Designing pedestrian and bicycle facilities requires an understanding of the surrounding context and the needs of the community. Taking a context sensitive approach to understand the surrounding current and future land uses EARLY in the planning and preliminary engineering stages is key to constructing a successful project. Many of the Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) in Ohio have adopted bicycle and pedestrian plans that identify needs within their planning region.

Many MPOs or cities have adopted policies that require projects to consider bicycle and pedestrian accommodations when they are planning a transportation project. Please contact your local agency to ensure compliance. ODOT adheres to the 2005 Policy on Accommodating Bicycle and Pedestrian Travel on ODOT Owned or Maintained Facilities.

CE – Exempt Projects: The construction of bicycle lanes and pedestrian walkways, sidewalks, shared-use paths, and facilities, small passenger shelters, alterations to facilities or vehicles in order to make them accessible for elderly and handicapped persons (i.e. construction of a bike path on an existing railroad bed, designations of certain highways as bike routes, painting of existing paved shoulders as bike lanes, ADA ramps, etc.) are now considered CE –Exempt projects provided that no new disturbance will occur.

If you are receiving federal funding and/or ODOT is reviewing your project, bicycle and pedestrian facilities must conform to the standards in the following manuals:

• ODOT’s Location and Design Manual 
• The Ohio Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices
• The 2012 AASHTO Guide for the Development of Bicycle Facilities.​ 

The 2005 ODOT Design Guidance for Independent and Roadway Based Bicycle Facilities are no longer being applied to projects. The Office of Roadway Engineering Services is planning to update the Location and Design Manual in spring of 2013 to include a chapter on Bicycle Facilities.

Certain designs such as bike boxes and signals are considered experimental and permitted by FHWA provided a local community conforms to the requirements. The State of Ohio has received Interim Approval for the use of green pavement markings for bike lanes within intersections and/or conflict points. Click here for more information on experimental and interim approved bicycle facilities.