Operational and safety concerns exist where sidepaths cross driveways and intersections. Refer to section 5.2.2 of the AASHTO Bike Guide 2012 for an identification of potential design issues. Design crossings to promote awareness of conflict points, and facilitate proper yielding of motorists to bicyclists and pedestrians.

Collision risk increases as the speed and volume of the parallel roadway increase. The AASHTO Bike Guide 2012 lists a variety of design strategies for enhancing sidepath crossings including:

• Reduce the frequency of driveways.
• Design intersections to reduce driver speeds and heighten awareness of path users.
• Encourage low speeds on pathway approaches.
• Maintain visibility for all users.
• Provide clear assignment of right-of- way with signs and markings and elevation change.

• Maintain physical separation of the sidepath through the crossing. Sidepath separation distance may vary from 5 ft–24 ft (1.5–7.0 m). Refer to Table 4-2.
• Use small roadway corner radii to enforce slow turning speeds of 20 mi/h or less. On a high-speed roadway, a deceleration lane may be necessary to achieve desired slow turning speeds.
• The roadway and path approaches to an intersection should always provide enough stopping sight distance to obey the established traffic control, and execute a stop before entering the intersection (AASHTO Bike Guide 2012).
• Configure crossings with raised speed table or “dustpan” style driveway geometry to create vertical deflection of turning vehicles. This physically indicates priority of path travel over turning or crossing traffic and helps reduce the risk associated with bidirectional sidepath use. +
• Where possible, include raised median island on the cross street to provide additional safety and speed management benefits.
• Use crosswalk markings to indicate the through crossing along the pathway. Continental crosswalk markings are preferred for increased visibility. At low-volume residential driveways, crosswalk markings may be omitted. +
• Use stop or yield line markings in advance of the crossing to discourage encroachment into the crosswalk area.

Figure 4-11. Separation distance should be selected in response to speed and traffic intensity. The pathway may need a shift in horizontal alignment in advance of the crossing to achieve desired separation distance. As speeds on the parallel roadway increase, so does the preference for wider separation distance.

Table 4-2. Sidepath Separation Distance at Road Crossings +

*Separation distance may vary in response to available right of way, visibility constraints and the provision of a right turn deceleration lane.

Give sidepaths the same priority as the parallel roadway at all crossings. Attempts to require path users to yield or stop at each cross-street or driveway promote noncompliance and confusion, and are not effective. Geometric design in these cases should promote a high degree of yielding to path users through geometric design.

• Visual obstructions should be low to provide unobstructed sight of the crossing from the major street. Both motorists and path users should have a clear and unobstructed view of each other at intersections and driveways.
• Consider using a R10-15 RIGHT TURN YIELD TO PEDESTRIANS at street crossings with right turn interactions.

Where a sidepath terminates, it may be necessary for path users to transition to a facility on the opposite side of the road.

• Designs should consider the desire for natural directional flows, and the potential for conflicts with adjacent traffic. Use median islands and horizontal deflection of the roadway travel lanes to slow motor vehicle traffic and offer improved crossing conditions for path users.

Figure 4-12. Transition from a sidepath on one side to shoulders on each side of the road.