YES WE CAN
Accommodating bicyclists and pedestrians
on California’s transportation system.
A brochure illustrating bicycle and pedestrian accommodating designs
that may be used in projects on California’s highway system.
YES WE CAN
The California Department of Transportation’s Highway Design
Manual (HDM) establishes uniform policies and procedures for
use on the California State highway system. The 2012 update of
the HDM was a progressive introduction of numerous Complete
Streets design principles that are intended to better accommodate
bicyclists and pedestrians. This brochure highlights many of the
bicycle and pedestrian accommodating designs that may be used
on the State Highway System, including examples of state and local
implementation.
This brochure references the relevant Highway Design Manual or
other citation to help quickly identify relevant information about these
designs. The brochure is intended to inform and enable Caltrans
employees, local agency staff, and advocates who work with Caltrans
on transportation improvements. These principles may apply to both
state highways and local streets.
In addition to the Highway Design Manual, Caltrans provides several
resources that are intended to help with the implementation of
Complete Streets principles:
Main Street, California: A Guide for Improving
Community and Transportation Vitality provides
Main Street, California
guidance and references to the Highway Design Manual
for implementing Complete Streets principles on state
The Complete Intersections Guide
highways that serve as local main streets.
California Department of Transportation 2013
A Guide for Improving Community and Transportation Vitality
M A I N S T R E E T, C A L I F O R N I A
1
The Complete Intersections Guide identifies treatments
that may be appropriate to improve crossings for people
walking and bicycling.
Caltrans has endorsed The National Association of City
Transportation Officials Urban Street Design Guide
and Urban Bikeway Design Guide that provide design
guidance for bicycle and pedestrian facilities on urban
streets. These design guides can be used instead of the
Highway Design Manual within California.
There are also numerous federal and national resources, including:
Federal Highway Administration Bicycle and Pedestrian Provisions of
Federal Transportation Legislation
The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials
Guide for the Development of Bicycle Facilities and Guide for the
Planning, Design, and Operation of Pedestrian Facilities
The Institute of Transportation Engineers Designing Urban Walkable
Thoroughfares Guide
Division St, San Francisco
Rosemead Blvd, Temple City
Photo Credit: Joe Linton/Streetsblog L.A.
SEPARATED BIKEWAY
(CLASS IV BIKEWAY)
REFERENCE:
A Class IV Bikeway is for the exclusive use of bicycles and includes separation
between the bikeway and the through vehicular traffic. Class IV Bikeways can
be one- or two-way and are separated from automobile traffic by items such as
grade separation, flexible posts, inflexible physical barriers, or on-street parking.
By providing increased separation from automobiles, Class IV Bikeways afford
bicyclists an enhanced comfortable riding experience.
FHWA Separated Bike Lane
Planning and Design Guide
CA DOT Design Information
Bulletin Number 89
Palo Alto, El Camino Real-SR82
REALLOCATE SPACE FROM MOTORIZED VEHICLE
USES TO ALLOW WIDER BIKE LANE
Reduction in motor vehicle uses would include eliminating lanes (road diet),
eliminating street parking, and reduction of cross-sectional element widths.
REFERENCE:
HDM Chapter 300
HDM Index 1002.1 (3)
Highway 1, Dana Point
BUFFERED BIKE LANE
Photo Credit: Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition
REFERENCE:
A buffered bike lane is a bike lane separated from the adjacent vehicular
travel lane and/or parking lane by a longitudinal marked buffer. Buffered bike
lanes provides a separation from vehicular traffic, without the raised element
used with Separated Bikeways (Class IV Bikeways). Alternatively, the buffer
may be placed between the bike lane and parked vehicles to account for
doors and passenger maneuvering space. Or the buffer may be placed in
both locations.
Sloat Blvd (SR 35), San Francisco
Alpine Rd, Unincorporated San Mateo
Highway 101, Crescent City
IMPROVED PEDESTRIAN CROSSWALK
Technology can be used to enhance pedestrian crossings where there is no
traffic signal. Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFBs) are user-actuated
amber LEDs with irregular flash patterns at unsignalized intersections or midblock crosswalks. They can be activated by pedestrians manually, or passively
by a pedestrian detection system. These improvements are intended to draw
attention to, or stop traffic for, crossing pedestrians.
HDM Index 301.2 (1)
CA MUTCD Figure 9C-104 (CA)
CA MUTCD Section 9C.04
Del Monte Ave, Morgan Hill
REFERENCE:
CA MUTCD Chapter 4F
Highway 116, Sebastopol
CURB EXTENSION
Highway 12, Sonoma
REFERENCE:
Curb extensions or bulbouts may be provided where marked onstreet parking is present, extending the sidewalk into the roadway,
reducing pedestrian crossing distance and improving visibility
between motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians.
Alpine Rd, San Mateo County
INTERSECTION CROSSING MARKINGS
Indicates the continuation of a bike lane through an intersection or
other potential conflict zone. Crossing markings typically skip through
the intersection to indicate that this is an area of potential conflict and
space sharing between bicyclists and automobiles. The use of green
paint is intended to draw driver attention to a changed situation.
HDM, Section 303.4 - Curb
Extensions.
Division St, San Francisco
REFERENCE
FHWA IA-14
CA MUTCD Figure 9C-106 (CA)
CA MUTCD Section 9C.04
allows extension of bike lane
through intersections.
11th St, San Jose
BICYCLE LEFT-TURN-ONLY LANE
A left-turn-only bicycle lane should be considered when bicycle left-turns are
common. Delineation options for bicycle left-turn-only lanes are shown in
the California MUTCD. Signing for bicycle left turn lanes would be a custom
sign not included in the MUTCD.
Shasta Dr & Arlington Blvd, Davis
REFERENCE:
HDM Figure 403.6B and Index
403.6 (1)
Figure 9C-1 of CA MUTCD shows
an example pavement delineation
for designated bicycle lane with
left-turn area
Homer Ave, Palo Alto
CONTRAFLOW BIKE LANES
Contraflow bike lanes are designed for bike travel in the opposite direction
as vehicular traffic on one-way streets. They can improve connectivity and
cohesion of the bike network.
REFERENCE:
HDM Index 301.2 (1)
CA MUTCD Figure 9C-105 (CA)
CA MUTCD Section 9C.04
Madonna Rd, San Luis Obispo
BICYCLE BOX
A bike box is a designated area at the head of a traffic lane at a signalized
intersection that provides bicyclists with an option to get ahead of queuing
traffic during the red signal phase. This treatment received interim approval
in late 2016, but numerous agencies have received requests to experiment
from CTCDC.
REFERENCE:
FHWA Interim Approval IA-18
Temple St, Los Angeles
BICYCLE SIGNAL
REFERENCE
A bicycle signal is a traffic control device that can be used to provide for
separate control of the bicycle movement. These were recently approved as part
of the MUTCD and their use has been limited. A formal request to experiment
(RTE) may be required to implement unique configurations of bicycle signals. The
figures above provide several example applications.
SR 255, Arcata
Morro St, San Luis Obispo
SR 82, San Carlos
PEDESTRIAN REFUGE ISLAND
Provides pedestrian refuge, allowing pedestrians to cross fewer automobile
lanes at a time. Can be combined with a median or as a separate traffic island
intervention. Refuge islands are used both at signalized and unsignalized
intersections and can be a supporting element for flashing beacons.
N Olive Ave, Long Beach
BIKE LANES ON ONE-WAY STREETS
Bike lanes may be placed on either or both sides of a one-way street. When
only one bike lane is provided, it should be located on the side of the street
that presents the lowest number of conflicts for bicyclists.
CA MUTCD Section 4D.104 (CA)
SR 227, San Luis Obispo
REFERENCE:
HDM Topic 305; Figure 405.4
HDM 405.4 (3)
FHWA Proven Safety
Countermeasure: Medians and
Pedestrian Crossing Islands in
Urban and Suburban Areas
5th St, Sacramento
REFERENCE:
HDM Index 301.2 (1)
DESIGN FLEXIBILITY
While this brochure identifies bicycle and pedestrian
improvements that may be made whenever state and local
transportation facilities are being designed, Caltrans has a
responsibility to ensure that the proposed design satisfies
Departmental guidance and is fair and equitable for all highway
users. The Highway Design Manual explicitly allows for flexibility
in applying design standards and approving design exceptions
that take the context of the project location into consideration;
designers can tailor the design, as appropriate, to the specific
circumstances while maintaining safety. Design exception
approval must be obtained pursuant to the instructions in
PDPM Chapter 21.
DESIGN EXCEPTION REFERENCES:
PDPM
http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/oppd/pdpm/pdpmn.htm
HDM 82.2 Approvals for Nonstandard Design
GENERAL REFERENCES:
California Highway Design Manual
http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/oppd/hdm/hdmtoc.htm
Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices
http://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/
The Complete Intersections Guide
http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/tpp/offices/owd/academy_
files/Oct_2012_Workshop/Wednesday/Complete_
Intersections.pdf
Main Streets California Guide
http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/LandArch/mainstreet/main_
street_3rd_edition.pdf
National Association of City Transportation
Officials (NACTO) Urban Bikeway Design Guide
http://nacto.org/publication/urban-bikeway-design-guide/
AASHTO Bike and Pedestrian Guides
https://bookstore.transportation.org/
The Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE)
Designing Urban Walkable Thoroughfares guide
http://www.ite.org/css/