--- In chainguard@yahoogroups.com, "bob morgan" <robtwmor@...> wrote:
>
> I'm involved in a task force to develop a bicycle transportation
> plan for my city, Cedar Falls, IA. We have an extensive network of
> paved, off-road MUPs and the tendency of the task force is to look
> at building even more of them rather than making the streets and
> roads friendlier to cyclists. Most of the task force members,
> including the other bicyclists, are convinced that MUPs are
> much "safer" than on-road facilities, and that marked bike lanes
> are much "safer" than lanes traveled by motor vehicles. Vehicular
> cycling logic and experience will not convince them otherwise - I
> need data. (Even that probably won't convince all of them, but I
> need to put it on the table.)
>
> Can anyone point me to either sources of or specific
> studies/statistics/etc. that quantify bicycle crash rates/safety
> issues on MUPs vs. roads, and on bike lanes vs. roads without bike
> lanes?
>
> Any help would be greatly appreciated.
>
> Bob Morgan
> Cedar Falls, IA

"The Roads We Have" by John Andersen at
http://www.bicyclinglife.com/EffectiveAdvocacy/TheRoadsWeHave.htm
shows the following:

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv
... Accident statistics and surveys reveal that by you are far more
likely to experience an accident on a bike path than on the road.
Over twice as likely in fact.

Check out these numbers from a study titled: ADULT BICYCLISTS IN THE
UNITED STATES - CHARACTERISTICS AND RIDING EXPERIENCE IN 1996, by
William E. Moritz, Ph.D. Click _Here_ [
http://www.bicyclinglife.com/Library/Moritz2.htm ] for the complete
summary.

Facility Type : Facility Relative Danger Index

Major streets and roads w/o bike facilities : 0.66
Minor streets and roads w/o bike facilities : 0.94
Signed bike route only (BR) : 0.51
On-street bike lanes (BL) : 0.41
Multiuse trail : 1.39
Off-road/unpaved : 4.49
Other (most often `sidewalk') : 16.34

The Relative Danger Index, RDI, makes it easy to grasp the
likelihood of experiencing a crash on the various facilities
relative to the kilometers cycled on each facility.

Note that you are over 30 times more likely to have an accident on
the sidewalk as on the street. Get your bikes off the sidewalk
people!!

Note also, that in most jurisdictions, bike route signs and on
street bike lanes are placed only on streets where there is ample
width. Consider that before you leap to the conclusion that on-
street bike lanes are safest as implied by the chart.

No street department will chop a bike lane out of an already too-
narrow street. Therefore, most experienced cyclists attribute the
low likelihood of an accident on bike routes or bike lanes as being
due solely to the increased width available.

Note major streets and roads without bike lanes also fared well,
even though these are likely to have much higher traffic levels.
These heavily used routes were safer than the minor streets.

Add to the dangers of separated paths (which is what most Multi use
trails really are), is the fact that they are often slow. Clogged
with joggers, roller-bladers, and children with dogs. They are also
often designed with inadequate sight lines (because the engineers
who design them simply don't believe that bikes travel at 20 to 25
mph) and they are therefore risky to attempt any normal commuting
speeds upon.

There are no rules on paths. As a consequence people get hurt. On
the road, the rule of law and the "Rules of the Road" apply. (Not to
mention the rule of gross tonnage). People behave themselves.
Everyone is safer.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Andrew Smolik