As a multimodal traffic engineer, I love what I do—and I live it, too, from the streets of DC where I’ve commuted by bike on corridors that I’ve retimed to the streets of Chicagoland I now call home. Much of my bicycle signal design experience is based out of Washington, DC, where I helped DDOT design and/or operate nearly all the city’s 40-plus bicycle signals.
In December 2023, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) released the 11th Edition of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD)—the long-awaited update to the document containing standards and guidance for the design and operation of traffic control devices. As part of a series of blogs over the coming months, Mead & Hunt engineers will be sharing some of the key takeaways and changes with the 11th Edition of the Manual.
In this first part of the series, I want to share three valuable takeaways related to bicycle signals and my overarching thoughts on the document. Bicycle signals were not included in the last edition of the Manual (MUTCD 2009) but were issued as an Interim Approval (IA-16) in 2013. This allowed cities to begin using these devices under certain conditions from FHWA. It was not until this latest update to the MUTCD, however, that bicycle signals officially were incorporated into the Manual and cities were free to implement without requesting approval from FHWA or subject to any reporting requirements. A recent presentation I gave to the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) Community summarized key topics and takeaways for practitioners regarding the 11th Edition vs. IA-16.
Rigid Rules vs. Flexibility
Before highlighting the three key takeaways, it is important to stress the overarching theme of the new Manual as it relates to bicycle signals. Practitioners who are familiar with the Manual probably are familiar with the ubiquitous “shall” vs. “should” statements, essentially requirements and mandatory practices versus recommended practices. This terminology was maintained in the recent 11th Edition; however, much of the language used regarding the design and operation of bicycle signals was incorporated as “shall” statements that require rigid adherence by designers.
In other words, bike signal implementation faces ongoing restrictions and lack of flexibility. Unfortunately, many of the innovative ideas that practitioners experimented with under the last iteration of the Manual were not incorporated into the new manual. Instead, the 11th Edition maintained language that bicycle signals shall not be operated in conflict with any other vehicular movement, including from adjacent turning vehicles. This reduces the flexibility of the designer to apply engineering judgment, and especially limits the ability of cities to develop designs that work for their unique contexts.
Mead & Hunt plans to continue working with jurisdictions to expand the use cases of bicycle signals and develop more flexible applications. If you have a use case for bicycle signals but cannot apply within the confines of the 11th Edition, I encourage you to reach out for assistance and to consider pursuing a request to experiment with FHWA!
Three Noteworthy Changes to Bicycle Signals
Aside from the overarching lack of flexibility regarding bicycle signal applications, all transportation professionals working in the bicycle space should be aware of three key changes from IA-16 to the 11th Edition of the MUTCD. These include the following:
- Signals controlling bicycle movements shall use bicycle signal symbols, not circular or arrow indications – this eliminates a loophole used by some agencies of using circular indications with a Bicycle Signal (R10-10b) sign to allow for turning conflicts with motor vehicles.
- A new Bicycle Signal sign series (R10-40 and R10-41) was developed that adds specificity to the movement controlled by bicycle signals – this never-before-seen sign series creates additional complexity for agencies with existing bike signals and ambiguity about how to appropriately apply the signs. Do the arrows on the signs indicate permissive or protected bicycle movements? Are those arrows only to be shown if the bicycle has exclusive right-of-way free of any conflicts?
- New ambiguities introduced on the application of bicycle signal faces – new language has been added to the 11th Edition requiring the use of bicycle signal faces for bicycle lanes on the outside of right (or left) turn lanes, and for counter-flow bicycle facilities. It is unclear if pedestrian signal heads can still be used in these applications (with a Bicycles Use Ped Signal sign), and whether a two-way cycle track constitutes a counter-flow bicycle facility.
The changes from IA-16 to the 11th Edition are largely frustrating, given how they continue the trend of less flexibility, not more. However, as more agencies reach out to FHWA with questions over the coming months, we may see clarifications issued about the intent of such changes. I encourage you to stay tuned for such information and, if you too have questions, share those with FHWA so they know how many folks are in the same boat.
Final Thoughts: A Multimodal Transportation Milestone
The inclusion of bicycle signals within the new MUTCD 11th addition is a milestone for multimodal transportation. Such devices provide specific information to bicycle users and convey that these users are welcome and accommodated on our roadways.
However, the language that accompanies these new traffic control devices may be confusing to cities who had never deployed bicycle signals under IA-16 and frustrating to those that did and were hoping for expanded flexibility. The good news is that, as transportation professionals, we are in this together! Our team at Mead & Hunt is working with agencies to develop and deploy bicycles signal solutions that work for the local context. Furthermore, there are dedicated professionals across the country who are encouraging FHWA to be more flexible in future updates to the Manual and are developing proposals to do so. Hopefully, the 12th Edition can be an even greater step towards safe and smart bicycle signal applications!
Stay tuned for Part II in our blog series next month, as we explore more changes to MUTCD plus valuable insights and takeaways.
