This report presents finding from research evaluating U.S. protected bicycle lanes (cycle tracks) in terms of their use, perception, benefits, and impacts. The research examines protected bicycle lanes in five cities using video, surveys of intercepted bicyclists and nearby residents, and count data. The data was analyzed to assess actual behavior of bicyclists and motor vehicle drivers to determine how well each user type understands the design of the facility and to identify potential conflicts between bicyclists, motor vehicles and pedestrians. Residents and bicyclists indicated that any type of buffer shows a considerable increase in self-reported comfort levels over a striped bike lane, though designs with more physical separation had the highest scores. There was strong support for the protected bike lanes among users of all modes, though motorists expressed concerns about the impacts of protected lanes on congestion and parking.
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