Improved engineered scoring system for bicycle lane mapping development

Abstract

This paper intends to present the development of the Improved Bicycle Lane Engineered Scoring System (iBLESS). The iBLESS consists of a numerical ranking table that compares traffic volume data; speed limit; number of lanes; road width; presence of the vehicle parking; presence of night street light; road grade; overall travel length; and presence of existing bicycle lanes that is utilized to design and map the optimum achievable locations for the implementation of bicycle lanes. The City of Tyler, Texas, is utilizing the iBLESS to design a Hub-and-Spoke bicycle lane network around the city. The current map design utilizing the iBLESS is comprised of eleven bicycle spokes, and seven bicycle spoke-connections, reaching a total distance of over 55 miles (88.5km) of bicycle lanes. The presence of bicycle lanes will extend throughout the entire city, resulting in the introduction of a new mode of transportation to the City of Tyler. Results indicate that the iBLESS is a simple and useful methodology to compare and analyze roads for bicycle lane development. Since this system selects the optimal road candidates, the bicycle users feel more comfortable using bicycle lanes as opposed to riding in a roadway.