Buses stopping at the curb and pulling back into traffic may cause problems for on-road bicyclists. Many bus stops are located before an intersection (near-side location) and relocating to the far side can reduce conflicts. Where a bike lane is striped in the vicinity of a bus stop, it should be dashed to indicate that buses can pull across to reach the stop. Adding pavement or placing the bus stop in line with on-street parking may assist passing bicyclists.
Most bicycle crashes involve falls, often caused by hazards such as potholes, debris, or drainage grates. Only a small portion of crashes involve motor vehicles with most of these crashes occurring at intersections. When bicyclists are at fault, the crash cause is often riding the wrong way or turning left across traffic. Crashes caused by motorists are frequently related to vehicles turning left and failing to yield in front of a bicyclist ("left hook") or vehicles turning right in front of a through rider ("right hook"). Right-turn-on-red crashes occur when motorists look for vehicles approaching from the left and fail to see the bicyclist approaching on a sidepath, crossing from the right. Mapping crash data for a particular location may illuminate a design deficiency.
Construction time can be lengthy so safe bicycling access must be
planned for the duration. During construction, VDOT policy requires
maintenance of bicycle traffic in accordance with the MUTCD and the
VDOT Work Area Protection Manual. 
Adequate access to the roadway
or shared-use paths should be provided and if a designated bicycle
route is closed, a signed alternative should be provided. Bicyclists should
not be directed onto pedestrian sidewalks. Temporary surfaces should
be suitable for riding, and warning devices are required for drops or
obstacles. Bicyclists need to be notified in advance of restrictions,
detours and closures. Although all signs must be in English to
comply with the MUTCD, notifications may need to be posted in
other languages. Bicycle access and safety should also be maintained
during advance utility relocation.
The design speed of a road is the maximum
speed at which a vehicle can be operated safely
in perfect conditions on that road. The operating
speed is the speed at which vehicles are actually
observed traveling on that road. Design speed
takes into account braking and reaction time to
unexpected events. Note that the design speed
or operating speed and the posted speed limit
may not be directly related.
When evaluating a road design, check to see if the design speed planned is higher than the desired speed of traffic through the community. The selection of the design speed for a road influences the operating speed of future users, as most users drive at the speed at which they are comfortable. A useful question to ask the design engineer is how the design would change if the design speed were raised by 10 mph. If the design would not change much with a higher design speed, it may be safe to assume that operating speeds will be higher than the proposed design speed. At times, operating speed may exceed design speed by a considerable margin.
The door zone is the 4 to 5 foot area next to a parking
lane where car doors swing open. Bicyclists can be
thrown into the path of passing vehicles by an opening
door. Dooring can be a particular problem when bike
lanes are placed next to parking. Where parking lanes
are narrow (7 feet or less), parked cars may also
encroach into the bike lane. Wider bike lanes are
recommended next to parked vehicles, preferably with
striping on both sides. Where no bike lane exists, a
shared lane marking may be used to indicate the
recommended safe riding distance away from parked
vehicles.
Intersections are controlled in various ways. The design must accommodate turning movements and crossings in many directions with numerous potential conflict points. Users include motorized vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians, all with different operating speeds. Driveways, business entrances and bus stops add to the potential problems for bicyclists. Each approach and crossing at an intersection should be examined from the perspective of bicycle users to see what will make their passage safer. Properly placed crosswalks and signs will increase the visibility of bicyclists on shared-use path crossings. Intersection angles for streets and crossings should be as close as possible to 90 degrees so as to maximize sight distances and reduce crossing distances.
Future maintenance of new facilities should be addressed, particularly for shared-use paths that might not be included in routine road maintenance programs. Regular maintenance of bike facilities includes debris removal and repairs required due to wear and tear. Additional issues on shared-use paths include damage to the surface caused by invasive roots from close-by trees or by maintenance vehicles using the path, and the need for snow removal. Without a maintenance program with designated responsibility and funding, safe bicycling conditions and facility usage rates cannot be sustained.
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Guide for Reviewing Public Road Design and Bicycling Accommodations for Virginia Bicycling Advocates