Overview
The promotion of public and bicycle transport is undisputed. Unfortunately the space is especially in towns restricted and so the both means of transportation are in competition with each other. The question is, with which measures the attractiveness and the safety of the public and the bicycle transport can be increased at the same time.
The aim of the research is to develop a structure to integrate this subject in the norms of the Association of Swiss Road and Traffic Engineers and to work out the technical basis for the norms.
The technical information contains recommendations for using the traffic lanes for public transport by bicycles and for the guidance of bicycles around the stops of public transport.
The following works were carried out as part of the study of the topic:
- Compiling a bibliography
- Literature evaluate
- Discussions with public transport operators and the members of the VSS Expert Commission carry out
- Define standard concept
- Overview assembles about the possible ways of implementing supply LZV
Funding
Results
For some years both at home and abroad, public and cycle transport have been encouraged as environmentally friendly. Both means of travel take up little surface area and cause little environmental damage for each person transported. Together with pedestrian travel they fulfil the criteria for sustainable transport development.
Public transport lanes often run parallel to cycling routes, especially in built up areas. Measures to encourage one means of travel can benefit the other however they can equally hinder or endanger the other. The causes for these diverging effects lie primarily in the differing characteristics of the two groups of participants.
Based on the needs of the different means of transport (bicycle, bus and tram), this research report sets out fundamental principles and criteria for choosing means of conducting cyclists on roads with public transport, and also makes recommendations for the design of special measures.
For roads with public transport the following recommendations for conducting cycle traffic are made:
1. For roads with a bus lane and a same-direction lane for remaining traffic:
- Cycle traffic should in general follow the bus lane.
- Bus lanes, on which cycle traffic is authorised, should always be 3.00 m or equal or wider than 4.00 m.
- Where two same-direction lanes have a joint width of 7.50 m, as a rule a cycle lane should be marked on the right hand side of the lane.
- Where the joint width is less than ca. 6.75 m and there is an incline of over 2%, cyclists and bus traffic should be separated either spatially or in time, or changes should be made to the design concept of that stretch.
2. At bus stops:
- If cycle traffic is in mixed traffic on the stretch, this should continue in the area of the bus stop as a rule.
- Cycle lanes can only be continued at bus stops with a bay of 2.5 m. At other types of bus stop the cycle lane must be interrupted.
- A cycle path should also continue in the area of the bus stop, as a rule. If space is limited it may make sense to continue it as a cycle lane or in mixed traffic.
- In special cases, where cycle traffic is in mixed traffic or on cycle lanes on that stretch, it can be taken to the right of the bus stop on a short cycle path