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Not All Protected Bike Lanes are the Same: Infrastructure and Risk of Cyclist Collisions and Falls Leading to Emergency Department Visits in Three U.S. Cities
Protected bike lanes separated from the roadway by physical barriers are relatively new in the United States. This study examined the risk of collisions or falls leading to emergency department visits associated with bicycle facilities (e.g., protected bike lanes, conventional bike lanes demarcated by painted lines, sharrows) and other roadway characteristics in three U.S. cities.
Methods: We prospectively recruited 604 patients from emergency departments in Washington, DC; New York City; and Portland, Oregon during 2015–2017 who fell or crashed while cycling. We used a case-crossover design and conditional logistic regression to compare each fall or crash site with a randomly selected control location along the route leading to the incident. We validated the presence of site characteristics described by participants using Google Street View and city GIS inventories of bicycle facilities and other roadway features.