Safe Passage
Bicycle boulevards - coming soon to a city near you. Portland, Vancouver and Seattle are creating a designated system of residential streets with low traffic volume and direct routes that prioritize bicycle utility and safety. These boulevards come outfitted with street markings that dominate the road (as opposed to segregated bicycle lanes), right-of-way that allows the free flow of bikes, and signage that creates a comprehensive system.
Check out what Berkeley has already done:
Portland is currently making progress on a campaign to expand their 30 miles of bicycle boulevards. Vancouver has built bikeways that traverse the city. And Seattle’s initial draft Master Bicycle Plan recommends a number of such routes. Bicycle boulevards may give a boost to new riders who are too timid to jump on arterials. They increase safety by putting cyclists in plain view on slower streets, where only 20 percent of bicycle accidents occur.
