State of the practice in bicycle and pedestrian accommodation

As bicycling and walking continue to grow across the U.S. and incidence of fatal motor vehicle crashes involving bicyclists and pedestrians has increased, the TxDOT and the state’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee recognized a need to provide safer and better infrastructure for non-motorized users of our transportation system. A multidisciplinary team of TxDOT staff and BPAC members collaborated on recommendations to more effectively accommodate bicyclists and pedestrians in the planning, design and construction of transportation projects through inclusive project development and modernization of bikeway design.

Products

The following three products summarize the results of this collaborative effort.

• Summary Brochure
• Phase 1 – Inclusive Project Development: This phase identified 15 areas of concurrence on actions to more effectively advance inclusion of bicyclists’ and pedestrian’s needs in TxDOT’s project development processes.
  • Summary graphic
• Phase 2 – Bikeway Design Modernization: This phase resulted in 33 guiding principles to advance the state of the practice in bikeway design.  
  • Summary document

Next steps

Following approval of the phase one Areas of Concurrence by the department’s BPAC, TxDOT staff began to implement recommended programs, policies, and projects. Recommendations in the implementation phase include:

• Initiate district bicycle plans statewide.
• Develop district-level bike/ped design engineering subject matter expertise.
• Promote collection of bike/ped data.
• Refine requirements to better incorporate temporary bike/ped facilities (detours) in traffic control plans.
• Create a statewide clearinghouse of bike/ped transportation plans.

Prior to beginning phase two, TxDOT had already initiated a process to update its Roadway Design Manual. Many of the guiding principles have been incorporated into TxDOT’s new Bicycle Accommodation Design Guidance and will inform the upcoming revisions to the bicycle facilities section of the RDM (anticipated Fall 2021). This new section will provide bicycle infrastructure design guidance such as:

• Bicycle planning principles including understanding safety, connectivity, comfort, and cohesiveness.
• Context considerations for engineers including the bicycle design user, land use, roadway context, and other roadway users.
• Clarity on contexts where including bicycle infrastructure is not necessary.
• Clarity on guidelines for the use of 14-foot-wide curb lanes (shared lanes) based on roadway characteristics.
• Bicycle accommodation selection guidance.

For more information and specific questions about the State of the Practice in Bicycle & Pedestrian Accommodation project, email bikeped@txdot.gov.