On street Bicycle Infrastructure comes in many forms, ranging from minimal changes to the road ways to separated, bicycle specific facilities. With 5,688 Lane Miles of Roadway, Colorado Springs bicycle facilities run the gamut, from bicycle boulevards to protected bike lanes. Bike lanes are, if implemented appropriately, a great form of on-street bicycle infrastructure as bicycle riders are designated a portion of the roadway for their use. Protected bike lanes take that one step further by physically separating automobile traffic from bicycle traffic; basically a sidewalk for bicycles. This type of comfortable, safer infrastructure is what Bike Colorado Springs advocates for, as it appeals to people of all ages and skill levels (not just the athletic and fearless).

Bike Lanes Do Reduce Injuries & Collisions ?

Researchers at the University of British Columbia documented reductions in injuries and collision due to bike infrastructure finding that bike lanes reduced injury rates by 50% compared to streets where bicyclists share the lane with traffic.

The study was published Dec. 2012 in the American Journal of Public Health

Below are some key finding from this study:

Wide streets with parked cars and no bike infrastructure were by far the most dangerous for bicyclists.
Streets with bike lanes had injury rates 50% lower
Risk of injury on protected bike lanes with a physical barrier between bike and car lane were 90% lower.
Multi-use paths — or off-street trails where bicyclists, pedestrians, skaters, and other non-motorized modes mix — were found to reduce injury by 60%.