Chapter 18.32 BICYCLE/PEDESTRIAN FACILITIES

Chapter 18.32
BICYCLE/PEDESTRIAN FACILITIES

Sections:

18.32.010 General requirements.

Safe, convenient, and properly designed facilities are essential to accommodate and encourage bicycle riding and pedestrian movements. The purpose of these standards is to establish design criteria for the development of public bikeway and pedestrian facility construction. The following are selected city policy statements concerning bikeway and pedestrian facilities:

(1) All bikeway and pedestrian facility development and construction provided and intended for public use shall conform to these standard specifications.

(2) Bicycle facilities shall be constructed along routes identified in the adopted comprehensive plan and all addendums thereof.

(3) For all biking and pedestrian facilities that fall within wetlands or stream corridors, the contractor and the city shall meet with the appropriate state and federal resource agencies to review and assess site-specific development compatibility issues prior to selecting any alternative for development.

(a) This review shall assess all potential and reasonable alternatives for these subject pathways in light of impacts to these affected areas.

(b) The review of the alternatives shall specifically consider the level to which impacts can (or cannot) be satisfactorily mitigated.

(4) Bikeways shall conform to the design guidelines set forth in the “Guide for Development of New Bicycle Facilities” as published by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and adopted by the Oregon Transportation Commission.

(5) Bikeway signs shall be in conformance to the “Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices” (MUTCD), as supplemented and adopted by the Oregon Transportation Commission.

The minimum width of a one-directional bicycle path is five feet. The minimum width for two-way bikeways separated from the road is eight feet.

A two-foot-wide clear area is desirable to provide clearance from trees, poles, walls, fences, guardrails, or other lateral obstructions. A wider clear area on either side of the bicycle path can serve as a separate jogging path.

The vertical clearance to obstructions should be a minimum of 8.2 feet. (Ord. 3203 § 2 (Att. A), 2016; Ord. 2875 Appx. § 710, 2003)

18.32.020 On-street facilities.

(1) Drainage Grates. Drainage grate inlets and utility covers are potential problems to bicyclists. All grate covers shall be bicycle-friendly with a herringbone rib pattern as shown in the standard drawings. It is important that grates and utility covers be adjusted flush with the surface, including after a roadway is resurfaced.

(2) Traffic Control. The MUTCD and the Oregon Supplement should be consulted for guidance on signs and pavement markings. Where bicyclists are expected to use different patterns than motorists, direction signing should be used to advise bicyclists of this special routing.

(3) Bicycle Lanes. Bicycle lanes should always be one-way facilities and carry traffic in the same direction as adjacent motor vehicle traffic. Wrong-way riding is a major cause of bicycle accidents and violates the Rules of the Road stated in the Uniform Vehicle Code. Bicycle lanes on one-way streets should be on the right side of the street, except in areas where a bicycle lane on the left would decrease the number of conflicts.

Under ideal conditions, minimum bicycle lane width is five feet. However, certain edge conditions dictate additional desirable bicycle lane width. In the case where bike lanes are adjacent to monolithic curb and gutters, a minimum lane width of four feet should be maintained from the edge of the longitudinal joint between the pavement and the gutter.

Where parking is permitted adjacent to a bicycle lane it is preferable to designate separate parking and bicycle lanes. Where parking volume is substantial and/or turnover is high, an additional one or two feet of width is desirable for safe bicycle operation.

Bicyclists do not generally ride near a curb because of the possibility of debris, of hitting a pedal on the curb, of an uneven longitudinal joint, or of a steeper cross-slope. Bicycle lanes in this location should have a minimum width of five feet from the curb face. If the longitudinal joint between the gutter pan and the roadway surface is uneven and falls within five feet of the curb face, a minimum of four feet should be provided between the joint and the motor vehicle lanes.

Bicycle lanes on a highway without curb or gutter: Bicycle lanes should be located between the motor vehicle lanes and the roadway shoulders. Bicycle lanes may have a minimum width of four feet where the shoulder can provide additional maneuvering width. A width of five feet or greater is preferable; additional widths are desirable where substantial truck traffic is present, on grades, or where motor vehicle speeds exceed 35 miles per hour.

At intersections, bicyclists proceeding straight through and motorist turning right must cross paths. Striping and signing configurations which encourage these crossings in advance of the intersection, in a merging fashion, are generally preferable to those that force the crossing in the immediate vicinity of the intersection. To a lesser extent, the same is true for left-turning bicyclists; however, in this maneuver, Oregon’s vehicle codes allow the bicyclist the option of making either a “vehicular style” left turn (where the bicyclist merges leftward to the same lane used for motor vehicle left turns) or a “pedestrian style” left turn (where the bicyclist proceeds straight through the intersection, turns left at the far side, then proceeds across the intersection again on the cross street). Where there are numerous left-turning bicyclists, a separate turning lane, as indicated in Part IX of the MUTCD, should be considered. General guidance for pavement marking of bicycle lanes is contained in the MUTCD.

Adequate pavement surface, bicycle-safe grate inlets, safe railroad crossings, and traffic signals responsive to bicycles should always be provided on roadways where bicycle lanes are being designated. Raised pavement markings and raised barriers can be dangerous obstacles for bicyclists and should not be used to delineate bicycle lanes.

(4) Widened Sidewalk. Widened sidewalks for bicycle use should only be considered where more preferred facilities, such as separated pathways, bike lanes, or shared roadway facilities are not possible due to street right-of-way constraints or within developed areas where independent rights-of-way cannot be provided. Widened sidewalks should be considered where pathways terminate at poor street crossing locations to lead bicyclists to safe crossing locations. Where widened sidewalks are used as a designated bikeway, they should be identifiable by striping, signing, or lighting – or a combination of these features. Ideally, widened sidewalks are used only where planter strips are also present. Widened sidewalks should not be encumbered by utility poles, hydrants, driveway aprons, street trees, signposts, and other obstacles which act to reduce the usable width of the facility. Alignment alternatives shall consider minimizing street and driveway crossings. Widened sidewalks should maintain a constant grade and minimize dips and rises associated with driveway crossings.

(5) Bikeway/Wheelchair Ramps. Intersection curb cuts or ramps, commonly referred to as wheelchair ramps, serve a multitude of user groups – these include, in addition to wheelchairs, bicyclists, the elderly (ranging from using walkers, canes, or adult tricycles), the visually impaired, or other handicapped persons. Due to this range of users and the variety of their needs when utilizing sidewalks, it is imperative that all intersections be equipped with an adequate system of ramps.

Design components for ramps must consider slope, width of the ramp, angle of approach, surface roughness, pavement appurtenances (i.e., catch basins, valve covers, etc.), and gutter smoothness. Curb ramps must meet the design criteria established by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). (Ord. 2875 Appx. § 720, 2003)