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Chapter 9A. General

Section 9A.01 Requirements for Bicyclist Traffic Control Devices

Support:
General information and definitions concerning traffic control devices are found in Part 1.

Section 9A.02 Scope

Support:
Part 9 covers signs, pavement markings, and highway traffic signals specifically related to bicycle operation on both roadways and shared-use paths.

Guidance:
Parts 1, 2, 3, and 4 should be reviewed for general provisions, signs, pavement markings, and signals.

Standard:
None of the bikeway designations in this Manual shall be construed to preclude permitted bicycle travel on roadways or portions of roadways that do not have bikeway designations.

Section 9A.03 Definitions Relating to Bicycles

Standard:
The following terms shall be defined as follows when used in Part 9:

  1. Bicycle Facilities—a general term denoting improvements and provisions that accommodate or encourage bicycling, including parking and storage facilities, and shared roadways not specifically defined for bicycle use.
  2. Bicycle Lane—a portion of a roadway that has been designated by signs and pavement markings for preferential or exclusive use by bicyclists.
  3. Bikeway—a generic term for any road, street, path, or way that in some manner is specifically designated for bicycle travel, regardless of whether such facilities are designated for the exclusive use of bicycles or are to be shared with other transportation modes.
  4. Designated Bicycle Route—a system of bikeways designated by the jurisdiction having authority with appropriate directional and informational route signs, with or without specific bicycle route numbers. Bicycle routes, which might be a combination of various types of bikeways, should establish a continuous routing.
  5. Shared-Use Path—a bikeway outside the traveled way and physically separated from motorized vehicular traffic by an open space or barrier and either within the highway right-of-way or within an independent alignment. Shared-use paths are also used by pedestrians (including, skaters, users of manual and motorized wheelchairs, and joggers) and other authorized motorized and nonmotorized users.

Section 9A.04 Maintenance

Guidance:
All signs, signals, and markings, including those on bicycle facilities, should be properly maintained to command respect from both the motorist and the bicyclist. When installing signs and markings on bicycle facilities, an agency should be designated to maintain these devices.

Section 9A.05 Relation to Other Documents

Support:
"The Uniform Vehicle Code and Model Traffic Ordinance" published by the National Committee on Uniform Traffic Laws and Ordinances (see Section 1A.11) has provisions for bicycles and is the basis for the traffic control devices included herein.

Informational documents used during the development of the signing and marking recommendations in Part 9 include the following:

  1. "Guide for Development of Bicycle Facilities," which is available from the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (see Addresses);
  2. State and local government design guides; and
  3. "Selecting Roadway Design Treatments to Accommodate Bicycles," FHWA Publication No. FHWA-RD-92-073, which is available from the FHWA Research and Technology Report Center, 9701 Philadelphia Court, Unit Q, Lanham, MD 20106.

Other publications that relate to the application of traffic control devices in general are listed in Section 1A.11.

Section 9A.06 Placement Authority

Support:
Section 1A.08 contains information regarding placement authority for traffic control devices.

Section 9A.07 Meaning of Standard, Guidance, Option, and Support

Support:
The introduction to this Manual contains information regarding the meaning of the headings Standard, Guidance, Option, and Support, and the use of the words shall, should, and may.

Section 9A.08 Colors

Support:
Section 1A.12 contains information regarding the color codes.

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