By Charles Pekow — National standards for traffic control devices will be taking cyclists’ needs into greater account in the future. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) adopted a revised Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways (MUTCD) in January that includes many ways to make cycling safer, with calls for green bike lanes, bike boxes, signals, signs and more. The guide provides standards for state and local transportation officials.
The new rules reflect technological updates. FHWA plans to update MUTCD quadrennially. The latest review finalizes some measures that were provisionally approved, such as green pavement for bicyclists.
The new MUTCD includes several provisions to enhance bicycle safety, including bike boxes at intersections and bicycle traffic signal faces. It also redesigns the U.S. Bicycle Route sign. It also offers new guidance on setting speed limits on roads where motorists are likely to encounter bicyclists.
Previous standards for intersections and crosswalks considered pedestrian volume. Now engineering studies will also need to consider bicycle use. One matter planners should keep in mind: current bike and pedestrian counts may not reflect the future because if crosswalks are added, they likely will increase use.
Despite mixed comments, FHWA decided to prohibit bicycle-face signals at pedestrian hybrid beacons, which are meant to enhance pedestrian safety at mid-block crossings on high-volume streets. Some cities already use them. FHWA explains that “pedestrian-type traffic control would not be appropriate for bicycle traffic operating as vehicles with much higher relative speeds than pedestrians and therefore violates road user expectancy and introduces a safety risk for bicyclists due to the manner in which the clearance interval operates.”
Find the final rule at https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/12/19/2023-27178/national-standards-for-traffic-control-devices-the-manual-on-uniform-traffic-control-devices-for
