Office of Planning, Environment, & Realty (HEP)
Planning • Environment • Real Estate
The Federal Highway Administration receives occasional inquiries about what bicycle facilities, signs, and markings are permitted in the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD). The table below lists various bicycle-related signs, markings, signals, and other treatments and identifies their status (e.g., can be implemented, currently experimental) in the 2009 version of the MUTCD.
| Description of Bicycle Facilities | Status in the FHWA's Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) | Are FHWA Experiments in Progress? |
|---|---|---|
| Signs and Markings | ||
| Bike Lanes | ||
| Conventional bike lanes | Can be implemented at present time | |
| Continuation of bike lanes up to intersections | Can be implemented at present time | |
| Dashed bike lanes through intersections | Can be implemented at present time | |
| Use of green pavement markings for bike lanes and cycle tracks within intersections | Interim approval has been granted. Requests to use green colored pavement need to comply with the provisions of Paragraphs 14 through 22 of Section 1A.10 | Yes |
| Green bike lanes at conflict points such as heavy turning and merging locations | Interim approval has been granted. Requests to use green colored pavement need to comply with the provisions of Paragraphs 14 through 22 of Section 1A.10 | Yes |
| Green bike lanes or green behind bike lane symbols and standard arrows | Interim approval has been granted. Requests to use green colored pavement need to comply with the provisions of Paragraphs 14 through 22 of Section 1A.10 | Yes |
| Contraflow bike lanes | Can be implemented at present time if signs and pavement markings that are compliant with the MUTCD are used | |
| Combined bike lane/turn lane | Experimental if bike lane markings are used, but can be implemented at the present time if Shared Lane Markings are used instead of bike lane markings | Yes |
| Dashed bike lanes on narrow roadways (advisory bike lanes) | This treatment is currently experimental | Yes |
| Buffered bike lanes | Can be implemented at present time if pavement markings and crashworthy channelizing devices for bicycles that are compliant with the MUTCD are used | Yes |
| Bike lanes between traffic lanes on approaches to lane drop conditions | Can be implemented at present time | |
| Bike lanes on left-hand side of one-way streets | Can be implemented at present time | |
| Cycle Tracks | ||
| Protected cycle tracks, both one-way and two-way bicycle facilities | Not a traffic control device, so no MUTCD restriction on its use | |
| Raised cycle tracks, both one-way and two-way bicycle facilities | Not a traffic control device, so no MUTCD restriction on its use | |
| Cycle track two-stage signalized left turn with bike queuing space | Can be implemented at present time if signs and pavement markings that are compliant with the MUTCD are used | |
| Merging cycle track users with turn lanes in advance of high volume turn locations, allowing bicyclists to make a through movement at the intersection in order to reduce conflicts with the turning traffic | Can be implemented at present time if signs and pavement markings that are compliant with the MUTCD are used | |
| Truncated cycle track (ramp down to bike lane or shared right-turn lane) | Not a traffic control device, so no MUTCD restriction on its use | |
| Other Signs and Markings | ||
| Shared lane markings | Can be implemented at present time | |
| Green colorized pavement limited to behind the shared lane marking | This treatment is currently experimental | Yes |
| Green colorized pavement to communicate a longitudinal direction in conjunction with shared lane markings where no bike lane is used | This treatment is currently experimental | Yes |
| Bike boxes with advanced stop lines for motor vehicles and no-turn-on-red restrictions on the approach | Currently is experimental; more research data is needed before a final decision can be made regarding this application | Yes |
| Accommodating two-stage "delayed" left turns at signalized intersections via pavement markings and signal detection | Can be implemented at present time if signs and pavement markings that are compliant with the MUTCD are used | |
| Bike route wayfinding and marking system | Can be implemented at present time if signs and pavement markings that are compliant with the MUTCD are used, but currently is experimental if a non-compliant sign or marking is used | Yes |
| Rotated bicycle symbols in bike lanes at intersections and driveways oriented towards turning or entering motorists | Can be implemented at present time | |
| Defining orange pavement markings for temporary traffic control usage to draw attention to the changed conditions, including for bike lanes, pedestrian crosswalks, yield markings, etc. | Not allowed by the MUTCD; no experiments are being conducted regarding this treatment | |
| Defining unique, high-visibility pavement markings for bicycles and pedestrians (similar to Swiss usage of yellow for bike lanes and pedestrian crosswalks) | Not allowed by the MUTCD; no experiments are being conducted regarding this treatment | |
| Active warning beacon for a bike boulevard | Can be implemented at present time | |
| Signals | ||
| Bicycle traffic signal indications | Bike symbols on traffic signal displays are currently experimental | Yes |
| Bicycle traffic signal phasing at signalized intersections (such as protected lagging right turns for motorists made after through movement bicycle traffic) | Can be implemented at present time if circular indications are used for the bicycle signal with a "BIKE SIGNAL" sign adjacent to the signal face | |
| Hybrid beacon for bike boulevard or other bike route crossing | Bikes can be assisted in crossing a roadway by a pedestrian hybrid beacon type of device at the present time, but bike symbols on traffic signal displays are currently experimental | Yes |
| Signal detection for bicycles | Can be implemented at present time | |
| Right-turn-on-red motor vehicle restrictions | Can be implemented at present time | |
| Other Treatments | ||
| Separation of travel modes on shared-use paths | Can be implemented at present time | |
| Railing separating bicyclists and pedestrians at cycle tracks approaching signalized intersections | Not a traffic control device, so no MUTCD restriction on its use | |
| Convex mirrors at signalized intersections to reduce "right hook" type crashes | Not a traffic control device, so no MUTCD restriction on its use | |
| Bike routes on lower volume parallel roadways | Not a traffic control device, so no MUTCD restriction on its use | |
| Median or refuge islands for bikeway crossings | Not a traffic control device, so no MUTCD restriction on its use | |
Disclaimer: Inclusion on this list does not constitute FHWA endorsement. The purpose of this list is to describe the status in the MUTCD of different bicycle-related treatments. Practitioners should consult any applicable design policies, including the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials' Guide for the Development of Bicycle Facilities, and State laws of the State within which the treatment is contemplated for use. The design and implementation of traffic control devices requires careful consideration of the roadway environment to ensure the safety of all road users.
Web Resources:
Additional Information:
If you need additional information, please contact:
Gabe Rousseau
Bicycle and Pedestrian Program Manager
Federal Highway Administration
or
Kevin Dunn
MUTCD Team - Part 9
Federal Highway Administration
