Bike Boxes Open in Long Beach

Long Beach is inviting two-wheelers to check the city's first bike boxes along Second Street at Bayshore and Marina Drive.
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What's a bike box?

It's a section of street specially painted green with white-stripe boundaries and a white bicycle symbol inside. Bicycle lanes approach the boxes aimed at marking where bicyclists should wait for traffic lights to change.

Already found in bike-friendly towns like Portland, Oregon, and Albuquerque, New Mexico, bike boxes are intended to increase cyclist safety and visibility at intersections, and help avoid crashes between right-turning vehicles and cyclists going straight.

According to a City of Long Beach press release:

What should motorists know? When the traffic signal is red, motorists must stop behind the green
bike box. Do not stop on top of or in the bike box. Keep it clear for
cyclists to use, just as you would a crosswalk for pedestrians. When
the signal turns green, motorists and cyclists may move through the
intersection as usual, with cyclists going first. Motorists turning
right on green should signal and watch for cyclists to the right,
especially in the bike lane.

What should cyclists know? When the
traffic signal is red, cyclists enter the green bike box from the
approaching bike lane. Cyclists stop before the crosswalk. When the
signal turns green, cyclists proceed as normal. Cyclists should be
aware of right-turning motorists, especially in the intersection.

So, why bike boxes? It's all about visibility and awareness. At a red light, cyclists are
more visible to motorists by being in front of them. At a green light,
it reminds motorists and cyclists to watch for each other.

For more information and to access a fact sheet on bicycle boxes, please visit BikeLongBeach.org.