Technical Report Documentation Page 1. Report No. 2. Government Accession No. 3. Recipient's Catalog No.
TX-97/3988-1
4. Title and Subtitle 5. Report Date
BICYCLE SUITABILITY CRITERIA: LITERATURE REVIEW AND STATE-OF-THE-PRACTICE SURVEY
7. Author(s)
July 1997
6. Performing Organization Code
8. Performing Organization Report No.
Shawn M. Turner, C. Scott Shafer, and William P. Stewart
9. Performing Organization Name and Address
Research Report 3988-1
10. Work Unit No. (TRAIS)
Texas Transportation Institute The Texas A&M University System College Station, Texas 77843-3135
12. Sponsoring Agency Name and Address
11. Contract or Grant No.
Study No. 7-3988
13. Type of Report and Period Covered
Texas Department of Transportation Research and Technology Transfer Office P. O. Box 5080 Austin, Texas 78763-5080
15. Supplementary Notes
Research Documentation: January 1997 - June 1997
14. Sponsoring Agency Code
Research performed in cooperation with the Texas Department of Transportation. Research Study Title: Identify and Develop Criteria for Evaluating Roads to Determine Their Suitability for Bicycle Use
16. Abstract
This research report reviews and summarizes bicycle suitability criteria being used in the United States, presents preliminary conclusions, and makes preliminary recommendations regarding such criteria. Conclusions and recommendations are presented here as a starting point for discussion on the state-of-thepractice in bicycle suitability and the potential for the institution of such criteria at a statewide level in Texas. Suitability criteria found in the literature review were varied in nature and mostly used in urban areas. Many criteria require additional data beyond that commonly found in urban transportation data bases. Several bicycle suitability criteria included the presence or width of shoulders, a situation commonly found on Texas state highways. The state-of-the-practice survey revealed that 70 percent (11 of 16 states) had bicycle suitability criteria in place. The two most common criteria (one or both were used in every case) were the traffic volume (ADT) and the width of outside lanes (or shoulders). Thirty-five percent of the states with suitability criteria also indicated that they looked at heavy vehicles when considering traffic volume, 25 percent considered pavement conditions, and 15 percent included traffic speed or speed limit criteria. The research team concluded that the potential uses and applications are critical in defining the bicycle suitability criteria. The availability of statewide roadway inventory data is also important in establishing and maintaining information about suitability on state roadways in Texas.

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