Cycle track

A cycle track is a special path made just for bicycles, where cars and other motor vehicles are not allowed. These tracks help people ride their bikes safely without worrying about cars. Sometimes, cycle tracks are next to regular roads, but they are separated by things like small walls, posts, or plants to keep bikes and cars apart.

Cycle tracks can be used only by cyclists, or sometimes they are shared with pedestrians or people riding horses. They can be at the same level as the road, at the level of the sidewalk, or in between. In many cities, planners build cycle tracks to encourage more people to bike, which helps reduce traffic and pollution.

In places like the United Kingdom, a cycle track is a road meant only for cyclists. These tracks can run beside regular roads or have their own separate path. The goal is to make cycling safer and more comfortable for everyone.

Impact

Levels of bicycle traffic

In the United States, a study showed that eight cycle tracks increased the number of people riding bikes on the street by 75 percent within one year. Surveys found that 10 percent of bike riders would have chosen a different way to travel without the cycle track, and 25 percent said they ride bikes more often because of it. However, research shows that different groups of cyclists have different preferences, so planners need to consider these preferences to make new bike paths useful.

A 2015 study in Toronto, Canada, looked at a street where cycle tracks replaced painted bike lanes. Surveys showed that 38% of cyclists would have used other ways to travel before the change, with safety being the most common reason for choosing to bike instead.

Safety

Main article: Bikeway safety

Recent studies show that cycle tracks usually have better safety between intersections than riding with traffic on major roads. The increase in cycling because of cycle tracks may help improve safety overall. However, older studies sometimes found issues with safety on cycle tracks away from intersections.

How cycle tracks affect safety at intersections is debated. Studies often show more collisions at junctions, especially when cyclists travel against the direction of traffic, such as on two-way cycle tracks. Using protected intersection designs can help improve safety at these points.

Specifications

In the Netherlands, rules for bike paths say that one-way paths should be at least 2 metres wide.

In the United Kingdom, different rules apply. In England and Northern Ireland, one-way bike tracks should be between 1.5 and 2.5 metres wide, while two-way tracks should be between 2 and 4 metres wide. In Scotland, similar widths are recommended, with shared paths for bikes and walkers only if there are fewer than 300 bikes an hour during busy times.