Minnesota Administrative Rules

8820.9995 MINIMUM BICYCLE PATH STANDARDS.

Minimum Bicycle Path Standards^(a)

For Off-Road Bike Path Design, the following shall apply:
Minimum Surface Width (two-way)	8 ft (b)
Shoulder/Clear Zone	2 ft (c) (d)
Inslope	Maximum 1:2 (rise:run)
Design Speed	20 mph (e)
Vertical Clearance over lane and shoulder	9 ft-9 in (7 ft-9 in if passage of emergency or maintenance vehicles is not required)

(a) For on-road bicycle facilities, the current Minnesota Department of Transportation bicycle design guidelines are recommended for design purposes.

(b) Ten feet is desired for a combined bicycle/pedestrian path. Five feet is required for a one-way bicycle path.

(c) Whenever practicable, the shoulder/clear zone of an off-road bike path should be carried across bridges and through underpasses. Minimum structure clear width must be 12 feet. When the full width of the approach bike path (surface width plus shoulder/clear zone) is greater than the proposed clear width of the structure, then lead-in bicycle safety railing is required at each end of the bridge or underpass. As an alternative to lead-in bicycle safety railing, the surface width of the approach bike path may be narrowed at a 1:50 taper while maintaining minimum surface width and shoulder/clear zone through the structure.

(d) Clear zone is measured from the edge of the bicycle travel lane.

(e) Use a 30 mph design speed for grades longer than 500 feet and greater than four percent, from the uphill point where the grade equals four percent to 500 feet beyond the downhill point where the grade becomes less than four percent. The maximum allowable grade is 8.3 percent.

Statutory Authority:

MS s 14.389; 162.02; 162.09

History:

20 SR 1041; 23 SR 1455; 24 SR 1885; 29 SR 449; 32 SR 608; 36 SR 925

Published Electronically:

February 22, 2012