Effectiveness of Innovative Pavement Markings in Facilitating Safe Bicycle Travel

Ohlms, Peter B.; Kweon, Young-Jun · 2019 · ROSA P / Virginia Transportation Research Council

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Summary

This study evaluates the effectiveness of innovative pavement markings—specifically bicycle boxes and two-stage turn boxes—in facilitating safe bicycle travel at an intersection in Charlottesville, Virginia. Motivated by the growing importance of bicycle accommodations and the experimental status of these devices under the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, the research aimed to document measurable changes in traffic volumes, user behavior, and conflicts following the installation of these treatments. The site, located near the University of Virginia, was selected to improve bicycle connectivity and formalize existing two-stage left-turn maneuvers. The methodology involved a before-and-after analysis using video data collected over eight days: three days prior to the August 2014 installation and five days after. Researchers manually reviewed 96 hours of footage, capturing 12-hour periods on weekdays to account for peak travel patterns. Data included volume counts, traffic infractions, and conflict events such as near misses and forced yielding. To address non-normal data distribution, the Wilcoxon signed-rank test was employed for statistical comparison. The study also addressed inter-rater reliability by having multiple reviewers independently code the footage and reconciling discrepancies through a third-party review and statistical testing. The findings were mixed, revealing significant variations in user compliance and safety outcomes. Bike box usage varied by approach, with proper/improper use rates of 46%/40% on one leg and 24%/10% on the other. In contrast, two-stage turn boxes exhibited high levels of improper use, ranging from 57% to 100% of approaching bicyclists, though this was not necessarily unsafe. Traffic infractions showed divergent trends: uncategorized bicyclist violations decreased by 43% on one approach but increased by 80% on another. Notably, prohibited direct left turns increased significantly, rising 200% for motorists and 290% for bicyclists. The study also noted challenges in data collection, including camera visibility issues and subjective conflict classification. The significance of this research lies in its contribution to the experimental evaluation process required for new traffic control devices. The results suggest that while bike boxes and turn boxes can facilitate bicycle travel, they require robust user education to ensure proper usage. The authors recommend that the Virginia Department of Transportation develop improved educational materials and evaluate the feasibility of seeking interim approval for these treatments. The study highlights the complexity of implementing innovative infrastructure, emphasizing the need for careful monitoring of user behavior and potential unintended consequences, such as increased illegal maneuvers, when introducing new pavement markings.

Key finding

Prohibited direct left turns increased 200% for motorists and 290% for bicyclists after the installation of bike boxes and turn boxes.

Methodology

naturalistic

Provenance

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Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant on 2026-06-10; verification: verified.

Topics

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• cyclist safety