Intersection of Two-Way and One-Way Streets

This example illustrates an intersection where a wide, one-way street—with three travel lanes and curbside parking— meets a two-way street with two travel lanes in each direction.

At these intersections, cyclists and pedestrians suffer from long exposure times when crossing the street.

Large corner radii encourage high-speed turns while the absence of refuge space fails to convey safety within the busy intersection. Stop lines that are either too close to the pedestrian crossings or not marked limit the capacity of motorists to react in a situation of risk.

Unregulated parked vehicles may encroach on the pedestrian crossing and expose vulnerable users to turning vehicles and oncoming traffic.

This reconstruction demonstrates the use of curb extensions, bus bulbs, and refuge islands to create a safer and more balanced intersection.

Maintain one mixed traffic lane on the one-way street. Introduce a dedicated transit lane and a parking-protected cycle track by removing a travel lane and offsetting the parking lane.

The dedicated transit lane is designed to be a shared right-turn lane to allow a moderate volume of right turns. The curb is extended to within 6 m of the lane’s edge to reduce the effective turn radius, slowing right turns and protecting pedestrians crossing.

 Extend ground markings for cycle lanes through the conflict zone of the intersection, matching the width and positioning of the leading cycle lanes. Manage turns across the cycle track using a leading cycle/lagging left-turn phase.

 Where transit is in mixed traffic on the two-way street, avoid conflicts at transit stops by raising cycle lanes and changing markings. This helps to reduce cycling speeds and provide at-grade access to transit passengers. In such a configuration, cyclists must yield to
pedestrians.

 On the one-way street, create pedestrian refuge islands in line with the parking lane to reduce pedestrian crossing distance. Where geometry allows, install refuge islands.

 Bus bulbs provide a dedicated space for passengers to wait, improving transit travel times with more efficient boarding. Far-side transit stops are preferred in conditions in which conflicts with turning vehicles are common.

 Provide turn lanes by introducing a recessed central median on the two-way street. Turn lanes provide protected turns across oncoming traffic.

New York City, USA. A pedestrian refuge island and green infrastructure strategies are aligned with the parking lane, reducing crossing distances and increasing the safety of the intersection.