Analysis of Gap Patterns in Longitudinal Rumble Strips to Accommodate Bicycle Travel

Rumble strips can offer significant reductions in run-off-road crashes on rural highways. Newer ground-in rumble strip designs can be installed on a wider variety of shoulders, but these new designs have a much greater negative effect on bicycle traffic than did previous designs. The feasibility of placing gaps in a rumble strip pattern to permit bicycle traffic to cross the rumble strip area without striking the rumble strip pattern itself was investigated. A recommended minimum length for these gaps to accommodate bicyclists of varying abilities at speeds representative of downhill conditions was also determined. On the basis of experimental information collected, the researchers recommend that rumble strips on noncontrolled-access highways include periodic gaps of 3.7 m (12 ft) in length, and that these gaps be placed at periodic intervals at a recommended spacing of 12.2 m (40 ft) or 18.3 m (60 ft).