2013-dot-sustainable-streets-lowres

SAFETY36%decline in frequencyof injuries despitegrowth in cyclingParking protectedbike lanes save livesDOT’s on–street protected bicyclepaths, first implemented onManhattan’s 9th Avenue in 2007,improve safety by clearly organizingthe different streams of traffic andgiving each type of user dedicatedspace. The changed lane design alsoembodies significant traffic calmingfeatures, narrowing roadwayswith surplus capacity. They makeintersections predictable andincrease safe space for crossingpedestrians. The design gives cyclistssecure routes through the heart ofManhattan.In three years sinceimplementation of the protectedbike lane, 9th Avenue saw 43%fewer crashes with injuries thanin the three years prior to theproject. Cyclist volumes are upsubstantially, but injuries tocyclists are 36% less frequentthan before the lane wasinstalled.Similar analysis for the 8thAvenue bike lane, implemented in2008, shows total crashes downby 11% and crashes with injuriesdown by 20%.Following implementation ofprotected bicycle lanes onAllen and Pike Streets in theLower East Side of Manhattan,both motor vehicle and bicyclecrashes declined by 35%.BEFORE: 8th Avenue and 56th StreetTotal crashes fell 22% afterinstallation of a protected bikelane on First Avenue.AFTER: 8th Avenue and 56th Street30Chapter 1: Designing Safe Streets