Bike lanes
There are many different types of traffic lanes that pertain to bikes and cars. Some indicate that they are solely for cyclists—these are often on the edge of the road and marked by paint or protected by barriers. Other lanes indicate that bikes and cars must share the same road and abide by the same traffic rules. Being able to distinguish these lanes is very important, because they each have rules that you should understand and follow to stay safe.
Striped bike lanes are very common. They are typically on the right side of the road and are often set off by a solid white line showing where cyclists should be on the road, and cars should not.
Protected bike lanes are very helpful to cyclists because they instill a feeling of safety while riding. These bike lanes have planters, curbs, armadillos, plastic posts, etc. that physically separate cyclists from cars.
Center-running protected lanes are rare. Armadillos (road blockers)
keep cars
from making dangerous
u-turns.
Shared lanes are lanes where both cars and bikes drive on the same lane. They share the road and must abide by the same traffic laws.
Buffer bike lanes can be distinguished by painted horizontal lines. This provides buffer space between cars and cyclists as well as space for cyclists to pass each other without the fear of getting hit by a car.
Photos by Sofia Burgin