March 2016

Priority Bicycle Networks and BOP Pilot Approach

Background

The current Bicycle Occupancy Permit (BOP) is a permit that is required to be signed by a local

government to obtain permission to construct, sign and maintain marked bicycle lanes on state

owned roadways. Bicycle advocates have been requesting to eliminate the BOP because they

see it as a barrier to implementing bicycle lanes on state roads.

PennDOT office of chief counsel has suggested that the BOP does not serve the intended

purpose and that a standard maintenance agreement would be a better tool.

PennDOT’s proposed solution is to develop a plan to prioritize bicycling networks and identify

specific routes that should be marked as bicycle lanes as opposed to roadway shoulders.

o PennDOT would fund the maintenance of a limited number of bicycle lanes on the

prioritized routes across the state (per year).

o Proposed bicycle lanes that are not located on these prioritized routes would require a

standard maintenance agreement (in lieu of a BOP) between the municipality and

PennDOT. The municipality would be responsible for maintenance of bicycle lanes on

routes that have not been identified as part of the priority network.

HATS/Tri-County and DVRPC Pilot

PennDOT works with the MPO to identify the priority bicycle routes within the region.

PennDOT, in cooperation with the MPO, will identify which, if any, of these priority routes

should be improved and marked as bicycle lanes.

PennDOT will determine the estimated level of funding that would be needed to construct and

maintain bicycle lanes on the priority route(s).

The costs to maintain bicycle lanes on priority routes within the pilot MPOs will be used to

determine the anticipated level of funding that would be required to implement a prioritized

bicycle lane program on a statewide basis.