Intersection Crossing Times of Bicyclists

Abstract

The timing of traffic signals is rarely determined by the needs of bicyclists, in part because quantitative data about the timing of intersection crossing maneuvers by bicyclists have not generally been available. This study built on a video image–processing method developed and reported in a previous study to collect data at five new intersections with diverse physical characteristics and bicycling populations. The video data were processed to produce cumulative distributions of the most important descriptors of crossing behavior of bicyclists: the speeds of bicyclists who did not stop at the intersection and the start-up times and final crossing speeds of bicyclists who crossed from a standing start. The timing information relative to the traffic signal was used to recommend signal times to permit most bicyclists to cross intersections safely. The recommendations took into account differences in the bicyclist population and the physical characteristics of the intersection (such as approach grades).