Non-signalised crossings

• Crossing of the Rijnwaalpad cycle highway with Vrouwe Udasingel in northern Nijmegen. Photo credit: GoogleMaps.
• Crossing of the Rijnwaalpad cycle highway with Ressensestraat in Ressen – raised crossing and carriageway narrowing.
• Crossing of the F1 cycle highway with Heidestraat in Zemst. Carriageway of Heidestraat narrowed from 6.3 to 3.5 m at the...
• Crossing of the F1 cycle highway with Heidestraat in Zemst. View from the carriageway of Heidestraat narrowed from 6.3...
• Crossing of the F1 cycle highway with Heidestraat in Zemst. View from the cycle Highway.
• Crossing of the F1 cycle highway with Caputsteenstraat in Mechelen – a difficult location between railroad embankment...
• Compact single-lane roundabout serves as an entry point into the traffic calmed zone and a smooth transition between a...

This can be usually achieved by applying one or several of the following measures:

1. Narrowing the carriageway in the crossing area encourages the drivers to slow down before the crossing and reduces the time cyclists spend in conflict zone. It might also contribute to improving mutual visibility. Note that narrowing can be asymmetrical, if there is e.g. a blind corner on one side.
2. Raising the cycle crossing is another popular and self-explaining traffic calming measure.
3. If for some reason it is not possible to raise the crossing itself (or a temporary measure is needed before a bigger reconstruction), speed cushions can be placed on the carriageway before the crossing to slow down incoming cars.
4. Making the carriageway one-way for cars (of course with contraflow cycling allowed) can be useful:
   • If there are visibility limitations – cars can be allowed to drive only in the safer direction (with better view of the approaching cyclists);
   • If one direction is particularly attractive for through traffic (e.g. to bypass a busy junction or traffic jams on a main road). 
   • However, on some streets making them one-way might increase the flow and speed of traffic, as drivers will not have to look out for cars incoming from the opposite direction.
5. Straight angle crossing alignment provides best mutual visibility. In case of a crossing located next to a junction, straight angle of the junction can also contribute to speed reduction of turning vehicles.
6. Traffic mirrors can also help with blind corners, but users do not always pay attention to them.
7. Additionally, if the cycle crossing is a part of a junction, curve radii on the junction should be as low as possible, to reduce the speed of turning vehicles.
8. Horizontal deflection can be used to reduce the speed of cars, angle of the crossing and visibility splays.
9. A specific kind of horizontal deflection is central refuge island. The island can both slow down cars, draw the attention of drivers to the crossing location, and – if wide enough – provide a safe harbour for cyclists after managing one direction of traffic, before taking on the next.  

Different means can be combined on one crossing, as demonstrated in the examples in the gallery.

For alternatives to non-signalised at-grade crossings see safe crossings.