Introduction
An edge lane road, or ELR, is a roadway striping configuration which provides for two-way motor vehicle and non-motorized traffic using a center lane and edge lanes on either side. The center lane is dedicated to, and shared by, motorists traveling in both directions. Vulnerable road users (VRUs), such as cyclists or pedestrians have right-of-way in the edge lanes but motorists can use the edge lanes, after yielding to the VRUs there, to pass other vehicles. This can sound ludicrous to those not familiar with the concept but it works well in numerous countries, including the US and Canada. This roadway configuration originated in the Netherlands where they have over 50 years and many hundreds of road-kilometers of experience with this facility.
The video below was produced by the City of Ottawa and is a good explanation of how this type of road operates.
An edge lane road, or ELR, is a roadway striping configuration which provides for two-way motor vehicle and non-motorized traffic using a center lane and edge lanes on either side. The center lane is dedicated to, and shared by, motorists traveling in both directions. Vulnerable road users (VRUs), such as cyclists or pedestrians have right-of-way in the edge lanes but motorists can use the edge lanes, after yielding to the VRUs there, to pass other vehicles. This can sound ludicrous to those not familiar with the concept but it works well in numerous countries, including the US and Canada. This roadway configuration originated in the Netherlands where they have over 50 years and many hundreds of road-kilometers of experience with this facility.
The video below was produced by the City of Ottawa and is a good explanation of how this type of road operates.
Terminology
Depending on the country and the governing agency, this roadway type can have different names. Examples include: 2-minus-1 roads (New Zealand, Denmark), Edge Lane Road (Denmark, US), Advisory Shoulders (U.S. Federal Highway Administration), Schutzstreifen (Germany), Suggestiestrook (Netherlands), and Advisory Bike Lanes (US).
I recommend the use of "Edge Lane Road" or ELR since it avoids the numerous problems associated with the Advisory Bike Lanes and Advisory Shoulders names. The significant problems with those terms are listed here.
Depending on the country and the governing agency, this roadway type can have different names. Examples include: 2-minus-1 roads (New Zealand, Denmark), Edge Lane Road (Denmark, US), Advisory Shoulders (U.S. Federal Highway Administration), Schutzstreifen (Germany), Suggestiestrook (Netherlands), and Advisory Bike Lanes (US).
I recommend the use of "Edge Lane Road" or ELR since it avoids the numerous problems associated with the Advisory Bike Lanes and Advisory Shoulders names. The significant problems with those terms are listed here.
Purpose
This website has two goals around ELRs: 1) ensure accurate information is available to everybody and 2) put a stake in the ground on design issues with an intent to foster dialogue around those issues. This site targets traffic engineers, bicycle advocates and those that are generally more knowledgeable than average with respect to road design but can be a resource for the layperson as well.
This website has two goals around ELRs: 1) ensure accurate information is available to everybody and 2) put a stake in the ground on design issues with an intent to foster dialogue around those issues. This site targets traffic engineers, bicycle advocates and those that are generally more knowledgeable than average with respect to road design but can be a resource for the layperson as well.
ELRs are Shared Roadways
ELRs are a shared street paradigm rather than a new type of bike lane; this is not yet understood by the FHWA and others. The concept of a shared roadway already exists in the MUTCD. If an agency wishes to install an ELR and wants to remain compliant with the MUTCD, a process for doing so is described here.
ELRs are a shared street paradigm rather than a new type of bike lane; this is not yet understood by the FHWA and others. The concept of a shared roadway already exists in the MUTCD. If an agency wishes to install an ELR and wants to remain compliant with the MUTCD, a process for doing so is described here.
FHWA Decision to Deny All Future Experimentation with Advisory Bike Lanes
In late 2021, the FHWA announced they would deny all future requests to experiment (RTEs) with ABLs. Their stated reason for this decision was that they had enough ongoing experiments to satisfy their data collection needs.
On April 19, 2022, a group of industry-leading organizations (NACTO, ITE, APBP, LAB) and practitioners sent a letter to the FHWA explaining why this reasoning and action was mistaken and offered alternative actions to consider. For more information on this issue and the reasons the industry felt the FHWA should reconsider, read the letter at this link.
Update: As of December 13, 2022 (almost 8 months later), no response from the FHWA to the April 19 letter has been seen.
At the Summer, 2022 meeting of the National Committee on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, an FHWA representative spoke to the Bicycle Technical Committee and told the committee that the reason for denying future RTE applications was because the FHWA wasn't getting enough data from agencies with already-approved RTEs (this differs from the justification published on their website with the initial announcement). Apparently, because some agencies weren't complying with the conditions of their RTE agreements, the FHWA had decided to deny all other agencies the ability to make their streets safer. I am unsure of the logic behind this decision.
In late 2021, the FHWA announced they would deny all future requests to experiment (RTEs) with ABLs. Their stated reason for this decision was that they had enough ongoing experiments to satisfy their data collection needs.
On April 19, 2022, a group of industry-leading organizations (NACTO, ITE, APBP, LAB) and practitioners sent a letter to the FHWA explaining why this reasoning and action was mistaken and offered alternative actions to consider. For more information on this issue and the reasons the industry felt the FHWA should reconsider, read the letter at this link.
Update: As of December 13, 2022 (almost 8 months later), no response from the FHWA to the April 19 letter has been seen.
At the Summer, 2022 meeting of the National Committee on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, an FHWA representative spoke to the Bicycle Technical Committee and told the committee that the reason for denying future RTE applications was because the FHWA wasn't getting enough data from agencies with already-approved RTEs (this differs from the justification published on their website with the initial announcement). Apparently, because some agencies weren't complying with the conditions of their RTE agreements, the FHWA had decided to deny all other agencies the ability to make their streets safer. I am unsure of the logic behind this decision.
News
Accessible Design for the Blind (ADB), best known as the entity led by tireless advocate for the low vision population, Janet Barlow, released a letter in September 2022 stating their preference for ELRs over standard 2 lane roads without sidewalks for the low vision population. A copy of the letter is available here.
A draft proposal by the NCUTCD Bicycle Technical Committee on an MUTCD addition for ELRs as advisory bike lanes has been completed and is out for review by other technical committees. AASHTO is hoping to have their new Bicycle Guide out this year (2022) - it includes some new guidance on the treatment. One promising note is that AASHTO has revised the guidance on center lane width which should help create safer facilities.
Accessible Design for the Blind (ADB), best known as the entity led by tireless advocate for the low vision population, Janet Barlow, released a letter in September 2022 stating their preference for ELRs over standard 2 lane roads without sidewalks for the low vision population. A copy of the letter is available here.
A draft proposal by the NCUTCD Bicycle Technical Committee on an MUTCD addition for ELRs as advisory bike lanes has been completed and is out for review by other technical committees. AASHTO is hoping to have their new Bicycle Guide out this year (2022) - it includes some new guidance on the treatment. One promising note is that AASHTO has revised the guidance on center lane width which should help create safer facilities.
Latest Research
A 2021 study from the Mineta Transportation Institute found an aggregate CMF value of .56 using Empirical Bayes analysis for 11 U.S. installations studied over 8 years and approximately 60 million motor vehicle trips. This corresponds to a crash rate reduction of 44%. Only motor vehicle crashes were studied. There was insufficient data to evaluate vulnerable road user safety but no agency reported a bicyclist or pedestrian safety issue with their ELRs.
The report is available at “Safety Considerations for All Road Users on Edge Lane Roads”.
A new analysis of the Mineta data using even more conservative assumptions was recently published in the Journal of Transportation Engineering published by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE); it found a crash rate reduction of 36% or a CMF of .64. That article is available here.
Keep up-to-date on ELR news
An email-based listserve has been created to support discussion of ELRs. You can join by sending an email with "subscribe" in the subject line to advisorybikelanes-request@coe.neu.edu.
A 2021 study from the Mineta Transportation Institute found an aggregate CMF value of .56 using Empirical Bayes analysis for 11 U.S. installations studied over 8 years and approximately 60 million motor vehicle trips. This corresponds to a crash rate reduction of 44%. Only motor vehicle crashes were studied. There was insufficient data to evaluate vulnerable road user safety but no agency reported a bicyclist or pedestrian safety issue with their ELRs.
The report is available at “Safety Considerations for All Road Users on Edge Lane Roads”.
A new analysis of the Mineta data using even more conservative assumptions was recently published in the Journal of Transportation Engineering published by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE); it found a crash rate reduction of 36% or a CMF of .64. That article is available here.
Keep up-to-date on ELR news
An email-based listserve has been created to support discussion of ELRs. You can join by sending an email with "subscribe" in the subject line to advisorybikelanes-request@coe.neu.edu.
Database of ELRs in North America
I maintain a database of ELR installs in the US and Canada (there are more than 70 as of September 2022!). The database includes geometric, technical, and legal information on each facility secured through an interview with an agency representative. I hope to make this data publicly available, ala Kittelson's roundabout database, in the future. If you are aware of a new ELR, please let me know by emailing me at bikepedx@gmail.com.
I maintain a database of ELR installs in the US and Canada (there are more than 70 as of September 2022!). The database includes geometric, technical, and legal information on each facility secured through an interview with an agency representative. I hope to make this data publicly available, ala Kittelson's roundabout database, in the future. If you are aware of a new ELR, please let me know by emailing me at bikepedx@gmail.com.
Advisory Bike Lanes |
Top Photo Courtesy of Richard Sparks
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