Good Cycling Facility of the Week: 31st March 2016

This week's Good Facility is an example of a bi-directional cycleway, designed with clear priority across a minor side road, in Utrecht.

Both the footway and the cycleway are continuous across the side road. Even though motorists have to cross both to access a car park, and dwellings, it is clear that they have to do so carefully. The markings also make clear that the cycleway is bi-drectional, and visibility is good in both directions. 

In addition drivers have to negotiate a sharp ramp to exit and join the main road, ensuring that their speeds are low.

This cycleway also illustrates another imporant principle - if roads are difficult to cross, then bi-directional cycleways should be designed beside them. This (major) road is four lanes wide, and has a median. For covenenience, therefore, it has bi-directional cycleways on both sides, so that people do not have to cross the road to make short trips in the 'wrong' direction.