Protected bicycle lanes are the safest option for cyclists when sharing the roadway with motor vehicles. They use a series of techniques to physically separate and protect bicyclists from passing traffic in the right-of-way such as planters, curbs, parked cars, or bollards. Protected bike lanes come in a variety of forms based on factors such as road dimensions, community needs and safety.
Physical barriers offer greater cyclist separation from motor vehicle traffic on mid-block sections and severely reduce the risk of “dooring” (when a motor-vehicle occupant opens their door into the path of an oncoming cyclist) which can’t be done through the use of paint alone. It reduces or eliminates blocking of the bike lane by motor vehicles and the swerving of cyclists into mixed traffic. The creation of a separate space for bicycles and micro mobility users that limits interactions with motor vehicles and pedestrians also encourages use by novice and less confident cyclists.
Protected bicycle lanes increase ridership, reduce motor vehicle speeding, reduce crashes and improve people’s feeling of safety on those streets. Investing in networks of protected bicycle lanes has significant potential to prevent road fatalities, lower parking demand, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, lower transport costs, and improve a community’s overall quality of life.
The City has installed protected bicycle lanes along Deal Lake Drive between Kingsley and Ocean Avenue and on Asbury Avenue between Grand Avenue and Heck Street. The protected bicycle lanes along Asbury Avenue will be extended in 2024/2025 as part of an NJDOT Bikeways Grant.
