Any street with speeds greater than 35 mph needs protected bike lanes to rate as low stress in the Bicycle Network Analysis. In most cases, any street with more than two motor vehicle travel lanes also needs protected bike lanes. While painted bike lanes are now common throughout U.S. and Canadian cities, they do not provide sufficient protection for people riding bikes on most major streets, which are often the streets people use to reach common destinations like grocery stores.
Case Study: ,
Cambridge, Massachusetts has demonstrated exceptional leadership installing protected bike lanes through their Cycling Safety Ordinance, which the city council passed in 2019. The ordinance requires that streets designated for protected bike lanes in the city’s bike plan receive those protected bike lanes when the street undergoes other improvements, such as paving or utility work. By tying protected bike lane construction to the street improvement schedule, the city holds itself accountable to making progress with firm timelines and resource commitments. Cambridge installed six miles of protected bike lanes in the first two years of the ordinance and plans to construct four additional miles in 2022.
