3.8 Bicycle

On this page:

• Endorsed Design Standards

Endorsed Design Standards

The manuals listed below inform and supplement the bicycle design standards included in the Right-of-Way Improvement Manual, and are used by SDOT when planning and designing bicycle facilities.

• American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials Guide for the Development of Bicycle Facilities (“AASHTO Bike Guide”): The AASHTO Bike Guide provides guidance for bicycle planning considerations, bicycle parking, and maintenance, as well as geometric design for on-road facilities and shared use paths. Shared use paths, and many on-street bicycle facilities in the City of Seattle are consistent with the design parameters recommended in the AAHSTO Bike Guide. The guide also provides design criteria necessary for calculating stopping sight distance, signal timing clearance intervals, horizontal and vertical curves necessary to safely accommodate bicyclists.
• Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD): The MUTCD sets guidelines for the selection, installation, and operation of appropriate traffic control devices. Specifically, the MUTCD provides warrants and considerations for the application of traffic control devices, including markings, signs, and signals (Part 9 includes information on traffic control for bicycle facilities). Through MUTCD and FHWA, there is a process for experimentation and interim approval of traffic control devices not included in the current version of the MUTCD.
• National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) Urban Bikeway Design Guide: The NACTO Urban Bikeway Design Guide provides recommendations and information on innovative bicycle facilities and design principles that are appropriate in urban areas such as the City of Seattle. The NACTO guide includes required, recommended, and optional considerations on treatments such as bicycle boxes, bicycle signals, and cycle tracks.
• Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Separated Bike Lane Planning and Design Guide: The FHWA guide defines separated bike lanes, discusses context for use in low-stress bicycle networks, provides design guidance for midblock and intersection configurations, and discusses lessons learned from installations throughout the United States. The guide also provides guidance to accommodate driveways, transit stops, accessible parking, and loading zones with separated bike lanes. The guide includes a literature review of research on separated bike lanes within the United States.