Effectiveness and Selection of Treatments for Cyclists at Signalised Intersections

The provision of cycle facilities at intersections, especially traffic signals, is becoming more common across Australia and New Zealand, particularly in cities that are popular for cyclists.  There is currently very little local research on the effectiveness of these facilities in terms of safety and cyclists’ perceptions.  Research from New Zealand by Turner et al. (2009) indicates that there is a safety benefit of at least 10% by installing mid-block cycle lanes, and that the presence of other road features, such as flush medians, influence cycle safety.  Turner also reviewed a number of international studies which indicated that the provision of cycle lanes reduce crashes by around 10% and the installation of an advanced limit line at intersections for cyclists (storage facility) reduces crashes by around 27%.  

This research report, released in 2011, focuses on the safety impacts of providing cycle facilities, in combination with a number of other features. A review of facilities provided and information available was undertaken across each of the Austroads jurisdictions. It was necessary to locate sites where cycle facilities have been installed for at least five years (to allow before and after assessment) and where adequate cycle and motor-vehicle exposure (flow) data was available. A survey questionnaire was also sent to each jurisdiction to determine key cycle facility types and data available for each. A workshop was held with representatives from a number of jurisdictions to understand which cycle facilities are preferred, to discuss cycle safety concerns and better understand what data was available in each city.                                                                 

Effectiveness and Selection of Treatments for Cyclists at Signalised Intersections | 2.3MG PDF