NMT Design Guidelines

Midland NMT Design Guidelines for bike lanes, bike routes, & shared lanes.

(All references to signs and pavement markings relate to Michigan Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (PDF) (MMUTCD), latest edition)

Version: April 28, 2014

Bike Lanes

  • Pavement markings
  • 4 inch solid white stripe
  • Bicycle symbol Figure 9C-3 (A - Bike Symbol)

Spacing

  • Minimum 4 feet width measured from edge of pavement, or 5 feet from face of curb or parking lane. Should not exceed 7 feet width.
  • Bike symbol on pavement centered in bike lane next to each “Bike Lane” sign

Signs - Bike Lane

  • Bike Lane sign (R3-17)

Spacing

  • “Begin” sign with “Bike Lane” sign where paint stripe begins at the very beginning of a bike lane
  • “End” sign with “Bike Lane” sign where paint stripe ends at the very end of a bike lane
  • “Bike Lane” along route after all intersections at restart of Bike Lane stripe and approximately every 500 to 800 fee. (based on 20 times the speed limit) if spacing between intersections exceeds 500 feet.

Signs - Bicycle Warning and Share the Road

  • At major intersections Bicycle Warning (W11-1) and Share the Road (W16-1P) signs

Spacing

  • Approximately 100ft before major intersections at the end of the bike lane stripe
  • Signs - Parking
  • Per Michigan Vehicle Code (MVC), no parking allowed in bike lanes unless explicitly authorized by Traffic Control Order (TCO).

Spacing

  • When authorized, “Parking Allowed” signs from 250 to 400 feet apart to match parking requirements
  • When not authorized, No Parking Bike Lane signs (R7-9a) from 500 to 800 feet apart

Bike Routes

  • Signs
  • Bicycle Route sign (D11-1 series)
  • Include directional arrows for turns and route intersections

Spacing

  • In advance of each route turn or route intersection
  • Approximately every 500 to 800 feet if there are no turns or route intersections

Shared Lanes

  • Pavement markings
  • “Sharrow” (shared lane marking Figure 9C-9 Part 9C of the MMUTCD)

Spacing

  • Approximately every 750 feet or after major intersections (next to Bicycles May Use Full Lane/Share the Road Sign)
  • If no on-street parallel parking, center of chevron positioned a minimum of 4 feet from curb face, 5 feet desired.
  • If on-street parallel parking allowed, place center of chevron a minimum of 11 feet from face of curb.
  • Signs
  • Bicycle Warning (W11-1) and Share the Road (W16-1P) signs

Spacing

  • Approximately every 750 feet or after each major intersection

Traffic Intersection Bicycle Detection

  • Motor vehicle puck detection (typically magnetometer type) and Microwave detector pucks