Central Indiana Bicycle Assn.

By Joe Hettle:

There seems to be a lot of talk and controversy about the increase in bike lanes in the city.  Bicyclists either love them or hate them.  Motorists seem to pretty much hate them.  The one thing for sure is there is confusion over how to use the lanes.  Oh and by the way “what the heck” do all of the lines, dashes and colors mean?  And I agree.

With this in mind I have gone to Jamison Hutchins from the City of Indianapolis,  Planner / Office of Sustainability and ask for some guidelines.  Here are his comments:

Since 2007, Indianapolis under the leadership of Mayor Ballard has embarked on an ambitious program to make the city more bicycle-friendly. This process has included a series of on-street bike lanes, new policies making it safer for cyclists on the road, and support for facilities like the YMCA Indy Bike Hub in the east wing of the City Market. At the beginning of 2008, the city had around 1 mile of poorly maintained bike lanes; at the end of 2011 we will have close to 65 miles. With the addition of facilities that have not been part of roadways in the past, there has been and continues to be a learning curve for both people in cars and on bicycles. To this point, the city has lacked the resources to fully engage in a public education and outreach campaign; however with drastic increase in bike facilities and riders, we have been able to justify more staff to address the issues.

                This piece will aim to explain, and reduce some of the confusion that has surfaced as a result of some of the recent bike lane projects. I will be referencing the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) Urban Bikeway Design Guide. This is our main reference source when designing bike facilities, and will be used so the definitions will remain consistent and people will understand where the information is coming from.

Sharrows-Shared Lane Markings (SLMs), or “sharrows,” are road markings used to indicate a shared lane environment for bicycles and automobiles. Among other benefits shared lane markings reinforce the legitimacy of bicycle traffic on the street and recommend proper bicyclist positioning. The shared lane marking is not a facility type, it is a pavement marking with a variety of uses to support a complete bikeway network. The MUTCD outlines guidance for shared lane markings in section 9C.07.

Indy uses these on bike routes where the road cannot, or should not, accommodate more traditional bike lanes due to width or on-street car parking restrictions. These can be found on most of the bike lane projects, including Shelby St, Lafayette Rd and Michigan Rd.  

http://nacto.org/cities-for-cycling/design-guide/bikeway-signing-marking/shared-lane-marking/

Through Bike Lanes (Bike lane shifts)/Green Pavement Markings- For bicyclists traveling in a conventional bike lane or from a truncated cycle track, the approach to an intersection with vehicular

turn lanes can present a significant challenge. For this reason it is vital that bicyclists are provided with an opportunity to correctly position themselves to avoid conflicts with turning vehicles. This treatment specifically covers the application of a through bicycle lane or ‘bicycle pocket’ at the intersection.

http://nacto.org/cities-for-cycling/design-guide/intersection-treatments/through-bike-lanes/

Colored pavement within a bicycle lane increases the visibility of the facility, identifies potential areas of conflict, and reinforces priority to bicyclists in conflict areas and in areas with pressure for illegal parking. Colored pavement is commonly applied at intersections, driveways, conflict areas, and along non-standard or enhanced facilities such as cycle tracks. Though rarely done in North America, color can be applied along the entire length of bicycle lanes to increase the overall visibility of the facility. Motorists are expected to yield right of way to bicyclists at these locations. Along bikeway corridors, color should be applied either in intersection conflict areas, or between conflict areas, or both; whichever approach is preferred, it is important to be consistent.

We have used these treatments on the New York St, Lafayette Rd and Illinois St bike lane projects.

http://nacto.org/cities-for-cycling/design-guide/bikeway-signing-marking/colored-bike-lanes/

Dashed Lane Markings- Areas on a bike lanes striping that are dashed represent areas where cars are expected to be crossing the bike lanes to enter a parking lot, make a turn or shift lanes. When in a car, solid and dashed lines should be treated the same way a dashed/solid line would be on any other lane marking.

If there are ever opportunities for me (Jamison) to attend a meeting for an organization or neighborhood group, please feel free to contact me. Also, we always appreciate constructive feedback on finished projects and input for possible future projects. Don’t be a stranger… I truly enjoy my job and trying to make the city a better place for people to ride!!

Jamison Hutchins,

Planner / Office of Sustainability

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

317-327-5230