18.3.11 Railings and Barriers Adjacent to Bikeways

A barrier that separates vehicular traffic from a sidepath or separated bike lane must:
  • Meet the current barrier standards for the vehicular speed; and
  • Provide an end treatment consistent with current Roadway Design Standard practice.
Where barriers are used immediately adjacent to a sidepath with minimum width dimensions, there may be risk a bicyclist could fall over the top. In these circumstances a minimum barrier height of 42-in is required. Barriers across bridge structures must meet the respective TxDOT’s Bridge Railing Manual requirements. Where barriers are used immediately adjacent to a sidepath with minimum width dimensions, there may be risk a bicyclist could fall over the top. In these circumstances a minimum barrier height of 42-in is required. Barriers across bridge structures must meet the respective TxDOT’s
Bridge Railing Manual
requirements.
Barriers or railings located on the outside of a sidepath used to protect bicyclists and path users from falling into a hazard must be a minimum of 42-in in height. A higher 48-in to 54-in continuous barrier or railing may be considered in locations where:
  • Bicyclist speeds are likely to be high (such as on a downgrade);
  • High winds are typical (such as on bridges); or
  • A bicyclist could impact a railing at a 25- degree angle or greater (such as on a curve).
Shy spaces to railings and barriers shall not be included within the width of the shared use path (SUP) or other bikeways. (see
Figure 18-11
).
Example Bridge with Barriers for Sidepaths High-speed (left) and Low-speed (right) ( click in image to see full-size image)
Figure 18-11: Example Bridge with Barriers for Sidepaths; High-speed (left) and Low-speed (right)
Where shared use sidepaths or separated bike lanes with sidewalks are provided on a bridge where the roadway cross section must narrow, the narrowing should be prioritized in the following order:
  • Minimize shy distances to constrained conditions to vertical barriers (1-ft);
  • Minimize street buffer to minimum width (4-ft);
  • Narrow sidepath width from desired to constrained minimum;
  • Narrow separated bike lane width from desired to minimum; or
  • Narrow sidewalk width to the minimum.