HIKE AND BIKE SYSTEM MASTER PLAN
speed limit of 35 mph or under . By restriping 12 foot lanes to 10 feet , the City of Houston , TX has converted 30 miles of arterial streets . Lane narrowing and the addition of bicycle lanes will require consultation with TxDOT and further analysis beyond this planning effort . Changing the roadway design may also require a reduction in speed limit and consideration of traffic calming designs such as median islands . For roadways with higher speed limits and traffic volumes , wider vehicular and bicycle lanes may be warranted . Further analysis of bicycle lane restriping projects is warranted to determine appropriateness of lane narrowing , bicycle lane widths , and speed limits that impact both motorists and bicyclists .
Sources for Bicycle Lane Development & Travel Lane Narrowing :
1 ) American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials , A Policy on Geometric Design of Highways and Streets , Washington , DC 2004 . 2 ) Relationship of Lane Width to Safety for Urban and Suburban Arterials ,
Ingrid B . Potts , Harwood , D ., Richard , K , TRB 2007 Annual Meeting
BICYCLE LANE DEVELOPMENT THROUGH TRAVEL LANE
CONVERSIONS A travel lane conversion ( TLC ) ( also known as a road diet ) is a type of roadway conversion project where travel lanes are removed from a roadway and the space is utilized for other uses and travel modes . Often , TLCs are conversions of four lane undivided roads into three lanes ( two through lanes and a center turn lane ). Many roadways have been overbuilt to keep pace with increases in automobile travel , but some roadways actually perform worse with the additional lanes . A TLC solves this problem by removing unneeded lanes to reallocate space for other needs such as pedestrian paths , bicycle lanes , or transit facilities . When tested , TLCs typically have minimal effects on vehicle capacity , because left-turning vehicles are moved into a common two-way left-turn lane .
Travel lane conversions have other benefits beyond improving the bicycling environment of a street . According to the Road Diet Handbook : Setting Trends for Livable Streets , “ the resulting benefits [ of a road diet ] include reduced vehicle speeds ; improved mobility and access ; reduced collisions and injuries ; and improved livability and quality of life ” ( Rosales , 2006 , p . 3 ). A TLC also provides benefits to pedestrians as they may reduce vehicle speeds ( calm traffic ), create opportunities for median refuge islands , and create a situation where there are fewer lanes to cross . The FHWA report Safety Effects of Marked vs . Unmarked Crosswalks at Uncontrolled Locations found that pedestrian crash risk was reduced when pedestrians crossed two and three lane roads compared to roads with four lanes or more .
Chapter 3 : Bike Network | 3-5