While the rest of us spin our wheels waiting for that infrastructure cash to kick in so that we can have a smooth new bike path to ride on, Los Angeles-based designer Joseph Prichard has a much better idea–one that not only gets bikers on the road, but makes them safer too. His proposal, Better Bikeways, calls for a simple, cost-effective overhaul of bikeway signage instead of the pricer options of paving new routes or marking dedicated lanes on the streets. Plus, it raises awareness for drivers who may not know they’re sharing the road with two-wheelers. “Unfortunately all too often the role of signage is overlooked during the design of new bicycle routes,” he writes in his introduction. Even better, he says, good-looking signs can work as an advocacy campaign for biking alternatives. “Effective widespread signage can be a powerful tool in convincing people to take up cycling as a mode of transportation.” Here are some of the concepts presented in his signage system:
Navigation signs function like bus stop maps, pointing out major streets, neighborhoods and lengths of routes.
Connection signage points out how far away riders are to other routes and distances to bus and Metro stops.
Caution signs are attention-getting and use iconography that’s vastly different than other street signage.
Points of interest include resources for bikers like repair shops and cultural institutions.
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