New Bikeway Design Guide Aims to "Copenhagenize" US Streets

Yesterday at the National Bike Summit NACTO President, Janette Sadik-Khan announced the launching of the NACTO Urban Bikeway Design Guide.



The publication goes beyond the conservative AASHTO Guide for the Development of Bicycle Facilities, which is the bikeway design standard bearer for most local and State Departments of Transportation.

By providing guidance for the design of bicycle facilities that have applied for use in Northern Europe for many years, the NACTO Urban Bikeway Design Guide is an online easy to read resource that will give progressive urban communities the tools to "Copenhagenize" their streets.

But the challenge in many locations will be directing the "old school" engineers to incorporate these street treatments, many of whom are not comfortable putting anything that resembles a bike lane on the street. There is an old joke among bike planners saying that the DOT's are waiting for "people to retire", which suggests that the tail is wagging the dog.

We expect that Philadelphia which is a member of NACTO will work towards full implementation,

Forget Portland-Lets Get Real With Minneapolis

According to the 2008 American Community Survey 4.3% of the commuters in Minneapolis MN bicycle to work (Avg. January temp. = 13 degrees), nipping at the heels of mild Portland, OR. Streetfilms in cooperation with NACTO produced this film that looks at the bicycling capital of the Midwest.