Transportation officials have removed a growing list of safety materials that mention bike lanes from federal websites. Safety advocates warn that’s undermining proven measures for reducing crashes.

  • talbot@lemmy.worldEnglish
    5·
    3 months ago

    Here are the publications that matter. Everyone should be watching these for updates. When a change is proposed they hold public hearings that lists the contact information for the committee members and feedback phases open to the public.

    Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH), 2016, AASHTO

    These are the engineers who are responsible for running the experiments that determine safety standards.

    Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD)

    “The MUTCD is the law governing all traffic control devices. Non-compliance with the MUTCD ultimately can result in the loss of federal-aid funds as well as in a significant increase in tort liability.”

    Notes:

    • the MUTCD’s compliance deadlines are hard to nail down.
    • each state’s regulatory traffic laws (search for “standard drawings”) often exceed the MUTCD’s requirements. Actually suing a state for non-compliance would be extremely difficult, but might be good publicity.
    • the state’s DOT engineers can avoid having to cater to bikes or peds by simply changing the classification of a road, e.g. lowering the speed limit from 40 to 35 in dangerous areas.