The car-oriented street planning of many American cities may be a hospitable environment for bikes, but just because the streets were planned that way, it doesn’t mean they have to stay that way.
Following two years of research, the Federal Highway Administration released a new guide yesterday that will help local governments build protected bike lanes, or create them out of existing streets, Streets Blog USA reports.
“Federal legislation in Title 23 of the United States Code Section 217 provides the funding mechanisms, planning requirements, and policy tools necessary to create more walkable and bicycle-friendly communities,” the legislation’s overview states. “More importantly, it enhances the ability of communities to invest in projects that can improve the safety and practicality of bicycling and walking for everyday travel.”
The 148-page guide includes many renderings and images, such as this spectrum of bike lanes, starting from the least separated to the most separated bike lanes:
Read more on Streets Blog USA.
