If the street forms part of a bikeway system, bicycle lanes may well be the alternative preferred by local bicyclists. For the most part, the best known bicycle towns in the U.S. have extensive and popular bicycle lane systems.
Bicycle lanes are areas of the road striped off for preferential use by bicyclists.
Bicycle lanes should be at least 4 feet wide, not counting any gutter area. They should be placed between the right-most through lane and the curb. An early example from Cupertino, California, is shown below. The diagram below shows a typical roadway cross section with bicycle lanes. On a one-way street, one bike lane is generally provided on the right side of the roadway.