NCHRP 20-7

Proposed Research Needs Statement

October 2012

TITLE

U.S. Bicycle Route Guide Signing

BACKGROUND / NEEDS STATEMENT

With the rapidly increasing number of designated segments of the U.S. Bicycle Route System approved by AASHTO, there will be projects to add guide signing to these new route segments. Although not required for the designation of U.S. Bicycle Routes, numbered route signs are a very useful aid to navigation for bicyclists, and can serve to advise road users that there may be bicycle riders along the route. At the same time, state and local agencies responsible for signs are facing very tight budgets and need to make the most effective use of their limited funds.

Chapter 2D of the MUTCD contains standards and guidance for signing for numbered highway routes on conventional roadways. The desirable configuration at route junctions where a numbered route changes alignment is to use a series of five signs: a junction assembly, an advance route turn assembly, a D1 series guide sign, and a directional assembly prior to the intersection, and a confirmation assembly after the intersection. This practice is supported by extensive research and experience with motor traffic.

The concern is that the available funding for signing of U.S. Bicycle Routes may not be adequate to provide all these signs at every route junction or turn. Agencies could provide full signing only along a limited length of route, or conversely could provide limited signing along an entire route - but there is currently no useful technical guidance that agencies can use to help prioritize their signing resources for these bicycle routes. In addition, there is some apparent ambiguity in the wording of some sections of Chapter 2D as to whether some sign types are optional, recommended, or required.

Furthermore, there may not be a need for the entire set of signs at bicycle route junctions. At the lower speeds of bicycle travel (typically 20 mph or less), junction and advance turn assemblies may not be necessary, and existing destination and control city signing may be fully adequate. This would mean that only 2 sign assemblies (directional and confirmation) may be needed, which would greatly reduce the cost of providing this important travel guidance. However, at this time there are no research-based recommendations supporting such a practice.

Research is needed to determine the appropriate level of signing needed to provide accurate wayfinding guidance on U.S. Bicycle Routes, and to assess if a lower-cost plan using fewer signs is effective in providing guidance at bicyclist speeds. It should be noted that there do not seem to be any significant safety-related impactsassociated with proposed changes to route signing guidance.

Literature Search Summary:

There are a number of references from the U.S., Canada, and elsewhere that discuss the means and methods of providing bicycle guide signing. However, none of these references have specifically analyzed the effect of differing levels of signage on bicyclist guidance.

Research Objective:

Evaluate the number and types of signs needed for adequate guidance along numbered bicycle routes, specifically U.S. Bicycle Routes. When completed, the research should provide recommendations for appropriate levels of intersection and turn guide signing for these routes.

WORK TASKS

Tasks anticipated in this project include the following:

  • Kick-off meeting (or teleconference) with panel, researchers, and TRB staff
  • Gather and analyze references, reports, and other relevant existing information on route guidance for bicyclists
  • Evaluate the minimum necessary requirements for numbered bicycle route wayfinding under typical conditions
  • Submit Interim Report for panel review
  • Submit Final Report for use by AASHTO and other agencies

URGENCY

At this time, 40 states are either studying the implementation of U.S. Bicycle Routes, or actively proposing and implementing these routes. Effective research-based technical guidance is urgently needed to provide state and local agencies with tools to make rational and appropriate decisions on the amount of signing needed along U.S. Bicycle Routes, and this guidance can be disseminated to agencies as they develop and implement these routes in the next few years.

FUNDING REQUESTED AND TIME REQUIRED

It is estimated that this research will take 6-9 months to complete and will require $50,000.

CONTACT PERSON

Richard C. Moeur, PE

Chair, AASHTO Task Force on U.S. Bicycle Routes

Traffic Standards Engineer, Arizona Department of Transportation

Kerry Irons

Special Assistant to U.S. Bicycle Routes, Adventure Cycling Association