vehicles cannot cross a solid line, so for example, a road shoulder or conventional bike lane is “off limits” to motor vehicles except in emergencies and for entry to parking areas or, say, driveways.

HOW IT WORKS – The basic configuration is a road that does not have room for two-way motor vehicle travel lanes and conventional bicycle lanes. Instead, dashed lines on the pavement identify the Edge Lanes. People on bicycles have priority use of this lane. People in cars have to yield to the cyclists. If a car is coming in each direction, the drivers visually (or otherwise) negotiate which car will pull into the unoccupied Edge Lane to let the other vehicle pass. The passing vehicle may also (have to) use the unoccupied Edge Lane on its side of the road.

Features – Here are the desired Edge Lane Road characteristics:

  • Open to motor vehicles, people on bicycles, and pedestrians.
  • Low speed – even as low as 20 mph (30 kph).
  • Main motor vehicle travel lane is too narrow (under 20-22 feet) to allow motor vehicles to pass by each other.
  • No centerline in the main motor vehicle travel lane.
  • Low motor vehicle traffic volume.
  • Low bicycle traffic volume.

Traffic Volume – If there are “too many” bicycles or “too many” motor vehicles on a road, it is not a good candidate for Edge Lanes. If the bicycle lane has a steady stream of cyclists, there will be no break into which a car can pull. If there a many cars coming from both directions, they will create their own “bottleneck.”

AN APPLICATION IN ALBANY – An Edge Lane Road candidate in the City of Albany would be Berkshire Blvd. that is already a favored bicycle route, connects parts of the city, and has low motor vehicle traffic volumes. Success of this application would involve treating selected residential connecting streets in a similar fashion so that the street becomes part of a bike-safe network. Wayfinding signage would also be needed.

FEDERAL RECOGNITION – Edge Lane Roads have federal recognition as shown in this edited extract from the Federal Highway Administration’s “FHWA Small Town and Rural Multimodal Networks Guide – 2016:”  Edge Lane Roads provide usable shoulders for bicyclists on a roadway that is otherwise too narrow for a shoulder (thus the terminology “advisory shoulder”). Pavement marking and pavement color delineate the edge lane. Motorists may only enter the shoulder when no bicyclists are present and must overtake these users with caution due to potential oncoming traffic. Motorists must yield to bicyclists and pedestrians if present when vehicles traveling in opposite directions meet. The “Advisory Shoulder” prioritizes shared space for bicyclists and occasional pedestrian travel. Contrasting paving materials will visually differentiate the shoulder from the roadway and discourage encroachment. Motorists can travel in both directions and share a center lane, encroaching into the Edge Lane as needed to facilitate passing movements.

FHWA Diagram

Benefits – Benefits include the following:

  • Provides a delineated but nonexclusive space available for cycling.
  • May reduce some types of crashes due to reduced motor vehicle travel speeds.
  • Minimizes potential impact on visual or natural resources through efficient use of existing space.
  • Functions well within a rural and small town traffic and land use context.
  • Increases predictability and clarifies desired lateral positioning between people bicycling or walking and people driving in a narrow roadway.
  • May function as an interim measure where plans include shoulder widening in the future.
  • Supports the natural environment through reduced paved surface requirements.

ADVANTAGES – One of the advantages of an Edge Lane Road is low cost as opposed to exclusive on-road bicycle facilities. In some cases, especially where there is on-street, curbside car parking, the design may actually provide a safer environment for cyclists. Since the width of the Edge Lane can exceed that of a standard bicycle lane, riders can stay out of the door zone of the parked cars but also have more (shy) space between them and cars passing by them in the travel lane. On narrow city streets where motor vehicle speeds are low, Edge Lanes provide a “shared road” option for street designers.

DISADVANTAGES – Similar to shared lanes (where people on bicycles are merely guests in a motor vehicle travel lane), safety for people on bicycles is solely dependent on the alertness and consideration of motor vehicle operators. As is frequently the case, people in cars will pull out and around a cyclist if there is no opposing motor vehicle traffic but will try to squeeze through – rather than yield – when the lanes are too narrow. This puts the cyclist – who is now alongside the car and out of view – at great risk. Traffic planners with modest awareness of the safety needs of cyclists may be tempted to install Edge Lanes where conditions are unsuitable.

CAVEATS – As with any new traffic directional, there will be long learning curve for both people in cars and on bicycles. Signage is barely adequate. Witness “IN LANE,” “SHARE THE ROAD,” and “BICYCLE MAY USE FULL LANE” as well as crosswalk “zebra strips” which have not been universally understood or accepted even after many, many years of use. Here is one case of an Edge Lane Road installation is Edna, MN, a first-ring suburb of Minneapolis (one of the US’s “bicycle capitals”): “The drivers of Edina are not happy. ‘ Ridiculous,’ ‘odd,’ ‘absurd’ and ‘confusing and dangerous’ are just a few of the descriptions irate drivers have used . . . [with] city officials about the weird bike lanes that have popped up around the city this fall.” As the FHWA states, “Unlike a conventional shoulder, an advisory shoulder is a part of the traveled way, and it is expected that vehicles will regularly encounter meeting or passing situations where driving in the advisory shoulder is necessary and safe.”

CONCLUSIONS – This analysis suggests that traffic-wary cyclists will not feel safe on Edge Lane Roads. As with the shared lanes concept, those who are comfortable riding deeply engaged with motor vehicle traffic will continue do so with our without one of these quasi bicycle facilities. Several resources rely extensively on Danish and Netherlander applications. While these are excellent case studies of where New York State and the country should be headed, these successes also reflect a deep-seated and long-standing cultural appreciation of bicycle travel in a shared road environment. In certain instances, assuming “Dutch style driving practice,” Edge Lane Roads would be a poor choice. Implementing Edge Lane Roads should be done with great caution so that early applications will be successful.

RESOURCES –

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Filed under Bike Lanes, Edge Lane Road

by | January 8, 2022 · 1:03 pm

Forward Motion into 2022 on Bicycles

TO: Friends of Cycling and Good Living in the Capital Region:

The salutation “Friends of Cycling and Good Living in the Capital Region” expands our collective focus beyond just bicycles. We all need to engage in the larger issue of livable cities. This movement benefits all – residents and visitors – whether they be walking, riding, bussing, jogging, skateboarding, or just sitting.

This focus addresses the broader issues of street safety, air and sound pollution, environmental degradation, affordable (and accessible) housing, and access to food, services and facilities. Aside from the goal of safe connections for people on bicycles, we operate on the unarguable principle that anything done to benefit cyclists will benefit all road users.

Our overarching intent is to update on the bicycle-related scene in our area or to provide information that will stimulate thinking about bicycling as a major component in “livability for all.”

Whenever possible, the entries have a link or a contract (name, email, phone) or a bibliographic citation. Occasionally, the link will be to graphics offered by the source or on this Albany Bicycle Coalition blog.

We also try to encourage your patronizing our several local bike shops. We all know that it is sometimes easier and occasionally cheaper to buy on the internet but always remember – Amazon or some bike shop in South Carolina will not be available to help you with a maintenance problem or to guide you in the purchase of accessories tailored to you and your specific bicycle. (See https://albanybicyclecoalition.com/resources/local-bike-shops/ )

See you on the road and in the streets this year.

Ride On!
Little girl with face mask riding a bike in the street during the coronavirus pandemic

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Filed under Activisim, Comings and Goings, Support the Cause