PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Early results from a Portland State University study indicate that the city’s experimental “bike boxes,” designed to keep vehicles from hitting bicyclists at intersections, have only had mixed results.
The boxes, painted on the pavement at 14 Portland intersections, are intended to make bicyclists more visible to motorists who have stopped for the light. But a preliminary analysis of video shot at 12 of the intersections hasn’t shown a significant reduction in conflicts between vehicles and bikes.
Still, the research by PSU’s Center for Transportation Studies found that 717 city motorists surveyed say they know how the boxes work, and more than half say they think the boxes make intersections safer. Over 80 percent of the 468 bike riders surveyed say the boxes make drivers more aware of bicycles.
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Information from: The Oregonian, http://www.oregonlive.com