Wouldn't it be great if riding your bike on the street felt as safe as riding on the trail?

This is a challenge for communities all around the world, as they attempt to design urban landscapes that make biking a safe and convenient transportation option.

A number of communities in California are at the forefront of this effort, and you can read all about them in Rails-to-Trails Conservancy's (RTC) new Better Bikeways report, produced by our Western Regional Office with the help of city staff around the state and the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals (APBP) review committee.

With cycle tracks you feel like you're on a bike trail on the street - traffic calming and bicycle boulevards keep nearby cars at a safe and comparable speed. The Better Bikeways report focuses on four such innovations, as well as additional information on making intersections safer for cyclists.

These facilities make neighborhoods more bikeable, and help people connect their homes or workplaces with the bike paths, lanes and trails they use and enjoy. A balanced network composed of shared-use paths, cycle tracks, bike lanes and bicycle boulevards appeals to a large cross-section of the population and helps increase cycling rates.

RTC encourages you to utilize the Better Bikeways report, and other resources in our Trail-Building Toolbox, to help integrate paved trails and on-street facilities in your community into a safe and convenient transportation network.

Download the Better Bikeways report (PDF; 1.5MB). 

Photo by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy