Ayres Knowledge Center Using Bike Boxes to Increase Visibility and Safety

USING BIKE BOXES TO MAKE BICYCLISTS
VISIBLE AND KEEP THEM SAFE
By Tristan Hickman, PE – Traffic Engineer | Ayres Associates
Bike boxes are a relatively new on-pavement marking that
provide a place in front of the vehicular stop line for bicyclists
to queue up at a red light, giving them visibility and first
priority in moving through the intersection upon the light
turning green. The boxes increase safety by getting bikes
through the intersection before vehicular traffic attempts to
overtake them.
Some bike boxes are set up in straight-through and right-turn
lanes only, while others allow bicyclists to queue up in front
of the left-turn lane too. And yet another type of bike box – a
two-stage left-turn bike box – encourages bicyclists to make
a left turn in two steps, proceeding across an intersection
in the bike lane near the right curb and then stopping in a
bike box on the other side of the intersection, pivoting left
a quarter turn, and waiting until the light changes to allow
them to proceed across to complete their two-step turning
movement.
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