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).
Despite vestigial use of the ABL term on this website, I recommend the use of "Edge Lane Road" or ELR since it avoids many of the 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).
Despite vestigial use of the ABL term on this website, I recommend the use of "Edge Lane Road" or ELR since it avoids many of the 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.
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”.
News
A draft proposal by the NCUTCD Bicycle Technical Committee on an MUTCD addition for ELRs has been completed and is out for review by other technical committees.
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.
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.
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”.
News
A draft proposal by the NCUTCD Bicycle Technical Committee on an MUTCD addition for ELRs has been completed and is out for review by other technical committees.
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.
FHWA Decision to Deny All Future Experimentation with Edge Lane Roads
In 2021, the FHWA decided they would deny all future requests to experiment with edge lane roads. Their stated reason for this decision was that they had enough ongoing experiments to satisfy their data collection needs.
A group of industry-leading organizations and practitioners sent a letter to the FHWA explaining why they believed this was not a wise course of action. For more information on this issue and the reasons the industry felt the FHWA should reconsider, visit this link.
In 2021, the FHWA decided they would deny all future requests to experiment with edge lane roads. Their stated reason for this decision was that they had enough ongoing experiments to satisfy their data collection needs.
A group of industry-leading organizations and practitioners sent a letter to the FHWA explaining why they believed this was not a wise course of action. For more information on this issue and the reasons the industry felt the FHWA should reconsider, visit this link.
Map of ELRs in North America
Please email me at bikepedx@gmail.com if you are aware of an ELR not shown. A detailed list is available on the More Info page.
Please email me at bikepedx@gmail.com if you are aware of an ELR not shown. A detailed list is available on the More Info page.
Advisory Bike Lanes |
Top Photo Courtesy of Richard Sparks
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