Bicycle boulevard
Encyclopedia
A bicycle boulevard is a low speed street
which has been optimized for bicycle traffic. Bicycle boulevards discourage cut-through motor vehicle traffic but allow local motor vehicle traffic. They are designed to give priority to cyclists as through-going traffic. They are intended to improve cyclist comfort and/or safety.
These bikeway
design elements are intended to appeal to casual, risk-averse, inexperienced and younger cyclists who would not otherwise be willing to cycle with motor vehicle traffic. Compared to a bike path or rail trail
, a bicycle boulevard is also a relatively low cost approach to appealing to a broader cycling demographic.
elements to achieve a safe environment. For instance, diverters with bicycle cut-outs at mid-block allow motorists to enter the block in order to park or otherwise access a property, and allow cyclists to continue to the next block as well, but do not allow motorists to continue. Typically, these modifications are thought to calm traffic and improve pedestrian safety as well as encouraging bicycling.
Bicycle boulevards often have higher road surface standards than other residential streets, and encourage riders to use the full lane, encouraging parity between bicycles and motor vehicles.
, including:
In Berkeley, the boulevards are mostly residential streets, however some sections pass through commercial areas. Generally there are few cars on these streets, in large part because of the pre-existing traffic calming devices that slow and/or divert traffic. Bicycle boulevards may or may not have bicycle lanes.
In Minneapolis, a grant from the federal government within the Non-Motorized Pilot Program has helped to build a bike boulevard on Bryant Avenue and the planning of others.
In Wilmington, help from a Fit Community 2009 grant through the North Carolina Health
and Wellness Trust Fund has enabled the City of Wilmington to construct North
Carolina’s first bicycle boulevard. The Ann Street Bicycle Boulevard http://rivertoseabikeway.com/asbb.html runs from South Water Street to South 15th Street and serves as part of the much longer River to the Sea Bikeway http://rivertoseabikeway.com, which connects downtown Wilmington to Wrightsville Beach.
In Portland, a $600 million plan for the years 2010-2030 has the goal of making 25 percent of trips in the city be by bicycle through the establishment of 700 miles (1,126.5 km) of new bikeway
s; one of the projects within the plan is to combine the work on street features that reduce stormwater runoff with the construction of curb extension
s and other components of bicycle boulevards.
In Albuquerque, a city with over 400 miles of on-street bicycle facilities and multi-use trails, the grand opening of the first bicycle boulevard in the state of New Mexico was held on April 14, 2009. The bicycle boulevard runs from San Mateo Blvd SE, west along Silver Ave SE/SW to 14th St SW. It then continues north on 14th St to Mountain Rd NW. The last leg of the boulevard continues west on Mountain Rd NW to the Paseo del Bosque Recreation Trail which parallels the Rio Grande River.
In Madison almost every major artery has a Bike Lane in which bicycles have a protected place to bike in the street. The first full bicycle boulevard was opened spanning East Mifflin Street in Madisons Tenney-Lapham Neighborhood, a second was opened spanning the entire length of Kendall Avenue in University Heights and the Regent Neighborhood.
, British Columbia and Amsterdam
, The Netherlands.
In Amsterdam, around 40% of journeys are by bicycle, and planners at the Directorate Infrastructure Traffic and Transport have adopted a bicycle policy that blends segregated bicycle lanes with in-traffic, "bicycle boulevard-style" cycling. The general rule is that cyclists can integrate safely with traffic traveling at or below 30 km/h (18.6 mph), but that segregated bike lanes should be installed along roads with a higher speed limit. With these policies in place, Amsterdam remains one of the more active cycling cities in the world.
In the Netherlands, bicycle boulevards are referred to as cycle streets, although it can be argued that with the widespread traffic calming in Dutch cities, many more Dutch streets would fall under the American definition of "bicycle boulevards." Bicycle boulevards in the Netherlands can even link cycletracks, service roads, and other types of street configuration to complete a route. Extensive amount of information has been written on these facilities at the Pedal Portland blog and the Northeastern University webpage.
, California
, is credited with coining the phrase "Bicycle Boulevard" in the late 1980s, but not every jurisdiction
has adopted this term. As of November 2011, the City of Boston
has decided to use the term "Neighborways" instead of Bicycle Boulevards. This just adds to a growing list of terms for Bicycle Boulevards since Portland
has been calling them "Neighborhood Greenways" and Seattle has named them simply "Greenways."
Other commonly used terminology for bicycle boulevards includes:
Bike Boulevards
Quiet Streets
Neighborhood Byways
Bicycle Friendly Streets
Bicycle Friendly Corridors
Bicycle Parkway
Neighborhood Parkway
Street
A street is a paved public thoroughfare in a built environment. It is a public parcel of land adjoining buildings in an urban context, on which people may freely assemble, interact, and move about. A street can be as simple as a level patch of dirt, but is more often paved with a hard, durable...
which has been optimized for bicycle traffic. Bicycle boulevards discourage cut-through motor vehicle traffic but allow local motor vehicle traffic. They are designed to give priority to cyclists as through-going traffic. They are intended to improve cyclist comfort and/or safety.
- discouragement of non-local motor vehicle traffic;
- low speed limits;
- low motor vehicle traffic volumes;
- free-flow travel for bikes by assigning the right-of-way to the bicycle boulevard at intersectionsIntersection (road)An intersection is a road junction where two or more roads either meet or cross at grade . An intersection may be 3-way - a T junction or fork, 4-way - a crossroads, or 5-way or more...
wherever possible; - traffic controlTraffic lightTraffic lights, which may also be known as stoplights, traffic lamps, traffic signals, signal lights, robots or semaphore, are signalling devices positioned at road intersections, pedestrian crossings and other locations to control competing flows of traffic...
to help bicycles cross major arterial roadArterial roadAn arterial road, or arterial thoroughfare, is a high-capacity urban road. The primary function of an arterial road is to deliver traffic from collector roads to freeways, and between urban centres at the highest level of service possible. As such, many arteries are limited-access roads, or feature...
s; and - a distinctive look and/or ambiance such that cyclists become aware of the existence of the bike boulevard and motorists are alerted that the street is a priority route for bicyclists.
These bikeway
Bikeway
A Bikeway is a route, way or path which in some manner is specifically designed and /or designated for bicycle travel.-See also:*Bicycle boulevard*Bicycle trail*Bicycle transportation engineering*Foreshoreway*Greenway* List of cycleways...
design elements are intended to appeal to casual, risk-averse, inexperienced and younger cyclists who would not otherwise be willing to cycle with motor vehicle traffic. Compared to a bike path or rail trail
Rail trail
A rail trail is the conversion of a disused railway easement into a multi-use path, typically for walking, cycling and sometimes horse riding. The characteristics of former tracks—flat, long, frequently running through historical areas—are appealing for various development. The term sometimes also...
, a bicycle boulevard is also a relatively low cost approach to appealing to a broader cycling demographic.
Features
Bicycle boulevards use a variety of traffic calmingTraffic calming
Traffic calming is intended to slow or reduce motor-vehicle traffic in order to improve the living conditions for residents as well as to improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists. Urban planners and traffic engineers have many strategies for traffic calming...
elements to achieve a safe environment. For instance, diverters with bicycle cut-outs at mid-block allow motorists to enter the block in order to park or otherwise access a property, and allow cyclists to continue to the next block as well, but do not allow motorists to continue. Typically, these modifications are thought to calm traffic and improve pedestrian safety as well as encouraging bicycling.
Bicycle boulevards often have higher road surface standards than other residential streets, and encourage riders to use the full lane, encouraging parity between bicycles and motor vehicles.
United States
Bicycle boulevards can be found in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, including:
- Arizona: TucsonTucson, ArizonaTucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...
- California: BerkeleyBerkeley, CaliforniaBerkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
, EmeryvilleEmeryville, CaliforniaEmeryville is a small city located in Alameda County, California, in the United States. It is located in a corridor between the cities of Berkeley and Oakland, extending to the shore of San Francisco Bay. Its proximity to San Francisco, the Bay Bridge, the University of California, Berkeley, and...
, Palo AltoPalo Alto, CaliforniaPalo Alto is a California charter city located in the northwest corner of Santa Clara County, in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, United States. The city shares its borders with East Palo Alto, Mountain View, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Stanford, Portola Valley, and Menlo Park. It is...
, San Luis ObispoSan Luis Obispo, CaliforniaSan Luis Obispo is a city in California, located roughly midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles on the Central Coast. Founded in 1772 by Spanish Fr. Junipero Serra, San Luis Obispo is one of California’s oldest communities...
, Long BeachLong Beach, CaliforniaLong Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257... - Minnesota: MinneapolisMinneapolis, MinnesotaMinneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
- North Carolina: WilmingtonWilmington, North CarolinaWilmington is a port city in and is the county seat of New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States. The population is 106,476 according to the 2010 Census, making it the eighth most populous city in the state of North Carolina...
- Oregon: PortlandPortland, OregonPortland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
and EugeneEugene, OregonEugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S... - New Mexico: Albuquerque, New MexicoAlbuquerque, New MexicoAlbuquerque is the largest city in the state of New Mexico, United States. It is the county seat of Bernalillo County and is situated in the central part of the state, straddling the Rio Grande. The city population was 545,852 as of the 2010 Census and ranks as the 32nd-largest city in the U.S. As...
- Wisconsin: Madison, WisconsinMadison, WisconsinMadison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison....
In Berkeley, the boulevards are mostly residential streets, however some sections pass through commercial areas. Generally there are few cars on these streets, in large part because of the pre-existing traffic calming devices that slow and/or divert traffic. Bicycle boulevards may or may not have bicycle lanes.
In Minneapolis, a grant from the federal government within the Non-Motorized Pilot Program has helped to build a bike boulevard on Bryant Avenue and the planning of others.
In Wilmington, help from a Fit Community 2009 grant through the North Carolina Health
and Wellness Trust Fund has enabled the City of Wilmington to construct North
Carolina’s first bicycle boulevard. The Ann Street Bicycle Boulevard http://rivertoseabikeway.com/asbb.html runs from South Water Street to South 15th Street and serves as part of the much longer River to the Sea Bikeway http://rivertoseabikeway.com, which connects downtown Wilmington to Wrightsville Beach.
In Portland, a $600 million plan for the years 2010-2030 has the goal of making 25 percent of trips in the city be by bicycle through the establishment of 700 miles (1,126.5 km) of new bikeway
Bikeway
A Bikeway is a route, way or path which in some manner is specifically designed and /or designated for bicycle travel.-See also:*Bicycle boulevard*Bicycle trail*Bicycle transportation engineering*Foreshoreway*Greenway* List of cycleways...
s; one of the projects within the plan is to combine the work on street features that reduce stormwater runoff with the construction of curb extension
Curb extension
A curb extension is a traffic calming measure, primarily used to extend the sidewalk, reducing the crossing distance and allowing pedestrians about to cross and approaching vehicle drivers to see each other when vehicles...
s and other components of bicycle boulevards.
In Albuquerque, a city with over 400 miles of on-street bicycle facilities and multi-use trails, the grand opening of the first bicycle boulevard in the state of New Mexico was held on April 14, 2009. The bicycle boulevard runs from San Mateo Blvd SE, west along Silver Ave SE/SW to 14th St SW. It then continues north on 14th St to Mountain Rd NW. The last leg of the boulevard continues west on Mountain Rd NW to the Paseo del Bosque Recreation Trail which parallels the Rio Grande River.
In Madison almost every major artery has a Bike Lane in which bicycles have a protected place to bike in the street. The first full bicycle boulevard was opened spanning East Mifflin Street in Madisons Tenney-Lapham Neighborhood, a second was opened spanning the entire length of Kendall Avenue in University Heights and the Regent Neighborhood.
Outside of the United States
Bicycle boulevards can be found in VancouverVancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, British Columbia and Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, The Netherlands.
In Amsterdam, around 40% of journeys are by bicycle, and planners at the Directorate Infrastructure Traffic and Transport have adopted a bicycle policy that blends segregated bicycle lanes with in-traffic, "bicycle boulevard-style" cycling. The general rule is that cyclists can integrate safely with traffic traveling at or below 30 km/h (18.6 mph), but that segregated bike lanes should be installed along roads with a higher speed limit. With these policies in place, Amsterdam remains one of the more active cycling cities in the world.
In the Netherlands, bicycle boulevards are referred to as cycle streets, although it can be argued that with the widespread traffic calming in Dutch cities, many more Dutch streets would fall under the American definition of "bicycle boulevards." Bicycle boulevards in the Netherlands can even link cycletracks, service roads, and other types of street configuration to complete a route. Extensive amount of information has been written on these facilities at the Pedal Portland blog and the Northeastern University webpage.
Naming Conventions
The City of BerkeleyBerkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, is credited with coining the phrase "Bicycle Boulevard" in the late 1980s, but not every jurisdiction
Jurisdiction
Jurisdiction is the practical authority granted to a formally constituted legal body or to a political leader to deal with and make pronouncements on legal matters and, by implication, to administer justice within a defined area of responsibility...
has adopted this term. As of November 2011, the City of Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
has decided to use the term "Neighborways" instead of Bicycle Boulevards. This just adds to a growing list of terms for Bicycle Boulevards since Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
has been calling them "Neighborhood Greenways" and Seattle has named them simply "Greenways."
Other commonly used terminology for bicycle boulevards includes:
Bike Boulevards
Quiet Streets
Neighborhood Byways
Bicycle Friendly Streets
Bicycle Friendly Corridors
Bicycle Parkway
Neighborhood Parkway