Bike Infrastructure

Yes. The Lancaster City Bike network is a combination of on-street and off-road bicycling facilities connecting neighborhoods, parks, schools, and places people work, shop and visit. Facilities include shared lanes and bike boulevards, conventional bike lanes, separated bike lanes, multi-use paths, bike parking, and bike share. It is designed make both the daily commuter and the casual cyclist feel comfortable and safe.

No. Pennsylvania law does not require bicyclists to use bike lanes. Bicyclists are encouraged to ride where they feel safest and most comfortable. For more information about Pennsylvania bicycle laws check out the PennDOT website and review the Pennsylvania Bicycle Rider’s Manual.

The safety of all users – people walking, driving, and bicycling – of the street is the most important factor in designing facilities to safely accommodate bicycling. All facilities are being installed using the latest design standards from NACTO and FHWA. A study of New York City’s protected bike lanes (Protected Bicycle Lanes in NYC, New York City Department of Transportation, September 2014) showed that total injuries – pedestrians, cyclists and drivers – dropped by 20% after protected bike lanes were installed, without reducing travel times. As part of the study process during the development of the FHWA Separated Bike Lane Planning and Design Guide, a safety data analysis was conducted showing separated bike lanes reduce the likelihood of crashes (Rothenberg, H., D. Goodman, and C. Sundstrom, “Separated Bike Lane Crash Analysis”). Furthermore, a combination of nationally approved signage and pavement markings would be installed and maintained in accordance with the FHWA Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD).

Yes! Road diets and other traffic calming techniques including bike lanes, are intended to slow traffic. The posted speed limit on most city streets is 25 mph. With the wide lanes, vehicles tend to exceed the speed limit. Traffic volume and speed analyses are done prior to implementing the separated bike lane on Walnut Street. A traffic volume and speed count done in 2018 on the 700 block of E Walnut Street showed that over one half of all drivers were exceeding 28 mph, with about 15% driving faster than 33 mph. Traffic volume and speed counts conducted in 2020 and 2021 are inconclusive because of the effect Covid-19 has had on driving patterns.

A report by the U. S. Department of Transportation National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (DOT HS 809 021 October 1999, Final Report) on speeds and pedestrian injuries found that “only 5 percent of pedestrians would die when struck by a vehicle traveling at 20 miles per hour or less. This compares with fatality rates of 40, 80, and nearly 100 percent for striking speeds of 30, 40, and 50 miles per hour or more, respectively.”

Street sweeping will continue to clean the curb and gutter area as is the current practice, in accordance with the existing schedule.

Leaf collection will follow the seasonal schedule each fall beginning in October.

Snow and ice will be removed and treated as needed. Following snow or ice events, streets are cleared first. Parking lanes will be cleared per street cleaning schedule. Bike lanes will be cleared as part of street clearing to the greatest extent possible. During snow emergencies, snow emergency route streets with bike lanes would be no different from other snow emergency route streets, where all vehicles must be removed when a snow emergency is declared, opening the entire street to emergency vehicles and snow plows.

On most streets with bike lanes, there is no significant change to on-street parking. However, parking restrictions near intersections is being enforced to maintain clear sight distances, which is how far a driver, someone walking, or a cyclist can see as they are entering an intersection.

On streets with parking protected separated bike lanes, on-street parking on the side of the street with the bike lane will be moved away from the curb. There will be a clearly marked and painted bike lane and buffer area.

Colored pavement within a bicycle lane increases the visibility of the facility, identifies potential areas of conflict, and reinforces priority to bicyclists in conflict areas and in areas with pressure for illegal parking. Colored pavement can be utilized either as a corridor treatment along the length of a bike lane or cycle track, or as a spot treatment, such as a bike box, conflict area, or intersection crossing marking. Color can be applied along the entire length of bike lane or cycle track to increase the overall visibility of the facility. Consistent application of color across a bikeway corridor is important to promote clear understanding for all users.