Florida’s Delray Beach may seem like an idyllic place to ride your bicycle. Before you set out on your next ride here, though, consider this: Last year, Palm Beach County, where Delray Beach is located, recorded 724 bicycle accidents resulting in six fatalities.

Communities like Delray Beach are attempting to improve safety for bicyclists, but this is an ongoing process.

Delray Beach Bike Infrastructure: Challenges and Opportunities

Delray Beach has adopted a Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plan designed to address some of the challenges bicyclists face in the city.

Some of these issues addressed by the plan include:

Safety

Delray Beach has several streets with bike lanes and “sharrows,” portions of the road where bicyclists can share the road with motor vehicles. These are mainly located near the coast, not inland. Moreover, during the initial planning and assessment phase of the Master Plan, only one street was identified as having a buffered bike lane separated from traffic by a physical barrier.

Bike lanes, buffered or otherwise, place physical space between motor vehicles and bicyclists, reducing the likelihood of a collision. Expanding the number of these lanes will help make bicyclists safer in those parts of the city where they are located.

Convenience

When biking infrastructure, like trails and bike lanes, is disjointed and unconnected to each other and to Delray Beach’s neighborhoods, individuals are discouraged from biking. This can lead motorists to assume they are unlikely to encounter bicyclists on the road and fail to watch for them as closely as they should.

In the future, cyclists might expect city authorities to improve bicycle infrastructure by looking for ways to connect trails and paths with recreational areas, major districts, and other facilities. This can encourage more people to bicycle, making motorists more accustomed to encountering them on and near the road.

Education

Finally, Delray Beach’s Master Plan educates residents about bicycle and pedestrian safety. When all road users know the rights and responsibilities of bicyclists, everyone can make more informed choices when cyclists and motorists encounter each other on the street.

Safety Tips for Delray Beach Bicyclists

As a bicyclist, there are steps you can take to lower the chances that you will suffer a severe or fatal injury in a Delray Beach bike crash:

  • Always wear a properly fitted U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) approved helmet, regardless of age.
  • Obey all traffic laws when riding on the road, including stop signs and traffic lights.
  • Use bike lanes and sharrows whenever they are available; when they are not, ride as far right as possible except when needing to turn left.
  • Ensure your bicycle has all legally required equipment, including brakes and front and rear reflectors or lights.
  • Avoid riding in a vehicle’s blind spots for too long.
  • Beware of drivers who park their cars and open their doors without checking for bicyclists. This practice is known as “dooring,” and it can lead you to sustain severe injuries.

These steps do not excuse drivers from exercising due care. However, since you cannot trust every driver to act carefully in all situations, taking what measures you can to protect yourself is crucial to your safety.

Is It Safe to Ride A Bicycle in Delray Beach?

Riding a bicycle is risky, no matter where you are or the existing infrastructure. Delray Beach is no different. Although the city strives to become even more accessible and bicycle-friendly, crashes can still happen here that lead to injuries and deaths.

Using the available infrastructure and riding cautiously are two small ways to make your next ride safer.