IBPI and the Bike Boulevard Guidebook

First of all, how great is it that Portland State (and of course it's Portland State) has an Institute of Bicycle and Pedestrian Innovation?

They recently came out with a guidebook on Bicycle Boulevards.

Bicycle boulevards take the shared roadway bike facility to a new level, creating an attractive, convenient, and comfortable cycling environment that is welcoming to cyclists of all ages and skill levels.

In essence, bicycle boulevards are low-volume and low-speed streets that have been optimized for bicycle travel through treatments such as traffic calming and traffic reduction, signage and pavement markings, and intersection crossing treatments. These treatments allow through movements for cyclists while discouraging similar through trips by nonlocal motorized traffic. Motor vehicle access to properties along the route is maintained.

I often ride up to Silver Spring to see friends and I prefer to ride on the bike route on 8th NW as it has much less/slower traffic (though coming home I go downhill on Georgia Avenue) and it - 8th St - might make a good bicycle boulevard - which would involve moving and removing some stop signs to make it work. In fact, I'd prefer to see much of the Signed Bike Route network replaced with a Bicycle Boulevard network.

The report recommends bike boxes (on page 26) which we were just discussing in the comments.

Photo (which if you click through to here has comments) by Payton Chung

Comments

[Matt]

I'm very surprised by the lack of decent accomodations for bicyclists in Silver Spring (having recently moved there).

[silverspringtrails]

Washcycle, I like your idea for 8th St. NW. It would be a great bike route if we could just get some of those stop signs removed.