Building Better Communities Through Complete Streets—The Protected Intersection

Complete Streets aim to accommodate everyone, not just vehicular traffic. Current design standards, however, still encourage wide, high-speed roadways. This article describes how new design guides can result in treatments that allow bicyclists to safety traverse intersections. Geometry, rather than pavement marking, is used to achieve safe, comfortable conditions for pedestrians and bicyclists. These protected intersections are inherently flexible and can be used with any type of bikeway.