This report examines bicycle road fatalities in the United States. In 2020, 938 such fatalities occurred in this country. Transportation agencies are actively exploring alternative bicycle lane configurations that may further reduce the number of bicycle-related crashes on the road. The project titled Developing Crash Modification Factors for Separated Bicycle Lanes considered the safety effectiveness of separated bicycle lanes (SBLs), sometimes known as protected bicycle lanes, whereby the bicycle lane is separated from motor vehicle traffic with a spatial buffer or with a vertical barrier such as a flexible post (flexi-post).

The findings from this study supported the development of a crash modification factor (CMF) for converting a traditional bicycle lane to an SBL with flexible posts. The analysis also resulted in a CMF for SBLs that have a blended vertical element located in the buffer area. This report may be of interest to transportation practitioners, transportation safety researchers, industry representatives, and engineers and others working to improve transportation safety.

Recommended citation: Federal Highway Administration, Developing Crash Modification Factors for Separated Bicycle Lanes (Washington, DC: 2023) https://doi.org/10.21949/1521874.