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Sharing is (s)caring? Interactions between buses and bicyclists on bus lanes shared with bicyclists

De Ceunynck, Tim ; Dorleman, Bert ; Daniels, Stijn ; Laureshyn, Aliaksei LU orcid ; Brijs, Tom ; Hermans, Elke and Wets, Geert (2017) In Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour 46. p.301-315
Abstract

This paper presents the results of an observation study of interactions between bicyclists and buses on shared bus lanes. The aim of the paper is to analyse bicyclists' safety on bus lanes shared with bicyclists. Straight sections of two bus lanes shared with bicyclists in Belgium are observed. All interactions between bicyclists and buses over two full weeks are recorded and analysed. Additionally, the lateral position and riding speed of bicyclists that are in interaction with buses are compared with the behaviour of bicyclists that are not in interaction with buses. One of the observed bus lanes is in line with road design guidelines in a number of countries that state that a sufficiently narrow bus lane (<3.5. m) is hypothesised... (More)

This paper presents the results of an observation study of interactions between bicyclists and buses on shared bus lanes. The aim of the paper is to analyse bicyclists' safety on bus lanes shared with bicyclists. Straight sections of two bus lanes shared with bicyclists in Belgium are observed. All interactions between bicyclists and buses over two full weeks are recorded and analysed. Additionally, the lateral position and riding speed of bicyclists that are in interaction with buses are compared with the behaviour of bicyclists that are not in interaction with buses. One of the observed bus lanes is in line with road design guidelines in a number of countries that state that a sufficiently narrow bus lane (<3.5. m) is hypothesised to be safer than a somewhat wider bus lane; the other observed bus lane is deemed too wide according to these guidelines and is hypothesised to lead to close overtaking manoeuvres.The results show that close interactions between bicyclists and buses are relatively frequent on both types of analysed bus lanes. Close overtaking manoeuvres (a bus overtakes a bicyclist with a lateral distance less than 1. m) as well as close bicycle-following situations (a bus drives behind a bicyclist with a time gap less than 2. s) are quite common on both analysed bus lanes. The analyses could not confirm the hypothesis that a sufficiently narrow bus lane is safer than a wider bus lane. On the contrary, close interactions seem even slightly more common on the narrower bus lane. Slightly more close overtaking manoeuvres take place on the narrower bus lane, but the difference is not statistically significant. Additionally, more bicycle-following situations take place on the narrower bus lane because overtaking is more difficult. The results show that buses often maintain a close time gap in these situations. The overtaking speed of the buses is, however, significantly higher on the wider bus lane compared to the narrower one.Moreover, the presence of a bus has an influence on the behaviour of bicyclists. Bicyclists who get overtaken by a bus ride more closely to the edge of the road than bicyclists who are not in interaction with a bus. While the road design guidelines assume that bicyclists take up a width of one meter from the edge on bus lanes shared with bicyclists, the observations show that bicyclists take up much less space while being overtaken. The presence of a bus does not have a significant influence on the standard deviation of the lateral position of the bicyclist. On the narrower bus lane, some findings suggest that bicyclists who are involved in an interaction with a bus ride faster than bicyclists who are not involved in an interaction with a bus.

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author
; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Bicyclists, Bus-bicycle interactions, Overtaking proximity, Shared-use bus lanes, Time gap, Traffic safety
in
Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour
volume
46
pages
301 - 315
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • wos:000402941800005
  • scopus:85006062492
ISSN
1369-8478
DOI
10.1016/j.trf.2016.09.028
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
f4ea9dc0-307c-4b80-80c1-757f8e6457e1
date added to LUP
2017-02-17 14:30:08
date last changed
2024-10-14 00:20:37
@article{f4ea9dc0-307c-4b80-80c1-757f8e6457e1,
  abstract     = {{<p>This paper presents the results of an observation study of interactions between bicyclists and buses on shared bus lanes. The aim of the paper is to analyse bicyclists' safety on bus lanes shared with bicyclists. Straight sections of two bus lanes shared with bicyclists in Belgium are observed. All interactions between bicyclists and buses over two full weeks are recorded and analysed. Additionally, the lateral position and riding speed of bicyclists that are in interaction with buses are compared with the behaviour of bicyclists that are not in interaction with buses. One of the observed bus lanes is in line with road design guidelines in a number of countries that state that a sufficiently narrow bus lane (&lt;3.5. m) is hypothesised to be safer than a somewhat wider bus lane; the other observed bus lane is deemed too wide according to these guidelines and is hypothesised to lead to close overtaking manoeuvres.The results show that close interactions between bicyclists and buses are relatively frequent on both types of analysed bus lanes. Close overtaking manoeuvres (a bus overtakes a bicyclist with a lateral distance less than 1. m) as well as close bicycle-following situations (a bus drives behind a bicyclist with a time gap less than 2. s) are quite common on both analysed bus lanes. The analyses could not confirm the hypothesis that a sufficiently narrow bus lane is safer than a wider bus lane. On the contrary, close interactions seem even slightly more common on the narrower bus lane. Slightly more close overtaking manoeuvres take place on the narrower bus lane, but the difference is not statistically significant. Additionally, more bicycle-following situations take place on the narrower bus lane because overtaking is more difficult. The results show that buses often maintain a close time gap in these situations. The overtaking speed of the buses is, however, significantly higher on the wider bus lane compared to the narrower one.Moreover, the presence of a bus has an influence on the behaviour of bicyclists. Bicyclists who get overtaken by a bus ride more closely to the edge of the road than bicyclists who are not in interaction with a bus. While the road design guidelines assume that bicyclists take up a width of one meter from the edge on bus lanes shared with bicyclists, the observations show that bicyclists take up much less space while being overtaken. The presence of a bus does not have a significant influence on the standard deviation of the lateral position of the bicyclist. On the narrower bus lane, some findings suggest that bicyclists who are involved in an interaction with a bus ride faster than bicyclists who are not involved in an interaction with a bus.</p>}},
  author       = {{De Ceunynck, Tim and Dorleman, Bert and Daniels, Stijn and Laureshyn, Aliaksei and Brijs, Tom and Hermans, Elke and Wets, Geert}},
  issn         = {{1369-8478}},
  keywords     = {{Bicyclists; Bus-bicycle interactions; Overtaking proximity; Shared-use bus lanes; Time gap; Traffic safety}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{301--315}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour}},
  title        = {{Sharing is (s)caring? Interactions between buses and bicyclists on bus lanes shared with bicyclists}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.trf.2016.09.028}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.trf.2016.09.028}},
  volume       = {{46}},
  year         = {{2017}},
}