• DOI:10.1061/(ASCE)TE.1943-5436.0000584
• Corpus ID: 108163103

Effects of Bicycle Boxes on Bicyclist and Motorist Behavior at Intersections in Austin, Texas

@inproceedings{Loskorn2013EffectsOB,
  title={Effects of Bicycle Boxes on Bicyclist and Motorist Behavior at Intersections in Austin, Texas},
  author={Jeff Loskorn and Alison Fayre Mills and John F. Brady and Jennifer C. Duthie and Randy B. Machemehl},
  year={2013}
}

• Jeff Loskorn, A. Mills, +2 authors R. Machemehl
• Published 1 October 2013
• Education

The provision of bicycle facilities at intersections is often inadequate and can lead to unsafe interactions between motorists and bicyclists. The bicycle box is a tool intended to improve the predictability of bicyclist stopping position at an intersection by allowing bicyclists utilizing a bicycle lane to position themselves in front of motorists during a red phase. The bicycle box in this application is meant to reduce the possibility of a right-hook collision, where a right-turning motorist collides with a through-moving bicyclist as they depart the intersection. The primary goal of this study was to determine what effect, if any, bicycle boxes have on bicyclist and motorist behavior. Data was collected at two sites under three conditions: no bicycle box, after bicycle box markings were installed, and after chartreuse (or strong yellow-green) color was added to the bicycle box and approaching bicycle lane. Bicyclists showed significant improvement in predictability based on the increased percentage of bicyclists who used the bicycle lane to approach the intersection, depart the intersection before motorists, and stop in the colored area of the bicycle box. Approximately 20% to 26% of bicyclists stopped in the bicycle box area after installation of the bicycle box markings. The addition of the chartreuse color led to significant improvements in bicyclist behavior, but at a considerably higher cost. Motorist encroachment on the bicycle box was common at both sites as well as illegal right turns on red at one site. No bicycle-motorist collisions were observed during any phase of the study.