By the end of 2014, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) will release guidelines on designing protected bike lanes. Until recently, the U.S. DOT's policy on bicycling was essentially to adhere to manuals such as AASHTO's Green Book and FHWA's Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD).
But last year, the FHWA released a new strategic plan that put an emphasis on bicyclist and pedestrian safety, and on the need to create connected walking and biking networks for all ages and abilities.
FHWA Secretary Anthony Foxx, installed in 2013, has made bicyclist and pedestrian safety a key issue of his administration. Last year, the FHWA also endorsed "design flexibility" for the first time, encouraging engineers to look to new sources for pedestrian-friendly design ideas.
Moving into the future, the agency will do even more for the issue, Streetsblog reports, starting with the FHWA manual on protected bike lanes. The guidelines will cover the pros and cons of different intersection designs, one- versus two-way lanes, and different types of protection. It will also include a call to action, urging cities to implement protected bike lanes and to collect before-and-after data when they do.
“One conclusion to draw from our effort is that, yes, separated bike lanes are part of the toolbox that you can use to create and connect bike networks,” said FHWA's Dan Goodman, “and that’s where we’re going.”
Related Stories
| Dec 17, 2013
Kahn appoints Alan Cobb President and CEO
Cobb is the tenth president in the firm’s 118-year history. As President, Cobb is responsible for ensuring that all of the firm’s client issues are effectively address and that overall project team performance meets or exceeds client expectations for each and job the firm undertakes.
| Dec 13, 2013
Safe and sound: 10 solutions for fire and life safety
From a dual fire-CO detector to an aspiration-sensing fire alarm, BD+C editors present a roundup of new fire and life safety products and technologies.
| Dec 10, 2013
16 great solutions for architects, engineers, and contractors
From a crowd-funded smart shovel to a why-didn’t-someone-do-this-sooner scheme for managing traffic in public restrooms, these ideas are noteworthy for creative problem-solving. Here are some of the most intriguing innovations the BD+C community has brought to our attention this year.
| Nov 27, 2013
Exclusive survey: Revenues increased at nearly half of AEC firms in 2013
Forty-six percent of the respondents to an exclusive BD+C survey of AEC professionals reported that revenues had increased this year compared to 2012, with another 24.2% saying cash flow had stayed the same.
| Nov 27, 2013
Wonder walls: 13 choices for the building envelope
BD+C editors present a roundup of the latest technologies and applications in exterior wall systems, from a tapered metal wall installation in Oklahoma to a textured precast concrete solution in North Carolina.
| Nov 26, 2013
Construction costs rise for 22nd straight month in November
Construction costs in North America rose for the 22nd consecutive month in November as labor costs continued to increase, amid growing industry concern over the tight availability of skilled workers.
| Nov 25, 2013
Building Teams need to help owners avoid 'operational stray'
"Operational stray" occurs when a building’s MEP systems don’t work the way they should. Even the most well-designed and constructed building can stray from perfection—and that can cost the owner a ton in unnecessary utility costs. But help is on the way.
| Nov 13, 2013
Installed capacity of geothermal heat pumps to grow by 150% by 2020, says study
The worldwide installed capacity of GHP systems will reach 127.4 gigawatts-thermal over the next seven years, growth of nearly 150%, according to a recent report from Navigant Research.
| Nov 6, 2013
Energy-efficiency measures paying off for commercial building owners, says BOMA study
The commercial real estate industry’s ongoing focus on energy efficiency has resulted in a downward trend in total operating expenses (3.9 percent drop, on average), according to BOMA's Experience Exchange Report.
| Oct 30, 2013
11 hot BIM/VDC topics for 2013
If you like to geek out on building information modeling and virtual design and construction, you should enjoy this overview of the top BIM/VDC topics.
