Portland's Bike Boulevards
"Bicycle boulevards are low-traffic neighborhood streets that have been optimized for bicycling. They provide direct, attractive routes for bikes. On bicycle boulevards, stop signs are turned outwards to keep cyclists moving, and traffic lights and curb extensions help cyclists cross busy streets. Traffic calming slows cars down, and drivers are discouraged from using them for cut-throughs." From the Portland Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA) a wonderful bike advocacy group.
The BTA found that cyclists would bike more if there was less traffic, so now the future of Portland bike infrastructure is going to be concentrated on creating more bike boulevards.
A tragic crash occurred in Downtown Portland October 11, 2007. A 19 year old woman was run over by a cement truck who did not see her as it was turning right. This probably would have been prevented if the intersection had a bike box.
More about traffic diverters below.
After the cyclist/pedestrian pushes the button, the overhead signal for cross traffic begins flashing yellow, then solid yellow, then red. Then the cute little bike symbol turns green (see video).
The first time I used it, it only took about 3 seconds to turn green, immediate activation. Then I tried again right after and it took twice a long. So it automatically knows to decrease wait for cross traffic if cyclists come one after another. This reduces the chances of increased congestion.
Typical bike boulevard with traffic circle to slow cars. Notice the bike circle marking and the green sign on the right.
These signs were installed in 2006 and give cyclists direction to notable areas of the city. They show how far it is and how long it will take to get there. It is good for tourists and people who just move to Portland. One critique is the font is too small. I think it would be useful for motorists if they could read it, I think they would be surprised how little time it actually takes to get around by bike
