ABSTRACT
Dirt, paved, brick, cobblestone, concrete or asphalt, the street as a public right-of-way has served humans for thousands of years. The first US on-street dedicated bike lanes opened in Davis, California, in 1967, which led to similar bike facilities nationwide. Construction of a national roadway network—starting with the Lincoln Highway in 1913, the early national highway system in the 1920s and the more comprehensive Interstate Highway System in the 1950s—led to unprecedented growth in private transportation and mobility and greatly contributed to the nation’s economic output. Streets became conflict zones between cars, bicyclists and pedestrians. Many cities and towns have begun to reverse this trend by better addressing the needs of pedestrians and bicyclists, building on the principles of the Complete Streets and Livable Streets movements. Streets designed for bicyclists and pedestrians show a clear improvement in overall safety of street users and a dramatic decrease in accidents and injuries.
