Bicycle Railing Height Report - AASHTO - Subcommittee on Design

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DETERMINATION OF APPROPRIATE RAILING HEIGHTS FOR BICYCLISTS NCHRP 20-7 (168) Orr, David W. A Study on the Required <strong>Height</strong> of a Bridge <strong>Railing</strong> to Accommodate <strong>Bicycle</strong> Impacts: A Master of Engineering Paper. Texas A&M University, Texas Transportation Institute.- Provides an analysis for determining the appropriate railing height for bicyclists using such variables as anthropometrics, center of gravity, and bicycle frame sizes. The paper concludes that the <strong>AASHTO</strong> adopted height of 54” is not sufficient. Portland, Oregon. Bikeway Design and Engineering Guidelines. http://www.trans.ci.portland.or.us/designreferences/bicycle/appenda.htm - Warns against adding too high (6 ft.) of a chain link fence on top of a concrete barrier. This creates a “cattle chute” effect, where the bicyclist experiences a confined environment. RS Means, Heavy Construction Cost Data, 18 th Annual Edition. 2004. San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission. San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission permit for San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge East Span Seismic Safety Project. November 2001.-Includes brief history of how 54-inch railing height came about. (i.e. Cal DOT) Transportation Alternatives. http:// www.transalt.org - Similar to chain link fence guidelines in Portland, OR, Transportation Alternatives recommends minimal impact to a view shed, and is currently challenging the placement of a 7’ chain link fence along the Queensboro Bridge. They believe the 7’ fence will affect the bridges historic aesthetics, and decrease usage of the bicycle path due to an intimidating experience for cyclists (i.e. cattle chute effect). USDOT Federal Highway Administration. Implementing <strong>Bicycle</strong> Improvements at the Local Level. USDOT Federal Highway Administration Publication No. FHWA-98-105 1998- Recommends bridge railings to be a minimum of 1.4m (4.5 ft) high to keep bicyclists from pitching over the top in case of a crash. USDOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Transportation Statistics Annual <strong>Report</strong> 2000. – General information regarding national bicycle crashes and fatalities. USDOT Federal Highway Administration. Injury to Pedestrians and Bicyclists: An Analysis based on emergency department data. FHWA-RD-99-078- Provides information of pedestrian and bicycle injuries based on emergency department data. Limited as to railing height induced injuries. W.W. Hunter, W.E. Pein and J.C. Stutts, <strong>Bicycle</strong> Crash Types: A 1990’s Informational Guide, Tech. <strong>Report</strong> FHWA-RD-96-104, FHWA, 1997 – A study of various crash types for bicyclists. No railing information available. 43
DETERMINATION OF APPROPRIATE RAILING HEIGHTS FOR BICYCLISTS NCHRP 20-7 (168) STATE GUIDELINES FOR BICYCLE FACILITIES California New York New Jersey Virginia Washington Oregon Minnesota Florida Texas Local <strong>Bicycle</strong> Plans Bay Bridge Bike/Pedestrian Path Napervilles Bike Plan Clinton River Trail Master Plan Berkeley I-80 <strong>Bicycle</strong>/Pedestrian Bridge Design Guidelines INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH Research and correspondence with international bicycle advocacy groups revealed the following adopted bicycle railing heights: • Canada’s Highway Bridge Design Code recommends 55” or 1.4m railing height on bridges for cyclists. • Australia’s Guide to Traffic Engineering Practice – Part 14 <strong>Bicycle</strong>s recommends a bicycle railing height of 1.4m high. • Danish Road Directorate’s Collection of Cycling Concepts contains guidelines for a bicycle railing height of 1.2m high. • A survey respondent from Hampshire, England informed CHA that their minimum recommended railing height for barriers on a bridge is 1.5m. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENCE Correspondence with individuals who were members of the committees charged with developing design guidelines for bicycle facilities, and those who are aware of guideline issues and adoption history include: Bill Wilkinson-involved in <strong>AASHTO</strong> bicycle guide updates Richard Lemeiux- Member of 1981 <strong>AASHTO</strong> Guide for Development of New <strong>Bicycle</strong> Facilities Andy Clark- League of American Wheelman- assisted with identification of outreach efforts 44
Page 1 and 2: NCHRP NATIONAL COOPERATIVE HIGHWAY
Page 3 and 4: DETERMINATION OF APPROPRIATE RAILIN
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Page 53 and 54: BICYCLE RAILING HEIGHT SURVEY STATE
Page 59 and 60: 5-3. Did the bicyclist fall over th
Page 63 and 64: Extra expense (significant issue wh
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Page 73 and 74: 2-6. What was the serverity of the
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Bicycle Railing Height Report - AASHTO - Subcommittee on Design

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