The cycle lanes that calm traffic speed

Researchers at The State University of New Jersey have studied how adding a cycle lane affects traffic speeds. The traffic calming effect of delineated bicycle lanes is published in The Journal of Urban Mobility and describes how the speed and paths of over 9,000 vehicles at an intersection were tracked after a temporary bike lane was installed.

After taking into consideration factors like traffic direction, how busy the road was, and whether cars were moving freely or stopped at red lights, they found that the bike lane, which was segregated from traffic by cones and plastic barriers, led to a 28% drop in the average top speeds of vehicles. Interestingly, cars moving in a direction that didn’t interact with the bike lane didn’t slow down. Even painted-only bike lanes slightly reduced speeds by 11-15%, but only for cars making a turn.

The results highlight an extra benefit of cycle lanes: by slowing traffic, especially when segregation is used, they can help reduce the risk and severity of crashes for all road users.

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Paint is not protection

The research found that paint-only cycle lanes did not have the same calming effect on traffic speeds as segregated infrastructure. This will come as little surprise to cyclists.

Over a decade ago a study by Leeds and Bolton universities saw researchers attach a camera to the back of a bicycle on roads with and without cycle lanes. They found that when there was no cycle lane, drivers tended to give riders a wider berth. When there was a painted cycle lane, motorists drove closer to the bikes.

The study suggested reducing the speed of traffic would do more to improve cycle safety than narrow paint-only cycle lanes.

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The ethical choice

The ETA was established in 1990 as an ethical provider of green, reliable travel services. Over 30 years on, we continue to offer cycle insurance , breakdown cover and mobility scooter insurance while putting concern for the environment at the heart of all we do.

The Good Shopping Guide judges us to be the UK’s most ethical provider.

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