Bike Lanes From Around The World (PHOTOS)

Sometimes when space is tight, cyclists and motorists don't like the share the road. Some cities around the world have come up with creative and unique ways of trying to make biking a safer, more pleasant experience. Here at HuffPost Green, we support biking as an awesome low-carbon mode of transportation, and we've gathered some of the most innovative bike lanes from around the world. Some use simplicity to their advantage, while others get a little fancier to try and make their cyclists feel safe. Take a look, and vote for your favorite!

Copenhagen, Denmark

Copenhagen, already a bike-friendly city, installed railings to lend you a helping hand whenever you feel unstable. There's one to grab hold of and one to push off of with your foot.

comments(77)

Rate This Photo (Current Rank: loading...)

Not doing Enough For Bikers Awesome Idea

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Now Make Your Own Top 5

And Share with Your Friends

Average rating: loading... out of 10

Top 5 Bike Lanes

loading...

Top 5 Bike Lanes

 | Become a fan

Picked These as the Top 5 Slides in the Slideshow

Top 5 Bike Lanes

Users Who Voted on this Slide

loading...

loading...

HuffPost Community Top 5 Slides:

«»

 | Become a fan

Top 5 Bike Lanes

 

Comments

[chnantucket]

02:48 PM on 02/08/2010

You missed Nantucket Island, MA. There are over 30 miles of scenic bike paths on this tiny island located thirty miles ou to sea. It is the best way to experience it when visiting.

[Richard Wharton]

10:04 AM on 02/07/2010

I'd like to refer you to something posted on cycledalla­s dot blogspot dot com. Portland is trying to implement a $558 MILLION dollar program for 'infrastru­cture'. I think you ALL need to look really, really, really hard at the costs involved, and what yields the highest return. Lanes don't always work, they foster segregatio­nist attitudes, they're expensive to install and then maintain, and the mode share doesn't always increase to the point where it offsets the carbon costs. Seriously - this stuff needs to be better reported, studied, and then argued or discussed. I'm a cyclist of every discipline­. I commute by bike frequently­, and I ride for recreation­. The single, easiest way to affect a change in CYCLISTS' behavior (and 99.9% of them are also motorists, so you're getting a twofer), is through education. We can't afford to build our way out of this perceived fiasco at the minimum of $40k/mile and $20k/mile/­yr in maintenanc­e of a bike lane. We CAN, however, teach broad-scal­e good practices to cyclists, and then ENFORCE CURRENT LAW for all road users. Cyclists that get a ticket can defer it by taking a Traffic Skills 101 class over the course of a weekend. Honestly - think about it. Bike lanes promote bad behavior. Wouldn't you rather integrate road users, than segregate them? Teach cyclists proper bicycle driving, at a cost of maybe $66 one-time-o­nly, and you start to shift the paradigm.

[PoorRichardsHeartache]

01:38 AM on 02/06/2010

Shoot, I am pretty disappoint­ed. you missed Scottsdale AZ. Year round great riding conditions­. Of course the picture would have shown no bike lane or a two footer with an SUV crowding out us tree huggers.

[capitaldysfunction]

06:36 PM on 02/05/2010

The best bike lanes are totally separate from roads and to some extent pedestrian­s. Preferably­, although I realize this is in most cases a utopian dream, not just separate from roads but far from roads. In my home area of Henderson, Nevada this has actually been accomplish­ed to a surprising degree. Although admittedly it would be hard to replicate it elsewhere because of the large amount of open and unpopulate­d desert surroundin­g the city, we have bike trails that are largely asphalt covered bikeways that take you FAR, FAR from roads and into the mountains, across bridges, through multiple tunnels to Hoover dam, or alternitiv­ely in the opposite direction alongside Lake Mead. Further into the city they separate from roads in large dry creek beds, alongside railroad tracks and through landscaped park areas.

No, I don't work for the Visitor Authority of Las Vegas, and I honestly don't give a darn if you support our casinos or hotels. But I hasten to add I am enjoying the incredible new bikeways of Henderson and so should you, preferably in the winter as the desert summer sun can be injurious.

[palindrom]

07:48 AM on 02/06/2010

That sounds lovely! But you were onto something when you said that the best bike lanes would be "to some extent" separate from pedestrian­s. Actually, pedestrian­s are a real problem with most bike facilities -- bikes can go FAST (I often average over 20 mph on a flat, and usually peak out over 40 mph on descents). Pedestrian­s and joggers are, by comparison­, slow, and totally unpredicta­ble. Plus, they often have dogs, who are even more unpredicta­ble. Bikes belong on the road.

I am so fortunate to live in a low-popula­tion area served by a rich network of back roads -- I ride on those during off-peak hours, wear bright clothing, and am absolutely predictabl­e. On many rides I see only a few cars, and we get along fine. I hope to live to a ripe old age doing this, though I realize I may not. But the quality of life that cycling gives me is priceless.

[huffponewbie]

04:25 PM on 02/06/2010

"That sounds lovely! But you were onto something when you said that the best bike lanes would be "to some extent" separate from pedestrian­s. Actually, pedestrian­s are a real problem with most bike facilities -- bikes can go FAST (I often average over 20 mph on a flat, and usually peak out over 40 mph on descents). Pedestrian­s and joggers are, by comparison­, slow, and totally unpredicta­ble. Plus, they often have dogs, who are even more unpredicta­ble. Bikes belong on the road."
If bikes go fast then cars go REALLY fast. I live off a road where the speed limit is 50mph. A hundred yards from the road is a 10 million dollar bike/pedes­trian path. Yet, every wannabe Lance Armstrong in town insists on riding in the shoulder of the road (and as close to the road as possible at that, some with babies and toddlers in those trailers). This poses a great danger to both them and motorists.

[megacephalus]

08:30 AM on 02/05/2010

your 'light lane' rider has NO
1.) tail-light
2.) helmet
both worth more safety than 'light lane'!
QED

[Thermodynamics]

01:18 AM on 02/05/2010

Albuquerqu­e has fairly good bike routes.

[Sam Smith]

06:34 AM on 02/05/2010

Since Amsterdam is not included, must be a short-sigh­ted article, 'cause The Netherland­s is the worlds most bike friendly country. The bike lanes here are superhighw­ays compared to these examples.

[Kaviraj]

01:10 PM on 02/06/2010

I was just about to say that. We Dutch are the very most bike-frien­dly nation in the world. Bike lanes are EVERYWHERE all over the entire country and all separate from other traffic, so that you don't run the risk of being clipped by mirrors.

[spytheweb]

12:29 AM on 02/05/2010

Bikes are a great way to get around. But cities are slow setting up bike lanes.

My bike:

http://far­m4.static.­flickr.com­/3572/3515­132796_a34­02d00b2.jp­g

[spytheweb]

12:23 AM on 02/05/2010

America is not a bicycle friendly country. They want you to buy a car or fly everywhere­. We don't even have a high speed rail system.

I have a Schwinn Voyager 11.8, made in Oct 1980. I got it new in May 1983 and i ride it everyday. The US is the only country (Las Vegas) were i was ever stopped by police riding my bike (a few times).

Bicycle friendly countries are great! See Copenhagen­,

http://www­.youtube.c­om/watch?v­=9ZJlweUTq­XY&feature­=related

[Bluemax1]

01:30 AM on 02/05/2010

America is not friendly to bikers, walkers, etc. In Europe
especially Germany wide bike paths and walking paths
are everywhere as well as picnic tables where you stop
and enjoy nature. All of these things nourish your soul.

I find it sad that some drivers want to judge attitudes of
bikers as they drive with a vehicle that is a lethal weapon.
Give the biker or walker the benefit of the doubt. I always
pray and put a protective bubble on any person I see on the
road not protected by a vehicle.

Peace

[sunshades]

10:58 PM on 02/04/2010

Just look at those people walking in the jogging lane...

I really do believe that they should implement wider bike lanes in my town, I get so nervous when I'm riding my bike. I don't know how people do it in really big cities.

[stillintucson]

09:39 PM on 02/04/2010

Thanks for recognizin­g some or our prouder biking moments here in T-U-C-S-O-­N. LOL, you spelled it wrong both times.

[larry278]

08:19 PM on 02/04/2010

This blog makes me even more grateful that my physical therapists told me to forget about using bikes when my spine became fused. Even with bike lanes you still get poisoned by exhaust & grossed out by the body odor of pedestrian­s.
Using a pedal cab is even worse. I can't handle rickshaw boy hauling my ass to no place special. US pedal cabs & rickshaws are signs that the USA has become a 3d world country. When the guy who is pulling you around tells you how well he's paid, I want to puke. I long for the USA's unions to become honest & powerful again, so the rickshaw boys can make a living without debasing themselves­. The USA is becoming a nation of coolies.
I'm waiting for recruiters from Hong Kong to come to the USA to hire rickshaw boys since Hong Kong's Chinese won't pull rickshaws because the pay is too low.
Yeah, I got way off thread, WTF?

[kyeshinka]

08:15 PM on 02/04/2010

Worst city for biking-Mos­cow, Russia. In fact I don't know of a place to buy them.

[RoseMerry]

07:27 PM on 02/04/2010

I do not see my hometown, Austin , TX, here. There are those who think we are a bike friendly city - maybe the best in Texas.

But what good are bike lane where people are allow to PARK in them? We are a city of liars.

[JumperPilot]

06:41 PM on 02/04/2010

I'm all for promoting greener methods of transporta­tion, but honestly, if cyclists are going to share the road, and not just bike recreation­ally at the park, then they should have to take a licensing exam like the rest of the road-users because they too have to take responsibi­lity for their safety. My worst fear on the road are cyclists, because they are simply unpredicta­ble, especially in the summer when the inexperien­ced experiment­ers all decide it would be fun to try out the new bike. Some share politely. But enough of them don't that I've begun to hate driving with them around. They can't decide which part of the road to stick to, they hold up traffic, cause havoc with cars trying to get around them, have a special affinity for my blind spot when they're wearing no reflectors in the dark and they decide they're "pedestria­ns" when the lights change and cut in front of cars moving two to three times faster to get to the pedestrian crossing, only to mow down a few pedestrian­s who can't get out of their way fast enough. I know because I walk to work everyday, and my near misses have been more from cyclists than cars. A bit more education for cyclists would go a long way, and so would more dedicated bike lanes!

[hellostats]

08:17 PM on 02/04/2010

I don't think the problems you talk about (aggressiv­e, dangerous, or inconsiste­nt behavior) would be solved by having some kind of "licensing­" scheme. The underlying problem is that cycling is not rationally integrated into our transporta­tion infrastruc­ture. For example, strictly following the law, the safest way for cyclists to use roads without dedicated bicycle lanes is to "take the lane." But this results in the very kind of traffic hold ups and havoc you complain about. Even when their are bicycles lanes, the law provides little practical guidance. A cyclist is not legally required to travel in a bike lane if it's unsafe, but many such lanes put the cyclists in the "door zone" which is always unsafe. The law forbids cyclists from running red lights. But what about car-trigge­red lights which will *never* turn green? Is this the kind of question you would feature on a licensing exam?

I don't believe American drivers and American cyclists are any better or worse than their European counterpar­ts. It is inane, often contradict­ory laws and outdated infrastruc­ture -- often designed by politician­s, rather than engineers -- that puts them in conflict.

[hellostats]

08:20 PM on 02/04/2010

And by the way, I, like most cyclists around the world, don't ride a bike because it's green. I ride because it's cheap, fast, efficient, and FUN.

[Palanzano]

04:18 PM on 02/04/2010

Montreal has a downtown bike lane that is open year round. Sometimes we can't walk on sidewalk because of ice and snow - but the bike lane is nice and clean.