Put Safety First on the Road

Experts agree that a critical way to keep bicyclists safe on city streets is to make sure motorists notice them. This can be accomplished with a whole toolkit of roadway improvements, many of which are simple and inexpensive. These include bike boxes (where cyclists can gather in plain view in front of cars at red lights), colorized bike lanes (which remind drivers they share the street, especially with bikers turning left at intersections) and special traffic signals (which sometimes give bikes a head start crossing the intersection).

Add some color to your commute

Roger Geller, Portland’s Bicycle Program Coordinator, believes that markings on the pavement are better than street signs to communicate with both cyclists and motorists. He advises painting bike lanes and bike boxes in bright colors (Portland and many U.S. cities use green, but some prefer red) and extending the markings far into the intersection.

 

(left) Adding color and markings on the pavement can be an effective way to communicate safe behavior to both bicyclists and motorists. Photo: City of Madison, WI

 

(right) Special traffic signals for bikes make it safer to cross busy intersections. Photo: Ian Ligget









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