The Netherlands' Greenways- Can We Make Portland's Greenways More Like Theirs?

Introduction

A ‘bike boulevard’, also known as a ‘neighborhood greenway’ is a designated route on a residential street that serves the needs of cyclists but also improves neighborhood streets. For bikes, the neighborhood greenway is a designated route on a street with features that make bike travel more pleasant and direct. For local residents, neighborhood greenways limit through traffic and at the same time they are direct paths to arterial streets.

In the Netherlands, neighborhood greenways are referred to as cycle streets. These definitions are not rigid. Some neighborhood greenways in the Netherlands use more than one type of street configuration to complete a route. Part of a neighborhood greenway may incorporate roads with bike lanes or a solitary bike path. An important feature of a cycle street is the transition from one type of street configuration to another. To get a sense of the variety of different types of cycle streets in a given town or city in the Netherlands see Topic 1 about the frequency of different bike facilities.



With the purpose to improve and expand effective neighborhood greenways in the United States, we evaluated existing configurations and transition points of cycle streets found in the Den Haag region of the Netherlands. Our goal is to provide ideas for how to implement neighborhood greenways and greater connectivity between them in the United States.

Descriptions

A neighborhood greenway uses facilities such as traffic calming measures, way-finding signs, bike route markings, and convenient, direct paths to destinations. For motor vehicles, neighborhood greenways allow parking, calm traffic for residents, and at the same time is usually a direct path to feeder streets.

According to the CROW Design Manual for Bicycle Traffic, the design manual used in the Netherlands, a cycle street is a high quality cycle connection, partly used by motorized vehicles. It is usually a main cycle route. They usually use red bricks for the street. The red is to designate the street as a cycle street and the brick serves as a traffic calming device. When the path is closed to vehicles, they often use (red or black) asphalt instead of bricks, as the traffic does not need to be calmed. Curbs are often used to separate bike traffic from car and pedestrian paths. Often, at intersections, the cycle track is raised to a higher level than the intersecting motor vehicle road. The raised intersection acts both as a traffic calming device and as a cue to vehicle drivers that there is a major change in traffic. In the neighborhood streets the Netherlands enforces a speed limit of 30 km/h (18 mph) while the streets that contain a separated cycle track have a speed limit of at least 60 km/h (37 mph) for the vehicles.

Other common cycle streets are contraflow streets, consisting of one-way motor vehicle traffic and two-way bike traffic. Some of these contraflow streets change the direction of one-way car traffic every few blocks. A chicane street weaves or curves using curb extensions as a traffic-calming device.  On-street parking can be integrated into this design.

In addition, many cycle streets are car-free. Some of the common treatments of these bike only facilities incorporate bollards to restrict car traffic from a street or path.

Mixed-use bridges and bike and pedestrian bridges are also used in cycle street infrastructure. Although these are cost prohibitive, they allow cycle streets to connect neighborhoods that have major barriers such as freeways and railroads. Bike-only underpasses are also commonly used to connect cycle streets.

Objectives

Objectives of well-connected quality cycle streets are to:

·         encourage more bike use.

·         be safer for vulnerable users and protect them from motor vehicles.

·         make it easier to find designated pathways.

·         use existing streets to keep costs low.

·         function as traffic calming devices in residential streets.

Constraints

Constraints to well-connected quality cycle streets in the United States are:

·         right-of-way limitations compared to Europe.

·         lack of service streets that are commonly used as cycle streets in Europe.

·         the installation and maintenance costs of brick roads.

Observations

• Brick roads cause car drivers to drive slower.
• Raised intersections cause the driver of the vehicle to realize they are entering a more vulnerable user’s space, e.g. cars entering a bike lane, or bikes entering a pedestrian path.
• Curves along the road cause cars to slow down, and cyclists generally enjoy the change in scenery.
• ‘Shark Teeth’ located on the ground indicate that you do NOT have the right-of-way, these markings are easily adopted and understood
• A contraflow road works surprisingly well.
• The transition between cycle tracks and neighborhood greenways can be done very seamlessly
• It feels amazing to be able to bike above the freeway, out of the way of the exhaust fumes.

Typical Applications

Neighborhood greenways are based on simple ideas. Likewise, simple modifications can be done to create a network of effective neighborhood greenways. This simplicity allows relatively easy retrofits to many of our American style neighborhoods.

Below are many examples of typical applications used in creating neighborhood greenways.

Problem: I want to allow our neighborhood street to be safe for biking.

• Solution: Make it a neighborhood greenway. This is the most basic of neighborhood greenways in the Netherlands, and is very similar to those being installed in Portland, OR. This greenway consists of car parking on both sides of the street and they can travel in both directions. Speed humps are installed throughout the greenway, while utilizing brick to slow cars.
• Transportation Tools Required: Speed humps, red brick
• Details: Speed limit = 30 km/h, road width = 6.5m
• Cost: $
• Google Map Link: See Biker #1

View Netherlands Bicycle Infrastructure in a larger map

    

 

Problem: Where do the neighborhood greenways go?

·         Solution: Curves are not bad – they reduce your speed, and provide a visually appealing ride. Use curves to your advantage. Traffic on this neighborhood greenway has the ROW, and the signing and striping shows that. Also, vehicles have been restricted from using this path, therefore, there is no speed limit. In addition, an asphalt roadway (red or black) is acceptable as vehicles aren’t needed to be calmed.

·         Transportation Tools Required: ROW Striping, signing.

·         Details: Speed limit = N/A, road width = 5m

·         Cost: $

·         Google Map Link: See Biker #2

View Netherlands Bicycle Infrastructure in a larger map

 



Problem: Our local neighborhood greenway intersects with a somewhat busy neighborhood road.

·         Solution: Raise the intersection on all four approaches, and use bricks to slow the users down.

·         Transportation Tools Required: Striping (elevation change pattern), signing, material for the intersection, red bricks.

·         Details: Speed limit = 30 km/h, road width = 5.5m, table widths = 18m and 15m, width of elevation change striping = 2m

·         Cost: $

·         Google Map Link: See Biker #3

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View Netherlands Bicycle Infrastructure in a larger map

Problem: I have a straight or narrow road for my neighborhood greenway, how do I reduce the amount of cars that use this road.

·         Solution: Make it a contraflow road (one direction for cars, both directions for bikes). Take note, that in this picture, they give notice 50 meters in advance. In this case, the road will turn into a one-way the direction that we are facing. Cars should not be coming from the opposite direction. Use a brick road to reduce the speed of the cars. (You can also switch to the opposite direction of flow every couple blocks to maximize their effect.)

·         Transportation Tools Required: ROW Striping, signing, red bricks.

·         Details: Speed limit = 30 km/h

·         Cost: $

·         Google Map Link: See Biker #4

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View Netherlands Bicycle Infrastructure in a larger map

Problem: Our long and straight local street has cars speeding by.

·         Solution: Create a natural chicane for the road through the use of alternating parking along a street. Cars will be forced to slow down. Use bricks to slow cars down even more.

·         Transportation Tools Required: Parking stall striping, curb extensions, red bricks.

·         Details: Speed limit = 30 km/h, road width = 4m

·         Cost: $

·         Google Map Link: See Biker #5

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View Netherlands Bicycle Infrastructure in a larger map

Problem: Two-way car traffic around a corner does not allow for bike lanes.

·         Solution: Make it a contraflow road (one direction for cars, both directions for bikes). Combine with a brick road to reduce the speed of the cars.

·         Transportation Tools Required: Striping (bike lane, cross walk, speed limit, car direction), signing, red bricks.

·         Details: Speed limit = 30 km/h

·         Cost: $

·         Google Map Link: See Biker #6

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View Netherlands Bicycle Infrastructure in a larger map

Problem: How do I eliminate cars from using the neighborhood greenway?

·         Solution: Tell cars they are not allowed, and put bollards in the road. The brick road, in addition to the curve, prevents cars from slamming into the bollard at a high speed by accident. Beyond the bollard where cars cannot enter the road turns into asphalt, which can be either red or black.

·         Transportation Tools Required: Signing, bollards.

·         Details: Speed limit = N/A on path and 30 km/h on vehicular road, road width = 4m

·         Example Intersection Description: Vehicles have access to the road on the right, and only pedestrians, bikes, and scooters have access to the road on the left.

·         Cost: $

·         Google Map Link: See Biker #7

View Netherlands Bicycle Infrastructure in a larger map

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Problem: A crucial connector road for bikes, but not that necessary for cars, is too narrow to put bike lanes or cycle tracks on.

·         Solution: Restrict use to only bikes, scooters, and pedestrians. Place bollards in the ground to enforce the rule. Raise the intersection approach and make the vehicle roadway brick so that all users slow down at this unique intersection. This off-street connector can be red asphalt, to save on costs compared to brick.

·         Transportation Tools Required: Crosswalk striping, signing, bricks, bollards, and intersection redesign.

·         Details: Speed limit = N/A on path and 30 km/h on vehicular road, road width = 4m

·         Example Intersection Description: Vehicles have access to the road segment that is on the near side of the bollards, and only pedestrians, bikes, and scooters have access to the road on the bridge and beyond.

·         Cost: $
·         Google Map Link: See Biker #8

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Problem: There is a major destination just over there – however, there is only a footpath to get there.

·         Solution: Make an off-street connector route; cars are restricted from using this.

·         Transportation Tools Required: ROW striping and dashes (to indicate 2 directions), signing, bollards, bricks at the intersection, and can use red asphalt along the path.

·         Details: Speed limit = N/A on path and 30 km/h on vehicular road, road width = 4m
·         Example Intersection Description: Vehicles have access to the road segment that is on the near side of the bollards (main road goes around the corner), and only pedestrians, bikes, and scooters have access to the road on the path and beyond.
·         Cost: $$
·         Google Map Link: See Biker #9

View Netherlands Bicycle Infrastructure in a larger map

Problem: Our bike path reaches an intersection and there is no more space/money left for it to continue.

·         Solution: Carry the bike path (or cycle track in this case) safely through the intersection, and on the other side, allow the cycle track to transition into a neighborhood greenway. In the photo above, the cycle track juts off diagonally to the right (after going across the intersection), onto a neighborhood roadway.

·         Transportation Tools Required: Intersection reconfiguration, bike crossing striping, bike signal, median refuge, red or black asphalt/brick.
·         Details: Speed limit = N/A on path and at least 60 km/h on separated vehicular road, cycle track width = 2.5m, bike intersection width = 2.25m.
·         Cost: $$ (However, it is a cheaper alternative when compared to a cycle track the entire length.)
·         Google Map Link: See Biker #10

View Netherlands Bicycle Infrastructure in a larger map

Problem: We have a major freeway to cross, and the bike network would be completed in this area if we made the connection. 

• Solution: Combine bikes with rail to create one bridge, with a divider between them. The divider also behaves as a wind screen.
• Transportation Tools Required: Everything bridge related – including lighting. In addition, red asphalt pavement, bridge barrier striping and dashes (to indicate 2 directions). Intersections at either end will need to treat this as a cycle track.
• Details: Speed limit = N/A, path width = 3.5m
• Cost: $$$
• Google Map Link: See Biker #11 and 12

View Netherlands Bicycle Infrastructure in a larger map

Problem: We don’t have a rail bridge to combine with the bike bridge.

·         Solution: Make your own bridge for bikes. Yes, it is an expensive bike path, but the material required is a fraction of the price compared to a freeway bridge. Critical connections will be heavily utilized.

·         Transportation Tools Required: Everything bridge related – including lighting. In addition, red asphalt pavement, bridge barrier striping and dashes (to indicate 2 directions). Intersections at either end will need to treat this as a cycle track.

·         Details: Speed limit = N/A, path width = 3m

·         Cost: $$$

·         Google Map Link: See Biker #13, 14, and 15

View Netherlands Bicycle Infrastructure in a larger map

Resources: CROW Manual, AASHTO Bicycle Design Guide