Determining the necessary width of a bicycle lane by means of simulations on a bicycle-rider model.

Abstract

It can be observed that there is a wide variety in the width of bicycle lanes. It can range from wide to very narrow, see figure 1. Several guidelines disagree on the desired width of a bicycle lane [1, 2]. These guidelines are mainly based on observations and best practices. Instead of such an evolutionary approach
we propose to determine the necessary width by means of a scientific approach. We hypothesize that the dynamic properties of the bicycle together with the rider control determine the needed width of the bicycle lane. The inherent lateral instability of the bicycle with fixed steer input results in unavoidable lateral contact point displacements to keep the bicycle upright. Additionally, think of the necessary act of counter-steering to change heading direction.