Intersection design, the Dutch - cycle friendly - way

illegal as in, it is substantially illegal for anyone to alter the built environment to make it more walkable/bikeable -- be it landowners or the local government. because of strict zoning/planning regulations, outdated road design manuals, parking requirements, etc. car-dependency is encoded into law, in the sense that the system is set up so that the default outcome always results in car-friendly development, while any attempt at pedestrian- or cycle-friendly development is subject to arbitrary delays, legal challenges, and needs discretionary exemptions. example: it has been known for decades that Dutch-style intersections[1] are safer than status quo designs, but until very recently it was an odyssey to get one built in the UK or the US, because the transportation authorities have not-invented-here syndrome and won't listen to empirical evidence from abroad (which undermines the claim of traffic engineering to be a scientific discipline). hell, sometimes they'll insist on a "pilot study" even when a design has been a success elsewhere in the same country! but building a junction with inadequate pedestrian and cyclist amenities is easy, so long as it meets safety standards for motorists. another example: the law says you need to build X amount of car parking spaces in a development, but demands no amenities for cycle storage. or, this[2] disgusting litany of regulatory excuses for why a pedestrian crossing outside a school wasn't allowed be made safer, because nothing can be allowed to reduce traffic speed. furthermore, in some places the law as written really does de facto criminalize safe cycling. for instance, requiring that cyclists never stray out of the bike lane, even when it contains dangerous obstructions[3]. or, traffic lights that don't detect cyclists, so the lights stay red forever, so it's impossible to proceed without either breaking the law or waiting for a car to come up behind you and trigger the sensor. there are many cases like this -- the law doesn't literally say "you can't cycle", but following the law rules out cycling in any safe and practical sense. and then there's the absurd fake crime of "jaywalking" ... [1] ▶ this video [2] link [3] link

People not familiar with the US may not realize just how hostile US cities are to cyclists (and pedestrians). Some examples: 1. Turning right at red lights. Legal in most of the US. This is a huge safety issue for pedestrians and cyclists; 2. Many streets don't even have widewalks; 3. Many major roads don't even have any form of pedestrian crossings. For example, I had Google Maps tell me to just run across an 8 lane highway (at least there was somewhere safe to stand in the middle) where the speed limit was 45mph. Why? There was absolutely no alternative. In comparison, many freeways or highways in other countries will regularly have dedicated pedestrian crossing bridges. 4. In cities with a dedicated cycling lane in many US cities it gets used as extra parking, forcing cyclists out onto the road. Some I have sympathy for (eg delivery drivers) but many other people just don't give a shit they're blocking a lane of traffic and creating a safety issue. 5. Many Americans never walk anywhere so are an annoyance (if not an outright safety hazard) on any space shared with cyclists. I routinely see runners refuse to get out of the way in a dedicated cycle path. Many are oblivious and will just walk onto a cycle path without looking. I've had many near-misses this way. So there are a lot of things you can do to improve this situation, most of which doesn't take exttra room. For example: 1. Netherlands style intersections designed to improve cyclist safety [1]; 2. Suburbia is dominated by cul-de-sacs to avoid car through traffic. These back streets should have dedicated cycle paths (to avoid cycling on highways) combined with car-free connections to allow through-traffic and safe crossings o fhighways with lights if necessary; 3. Instead of road->cycle lane->parked cars create separation with road->parking->cycle path where the cycle path has a physical barrier to avoid people using it as parking; 4. Have islands separating traffic on roads. In addition to making driving safer, this island can make cycling safer as you can half-cross the road and then cross the rest when it's clear without impeding traffic or risking being hit; 5. Splitting straight and turn right lanes. This will create another island for safety and less guessing on what motorists will do. I guess I could summarize this as "just do what Amsterdam does". [1]: ▶ this video

The Dutch have that figured out, too. There’s so many bicycles around that you practically have to expect them everywhere any time. More bicycles make all bicycles safer. Intersections of car lanes and bike lines should also be designed in such a fashion that the lanes meet mostly at a right angle. Sharp turns and buffer spaces. A sharp turn slows the car traffic and the right angle at the intersecting point makes it easy to check for crossing (cycle) traffic. See for example this video ▶ this video