City of Cambridge Participatory Budgeting

Committee:  Streetsmarts

Cost: $40,000

Location: Dangerous intersections on major streets.

Short Description:

Navigating intersections can be confusing. Adding bike signals to busy intersections will help cyclists safely navigate intersections and make the roads more predictable and friendly for all.

Long Description:

Navigating street traffic can be confusing or frustrating for everyone. On large streets with multiple lanes of car traffic, there is always more congestion, more waiting time, and for cyclists, more uncertainty as to whether it is safe to proceed at a green light. In many instances, cycling lanes are to the right of a right turn lane, making it dangerous for cyclists to proceed straight at a green light -- meaning vehicles are potentially turning into cyclists who are going straight.

This is where bike signals come in. Bike signals make intersections more safe and friendly for all users -- pedestrians, drivers, and cyclists. Often due to a lack of bike signals, cyclists resort to proceeding at red lights, creating unpredictability for vehicles and pedestrians. Bike signals will reduce uncertainty and make intersections safer for everyone who uses the roadways.

Bike signals are inexpensive to install, especially at large intersections that have existing traffic lights. The city can use the existing infrastructure to mount the proposed bike signals. The city will install bike signals at intersections in different neighborhoods throughout the city. Bike signals would be placed along corridors with existing or proposed separated bicycle lanes as dangerous intersections. Bike signals would make it clear to all users of the road when it is safe for bicycles to cross an intersection.