Cycling infrastructure design that works for everyone
A well-designed bicycle lane is not simply a painted strip on the asphalt. It is the result of a series of technical and functional decisions regarding width, segregation, intersection treatment, signage, and network continuity that determine whether people feel safe cycling on it or if they avoid it and return to their cars.
Quality cycling infrastructure is today one of the most efficient tools for increasing active mobility in cities, reducing emissions, and advancing towards the objectives of sustainable mobility plans. But quality is not improvised: it requires in-depth knowledge of reference technical criteria, local and European best practices, and the reality of how people cycle in the streets.
How we work on bicycle lane projects
From VAIC Mobility, mobility consultancy, we draft bicycle lane and cycle route projects and preliminary designs with an approach that combines technical rigor and practical knowledge. We apply the criteria of the main industry reference manuals such as CROW and always contrast them with the accumulated experience of decades of cycling through the city, with an eye on cycling solutions: which ones work, which ones generate conflicts, and why.
Do you have a bicycle lane or cycle route project?
We help you design rigorous, functional cycling infrastructure adapted to the real context of your municipality.
What do we work on?
Type and cross-section of the bicycle lane
The first design decision, and often the most determining one, is the type of solution: segregated carriageway bicycle lane, sidewalk bicycle lane, 30 km/h coexistence street, 20 km/h cyclist priority “bike street”, single-platform cycle path, or pedestrian zone route. Each type has conditions for application, advantages, and limitations that must be weighed according to the road context, traffic intensity, vehicle speed, and the intended user profile.
We define the optimal cross-section for each section, including lane width, type of segregation, position relative to parking, and treatment of loading and unloading zones for urban goods distribution.
Intersections and conflict points
Intersections are critical points on any cycling route: they are where the majority of accidents are concentrated and where the feeling of insecurity is highest, especially for less experienced cyclists. We design the treatment of each intersection (specific traffic lights, colored mats, stop line extensions, turning geometry) to minimize conflicts and maximize visibility and protection for cyclists. Because just as the safety level of a chain is determined by its weakest link, the safety level of a walkable route is determined by its least safe intersection.
Horizontal and vertical signage
We draft the project for specific horizontal and vertical road signage for cycling infrastructure: road markings, regulation and priority signs, directional signage at main nodes and destinations, and information elements for users. Good signage is essential to ensure the coherence and readability of the cycle network, especially at points where the bike lane interacts with other modes.
Bicycle parking and associated services
A walkable route doesn’t end when the cyclist reaches their destination: they need to be able to park their bike safely and comfortably. Walkable route projects are an opportunity to increase and better integrate the offer of bicycle parking (inverted U-racks, covered bike racks, cargo bike lockers) as well as other associated services such as bicycle repair stations and air pumps.
Network integration and continuity
A cycle path that starts and ends without connecting to anything does not generate modal shift. Ideally, each project should be framed within the cycling network model planned in the Bicycle and VMP Master Plan, ensuring the continuity of routes, connectivity with major demand generators such as stations, educational facilities, economic activity centers, and morphological coherence with the rest of the network.
A perspective based on practice and expertise
Manuals say many correct things. But street reality is always more complex: the pipe that prevents lowering the curb where it should be, the trees, the commerce that needs the loading zone where the lane goes, the roundabout that no manual fully resolves well.
VAIC Mobility’s expertise in cycle lane design is inseparable from the hours accumulated circulating through cities, identifying where existing solutions fail and why, in order to adapt them to each context without losing the essence of the solution.
