The safest paths to ride a bike: bikeways, however, for these to be considered completely safe bikeways, most comply with certain specifications. In this way, cyclist will have a place to ride, and will be protected before certain dangers.
In today’s ride we can explore these specifications, as the way to use certain bikeways, that maybe you don’t believe but work in the same way. Ready? Oil your bike bearings, we are about to go.
What’s a bikeway?
A bikeway or cycle path is the space in streets and avenues for cyclist circulation. Their purpose is ride safely during day and night, without worrying about motorcycles, cars or pedestrians that invade the lane.
These are installed at the ends of avenues and streets in the traffic way. However, not all of them are for exclusive use of cyclists. This will depend if is a shared space with pedestrians and motorists to determine how the construction will be.
If bike paths are for cyclist, why should be shared?
These lanes try to benefit cyclist; in many occasions must share the space with vehicles, public transport and pedestrians.
This is due urban planning that sometimes is unavoidable for a bike path to share space with other transports and pedestrians for their existence. Meaning, must cross streets, avenues, parks and medians to connect an A point with a B point, that in other way wouldn’t be possible to do.
An example of these bus-bike lanes, are distinguished for a bike and a bus road marking on the floor. Nevertheless, these aren’t regularly protected physically, are painted only and signed horizontally to indicate a shared lane.
Another example are bike routes. Those built in parks, sidewalks, squares or medians. The particularity is the shared space with pedestrians, even though aren’t separated physically of these, but are easy to locate when covered by concrete.
In both cases, cyclists, pedestrians and public transport motorists must be aware from others to avoid accidents and get safe bikeways for everyone.
Due that, the best option for protected bikeways, meaning, those with physical barriers that separate cyclist from the car lane. This is achieved with different cyclist road devices, the ones that we are going to talk about:
How to separate and create safe bikeways?
Exists different ways and tools to confine a bikeway. Let’s talk a bit of some of the best devices for that.
Confibici:
Nowadays, is considered the best device to create safe bikeways. These are the perfect barrier to separate cyclist lane from cars. Their size isn’t’ invasive, avoiding car invasion. Likewise, the outer part of the confibici is hard, to avoid cars passage, while the inner part is soft and anti-skid to protect cyclists in case of get on it.
Lane separators/Channelizers:
With a similar use of confibicis, the main difference is these last are exclusive for bikeways, helping to divide car lanes.
Flexible posts:
Flexible posts are designed to install at the beginning and end of cycle paths. Help to sign more visibly the begin and end of it, as the interruption in certain tracks. This is for cars to maintain separated the bike lane when turning a corner, for example.
Street signs, paddles and posts:
These are vertical signs that are visible, and indicate name of bike routes or location, option of have signs that indicate the begin and end of cyclist lane.
Traffic drums and barriers
Used almost exclusively in emerging bikeways, those placed temporarily, that in most of the times transform into permanent bikeways. Their implementation is given while change all the confibicis.
All these and other devices have the reflective vinyl or led solar technology properties to be visible during day and night. Their implementation is the best way to build safe bike routes that care the physical integrity of cyclist.
All the safety increase when motorists and pedestrians respect the road standards, traffic rules and over all, sympathize among them to create more than safe bikeways, but a better road safety and culture.
