fhwa request to experiment
FHWA REQUEST TO EXPERIMENT Green-Colored Bike Boxes and Bike Lanes, with Advanced Lane Use Signage
Submitted by Parking and Transportation Services (PTS) University of Minnesota Minneapolis, Minnesota June 30, 2011 Submitted: April 8, 2011 June 18, 2011
Background The city of Minneapolis prides itself as the #1 ranked U.S. bike city by Bicycling Magazine. 1 The city boasts a bicycle network system of 130 combined miles of bicycle lanes and off-street paths. The number one bike destination in the city and the whole state is the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus. The University is among the largest student bodies in the nation. On any given school day, there are an estimated 6,000 bicycles on campus. The busiest intersection on campus as well as in the state is at University Avenue SE and 15th Avenue SE/Pleasant Street SE. This intersection sees over 3,000 bicycles daily. 2 This number is about to be impacted as the final approval has been given for construction on a new LRT line connecting the downtowns of Minneapolis and St. Paul. This new line, the Central Corridor, will be routed through the Minneapolis campus causing multiple road closures during the two-year construction time frame. The most notable closure is the permanent closure of a segment of Washington Avenue SE, a primary arterial which runs through the heart of the Minneapolis campus and connects with downtown Minneapolis, just across the Mississippi River. The detours for Washington Avenue include a segment of Pleasant Street SE (see Figure 1). As a result, Pleasant Street SE will see increases in vehicle, bicycle, bus and pedestrian traffic. The segment includes bus stops which currently services up to 24 bus stops in the peak hour and will escalate to a maximum of 90 bus stops in the peak hour after the Figure 1. Overview of detours. Google, 2011. Washington Avenue closure. As mentioned above, this segment already sees over 3,000 bicycles per day as well as over 7,800 pedestrians2, both of which are expected to increase.
2
The University of Minnesota Parking and Transportation Services (PTS) is a self-supporting department of the University and its responsibilities include overseeing University roads including the above mentioned segment of Pleasant Street. To better accommodate the increased traffic, PTS is planning to make changes on Pleasant Street SE to improve both safety and flow.
Summary of Proposed Changes PTS is seeking Permission to Experiment with one traffic control device not covered in the current version of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD): green-colored bike boxes. The University is also requesting Interim Approval to install green-colored bicycle lanes per the Interim Approval for Optional Use of Green Colored Pavement for Bike Lanes (IA-14) 2011 MUTCD. The proposed measures are a part of the upcoming conversion of Pleasant Street SE between University Ave and Pillsbury Drive, which is owned by the University. This 1block segment will be converted from one-lane each direction with parking, into one-lane each direction plus a bus lane and a 6-foot-wide bicycle lane (See Appendixes A and B). A traffic signal will be added at the Pillsbury Dr SE/Pleasant St SE intersection. Green coloring will be applied to the two bike boxes and three portions of the bicycle lanes extending out approximately 100 feet from the intersection approaches. The purpose is to increase awareness of bicycle presence during the “weaving” area where merging buses and rightturning vehicles will frequently cross over the bicycle lane. PTS feels these conversion plans will allow Pleasant Street SE to efficiently accommodate more traffic of all types while minimizing safety risks.
Request Interim Approval: Green Bike Lane The University of Minnesota Twin Cities would like to implement the recently added Interim Approval for Optional Use of Green Colored Pavement for Bike Lanes (IA-14)6. PTS believes that the use of green colored pavement used as a traffic control device in this newly renovated area will have many positive benefits including: Communicating to roadway users that a portion of road has specifically been set aside for bicyclists Mitigate risk in area where bicycles and other vehicles have conflicting weaving areas Allow for bicycles to properly position themselves to travel through intersections Increase driver awareness of bicycle presence and to distinctly establish where these bicycles will likely be positioned Pending approval, the University of Minnesota agrees to all of the technical and general conditions of the Interim Approval. 3
Request to Experiment: Green Bike Boxes The bike box, also known as the advance stop line, has been in use in the U.S. since 2000 and in Europe and Asia since the late 1980’s. 5 Cities using the bike boxes include Portland, San Francisco, New York City, Minneapolis and other cities around the world. Some cities have green-colored boxes like Portland and San Francisco while others only consist of only the whitepainted outline. PTS seeks to implement green-colored bike boxes for the following reasons: A more visible stopping position for cyclists waiting to enter the intersection Reminder for motorists of cyclist’s right to wait in travel lane to take a left turn, (for southbound Pleasant at Pillsbury only) More comfortable environment for cyclists to encourage more biking More apparent to motorists where to stop Give advantage to the large number of cyclists on campus to get ahead of vehicle traffic Safety, especially in these conflict areas The green bike box would connect seamlessly with the same green treatment of the bicycle lane to allow a smooth transition for cyclists to position themselves into the travel lane for a pending left turn. To better educate all road users about the bike box, a bicycle symbol will be painted in the bike box. In addition, a sign will be posted prior to the approach notifying motorists Figure 2. R10-6 sign will be where to stop (see Figure 2).
used in conjunction with an ‘except bikes’ sign
Request to Experiment: Advanced Lane Use Signs Lane assignment signs are used in complex intersections where road users may have difficulty determining the appropriate lane from which to perform a certain maneuver7. Providing lane assignment signs can reduce the incidence of crashes, sideswipes, and driver indecision. Figure 3: Proposed design for lane assignment
The University of Minnesota is requesting permission to signage on Pleasant St SE approaching University Ave SE experiment, using lane assignment signs similar to the signage that the city of Minneapolis is currently using on 1st Ave N. The University of Minnesota considers the proposed signage to be an effective way to direct the mixed traffic in this area to their proper lane assignments. 4
Variables to be Studied and Observed: Bicyclist and motorist behavior and interaction will be observed by University Staff before and after the installation of signage in conjunction with the bike boxes aforementioned.
Figure 4: Proposed design for lane assignment signage on Pleasant St SE approaching Pillsbury Drive
To determine the effectiveness of the green-colored bike box, and signage PTS will measure the following activities in a four stage process. Two weeks of data for signage and pavement markings, two weeks of data with the signage removed with pavement markings in place, two weeks of data with signage and no pavement markings, and two weeks with no signs and no pavement markings : 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
Vehicle volume Bicycle volume Percent of stopping vehicles encroaching into bike box Percent of stopping vehicles encroaching into bike lane Percent of cyclists who move to assigned lane Percent of cyclists who move to travel-lane portion of box when appropriate Before and after-treatment reported vehicle-bicycle collisions (number and type) Brief verbal survey of cyclists regarding comfort, yielding behaviors, acceptance, symbol recognition, comprehension, etc.
In addition, a visual assessment will be taken of the durability of the green treatment, and the size of the bike box.
Timeline 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
Spring 2011: Submit Request to Experiment to FHWA June 2011: Resubmit Request to experiment to FHWA Spring/Summer 2011: Record data for the “before period” user behaviors Summer 2011: Conversion of Pleasant, install proposed road markings and signage Autumn 2011: Record data for the “after period” user behaviors Semiannual evaluations: Submit progress reports to the Office of Transportation Operations (OTO) Autumn 2013: Compile and evaluate data, record conclusions Autumn/Winter 2013: Submit final report to OTO
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Patent and Copyright Information The green-colored bike box is not protected by any patent or copyright.
Removal of Experiment PTS agrees to remove the experimental treatments if within three months of the completion of the study if the FHWA reaches a decision that the green-colored treatments are not warranted to be covered in the MUTCD. PTS acknowledges the right of the FHWA to terminate the approval of the experiment at any time should a safety reason problem arise. PTS also agrees to remove the treatments should PTS find the experiment directly or indirectly causes a substantial safety risk.
References 1 2
3
4
5 6
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Minneapolis, Department of Public Works. “Bicycling in Minneapolis.” City of Minneapolis. n.d. 10 March 10, 2011. http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/bicycles/. Minneapolis, Department of Public Works. “Report on Bicycle and Pedestrian Counts.” City of Minneapolis. 22 October 2007. 10 October 2011. http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/bicycles/Count_Report.pdf Hunter, William W., and Raghavan Srinivasan and Carol A, Martell. “Evaluation of a Green Bike Weaving Area in St. Petersburg, Florida.” University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center. September 2008. 10 March 2011. http://katana.hsrc.unc.edu/cms/downloads/FDOT_BA784_EvaluationGreenBikeLaneWeavin gAreaStPetersburgFlorida.pdf City of Oakland, Bicycle & Pedestrian Facilities Program. “Colored Bike Lanes Survey and Recommendations.” City of Oakland. August 2010. 10 March 2011. http://www.greenedgeconsulting.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/City-ofOakland_Colored-Bike-Lanes_August-2010.pdf Streetwiki. “Bike Boxes.” Tangient LLC. n.d. 10 March 2011. http://streetswiki.wikispaces.com/Bike+Boxes "Interim Approval for Optional Use of Green Colored Pavement for Bike Lanes (IA-14) Interim Approvals Issued by FHWA - FHWA MUTCD." Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) - FHWA. U.S. Dept. of Transportation Federal Highway Administration, 15 Apr. 2011. Web. 14 June 2011. http://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/resources/interim_approval/ia14/index.htm http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/intersection/resources/intsafestratbro/ui3_lane_assignment.pdf
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Appendix A: Current view of Pleasant Street
Figure A1. Southbound direction of Pleasant Street SE from vantage point of University Avenue. Google, 2010.
Figure A2. Northbound Pleasant Street with University Avenue in the background. Google, 2010.
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Appendix A: Current view of Pleasant Street (continued)
Figure A3. Northbound Pleasant Street at Pillsbury Drive. Google, 2010.
Figure A4. Southbound Pleasant Street at Pillsbury Drive. Google, 2010.
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University Ave. SE
ONE-WAY
28'
28' 18' TEMPORARY CURB
STOP BAR
6' EXCEPT BIKES
ONLY
ONLY
BUS STOPS HERE
Pleasant St. SE
ONLY BUS
ONLY BUS
11' 6' 11'
STOP BAR
LET'S GET BEHIND IT STOP HERE
EXCEPT BIKES
Pillsbury Dr. SE
EXCEPT BIKES
HASH OUT STREET
PLANTERS
ONLY
18'
SHELTERS
11' 6' 11'
REMOVE EXISTING
NEW CONCRETE SIDEWALK
ONLY BUS
16'
ONLY BUS
Pillsbury Dr. SE
Submitted by Parking and Transportation Services (PTS) University of Minnesota Minneapolis, Minnesota June 30, 2011 Submitted: April 8, 2011 June 18, 2011
Background The city of Minneapolis prides itself as the #1 ranked U.S. bike city by Bicycling Magazine. 1 The city boasts a bicycle network system of 130 combined miles of bicycle lanes and off-street paths. The number one bike destination in the city and the whole state is the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus. The University is among the largest student bodies in the nation. On any given school day, there are an estimated 6,000 bicycles on campus. The busiest intersection on campus as well as in the state is at University Avenue SE and 15th Avenue SE/Pleasant Street SE. This intersection sees over 3,000 bicycles daily. 2 This number is about to be impacted as the final approval has been given for construction on a new LRT line connecting the downtowns of Minneapolis and St. Paul. This new line, the Central Corridor, will be routed through the Minneapolis campus causing multiple road closures during the two-year construction time frame. The most notable closure is the permanent closure of a segment of Washington Avenue SE, a primary arterial which runs through the heart of the Minneapolis campus and connects with downtown Minneapolis, just across the Mississippi River. The detours for Washington Avenue include a segment of Pleasant Street SE (see Figure 1). As a result, Pleasant Street SE will see increases in vehicle, bicycle, bus and pedestrian traffic. The segment includes bus stops which currently services up to 24 bus stops in the peak hour and will escalate to a maximum of 90 bus stops in the peak hour after the Figure 1. Overview of detours. Google, 2011. Washington Avenue closure. As mentioned above, this segment already sees over 3,000 bicycles per day as well as over 7,800 pedestrians2, both of which are expected to increase.
2
The University of Minnesota Parking and Transportation Services (PTS) is a self-supporting department of the University and its responsibilities include overseeing University roads including the above mentioned segment of Pleasant Street. To better accommodate the increased traffic, PTS is planning to make changes on Pleasant Street SE to improve both safety and flow.
Summary of Proposed Changes PTS is seeking Permission to Experiment with one traffic control device not covered in the current version of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD): green-colored bike boxes. The University is also requesting Interim Approval to install green-colored bicycle lanes per the Interim Approval for Optional Use of Green Colored Pavement for Bike Lanes (IA-14) 2011 MUTCD. The proposed measures are a part of the upcoming conversion of Pleasant Street SE between University Ave and Pillsbury Drive, which is owned by the University. This 1block segment will be converted from one-lane each direction with parking, into one-lane each direction plus a bus lane and a 6-foot-wide bicycle lane (See Appendixes A and B). A traffic signal will be added at the Pillsbury Dr SE/Pleasant St SE intersection. Green coloring will be applied to the two bike boxes and three portions of the bicycle lanes extending out approximately 100 feet from the intersection approaches. The purpose is to increase awareness of bicycle presence during the “weaving” area where merging buses and rightturning vehicles will frequently cross over the bicycle lane. PTS feels these conversion plans will allow Pleasant Street SE to efficiently accommodate more traffic of all types while minimizing safety risks.
Request Interim Approval: Green Bike Lane The University of Minnesota Twin Cities would like to implement the recently added Interim Approval for Optional Use of Green Colored Pavement for Bike Lanes (IA-14)6. PTS believes that the use of green colored pavement used as a traffic control device in this newly renovated area will have many positive benefits including: Communicating to roadway users that a portion of road has specifically been set aside for bicyclists Mitigate risk in area where bicycles and other vehicles have conflicting weaving areas Allow for bicycles to properly position themselves to travel through intersections Increase driver awareness of bicycle presence and to distinctly establish where these bicycles will likely be positioned Pending approval, the University of Minnesota agrees to all of the technical and general conditions of the Interim Approval. 3
Request to Experiment: Green Bike Boxes The bike box, also known as the advance stop line, has been in use in the U.S. since 2000 and in Europe and Asia since the late 1980’s. 5 Cities using the bike boxes include Portland, San Francisco, New York City, Minneapolis and other cities around the world. Some cities have green-colored boxes like Portland and San Francisco while others only consist of only the whitepainted outline. PTS seeks to implement green-colored bike boxes for the following reasons: A more visible stopping position for cyclists waiting to enter the intersection Reminder for motorists of cyclist’s right to wait in travel lane to take a left turn, (for southbound Pleasant at Pillsbury only) More comfortable environment for cyclists to encourage more biking More apparent to motorists where to stop Give advantage to the large number of cyclists on campus to get ahead of vehicle traffic Safety, especially in these conflict areas The green bike box would connect seamlessly with the same green treatment of the bicycle lane to allow a smooth transition for cyclists to position themselves into the travel lane for a pending left turn. To better educate all road users about the bike box, a bicycle symbol will be painted in the bike box. In addition, a sign will be posted prior to the approach notifying motorists Figure 2. R10-6 sign will be where to stop (see Figure 2).
used in conjunction with an ‘except bikes’ sign
Request to Experiment: Advanced Lane Use Signs Lane assignment signs are used in complex intersections where road users may have difficulty determining the appropriate lane from which to perform a certain maneuver7. Providing lane assignment signs can reduce the incidence of crashes, sideswipes, and driver indecision. Figure 3: Proposed design for lane assignment
The University of Minnesota is requesting permission to signage on Pleasant St SE approaching University Ave SE experiment, using lane assignment signs similar to the signage that the city of Minneapolis is currently using on 1st Ave N. The University of Minnesota considers the proposed signage to be an effective way to direct the mixed traffic in this area to their proper lane assignments. 4
Variables to be Studied and Observed: Bicyclist and motorist behavior and interaction will be observed by University Staff before and after the installation of signage in conjunction with the bike boxes aforementioned.
Figure 4: Proposed design for lane assignment signage on Pleasant St SE approaching Pillsbury Drive
To determine the effectiveness of the green-colored bike box, and signage PTS will measure the following activities in a four stage process. Two weeks of data for signage and pavement markings, two weeks of data with the signage removed with pavement markings in place, two weeks of data with signage and no pavement markings, and two weeks with no signs and no pavement markings : 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
Vehicle volume Bicycle volume Percent of stopping vehicles encroaching into bike box Percent of stopping vehicles encroaching into bike lane Percent of cyclists who move to assigned lane Percent of cyclists who move to travel-lane portion of box when appropriate Before and after-treatment reported vehicle-bicycle collisions (number and type) Brief verbal survey of cyclists regarding comfort, yielding behaviors, acceptance, symbol recognition, comprehension, etc.
In addition, a visual assessment will be taken of the durability of the green treatment, and the size of the bike box.
Timeline 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
Spring 2011: Submit Request to Experiment to FHWA June 2011: Resubmit Request to experiment to FHWA Spring/Summer 2011: Record data for the “before period” user behaviors Summer 2011: Conversion of Pleasant, install proposed road markings and signage Autumn 2011: Record data for the “after period” user behaviors Semiannual evaluations: Submit progress reports to the Office of Transportation Operations (OTO) Autumn 2013: Compile and evaluate data, record conclusions Autumn/Winter 2013: Submit final report to OTO
5
Patent and Copyright Information The green-colored bike box is not protected by any patent or copyright.
Removal of Experiment PTS agrees to remove the experimental treatments if within three months of the completion of the study if the FHWA reaches a decision that the green-colored treatments are not warranted to be covered in the MUTCD. PTS acknowledges the right of the FHWA to terminate the approval of the experiment at any time should a safety reason problem arise. PTS also agrees to remove the treatments should PTS find the experiment directly or indirectly causes a substantial safety risk.
References 1 2
3
4
5 6
7
Minneapolis, Department of Public Works. “Bicycling in Minneapolis.” City of Minneapolis. n.d. 10 March 10, 2011. http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/bicycles/. Minneapolis, Department of Public Works. “Report on Bicycle and Pedestrian Counts.” City of Minneapolis. 22 October 2007. 10 October 2011. http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/bicycles/Count_Report.pdf Hunter, William W., and Raghavan Srinivasan and Carol A, Martell. “Evaluation of a Green Bike Weaving Area in St. Petersburg, Florida.” University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center. September 2008. 10 March 2011. http://katana.hsrc.unc.edu/cms/downloads/FDOT_BA784_EvaluationGreenBikeLaneWeavin gAreaStPetersburgFlorida.pdf City of Oakland, Bicycle & Pedestrian Facilities Program. “Colored Bike Lanes Survey and Recommendations.” City of Oakland. August 2010. 10 March 2011. http://www.greenedgeconsulting.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/City-ofOakland_Colored-Bike-Lanes_August-2010.pdf Streetwiki. “Bike Boxes.” Tangient LLC. n.d. 10 March 2011. http://streetswiki.wikispaces.com/Bike+Boxes "Interim Approval for Optional Use of Green Colored Pavement for Bike Lanes (IA-14) Interim Approvals Issued by FHWA - FHWA MUTCD." Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) - FHWA. U.S. Dept. of Transportation Federal Highway Administration, 15 Apr. 2011. Web. 14 June 2011. http://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/resources/interim_approval/ia14/index.htm http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/intersection/resources/intsafestratbro/ui3_lane_assignment.pdf
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Appendix A: Current view of Pleasant Street
Figure A1. Southbound direction of Pleasant Street SE from vantage point of University Avenue. Google, 2010.
Figure A2. Northbound Pleasant Street with University Avenue in the background. Google, 2010.
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Appendix A: Current view of Pleasant Street (continued)
Figure A3. Northbound Pleasant Street at Pillsbury Drive. Google, 2010.
Figure A4. Southbound Pleasant Street at Pillsbury Drive. Google, 2010.
8
University Ave. SE
ONE-WAY
28'
28' 18' TEMPORARY CURB
STOP BAR
6' EXCEPT BIKES
ONLY
ONLY
BUS STOPS HERE
Pleasant St. SE
ONLY BUS
ONLY BUS
11' 6' 11'
STOP BAR
LET'S GET BEHIND IT STOP HERE
EXCEPT BIKES
Pillsbury Dr. SE
EXCEPT BIKES
HASH OUT STREET
PLANTERS
ONLY
18'
SHELTERS
11' 6' 11'
REMOVE EXISTING
NEW CONCRETE SIDEWALK
ONLY BUS
16'
ONLY BUS
Pillsbury Dr. SE
