A 20 mph zone includes design features aimed at keeping vehicle speeds below 20 mph, such as humps, speed tables, rough surfaces, tight geometry, road narrowings, and so on.
A type of barrier designed to prevent (or discourage) illegitimate use of walking and cycling paths - in particular, entry using mopeds and motorcycles.
An 'access-only' road or street is that has a ban on motor traffic using it, except for access. Typically this signed with Diagram 620 'Except for Access' in conjunction with Diagram 619, 'motor vehicles prohibited'.
The Active Mode Appraisal Toolkit (AMAT) is a model produced by the Department for Transport, which uses a spreadsheet to assess the overal benefits and costs of proposed cycling and walking interventions, ranging from capital investments to behaviour
Sometimes called a bike box or a cycle reservoir, Advanced Stop Lines (ASLs) are stop lines for cyclists at traffic signals, which are marked beyond the stop line for general traffic.
A road design feature that involves the road surface sloping away from the inside of a bend, being higher on the inside of the bend than on the outside (the opposite of a banked corner).
Automatic Number Plate Recognition – camera system designed to recognise number plates and therefore exclude or fine all unrecognised users (while allowing buses, deliveries and/or residents vehicles etc. through).
Small dividers bolted onto road surface to give degree of protection to cycle lanes from the roadway. Also referred to, confusingly, as ‘zebras’. Approved for use in the UK by the DfT in 2013.
A measure of the total annual volume of motor traffic on a road or street over the course of a year, divided by 365 - giving the volume of motor traffic expected along it on one day.
A term used to describe the obstacles to the uptake of cycling as a mode of transport. Essentially, the reason why people choose not to cycle for trips that could easily be cycled.
Named for Leslie Hoare Belisha, the Minister for Transport from 1934-37, this is the black and white pole, with yellow flashing bulb, that stands each side of a zebra crossing.
'Beyond the Bicycle' is a term used by the Beyond the Bicycle Coalition, to highlight the need to take into consideration types of cycle beyond the standard two-wheeled bicycle.
Capital (spending) refers to an amount spent on improving, or building, an asset. With regards to cycling, this might typically involve investment in the construction of new cycleways, improved junctions, or links between urban areas.
A catch-all term for a wide variety of adapted cycles, designed for carrying heavy or bulky loads, or passengers, including children. They can come in either two-wheeled, three-wheeled, or four-wheeled form, with or without e-assistance.
A form of design used to encourage slower traffic and to provide better (usually wider) pavement facilities for pedestrians, and indeed cycling infrastructure.
A chaincase is a device that encloses the chain on a bicycle. It's a practical feature that is ubiquitous on bicycles ridden for transport in the Netherlands and Denmark.
Clutter is those elements both visual and physical that detract from the simplicity of a street design. Sometimes used as an argument for naked streets, but also for more simply reducing unnecessary obstructions by other changes in design e.g.
Cycling infrastructure should be surfaced in one consistent colour, as much as possible, to provide clarity, visual priority, legibility and continuity.
A term used to refer to cycles and motor traffic being 'combined' on the carriageway, i.e. without any separate cycle provision. 'Combined traffic' should only occur in low speed, low traffic environments.
Also known as a Contiental Roundabout, this describes the concept of a reduced radius in the centre of a roundabout creating a layout in which motor vehicles traversing the design experience a need to slow down given by the need to take a series of cor
In the context of transport and highways, consultation is the process by which highway authorities discuss changes with local residents and transport users.
A one-way street for motor vehicles with provision for two-way cycling. Avoids forcing cyclists into detours, but can be intimidating to ride in. This is typically a low-quality solution compared to modal filters.
An area where parking is generally reserved for permit holders. These can be done many different ways, but typically the restrictions will be by time and location.
This layout is obviously found (a lot) in the Danish city of Copenhagen which is rather more cycle-friendly than London. The arrangement has a footway, then a cycle track and buses stopping next to the cycle track.
An informal, leaderless bike ride that meets on the last Friday of every month, in cities around the world. There is no route planned; the ride simply follows those who happen to be at the head of the group.
In cycle campaigning, 'culture' is used as a way of explaining why cycling levels are so much higher in countries like the Netherlands and Denmark, compared to Britain.
A cycle-specific crossing of a road carrying motor traffic, at grade. This type of crossing can either give cycling priority, or give motor traffic priority.
A term used to refer to a 'composite' of the many different types of cycle, used to provide design criteria that will accommodate all those types of cycle.
A motor traffic-free route specifically for cycle traffic that does not run parallel to an existing highway. In other words, they are distinct routes, separate from the road network.
'Cycle training' refers to any programme of instruction in cycling proficiency, be it simply learning to ride and handle a cycle, learning road rules and behaviour, or attempting to deal with more complex road environments.
Cycling Level of Service (or CLoS for short) is an audit tool developed by Transport for London. It is designed to assess the quality of cycling provision in existing (and proposed) schemes, with a final score out of 100.
An information sign (white lettering on blue rectangle), rather than a 'no cycling' sign, meaning it does not require you to dismount unless it is already illegal to cycle (for instance on entering a pedestrian area or to use a pelican or zebra
In cycle campaigning circles, 'dangerisation' is the claim that discussing safety, danger and potential risks suppresses cycling levels, and even causes people to give up cycling altogether.
A 'definitive map' is a document that county councils or unitary authorities in England and Wales (excluding inner London boroughs) have to draw up and maintain, to show all the rights of way in their ar
A large multi-volume manual that sets out how trunk roads in Britain should be designed. It is still used to inform (often inappropriately) how streets and roads in urban areas should be laid out.
'Design Speed' refers to the assumed speed of users of a particular route, and therefore determines the way that route should be designed, to accommodate that speed.
A piece of equipment that serves to provide information to traffic signal control systems about vehicles, people, or cycles approaching or waiting at junctions, and adjusts signal time accordingly.
A detector loop, or induction loop, is an electro-magnetic loop built in a road surface that provides traffic data, or alerts a traffic signal system to the presence of a vehicle or bicycle.
An Act to make it unlawful to discriminate against disabled persons in connection with employment, the provision of goods, facilities and services or the disposal or management of premises; to make provision about the employment of disabled pe
An entrance to a property. Where a footway or a cycleway crosses a driveway, both should continue across it without interruption, with a smooth, level, continuous surface.
The dual network is a concept which provides two types of cycling infrastructure. The theory is that experienced and confident cyclists will use the roads, while those less experienced or confident will use off-road facilities.
'Dynamic envelope' refers to the typical space someone takes up while cycling. It will be larger than the static width because people will 'wobble' while travelling along.
The use of cycle-specific lights at a junction that go green prior to the main traffic lights enabling those cycling to move ahead and ideally clear the junction prior to the rest of traffic moving, but useless if arrived at during a green phase.
"End of route" is a road sign (Diagram 965 in TSRGD) which traffic engineers use to mean "we've given up on this cycle path now, you're on your own from here."
An 'entrance kerb' (called 'inritband' in Dutch) is a type of ramped kerb that allows footways and cycleways to run at a continuous, raised flat level across side roads and minor junctions.
An erf (literally meaning 'yard') is a Dutch term for a street where walking, cycling and recreation is formally prioritised over the flow of motor traffic. The plural is 'erven'.
A road sign that can be added below other road signs to indicate exemptions to a rule, or information - for instance, No Entry except cycles, or the 'Dead End' sign.
'Fatality rate' refers to the number of fatalities, by exposure - be that distance travelled by a particular mode, or time spent travelling by that particular mode.
The Fietsersbond is the Dutch Cyclists Union, a campaigning group for better cycling conditions. It has around 35,000 members, and is a partner in the Dutch Cycling Embassy.
Filtered permeability describes design of our streets and urban realm that allows through journeys for selected modes of transport, typically walking and cycling (but sometimes also buses), but removes it as a through ro
Also known as a 'bus stop bypass', this is an arrangement that involves a cycleway running behind the passenger boarding area at a bus stop, between an island and the footway.
A slang term for a road sign prohibiting motor vehicles - diagram 619 in the TSRGD. The red circle is a prohibition, excluding all forms of motor traffic.
'Forgiving kerbs' are angled, or splayed, kerbs that can be easily traversed by cycles, while still presenting a clear physical height difference between a cycleway and a footw
A junction treatment that involves vertical separation of two or more different routes, placing them at different heights. For bicycle traffic, this will typically involve an underpass, or a bridge over a road.
Gradient is a measure of the degree of slope. While gradients on naturally occurring features (hills!) can be hard to avoid, they can (and should) be mitigated, particularly by extending routes. An example is shown below.
A type of cycle pedalled by hand, rather than by foot.
They can either be a specfically-designed cycle, or an adapted wheelchair, with an (attached) front wheel powered by hand pedalling. E-assist is also available for handcycles.
The health benefits of cycling are well known. Cycling is typically considered one of the two best forms of exercise, along with swimming, as it provides exercise without impact on joints.
The Healthy Streets Index is a tool created by experts from University College London (UCL), Healthy Streets and Tranquil City, which rates the 'healthiness' of ev
A way over which generally all members of the public have the right to pass and repass without hindrance. May be maintained by public expense (i.e. local highway authority) or private expense (land owner).
A 'highway authority' is a body that has a duty of care to maintain the safety and usability of highways (including roads) that are kept at public expense.
An Act which sets out the powers and duties of highway authorities. Duties are things that these authorities have to do. Powers are things that the authorities may wish to exert.
Formerly the Highway Agency, Highways England is a government-owned company with responsibilty for the operation, maintenance and improvement of the motorways and trunk road net
Home zones are a residential (typically urban) street treatment that involve reducing motor traffic speeds and the general dominance of motor traffic, more diverse use of street space (particularly by residents), increasing natural surveillance, and fo
A method of vehicle speed reduction using a raised section of road which cannot be driven over at high speeds. Humps are also colloquially known as 'sleeping policemen'.
A 'hybrid cycle track' is a British description for a stepped cycle track, a cycleway that is built higher than the carriageway, but lower than the footway - at an intermediate height, between the two.
A bicycle adapted in one way or another to accommodate its user's disability. This could be a tricycle, tandem, handcycle, or a wide variety of other types.
Inclusive design - not specifically about cycling - involves ensuring that everyone is able to use places, buildings, equipment, tools and environments, and that they are safe and convenient, for all.
The principle that design for cycling should not exclude any particular user, be it because it is too hostile, too intimidating, or cannot accommodate their type of cycle.
“If you build more space for motor traffic, you will get more motor traffic”. Induced demand is the idea that building more roads will generate more demand for those roads.
A term used by the Cycling Embassy of Great Britain, and coined by Sally Hinchcliffe, to describe organised visits to particular areas to look at and understand cycling provision in a particular area.
A junction is the point at which roads meet; or the point at which cycleways meet roads, or each other. This creates potential conflict between users travelling in different directions, which has to be managed with good design.
The (usable) radius available to vehicles turning into or out of a street – the wider the radius, the wider the entry/exit, and/or the shallower the angle of turn from one street to another, the faster vehicles will be able to take the turn.
"London Cycle Design Standards". Transport for London's cycling design manual, covering requirements and guidance for the design of roads and streets for cycling.
A 'left hook' involves a motor vehicle overtaking a person cycling, then turning left across the latter's path. Particularly dangerous where pedestrian guard railings are in place at the edge of a pavement.
'Liability' refers to councils or highway authorities being found legally responsible for defective roads, or road design, that leads to injury or death.
Also referred to as light segregation, this is a method for separating a cycle lane from the carriageway by means of (typically temporary, or easily installed) physical objec
LIP is an abbreviation of Local Implementation Plan.
LIPs are part of the structure that Transport for London (TfL) uses to deliver transport strategy in inner and outer London, by allocating money to the boroughs.
Aside from the general aspirartion that everyone should have a 'liveable' neighbourhood, this is a London-specific programme run by TfL for transport improvements around town centres, residential areas and transport interchanges, linked to the MTS, and
joint local authority-business bodies brought forward by local authorities themselves to promote local economic development – to replace Regional Development Agencies (RDAs)
A Local Transport Note (usually abbreviated to LTN) is traffic management guidance for local authorities, issued by the British Department for Transport.
A Low Traffic Neighbourhood (LTN) is an area-wide intervention designed to reduce motor traffic levels across a series of streets, by confining through traffic to main roads (or 'boundary' roads).
Low-level signals are small repeater lights that mirror what is displayed by the larger, conventional, traffic signals at junctions. They make it easier for people cycling to see signals that apply to them, without having to crane their necks back.
A cycle lane marked by a solid (unbroken) white line. It is 'mandatory' in the sense that drivers of motor vehicles are not permitted to enter it, rather than being mandatory for cyclists to use it.
An acronym, standing for Microprocessor Optimised Vehicle Actuated control, a system developed by TRL in the 1980s, and used at signal-controlled junctions.
"Mayor's Transport Strategy". Around every 10 years, the Mayor prepares a long-term document laying out the transport strategy and key associated targets that reaches far beyond the current term.
NACTO is a coalition of transport authorities in the USA, their mission being to "exchange of transportation ideas, insights, and practices among large central cities while fostering a cooperative approach to key national transportation issues.&qu
Much derided by cycle campaigners as a joke ("Notional Cycling Network" or "National Cycling Not-work" for example), the NCN is a bold attempt at creating a network of cycle routes across Britain.
Used to describe a number of connected cycle routes. In Britain this word has been used to describe very weak networks, such as the National Cycle Network.
A more well-defined concept is the Grid, which is a network with specified density.
An overrun area is a portion of road surface that is designed to accommodate the turning circles of large vehicles, while ensuring tight geometry (to slow down speeds) for conventional vehicles.
A Passenger Car Unit is a measure used primarily to assess highway capacity, for modelling purposes. Different vehicles are assigned different values, according to the space they take up.
A specific element of road infrastructure, used to allow pedestrians to cross larger roads in multiple phases. Often these have some physcal protection from traffic, and can be combined with pinch points.
A push-button controlled crossing which permits equestrian as well as pedestrian use. A second push-button box is mounted higher up such that the horse rider does not need to dismount to operate the crossing.
PEdestrian LIght CoNtrolled (yes, that is where the name comes from) crossing is an example of a controlled crossing where pedestrians push a button to indicate they wish to cross.
Porosity is a way to talk about the provision of crossing points - how can cycling 'flow' from one area to another. Low porosity means that there are few ways to exit a particular neighbourhood, making cycling a less inviting option.
'Presumed liability' (often referred to as 'strict liability') is an element of civil law that, in crashes involving vulnerable road users, finds the more powerful road user liable by default, unless it can be clearly proven that t
Often described as ‘right of way’, priority concerns who should be yielding to whom at points of traffic intersection - road junctions, pedestrian crossings, etc.
The National Propensity to Cycle Tool (PCT) is an online and interactive planning support tool to provide an evidence base to inform investment in cycling.
A term used to describe measures that separate cycling (and indeed walking) from motor traffic. For instance 'protected cycleway' would be a cycleway that is separated from motor traffic by either a physical kerb, or bollards, or parking.
Public Rights of Way include footpaths, bridleways, restricted byways, and byways open to all traffic (BOATs). They are all highways, and are shown on Definitive Maps.
A speed table which is built across the width of a side road at a junction. It creates a level crossing surface for pedestrians (and cycle users where part of a cycle track).
The Road Danger Reduction Forum. A group of transport officials and professionals who work on cycling walking, transport planning and other related areas.
A physical, kerbed "island" placed in the carriageway design to assist pedestrians and cycle users to cross the road in more than one stage, but without giving any specific priority.
How the DfT evaluates whether it’s spending its money wisely. Cycling spending tends to provide ratios of 3 or more to 1 in direct and indirect benefits.
A rising bollard is a physical barrier which sinks into the ground when a permitted vehicle is approaching, but otherwise prevents unauthorised vehicles from passing through.
A 'road hierarchy' refers to a system of classifying all the roads and streets in a given area, according to their function. Typically this will involve
A Road Safety Audit (RSA) is an evaluation of a new highway scheme, before, during and after construction, with the intention of identifying potential safety issues, and to propose measures to eliminate them.
The Road Traffic Regulation Act is a piece of primary legislation that allows highway authorities to lawfully restrict and manage traffic (including cycling and walking - both con
'Safety in Numbers' is the theory that there is a correlation between cycling levels in an area, or country, and the relative safety of cycling - that higher cycling levels correlate with higher safety levels.
A 'School Street' is a term for a temporary restriction of motor traffic on a street (or streets) surrounding a school, at the start and end of the school day.
A misguided attempt to improve child safety by reducing motor speeds on roads outside schools. Sadly these roads tend to already be clogged by cars, and children spend more time on roads where they live.
A mechanism of planning gain whereby developers make a financial contribution towards infrastructure needed to support their development. Infrastructure can include transport, schools, etc.
This refers to S278 of the Highways Act 1980 (as amended) and is essentially a formal agreement between a highway authority and another party to make changes to an existing hi
This refers to S38 of the Highways Act 1980 (as amended) and is essentially a formal agreement for a highway authority to adopt (take over responsibility for) roads.
A service road is a road running parallel to a faster, or busier road, which provides access to private properties, shops, industry, or farms (depending on the location.
Shuttle working refers to the use of traffic signals to alternate flows on a one-way section of road. Most typically found at roadworks, but can also be used to create attractive conditions for cycling on, say, bridges. See example linked to below.
'Simultaneous green' junctions (or 'all-ways' green, or 'scramble', junctions) give people cycling and walking a combined dedicated green phase, while motor traffic is stopped in all directions, which allows both types of road u
A type of road hump that has a curved, sinusoisdal profile, which means they are smoother and more comfortable to cycle over than the 'conventional' hump with a round profile or flat profile.
'Sociable cycling' refers to the ability to cycle side-by-side, or to hold conversations while cycling. It is an important requirement for a good cycling environment.
A model that recognises that disability isn't caused by someone's impairment or physical conditions - instead disability results from inaccessible environments, pre-conceived ideas of what people can and can't do, and lack of support systems.
A large road hump across the width of a carriageway (or a cycle track). Has a flat top and can either run kerb to kerb or stop short to leave a channel for water to pass.
In traffic control, a stage is a series of phases that run together - for instance, a green for motor traffic and cycle traffic to proceed ahead, while left-turning mo
Stopping Sight Distance (or SSD for short) is is the distance required for a highway user to perceive, react and stop safely, before encountering a hazard or potential collision. It is measured in a straight line between two points at the cen
The Strategic Neighbourhood Analysis (SNA) is a Transport for London planning tool, consisting of a series of strategic-level spatial analyses used to inform the potential suitability of different areas for
A colloquial term for a road feature that prevents access by conventional motor traffic, but allows access by larger motor vehicles - particularly, buses and fire engines.
'Sustainable Safety' is the Dutch principle of design which makes roads and streets easy to use, self-explanatory and safe by default, preventing crashes from occurring. A better English expression is 'Intrinsic Safety'.
Short for Sustainable Transport, Sustrans is a national charity that promotes the use of sustainable transport. Flagship projects of Sustrans include the National Cycle Network, Safe Routes to Schools, Connect2, and Free Range Kids.
The calculation and analyis (now performed with software) of the movement and path of the wheels (and body parts) of a vehicle, when that vehicle is turning.
A Temporary Traffic Order (TTO) is a form of legal instrument used by highway authorities to implement traffic management controls on their roads - the power to do so lies with
An online tool developed to conduct surveys of estimated motor vehicle journey times taking, account of traffic congestion as estimated by Google Maps.
A traffic order is a legal document which formalises a highway authority's ability to regulate or manage traffic - 'traffic' will include cycles and pedestrians.
Traffic stress is caused by safety issues (both perceived and real), as well as extended travel distance and difficulties in negotiating parts of the network.
A convex mirror attached to traffic signals to help drivers (especially HGVs) to see down the side of their vehicle for the presence of people on cycles, especially before turning left.
A specific form of roundabout for motorists, with a spiral pattern that commits motorists to choosing the correct lane before entering the roundabout. Lane changes on the roundabout itself are eliminated.
'Uniformity of provision' is a design philosophy that means cycling infrastructure is suitable for all potential users, whether they are young or old, fast or slow, experienced or inexperienced. One design approach is employed for all potential users.
The height difference of a kerb between different areas of a highway (for instance, between the carriageway and the footway, or between a cycleway and a footway).
The act of using a bike for a day-to-day task, such as shopping, commuting, going to the cinema, visiting friends, etc. Any cycling done simply as a means of transport rather than as a sport or leisure activity.
Vehicle Excise Duty. Commonly and incorrectly referred to as ‘Road Tax’, although media organisations will occasionally make the effort to use the more correct ‘car tax’.
A measurement of the distance at which users should be able to see left and right as they approach a junction on the minor arm. It is composed of an 'x' distance and a 'y' distance, as shown in the Highways England diagram below.
'Voorrangsplein' (literally, 'priority square') is a Dutch junction type that is superficially similar to a roundabout, but that takes the form of long lonzenge-shaped central island, designed specifically for situations where a major road (a distribut
A term used to describe pedestrians, cyclists, horse riders and motorcyclists, abbreviated to VRU. The term reflects the fact that these users are not surrounded by the protective shell of a motor vehicle and are therefore at greater risk of harm
A vulnerable road user audit (VRUA) is an assessment of either an existing road network, or planned changes to the road network, including footways, cycleways, bridleways, and other links.
The Walking, Cycling and Horse Riding Assessment & Review (WCHAR) has, since 2017, replaced the previous HD 42/05 NMU (Non-Motorised User) Audit as part of
The woonerf (plural woonerven) is a type of Dutch residential street that was developed in the 1970s, designed to be safe, and quiet, with no through-traffic except walking. The name literally means 'living courtyard'.
