The Protected Intersection America Designed in 1974 — Then Dropped

In 1974, AASHTO's first national bicycle guide encouraged an offset intersection approach with bicycle crossings set back 10 to 20 feet. A Federal Highway Administration report described the related layout as a "bikeway ring around the intersection." 1

The guidance did not last. A later comparison of AASHTO's bicycle guides shows protected-intersection geometry marked "Encouraged" in 1974, then "No Guidance" from 1981 through 2012; those editions instead directed bike lanes to drop or merge near right-turn lanes. 2