What is at the end of the road? - Understanding discontinuities of on-street bicycle lanes in urban settings

Demarcating on-street bicycle facilities is often mentioned as an important strategy to encourage increased bicycle safety and bicycle travel. However, little if any literature has focused on instances where separate on-street bicycle facilities end. This paper better understands the severity of such instances and corresponding physical characteristics. We identify 30 discontinuities of on-street bicycle lanes in Minneapolis. Minnesota, and collect primary data measuring their physical attributes and cyclists' perceptions of the level of comfort while cycling through each. Using multi-variate analysis, the findings suggest that discontinuities ending on the left side of the street, with increased distance of crossing intersections, having parking after the discontinuities, and wider width of the curb lane are statistical elements that contribute to higher levels of discomfort. Such analysis is useful in determining bicyclists' comfort level where discontinuities exist and such methods can be an important part of an overall level of service toolkit for planning on-street bicycle lanes. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.