ITE Journal - May 2020 - 34

150
140

Serious injury
Fatal injury

130

116

120

105
84

100

90
60

65
55

61
50

50
40

30
20
10
0

15
6

10
3

1
1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Statistics Norway

Number of Injuries

110

Year

The Norwegian Public Roads Administration was also shifting
goals and metrics nationally at the same time as Oslo, with plans
like the National Cycling Strategy, which was a factor in driving
decision making in the Norwegian capital of Oslo. The National
Cycling Strategy in Norway had one goal, to make it safer and more
attractive to cycle.2
Then, in June 2016, the City of Oslo released Oslostandarden
for sykkeltilrettelegging, or The Oslo Standard for Bicycle Facilities,
which prioritized safety and mode share for bicycles through
rigorous design standards and exceptions to accommodate
bicyclists in a safe manner on all road types. The Oslo Standard for
Bicycle Facilities was the city's effort to figure out the best possible
bicycle infrastructure that could be implemented within the
boundaries set by the national laws and regulations. Contraflow
cycling has been one of the measures most widely implemented,
to allow cyclists to choose the safest possible route. Before 2015,
when the city gained authority to allow contraflow cycling, it was
only allowed on two streets. Today, contraflow cycling is allowed on
most one-way streets in Oslo.
The City of Oslo also prioritized safety in road design and road
user decisions from 2015 to present for vulnerable road users. The
Norwegian Public Roads Administration transferred the authority
of traffic-controlling signage and markings from the police to the
cities. Additionally, there was a citywide shift of installing dedicated
34

May 2020

i te j o urnal

The Oslo Standard for Bicycle Facilities.

Figure 2. Transportation fatalities and serious injury data in the City of Oslo by year. Note: 2019 numbers are preliminary.

Figure 3. Left: The standard contraflow bike lane layout. Right:
Contraflow cycling can be allowed on single lane streets if the
roadway width is at least 13 feet.

https://www.oslo.kommune.no/getfile.php/13255100-1536228895/Tjenester%20og%20tilbud/Plan%2C%20bygg%20og%20eiendom/Byggesaksveiledere%2C%20normer%20og%20skjemaer/Oslostandarden%20for%20sykkeltilrettelegging.pdf https://www.oslo.kommune.no/getfile.php/13255100-1536228895/Tjenester%20og%20tilbud/Plan%2C%20bygg%20og%20eiendom/Byggesaksveiledere%2C%20normer%20og%20skjemaer/Oslostandarden%20for%20sykkeltilrettelegging.pdf

ITE Journal - May 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of ITE Journal - May 2020