Bicycle Network: Behaviour

One of the best things governments can do to improve safety for people riding bikes is give them space to ride and a degree of separation from faster moving traffic. This should be done as part of an integrated cycling network.

The AustRoads Guide to Traffic Engineering - Part 14, Bicycles contains the agreed national guidelines for designing bicycle facilities - including the amount of space needed by cyclists in various situations.

VicRoads Cycle Notes, which are available from the VicRoads website, also provides information on designing bicycle facilities. For more information see our specific pages on shared path guidelines and on-road bike lanes in the Good Design Guide section of our website.

See notes below on:

• space to ride
• cycling networks
• road safety initiatives

Cyclists need space to ride

Both on-road lanes and off-road paths should be safe and comfortable for riding.

Space is a critical requirement. Cyclists need:

• space for themselves and the bike

• space to manoeuvre, especially inexperienced riders

• clearance to fixed objects and passing vehicles.

On-road space

On the road, cyclists need enough space between moving vehicles and parked vehicles or the edge of the road. This allows them to avoid things such as opened car doors or pedestrians stepping out from behind cars.

The bike lane in the photo (above) is not providing an improved level of service to cyclists and is virtually unusable while cars are parked. It also creates the additional hazard of encouraging cyclists to weave in and out around parked cars.

There are 9 techniques to find space for cyclists when installing bike lanes. See It Can Be Done for more.

Cyclists also need space at intersections. Marking 'stand-up' lanes (which tend to be narrower than bike lanes due to limited space) helps cyclists and motorists to share the space at intersections, particularly when there are turning movements. See photo (right). Using colour makes the bike lanes more visible.

Other techniques to improve the level of service and amount of space for cyclists riding on roads include:

• coloured bike lanes across slip lanes

• painted chevrons between travel lane and bike lane

• protected bike lanes using barriers. Click here for more.

Off-road space

Off the road, cyclists need enough room to pass other path users and clearance to things like trees, fences and drop-offs. Many paths are not wide enough for people to comfortably walk two abreast and still leave enough space for a cyclist to overtake. Plantings close to the edge of the path also reduce the useable width of the path.

Poor maintenance regimes often result in overhanging vegetation which reduces space and sightlines an increases the risk of crashes and collisions.

Plan and develop a cycling network

In towns and cities an integrated network of cycling facilities made up of bike lanes on main roads, cycle-friendly local streets and shared paths is needed , as well as rai trails in regional Victoria. Bicycle Network Victoria's Four Networks Challenge outlines the four networks - see Bicycle Network Victoria's Campaigns Strategy for more.

Growing municipalities should be catering for bikes from the onset. Installing facilities for bikes as part of the construction of new roads and suburbs is easier that trying to retrofit at a later date.

A Bicycle Works Program is the most effective way for councils to build cycling facilities. See Bicycle Strategies for more.

Bicycle Network Victoria is happy to provide advice or meet with council officers to discuss developing bike facilities.

Traffic engineers play an integral role in improving safety for road users. It's important that councils don't install LATM (Local Area Traffic Management) treatments in a way that make the roads more dangerous for cyclists.

The photo (right) shows an example of a bike lane interrupted by a kerb extension that creates a 'squeeze point', forcing cyclists into faster moving traffic.

Cycle and walk-friendly local streets

Roundabouts on local streets decrease safety for cyclists and pedestrians, with cyclists experiencing 15 times more crashes at roundabouts than car drivers. Most cyclist crashes are due to motorists failing to give way to cyclists already in the roundabout.

Bicycle Network Victoria's Cycle Safe LATM Project aims to create practical design guidelines for cycle and walk safe alternatives to roundabouts and other Local Area Traffic Management (LATM) devices. See LATM toolbox for more.

Road safety initatives

See links on right for road safety initiatives.