This study of the effects of red non-compulsory cycle lanes in the town of Zwolle has gained a place in the broader ‘Experimental data collection project - non-compulsory cycle lanes’ within the SWOV theme of ‘Road design and road safety’. Various road authorities participate in that experimental project, in which similar studies are carried out simultaneously at various locations. The present study has gained the character of a pilot study. Many people see non-compulsory cycle lanes as part of a possible implementation form of the sustainably safe, rural residential roads, with a speed limit of 60 km/h. A non-compulsory cycle lane comes into being when a broken side-marking at some distance from the edge of the road surface is introduced. It lacks a bicycle pictogram on the road surface, and, therefore, lacks the legal status of the real cycle lane; other road users may also use the lane. Non-compulsory cycle lanes are painted red, just as ‘real’ cycle lanes are. Non-compulsory cycle lanes are, together with the rest of the carriageway (i.e. that meant only for motorised vehicles), part of one and the same road surface. The research design is a before-and-after study and is aimed at road users’ behaviour. The question was whether behaviour of cyclists and car drivers (speed, distance between vehicles, position on the road) would change as a result of the measure. To determine this, speed measurements and behaviour observations were carried out. The observed behaviour was subdivided into five different types of events, e.g. ‘a car overtaking a bicycle’. During such an event, the ‘lateral positions’ were observed: the transverse positions of the road users on the road, in relation to the shoulder and marking. The lateral distances between vehicles was only measured when a car overtook a bicycle. The street called Doornweg in Zwolle had an axis marking in the before-situation. The road was asphalted again and fitted out with red, non-compulsory cycle lanes, without the axis marking. By doing this, it was hoped that this would support the lowering of the speed limit from 80 to 60 km/h. The cycle lanes have had a small, positive effect: - The average speed declined very slightly; this is a positive result. - The cyclists ride more concentrated on the middle of ‘their’ lane; this is also positive. Only when cycling next to each other is one cycling outside the cycle lane. However, seeing the breadth of the cycle lane, this is hardly surprising. - Motor vehicles, with no other vehicles immediately in front of them, keep more to the right in the after-situation. They drive more often over the line and closer to the shoulder and obstacles. - The average distance between a car and the cyclist being overtaken, also declined. This is not a positive development, but it is not known how important this is in the causes of accidents. However, it seems to indicate that, because of the cycle lane, a car driver keeps a greater distance from a cyclist who could be coming from the opposite direction.
Samenvatting