Long Beach's 1st Bike Boxes!
12/31/2009 9:00:00 AM PST
Long Beach now has its first bicycle box treatments on the left-hand turn lane from Marina to 2nd Street and on 2nd Street and Bayshore (for those heading west) right across from the start of the green lane/sharrows. We welcome all of you to take your bike on a ride to test them out!
For those of you not yet familiar with this type of treatment, below is an overview of bike boxes. You can also download a PDF that includes these questions/answers by clicking
here.
You can also view video footage of how to use a bike box
here and
here.
The bike box is an intersection improvement design to prevent bicycle/car collisions, especially between drivers turning right and bicyclists going straight. It is a striped box on the end of the road with a white bicycle symbol inside. It includes bicycle lanes approaching the box. Cyclists stop in the bike box to be more visible while they wait for the signal.
When the traffic signal is red, motorists must stop behind the green bike box. Do not stop on top of or in the bike box. Keep it clear for cyclists to use, just as you would a crosswalk for pedestrians.
When the signal turns green, motorists and cyclists may move through the intersection as usual, with cyclists going first. Motorists turning right on green should signal and watch for cyclists to the right, especially in the bike lane.
When the traffic signal is red, cyclists enter the bike box from the approaching bike lane. Cyclists stop before the crosswalk.
When the signal turns green, cyclists proceed as normal. Cyclists should be aware of right-turning motorists, especially in the intersection.
It’s all about visibility and awareness. At a red light, cyclists are more visible to motorists by being in front of them. At a green light, it reminds motorists and cyclists to watch for each other.
· Increase visibility when drivers are making right turns by allowing cyclists to move in front.
· Increase awareness by reminding motorists to be alert for cyclists.
Back To News Home