Portland is rapidly becoming one of the most bike-friendly cities in the United States, and with so many of its residents and workers commuting by bicycle, it makes sense to improve and invest in safety measures for cyclists. The investment is worth it.
Portland State’s Initiative for Bicycle and Pedestrian Innovation (IBPI) released its final evaluation of the city’s “Bike Boxes” early this month. In 2008, 12 Bike Boxes—green extensions of the bicycle lane which permit cyclists to stop and wait in front of cars at intersections—were installed in high-traffic areas around Portland. The goal was to reduce the number of car/cyclist conflicts at right-turn intersections. According to the IBPI study, the boxes proved effective, and now the City of Portland has announced plans to install 11 more of these boxes at a cost of over $5,000 per box.
Portland State’s study showed that the number of cyclists on the road has increased by approximately 32 percent since the boxes were installed. In contrast, the number of conflicts between cars and cyclists at these intersections has dropped from 29 to 20 since the boxes were installed. The study also showed that about three-quarters of drivers use bike boxes correctly. When surveyed, 77 percent of bicyclists indicated that they felt safer with the boxes at the intersections.
Ian Stude, PSU’s Transportation Options manager and a member of the Portland Bicycle Advisory Committee, agrees that the boxes make intersections safer. “It is my impression that bike boxes not only make these key intersections safer, they raise driver awareness about the presence of bikes in other similar locations as well,” Stude said, noting that more drivers now yield right-of-way to bicycles in the bike lane. He added that he rarely sees bike boxes misused. Some drivers do roll into the boxes, and there are times when cyclists are reluctant to use them. But Stude points out that there is a learning curve, as with all new forms of traffic control.
Portland is not the first city to implement the use of bike boxes. As Stude comments, “This type of treatment has proven very successful in European countries where the rate of bicycle commuting is substantially higher than in the U.S.” Portland’s adoption of this design marks the first step in creating a similarly bicycle-friendly environment.
Opponents of the boxes argue that bicyclists don’t use them properly themselves and that they don’t make a very substantial difference. The cost is also a factor. At more than $5,000 per box, the price tag seems steep, and there are 11 to construct. Some motorists feel the funds should go towards road repair and maintenance rather than these “experimental” boxes.
However, the study by the IBPI found that a majority of commuters, both motorists and cyclists, understand how to use the boxes, and that very few people believe that they make these intersections unsafe. Only 2 percent of cyclists and 14 percent of motorists feel that intersections with bike boxes are more dangerous than intersections without bike boxes.
In regards to the cost, it is not as bad as it seems. “It is important to note that money for roadway projects can only be spent on roadway projects,” Stude said. “To you or me, $5,000 may sound like a lot of money. But compared to the cost of other types of roadway treatments designed to increase safety, the bike boxes are very affordable.”
Many cyclists agree that the boxes are a wise investment. “If we aspire to a healthier, safer city that supports sustainable transportation choices, these are exactly the types of investments we should be making,” Stude said. And he is correct. The city has already seen an increase in the number of commuters bicycling since the boxes were constructed, and making the roads safer for them is only reasonable.
The Portland Bureau of Transportation announced the locations of the new boxes on Sept. 14, with their highest priority being the intersection of Northeast Grand and Couch—the site of a car-on-bike accident the very next day. Obviously, the box will be a relief once installed.