Some big news south of the border. The US Federal Highways Administration has just released the 148 page Separated Bike Lane Planning and Design Guide. From the Green Lanes project blog http://www.peopleforbikes.org/blog/entry/the-feds-jump-on-board-protected-bike-lanes-are-now-official-federal-policy.
The FHWA guidance released Tuesday http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/bicycle_pedestrian/publications/separated_bikelane_pdg/page00.cfm is the result of two years of research http://www.peopleforbikes.org/blog/entry/at-last-feds-move-toward-a-green-light-for-protected-bike-lanes into numerous modern protected bike lanes around the country, in consultation with a team of national experts.
"Separated bike lanes have great potential to fill needs in creating low-stress bicycle networks," the FHWA document says, citing last year's study http://www.peopleforbikes.org/blog/entry/the-first-major-academic-study-of-protected-bike-lanes-in-the-u.s.-is-out by the National Institute for Transportation and Communities. "Many potential cyclists (including children and the elderly) may avoid on-street cycling if no physical separation from vehicular traffic is provided."
Among the many useful images and ideas in the 148-page document http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/bicycle_pedestrian/publications/separated_bikelane_pdg/page00.cfm is this spectrum of comfortable bike lanes, starting with bike infrastructure that will be useful to the smallest number of people and continuing into the more broadly appealing categories:
Mark