Bicycle Network: Good Design Guides

Back-of-kerb bicycle lanes

In some scenarios some riders may feel the need for a safer space to ride along a road than on road lanes can offer. A new treatment may offer a viable solution.

Bicycle advisory markings / Shared Lane Markings

Advisory bicycle symbols can help bike riders share road space with motor vehicles on some roads, especially quieter ones, though they have no legal status. Advisory markings don't mark a separate space for bikes and may not suit a wide range of potential riders. They can be useful for bridging short sections of a bicycle route with no lane or increasing the visibility of bicycles.

Bikes at tram stops

Many tram routes are also logical cycle routes so there is a need to design to meet the needs and constraints of both forms of transport. With traditional edge-of-road kerb side tram stops cyclists are required to adopt car driver behaviour and stop and give way when a tram stops. Depending on the design of new tram stops, bikes can go around the back or over the top of the stop.

Buses and bicycles

Buses and bicycles are both efficient ways of getting around. Bicycles are especially useful for shorter trips whereas buses better cater for longer trips. Integrating bicycles and buses makes a lot of sense as it caters for a wide range of trip lengths and purposes. But care must be take to make sure the two work together and don't impede or discourage the other.

Capacity at Intersections

Traditionally, Bike lanes have disapeared as they approach many intersections. City of Yarra recently made an intersection more rideable and still retain a high level of service to other road users.

Clearway bike lanes - upgrading

Clearway bike lanes can be upgraded by making them wider and installing green paint at intersections.

Contra-flow bike lanes

Contra-flow bike lanes allow bikes to travel in the opposite direction to motor vehicles on one-way streets. They prevent loss of access for cyclists on one-way streets.

Copenhagen Lanes - FAQ's

Some Frequently asked questions about Copenhagen lanes

Enhanced bike lanes

Enhanced bike lanes provide additional delineation and separation to on-road bike lanes through visible and "soft" physical measures. Somewhere between a normal bike lane and a fully separated bike lane in terms of separation, enhanced ("strengthened" or "reinforced") bike lanes can be used when the traffic regime or bicycle usage demands extra separation and/or physical separation is not possible.

Green is the new black!

This (not so) new tool allows road managers to clearly mark space for bike riders. Coloured bike lanes and other treatments (e.g. audio-tactile line marking) have increased the awareness of bicycles by people in vehicles and increase the perception of safety for people on bikes.

Green Lights for Bikes report

This new report shows how road authorities can utilise a range of techniques to provide for bike riders at traffic lights.

Kerbside Running Bike Lanes

For bike lanes on roads with car parking, extra separation from traffic can be achieved by "flipping" the bike lane and the car parking and putting the bike space 'kerbside'. Examples in Melbourne include the north end of Swanston St and Albert St. The Albert St lanes use a painted chevron zone with vibraline and flexible poles to separate the bike lane from the parked cars or moving vehicles while the Swanston St lanes use kerb islands.

Local streets for cycling & walking

Bicycle Network Victoria has developed a toolbox to help councils and developers build cycle-friendly streets

On-road bike lanes

Painted on-road bike lanes provide a visibly delineated space for bike riders on roads. The lanes should be at least 1.5m wide on 60km/h roads. Bike lanes are suitable for many urban roads with moderate speeds (40-60km/h) and volumes (3000-8000 vehicles per day). Wider and better separated lanes or off-road paths will suit less confident riders on higher speed roads (above 50km/h).

On-road fitness routes

Systematic, targeted improvements to on-road fitness routes reduce crashes for all road users, including bike riders. These may include sealing or maintaining smooth shoulders, improving blind corners, or reconfiguring lane widths.

On-road: It can be done

A guide to fitting bike lanes on existing roads

Part-time bike lanes

Part-time or "peak period" bike lanes add an extra lane to existing roads during peak hours at little or no cost. But they only appeal to confident adult riders. On existing roads, part-time bike lanes can be marked which only become visible during peak periods when parking is not allowed. These are also known as "clearway bike lanes".

Providing for bicycles on roads

Bike riders are legitimate users of our public roads and they need to use roads to reach daily destinations like shops, work and schools. On quiet roads with low speeds bikes can share the road space with motor vehicles. But busier roads require separate space for bike riders in the form of bike lanes or separated paths. As speed and traffic volumes increase so does the required amount of separation.

Road markers

The road surface is home to a number of warning and information devices, including the RRPMs—Raised Reflective Pavement Markers

Roundabouts - multi lane

How to reduce the negative effects of multi-lane roundabouts on a bike route.

Roundabouts - single lane

How to reduce the negative effect of single lane roundabouts on a bike route

S: Separator and rumble strip trials

Bicycle Network Victoria took this innovative ‘Riley’ separator to the office of the Minister for Roads recently and asked for some trials on the bike network. He agreed and we hope soon to tell you where the trials will take place.

S: The case for Separation

Separated bike routes attract more riders and help get more people cycling more often

Separated bicycle lanes - space for everyone

Separated bike lanes provide a physical separation of bike riders from motor vehicles on a road. The physical separation makes the bike lane more comfortable for a wider range of people who want to ride their bikes than a painted bike lane.

Shared streets - quiet and slow

When speeds and volumes of motor vehicles are low enough, no separate space is needed for bikes - they share the road with motor vehicles. Quiet, slow streets not only allow children and family groups to walk and ride in comfort, they also allow more interaction between people using the street. This usually requires restrictions to motor vehicles access to keep actual speeds and numbers of motor vehicles low (<30km/h and 3000 per day) as well as complementary measures to favour walking and cycling.

Traffic signals for bikes

Traffic signals that support or favour bicycle riders will increase the number of riders on a route and reduce the risk. Some signal phases do not allow riders enough green time to cross the road. On the other hand some signals have been set up to give riders a head start on other traffic.

Upgrading signals

Tuning and modifying signals to take account of bike traffic can increase the throughput and efficiency of a route and reduce risks to riders.