Bikeway Selection, Design, Operations & Maintenance

Selection & Design

Policy 2.01

Use the following criteria to determine the appropriate type, location and priority of bicycle facilities when selecting new routes in the future:

1. Skill level of anticipated users – Consideration should be given to the skills and preferences of the types of bicyclists that are likely to use the bikeway. Facilities near schools, parks, and residential neighborhoods are likely to attract a greater percentage of children and beginning cyclists, and should have a very high emphasis on safety. While inexperienced bicyclists prefer more lightly-traveled streets, more experienced cyclists tend to prefer the most direct route possible.
2. Accessibility – Routes and bikeway design must be ADA compliant. Consideration should be given to the scope of upgrades and improvements that may be necessary to meet ADA standards when selecting routes. Attention should be paid to routes that serve schools, parks, major medical centers, and government facilities.
3. Motor Vehicle Parking – Turnover and density of on-street parking in retail and commercial areas may affect bicycle safety due to the high potential for conflicts with motor vehicles. Consider alternative routes or reconfiguration of on-street parking in these areas.
4. Directness – Bikeways should be located along the most direct line of travel that is convenient for users, and provide logical connections between residential areas, retail, commercial, industrial, and employment centers, recreational facilities, and public facilities. Routes should be chosen that minimize the number of stops, intersections, and mid-block crossings.
5. Pavement surface quality – Bikeways should free of surface defects that compromise bicycle safety. Utility covers and drains should be at grade and, if possible, outside the bikeway. Drainage grates should be aligned perpendicular to the direction of travel in order to avoid catching bicycle wheels.
6. Transit – Where bus stops are located along bikeways, care should be taken to avoid conflicts between passengers, buses, and bicycles. Railroad crossings should be improved as necessary to provide safe bicycle crossings.
7. Traffic volumes and speed – Experienced bicycle commuters generally prefer arterial streets because they are often the most direct route, assuming that traffic speed and volume are appropriate. If adequate right-of-way exists, it may be more desirable to improve arterial streets with bike facilities than adjacent lower volume streets.
8. Bridges – Many bridges are narrower than the adjacent roadway, and lack adequate shoulders. Widening a bridge is likely to be expensive and alternative routes should be considered if equal connectivity and convenience for bicyclists and pedestrians can be provided by the alternative route. On existing and proposed routes with narrow bridges or bridges that are otherwise unsafe for bicyclist and pedestrians, safety-related bridge improvements shall be assigned a high priority regardless of the priority assigned to the remainder of the bike route.
9. Costs and Funding – Bikeway selection normally will involve a cost analysis of alternatives. While funding availability may limit alternatives, it is very important to avoid choosing poor routes or an inadequate design solely on the basis of available funds. The decision to improve bikeways or create new facilities should be made with a conscious, long term vision. When funding is limited, emphasis should be given to low cost improvements such as bicycle parking, removal of barriers, and gap closures. Identification of a reliable source of funds to support maintenance and operation must be considered before developing new Class I Bikeways. Bikeway design and route selection should always seek to maximize public benefit and safety per dollar invested.

Policy 2.02

Use the most recent version of Chapter 1000 of the Caltrans Highway Design Manual, AASHTO’s “Guide for the Development of Bicycle Facilities”, and the “California Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices” (MUTCD) as general design guidelines for design, construction and maintenance of Sonoma County bikeways.

Policy 2.03

In addition to the general standards found in Policy 2.02 above, use the Bikeways Plan policies as specific standards for the selection, design, construction and maintenance of Sonoma County bikeways.

Policy 2.04

Use the Bikeways Improvement Project List to establish the priority, class, and location of Sonoma County bikeways projects. The BPAC shall periodically review the Bikeways Improvement Project List and recommend updates to the Board of Supervisors. The Bikeways Improvement Project List shall be updated at least once every five years.

Policy 2.05

Where several bikeways of different classes follow a similar route or provide similar connectivity, the BPAC shall be consulted when construction of one facility appears to reduce the need or function of other facilities.

Policy 2.06

Use the following criteria to determine consistency of public and private projects with the Bikeways Plan:

1. Development of lands traversed or adjoined by an existing or future Class I bikeway shall not preclude establishment of the bikeway, nor conflict with use and operation of the bikeway or adversely affect long term maintenance and safety of the facility.
2. Construction, widening, or maintenance of roads with designated bikeways meets the design and maintenance standards for the appropriate class of bikeway as specified by the Bikeways Plan.

Standards for Class I Bikeways

Policy 2.07

1. Pavement surface shall be concrete, asphalt concrete, or other ADA compliant all weather surface. The BPAC may consider exceptions where an alternative route provides similar connectivity and accessibility.
2. The recommended width is 10 feet with an 8-foot minimum for Class I bikeways with two-way traffic. A 5-foot minimum width may be used for one-way Class I bikeways. Wherever possible, widths less than 10 feet should be limited to neighborhood connector paths less than one mile in length, or if total usage, including pedestrians, is anticipated to be fewer than 300 users during the peak hour.
3. 12 feet is the preferred minimum width for Class I bikeways if more than 300 users per peak hour are anticipated, and/or if there is heavy mixed bicycle and pedestrian use. Use a yellow centerline stripe to separate travel in opposite directions. Consider providing a separate third
   lane, or additional shoulder for pedestrians where heavy mixed use creates conflicts between users.
4. Wherever possible, provide a minimum 3 foot wide graded area adjacent to the bikeway to accommodate equestrians, runners and other users that prefer unpaved surfaces. Where it is not possible to provide a 3-foot graded shoulder on both sides of the bikeway, consider providing a single graded area on one side of the paved surface.
5. Provide a minimum horizontal clearance of 2 feet and a minimum vertical clearance of 8 feet, as measured from the edge of the bikeway, from trees, poles, walls, guardrails, and other obstructions.
6. When trimming vegetation adjacent to a Class I bikeway, provide a minimum horizontal clearance of 4 feet and a minimum vertical clearance of 8 feet as measured from the edge of the bikeway.
7. Use standard traffic controls and signage at all street, roadway, or railway intersections.
8. Improve safety by avoiding intersections with roads whenever possible.
9. Evaluate the need for signalization or grade separation at intersections between Class I bikeways and roadways where traffic volume is anticipated to exceed 20,000 average daily trips.
10. Bollards, gates, and fences located within the traveled way on Class I bikeways must comply with ADA accessibility standards and shall be clearly marked with reflectors and diamond stencils per AASHTO. Consider using break-away material to avoid injuring bikeway users.
11. Design Class I bikeways to accommodate emergency medical and maintenance vehicles whenever possible.
12. Provide advance noticing and clearly marked warning and detour signs when a Class I bikeway is closed for maintenance, improvements, or repairs.
13. Direct pedestrians to the right side of Class I bikeways with signage.
14. Evaluate the need for trailhead parking, trash receptacles and collection, and other facilities such as restrooms and drinking fountains, and provide adequate facilities at appropriate locations. Trailhead parking should be considered at intervals of between 1 and 5 miles along Class I bikeways, at intersections with arterial roads, or at connections with recreational facilities, job centers, and/or major retail areas.
15. Unpaved multiuse trails developed without Federal funding are not subject to Caltrans design standards and may be used as a portion of a Class I Bikeway.
16. Where construction of a Class I bikeway along a scenic corridor or within a scenic landscape unit involves tree removal, require an analysis of visual resources to identify impacts. If impacts are identified, either modify the bikeway to avoid tree removal, or require replacement of removed trees with trees of comparable aesthetic and arboreal value.

Standards for Class II Bikeways

Policy 2.08

1. Minimum width is 5 feet as measured from the edge of the maintained paved surface to the motor vehicle traveled way; or 3 feet measured from the gutter pan seam to the motor vehicle traveled way, provided an overall lane width of 5 feet is provided. Gutter pan seams shall be blended to road surface without gaps or vertical misalignment that would create a safety hazard for bicyclists.
2. Where a Class II bikeway shares an existing or proposed shoulder, no more than 8 feet of the overall shoulder width may be funded with bicycle-specific funding sources, unless the improvement project has been reviewed and recommended by the BPAC.
3. Locate drainage grates outside of the bikeway whenever possible. Where drainage grates are within the bikeway, align drainage grates perpendicular to the direction of travel and use as narrow as possible gratings, consistent with maintaining adequate drainage (Figures 2.2 and 2.3).
   
   
   Figure 2.2 Inlet Located Outside of Bikeway
   
   Figure 2.3 Grate Alignments along Bikeways
4. Parking must be adjacent to and not block any portion of a Class II bikeway. Parallel or reverse diagonal parking is preferred, and configurations that require exiting drivers to back into traffic, such as conventional diagonal parking, should be discouraged when adjacent to Class II bikeways. Areas with parallel parking shall provide a minimum of 9.5 feet between the curb or edge of pavement and the right hand edge of the bikeway in order to avoid hazards created by opening of vehicle doors.
5. Consider tandem parking for residential development along Class II bikeways where existing road width is inadequate to accommodate on-street parking adjacent to the bikeway. 
6. Identify Class II bikeways with symbol, signage, and word pavement marking per Chapter 1000 of the Caltrans Highway Design Manual and MUTCD specifications.
7. Delineate Class II bikeways from motor vehicle travel lanes with a 6 inch line per MUTCD.
8. Maintain geometry, pavement surface condition, debris removal, markings, and signage on Class II bikeways to the same standards and condition as adjacent motor vehicle lanes.
9. When trimming vegetation adjacent to roadways with Class II bikeways, provide a minimum horizontal clearance of 4 feet and a minimum vertical clearance of 8 feet as measured from the edge pavement.
10. Provide a minimum horizontal clearance of 2 feet from the edge of pavement and a minimum vertical clearance of 8 feet for all signs, including temporary signage, along Class II bikeways.
11.  Require that refuse collection containers are placed at least 2 feet outside the edge of pavement along Class II bikeways. A notice of this requirement shall be included as part of customer billing for refuse collection.
12. Where a right turn only lane is present along a Class II bikeway, provide a bike lane pocket at least 4 feet wide between right turn lanes and through lanes at intersections. Where providing a bike lane pocket is infeasible due to limited right-of-way, terrain, or intersection configuration, and right turn volume is less than 150 vehicles during peak hour, provide alternative bikeway markings such as dotted line or blue lanes.
13. When new signalization is installed at roadway intersections with existing or proposed Class II bikeways, provide reliable bicycle sensing detectors, and identify bicycle detectors with MUTCD-compliant stencils and signage.
14. At all signalized intersections with existing or proposed Class II bikeways, adjust traffic signal timing to accommodate bicycle speeds.
15. Where a Class II bikeway is designated along roads in hilly or steep terrain and inadequate right-of-way exists to provide a Class II bikeway on both sides of a road, provide a Class II bikeway in the uphill direction and Class III in the downhill direction.
16. Where construction of a Class II bikeway along a scenic corridor involves tree removal, require an analysis of visual resources to identify impacts. If impacts are identified, either modify the bikeway to avoid tree removal, or require replacement of removed trees with trees of comparable aesthetic and arboreal value.

Standards for Class III Bikeways

Policy 2.09

1. Class III routes should be selected on the basis of acceptable traffic speed and volume, parking, traffic control devices, surface quality, and connectivity for bicycle travel.
2. Maintain geometry, pavement surface condition, debris removal, markings, and signage on Class III bikeways to the same standards and condition as the adjacent motor vehicle lanes.
3. Parking on Class III facilities should be avoided.
4. Where appropriate, the MUTCD W16-1 (“Share the Road”) plaque may be used in conjunction with the W11-1 bicycle warning sign.
5. Where possible, shoulders should be at least 4 feet wide, provided these improvements do not result in significant grading, removal of trees, or adverse effects on existing structures, driveways or drainage.
6. When trimming vegetation adjacent to roadways with Class III bikeways, provide a minimum horizontal clearance of 4 feet and a minimum vertical clearance of 8 feet as measured from the edge pavement.
7. Locate drainage grates outside of the bikeway whenever possible. Align drainage grates perpendicular to the direction of travel and use as narrow as possible gratings, consistent with maintaining adequate drainage (Figure 2.2 and 2.3).
8. Where a Class III bikeway is designated along a Scenic Corridor, avoid tree removal and/or grading wherever possible if these activities appear likely to affect the scenic resource. 

Bicycle Boulevards

Policy 2.10

Consider development of Bicycle Boulevards in urbanized areas and unincorporated communities on routes that offer alternatives to bikeways on high speed collector and arterial roadways. Bicycle boulevards are streets optimized for travel by bicycles rather than automobiles through reduction of traffic speed and volume using traffic calming measures such as diverters and roundabouts. Traffic controls should be optimized to assign right of way to bicycles. Signage and street design should encourage use by bicyclists and informs motorists that the roadway is a priority route for bicyclists.

Freeway Interchanges

Policy 2.11

Freeways are controlled access roads where bicycle and pedestrian use is generally prohibited. Very few roads cross Highway 101 without an interchange, creating a significant barrier to east/west connectivity for non-motorized travel. Existing ramps are designed for high speed merging, exposing pedestrians and bicyclists to unnecessary risk of serious injury or death. Use the following recommendations for design, striping and signage at freeway interchanges:

1. Design ramp intersections with local roads with 90-degree intersections rather than free owing ramps with high speed connections.
2. Restrict local road speed to 35 mph or less through the interchange.
3. Decrease the radii of ramp intersections such that right hand turn speeds are reduced to 25 mph or less.
4. Control off-ramp traffic with stop sign or traffic signal, or roundabouts as appropriate for each intersection.

Policy 2.12

Design, construct, and improve bikeways consistent with the Project Priority List found in Appendix A.

Policy 2.13

Work with the nine Cities and Sonoma County Transportation Authority (SCTA) to identify a Primary Bicycle Network with routes selected on the basis of providing safe, continuous routes between urbanized areas, job centers, and major retail areas.

BPAC Review of Projects

Policy 2.14

Refer the following projects to the BPAC to review consistency with the Bikeways Plan and to evaluate potential for creating hazards or barriers to walking or bicycling:

1. Road widening projects
2. Road capacity improvement projects.
3. Resurfacing, restoration, and/or rehabilitation of roads with existing or proposed Class II or Class III bikeways.
4. Resurfacing, restoration, and/or rehabilitation of roads that include the installation of rumble strips, AC berms or similar barriers, and/or roadway dots in the shoulder area.
5. Traffic calming improvements.
6. Discretionary projects adjacent to existing or proposed Class I bikeways and/or roads with existing or proposed Class II or Class III bikeways.
7.  Discretionary projects anticipated to be conditioned with roadway improvements along existing or proposed Class I, II or III bikeways.

Policy 2.15

Require that bikeway improvements be included as part of all road maintenance or improvement projects along road segments with existing or proposed bikeways to the maximum extent feasible.

Policy 2.16

Upgrade or adjust existing traffic signal detectors on County roadways to reliably detect bicycles. On streets without dedicated right turn lanes where upgrading the existing traffic signal loop detector is not feasible, install additional buttons to trigger the signal located such that bicyclists do not have to leave the bikeway to use the button.

Policy 2.17

Where nexus exists, require private or public development to plan, design, and construct bicycle and pedestrian facilities to integrate with the existing and planned bicycle and pedestrian network.

Policy 2.18

Where discretionary projects in Urban Service Areas and unincorporated communities are found to create additional demand for bicycle travel, require the project to directly provide or participate in the funding of bikeway improvements such as gap closures, shoulder widening, safety improvements and signage that will improve bicycle access to destinations located within 3 miles of the project site.

Policy 2.19

Require mitigation either through in-lieu fees, or development of alternative facilities that have been recommended by the BPAC, when development projects or road improvements are anticipated to result in a loss of existing bicycle and pedestrian facilities or jeopardize development of future facilities identified in the Bikeways Plan.

Policy 2.20

Develop a maintenance reporting system for bikeways with a central point of contact that can be used to report, track, and respond to routine bicycle and pedestrian maintenance issues in a timely manner.

Policy 2.21

Require road construction projects to minimize their impacts on bicyclists and pedestrians through the proper placement of construction signs and equipment and by providing adequate, safe, well marked detours. Where it is safe to do so, allow bicyclists and pedestrians to pass through construction areas in order to avoid detours. Where two-way bicycle and pedestrian travel can be safely accommodated in a one-way traffic control zone, adequate signage shall be placed to alert motorists of bicycles and pedestrians in the lane.

Policy 2.22

Encourage cooperation between Regional Parks, TPW, SCTA, Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit District (SMART), North Coast Railroad Authority (NCRA), Sonoma County Water Agency, Caltrans, and the Cities, to close gaps in the bikeway network and ensure the system is constructed, and maintained.

Policy 2.23

Require dedication or purchase of right of way for Class I bikeways as part of open space requirements for development, when a nexus can be established between the proposed development and the need for bikeways in the affected area.

Policy 2.24

Review the status of abandoned railroad rights-of-way, natural waterways, flood control rights-of-way and public lands on an annual basis or as often as needed for opportunities to develop new Class I bikeways.

Policy 2.25

Develop a Class I “Rails with Trails” bikeway along the SMART and NCRA rights-of-way. Give highest priority to segments that provide connections between cities along the Highway 101 corridor from Windsor to Petaluma.

Policy 2.26

Encourage the use of flexible parking, circulation and road design standards for higher density residential and mixed-use projects that make walking and bicycling the preferred mode of transportation within the project and surrounding area.
Bicycle Parking and End of Trip Facilities

Bicycle Parking and End of Trip Facilities

Policy: 2.27

Provide adequate bicycle parking as part of all new school, public transit stops, public facilities, and commercial, industrial, and retail development. Retrofit of existing uses and facilities is recommended whenever feasible. Use the following standards for bicycle parking:

A “bicycle locker” is an individually locked weatherproof enclosure or supervised area within the occupied portion of a building providing protection from theft, vandalism and weather. A “bike rack” is a securely mounted stand or other device constructed so as to enable the user to secure the bicycle by locking the frame and at least one wheel. Racks must be easily usable with both U-locks and cable locks. Racks must hold bicycles in a stable upright position and support bicycles so they resist falling over when bumped. Racks supporting a bike by wheel only, such as standard 'wire racks', are not acceptable. Racks must hold bikes with at least two points of contact. 

Policy 2.28

Provide shower and locker facilities for employees, and bicycle parking consistent with Policy 2.27 at existing and future public facilities. The bicycle support facilities should be designed to accommodate walking or bicycling by at least 5 percent of the full time workforce.