Safety Bollards for Contraflow Bicycle Lanes

Safety bollards have always been useful for marking bicycle lanes.  Now, with the popularity of contraflow bike lanes, using bollards is more important than ever to ensure the safety of both cyclists and motorists.

Contraflow Bike Lanes: a Growing Trend

Contraflow lanes allow bicycles to travel in the opposite direction of motorists.  In cities with substantial numbers of one-way streets, these lanes benefit cyclists in many ways, including the following. They:

•     Reduce motorist/cyclist conflicts
•     Allow cyclists to safely enter the flow of traffic at all points
•     Provide safe, easy access to popular destinations
•     Reduce the distance cyclists must travel on roads used by motorists
•     Offer cyclists safer, more pleasant routes of travel without interfering with motor vehicle traffic

To maximize the safety of everyone who uses public roads, contraflow bicycle lanes should only be placed on streets with the following characteristics:

•     Low volumes of vehicular traffic
•     Sufficient room to construct a contraflow lane to the left of motorists’ direction of travel
•     Substantial current use by cyclists
•     A minimum number of intersecting alleys, driveways, or streets
•     Enough room for signs advising motorists that a contraflow lane is present

Impact of Existing Contraflow Lanes in Major Urban Areas

Contraflow lanes have existed in cities like Cambridge, Massachusetts; Madison, Wisconsin; and Portland, Oregon, for well over a decade.  In each city, they have significantly improved traffic flow, reduced the number of bicycle/motor vehicle accidents, and enhanced the usability of public roadways for everyone.  They’re especially helpful around large colleges and universities where hundreds or even thousands of students commute to and from classes on bicycles.


The Role of Safety Bollards in Marking Contraflow Lanes

Safety bollards, with their high visibility and sturdy construction, are extremely useful on streets with contraflow bicycle lanes. They remind motorists to watch out for bike riders. They also remind cyclists to stay within the lane’s boundaries. Together, these two safety measures can help both motorists and bike riders stay safe on the nation’s roadways.

To learn more about varieties of safety bollards, call Impact Recovery Systems today at 1-800-736-5256.

Traffic Safety Products that Help Ensure Cyclist Safety

Originally Posted at:  www.impactrecovery.com

Traffic safety products play an integral role in ensuring the safety of bicyclists in urban areas.  Their use is part of a specialized sub-discipline known as bicycle transportation engineering.  It seeks to create bike-friendly areas along and within existing roadways.  It also focuses on the layout and construction of dedicated paths for cyclists as well as pedestrians.

Some of the ways that transportation engineers have tried to make streets safer for cyclists include the following modifications:

• Shared use paths – These are bikeways that run parallel to conventional roadways, yet are physically divided from them by delineators or safety signs.
• Bicycle lanes – These are portions of roadways meant specifically for use by cyclists.  They’re normally marked by a solid white stripe on the pavement.  They’re much narrower than motor vehicle lanes and run alongside the edge of the road.
• Shoulders – These are traditionally used as a place for inoperable vehicles to pull over.  However, in many areas, they have been modified for use by cyclists and those on foot.
• Wide outside lanes – One of the chief complaints motorists have about sharing the road with cyclists is having to slow down to accommodate them.  Wide outside lanes are intended to eliminate this problem by giving vehicles more room to pass bicycles safely.  They are chiefly used in rural areas where shoulders are frequently underdeveloped and unsafe for bicycle traffic.
• Shared bus lanes – These are dedicated bus lanes that also permit cycle traffic, depending on the local public transport schedule.  These are especially popular in France and the UK.
• Shared space streets – These are simply public streets that give equal priority to all types of vehicles.  Motorists must accommodate the rate at which cyclists travel.  While widespread in parts of Europe, they have only recently been introduced to the United States.
• Bike paths – Often built on the sites of abandoned railroad tracks, these paths are completely independent of public roadways.  They’re normally shared by cyclists and pedestrians, as well as horses in some locations.  Bike paths are also popular features of greenways.

Other Bicycle Safety Measures
In addition to creating special routes for bicycles, transportation engineers are taking other measures and developing additional traffic safety products to ensure the safety of bike riders.  These include:

• Modified traffic lights that are able to detect the presence of cyclists, taking their presence into account when issuing signal changes.
• Modified road surfaces that move potholes, surface markings, storm drains, and other impediments to bikes away from their path of travel. 
• Bicycle parking lots that allow bike owners to secure their cycles to secure metal stands, discouraging theft.  Some of these parks have staff members on-site, while others are routinely patrolled by law enforcement.

Factors Involved in Creating Bicycle Safe Zones
Not all urban roadways can be converted to bike-friendly areas with the same degree of ease.  Planners normally give priority to those zones that can be transformed with minimal effort.  Some factors that guide the decision process include the following:

• The level to which motor vehicle traffic in the area can be reduced.
• The prospects for establishing traffic calming measures.
• The level to which danger zones for cyclists, such as junctions and crossways, can be monitored and improved.
• The prospects for establishing reasonably secure bicycle parking facilities in the area.

The Role of Traffic Safety Products in Ensuring Cyclist Safety
Infrastructure features that promote bicycle safety fall into two categories:

1. Signage that alerts motorists to the presence of cycles.  These often feature messages like “share the road” along with a graphic showing a bicycle. 
2. Elements like raised curbs, walls, fencing, and bollards, which create physical barriers between motorists and cycles.

The trend towards greater cycle use is part of a new emphasis on physical fitness and a greener environment.  As such, it has the potential to do great good and should be encouraged as much as possible.  Modest infrastructure modifications and new traffic safety systems are small prices to pay in exchange for creating a healthier, more active populace, which is what cycling is all about.

When to Use Tubular Markers

Tubular markers are similar to hazard marker signs in that they are meant to mark off a specific area.  These road safety devices warn motorists of conditions created by work activities, to guide road users, or to warn of some other road obstruction.  Markers and delineators should be used in conjunction with safety signs so that motorists know just what to expect ahead.

Tubular markers are different from hazard markers in that they are narrow and can fit on a street or highway space that does not have enough room for a large sign.  Tubular markers are commonly used to divide opposing lanes of traffic, channel traffic in the right direction, mark the edge of the road in case of a drop-off, and to mark urban turn restrictions.

Tubular markers can also be used in a parking lot, together with parking lot safety signs.  Safety signs such as handicapped parking space signs, stop signs and pedestrian crossing signs are important and useful.  Markers help to make a parking lot safe by indicating where a median is, or some other area that cars cannot drive through.  As markers are made using bright colors with retro-reflective material, they are clearly visible in the evening and at night.

Impact Recovery Systems carries a wide range of tubular markers that can be used for many purposes.  There are a number of base options to choose from.  The first is a permanent base, which would serve well on highways or in parking lots. Impact Recovery also offers the convenience of quick release bases, which offer the ability to switch out signs quickly without the need for extra tools.  In-ground and snow-plowable bases are also available.   The road type and height of the marker will determine which type of base is the most appropriate.  The markers themselves come in seven different color options, with five different reflector/sheeting options.  The markers are also made in various heights and can be custom-made if desired.

Road markers are important, as they help to direct traffic and divert it from danger.  These markers should be well made, using high quality materials that will stand the test of time.  They can be used to divide traffic, divert it, or mark off an area that vehicles should not drive through.  Tubular markers, available in various sizes, color, and heights, are sure to provide the protection needed so that motorists can drive through an area without incident.

Traffic Separator Curbing is Tricky but Manageable

Traffic separator curbing is used to channelize travel lanes.  Normally constructed of tubular markers and high-density plastic curbs, it’s often used in temporary locations such as around construction sites.  As it must withstand the rigors of use around congested areas, it should meet the following criteria:

1. It should be able to absorb impacts from vehicles undamaged.  It should stay in its base even if struck multiple times.  It should also be unaffected by wide temperature ranges.
2. It should be continuous and bolted tightly to the underlying pavement.  Tubes must be bolted or pinned to the curb.  Curbing must be able to stay upright throughout the day and be unaffected by high winds and other weather phenomena.
3. Posts should be of standardized heights for the sake of both visibility and uniformity.  Commonly accepted heights are 36”, 42”, and 48”.
4. Delineator posts should be a minimum of three inches in diameter where it faces approaching traffic and at least two inches in diameters in all other directions.
5. Posts should have at least two reflective bands 3” wide or wider.  The higher band should be within two inches of the top of the structure.

The manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) lists seven principles for the use of all temporary traffic control (TTC) measures, including separator curbing:

1. The same principles that govern the creation of permanent road markers should be employed in designing TTCs.
2. TTCs should interfere with road worker’s movement as little as possible.
3. TTCs should give approaching motorist, bicyclists, and foot traffic adequate advance warning of changing traffic conditions.
4. TTC components should be regularly inspected during both day and night.
5. TTC placement should allow for vehicles to pull off the road surface in cases of accidents and/or mechanical trouble.
6. Those who work around TTC structures should be trained in their use.
7. The needs of motorists, nearby property owners, emergency responders, and the community at large should be addressed when planning the use of TTCs.

By following these guidelines, traffic separator curbing and other TTC measures can be an enhancement to public safety, not a hindrance.

Imperative Components of Highway Safety Systems

Modern controlled-access roadways, generally known as “interstates” in the US, facilitate the rapid movement of vehicular traffic across great spaces.  They play vital roles both in promoting commerce and increasing mobility for the general public.  Their specialized nature, however, requires that they employ particular highway safety systems to prevent accidents and promote the smooth transit of cars and trucks.  Some of the crucial components of highways are divided lanes, grade separators, and impact barriers.

Divided Lanes

Known as “dual carriageways” in the UK and as “divided highways” in the US, these roads have parallel lanes for traffic moving in opposite directions.  They have a small strip of land in between, known in the United States as a “median.”  They permit drivers to operate their vehicles at higher speeds than would otherwise be safe, by eliminating the need to be aware of traffic coming from the opposing direction.

The number of lanes on each side of the median is determined by density of travel.  In the United States, the minimum number is two on each side, though this increases to three or even more around large urban areas.  Crossing over the median to change directions is normally prohibited.  Drivers rely on exit and entrance ramps instead.

Increases in the number of cross-median accidents in the past several years has led to efforts to supplement medians with crossing obstacles, including median barriers, guard rails, raised earthworks, and trees or large shrubs.  Efforts to beautify medians are common as well.  In the warm months, wildflowers and blooming shrubs make the divider more visually appealing to travelers.

Grade Separators   

A perennial problem in highway construction is that of traffic flowing in opposing directions.  This is especially common around large population centers, where large numbers of vehicles may need to enter or exit the highway throughout the day.  Grade separators solve this problem with the use of bridges, underpasses, and interchanges.  Multiple roadways are divided from each other vertically, with vehicles moving above and beneath each other.  This allows high speed limits to stay in place even in congested areas.

However, grade separators have been criticized for being costly, complex, and dangerously compact.  These highway safety systems are disliked by nearby property owners, who see them as noisy eyesores and blights on their community.

Traffic Barriers

Known as “guard rails” or “crash barriers,” these structures are intended to prevent vehicles from leaving the roadway and colliding with elements such as trees, buildings, walls, or storm drains.  They also keep motorists from drifting off the paved surface and into adjoining fields, bodies of water, vertical drops, and construction sites.  To ensure they can do their job, prototypes are extensively tested in real-world crash simulations.

Traffic barriers fall into four general classes:

1. Roadside barriers are used as a buffer between straying vehicles and hazards such as those mentioned above.  They’re commonly installed along curves, beside cliff faces, and along railroad tracks.
2. Median barriers reinforce medians by preventing vehicles from crossing over into opposing traffic lanes.
3. Bridge barriers prevent vehicles from leaving bridges and crashing into whatever is beneath them, such as rivers, other roads, railway lines, etc.  They’re usually made from tubular steel and are built higher than roadside barriers.
4. Work zone barriers direct traffic away from highway work crews and equipment.  They’re normally light, portable, and highly visible structures, intended more to inform drivers than to create physical barriers.

Additional Components of Highway Safety Systems

The following structures and devices are used periodically to promote highway safety:

• Traffic calming measures
• Raised curbs
• Warning lights
• Hazard markers
• Local radio broadcasts that warn motorists of nearby safety threats and/or adverse weather conditions.

As the world becomes increasingly urbanized, highway safety systems will play an ever more important role in safeguarding motorists.  Their proper design and construction are high priorities for infrastructure planners and public officials in all developed nations.

Tips For Rail Crossing Safety

Trains strike a person or vehicle in the United States every two hours on the average, and death or severe injury is almost always the result.  Almost all of these incidents could be prevented by obeying basic rules of rail crossing safety, which include the following:

1. Never assume that trains pass by a crossing only at certain times of day.  Rail freight often ships on irregular schedules, making any time of day “train time.”
2. Slow down when nearing a crossing and look both ways.  Then do so again.
3. Never, ever try to “beat the train” to the crossing spot.  An oncoming train often causes an optical illusion, which makes it appear to be slower and further away than it actually is.
4. Do not cross channelizing devices intended to prevent motorists from crossing lanes and going around gate arms.
5. Never pass another vehicle when your car or truck is within 100 feet of a crossing.
6. Some vehicles must always stop at railroad crossings, such as school buses or trucks loaded with hazardous materials.  Be on the alert for them and be prepared to stop if one is ahead of you.
7. Noise in your vehicle can mask the sound of a train whistle.  Because of this, you should always turn off your radio and climate control when at a crossing.  Also, cell phones should never be used near such spots to ensure rail crossing safety.
8. Flashing lights, cross-bucks  stop signs, closing gates, and train whistles should always be obeyed.  If you see or hear any of these warning signs, stop at the crossing and don’t proceed until the train has passed.
9. Don’t shift gears while driving over railroad tracks.  Downshifting before reaching the crossing is highly recommended.
10. If you do stop for an approaching train, make sure you maintain at least a 15-foot distance from the tracks.  Remember that trains overhang tracks, sometimes by several feet.
11. Avoid using the crossing at all if you think that your vehicle may not have sufficient clearance to clear the tracks without problems.  This is especially important for people crossing tracks while using motorized wheelchairs.
12. Only cross tracks at a designated crossing spot.
13. Never use tracks as a walking path or shortcut.  Children should be taught to never play on or near the tracks.  Fishing from railroad trestles is extremely dangerous and should never be attempted.
14. If a crossing gate closes in front of you as you’re crossing the tracks, then go around it if you can.  If you can’t, then drive forward fast enough to break it.  The important thing is to get off the tracks immediately, whether or not you think a train is approaching. 
15. A gate closing in front of a vehicle is most likely a sign of a malfunction.  Get to a phone and call local emergency responders right away, so that repairs can be made as soon as possible. 

What to Do if Your Vehicle Stalls on the Tracks

GET OUT.  Exit the vehicle immediately and move as far from the tracks as you can.  If a train isn’t approaching, then call local emergency responders as soon as possible.  Be prepared to tell them exactly where your vehicle is located.

 If a train is in sight, then move TOWARDS it, away from its direction of travel.  This will minimize your risk of injury, in the event of a derailment or debris being scattered by the impact.

Gambling with rail crossing safety is never a good bet.  It’s better to be a few minutes late to your destination than to never get there at all.  Practicing train safety will protect you as well as other motorists, and help to ensure that everyone gets where they’re going alive and well.

The Purpose of the In-Street Pedestrian Crosswalk Sign

In-Street Pedestrian Sign

Highway engineers and city planners are facing increasing challenges as America’s urban areas increase in population and overall size.  When combined with problems such as distracted drivers and congested roadways, it’s little surprise that annual pedestrian fatalities are on the rise.  To combat this trend, the 2009 MUTCD authorized the use of several high-visibility traffic control measures.  One of these is the in-street pedestrian crosswalk sign.

These markers are used at pedestrian crossings that do not currently have signalized devices.  They should be located either in the street itself or on a median.  They fall into two major groupings:

1. Permanent in-street pedestrian crosswalk signs are installed in the roadway using concrete foundations and are never intended to be moved.  They’re appropriate where pedestrian traffic is likely during both daytime and evening hours.
2. Portable in-street pedestrian crosswalk signs are used in locations where foot traffic is highest at particular times of the day.  These signs are most commonly used at school crossing locations, along with the presence of a school official or police crossing guard.  They may also be used outside of large office complexes or industrial facilities.

In-street signs are used as both traffic calming and visibility-enhancing measures.  When their primary intent is to slow vehicles, they function as YIELD signs.  On the other hand, in areas where pedestrian traffic is heavier, they play the role of a STOP sign.  However, these signs have limited benefits when used in multi-lane or high-speed environments.  They are easily damaged by vehicles driven by impaired or careless motorists.  Also, they must be carefully placed so as not to interfere with the pedestrian’s path of travel.

However, their limitations are more than overcome by the contribution they make to accident prevention.  Studies show that they are particularly effective on low-speed, two-lane streets, such as those typically found in residential areas.  Additionally, in-street pedestrians signs have been show to both increase the incidence of yielding as well as increase the stopping distance from the crosswalk.  Used in appropriate locations, an in-street pedestrian crosswalk sign plays a vital role in promoting public safety.

How Flexible Delineators Cut Costs

Delineators play a major role in ensuring traffic safety, by alerting motorists to changing road conditions and enhancing visibility at night.  However, one of their key limitations has been their limited visibility, due to the placement within the road surface itself.  Flexible delineators solve this problem by rising vertically from the streets, gaining the attention of drivers who might otherwise never see them.  At the same time, their flexible construction avoids the sort of problems traditionally seen with rigid structures such as permanent bollards.

Delineators: Their Design and Purpose
The goal of delineators is summed up in the Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) thus:

Delineators are particularly beneficial at locations where the alignment might be confusing or unexpected, such as at lane reduction transitions and curves. Delineators are effective guidance devices at night and during adverse weather. An important advantage of delineators in certain locations is that they remain visible when the roadway is wet or snow covered.  Delineators are considered guidance devices rather than warning devices.

Delineators, then, serve the same purpose as lighthouses along the shore once did.  They warn those in the immediate area about potential hazards.  Because of this, they must be as visible as it is reasonably possible to make them, without posing a collision hazard to passing vehicles.  Flexible delineators fulfill both these requirements, and benefit municipalities and traffic safety departments in the following ways:

• By withstanding impacts from vehicles without damage, due to their flexible construction.
• By not causing damage to cars or trucks that strike them, saving on the costs associated with automotive accidents by preventing their occurrence in the first place.
• By their enhanced visibility as opposed to traditional channelizers.  This makes them more effective at their central purpose, which is to help motorists avoid hazardous situations.

 

As vehicular traffic becomes more congested worldwide, flexible delineators will play an ever-increasing role in preventing accidents and enhancing public safety.