Good bicycle facility design isn’t an accident. It takes careful planning and innovative thinking to design facilities that are safe, and effective within a community’s priorities for recreational opportunities and overall healthier living. The following are several helpful resources for bicycle facility standards and designs:
- American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO): The AASHTO guide is the industry standard for bicycle facility design issues. Subjects include shared roadways, signed shared roadways, bike lanes, shared use paths (trails), bicycle planning, and other issues.
- Guide for the Development of Bicycle Facilities, 3rd Edition: Supersedes the 1981 Guide for Development of New Bicycle Facilities. Provides information on the development of new facilities to enhance and encourage safe bicycle travel. Planning considerations, design and construction guidelines, and operation and maintenance recommendations are included. Click here for the AASHTO bookstore link to this document.
- Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center-Engineering Bicycle Facilities. The link to the site is as follows: www.pedbikeinfo.org/planning/facilities.
Here’s a link to a great article on how bicycle-friendly communities improve economic opportunities http://momentummag.com/features/how-bicycles-bring-business/
Public support and advocacy for improved conditions for bicycling and walking have recaptured community awareness for the non-motorized traveler. Support is growing for increased planning, funding and construction of shared use paths, sidewalks, and improved streetscapes. Consideration must be made to accommodate walkers safely and comfortably and to various destinations within a community.
The 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act, building on an earlier law requiring curb ramps in new, altered, and existing sidewalks, added the impetus for improved conditions to sidewalk users. People with certain physical disabilities have come to rely on well- designed pedestrian and transit infrastructure for access and mobility.
The following resources are available to assist with Pedestrian Design and Planning:
From the Georgia Department of Transportation web site:
- ADA Accessibility Guidelines
- Georgia Guidebook For Pedestrian Planning
- Pedestrian and Streetscape Guide
Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center-Engineering Facilities. The link to the site is as follows: www.pedbikeinfo.org/planning/facilities.cfm