It's America's first unsignalized "Dutch Junction" -- a type of intersection with protected space for cycling. It even has solar luminescent bike lanes. And here's the kicker -- it's in the heart of Texas.
The Texas Transportation Institute at Texas A&M led the design and installation at a campus intersection in College Station. The Dutch Junction is designed to keep bicyclists out of the blind spots of turning motorists, preventing right-hook collisions.
The concept is similar to the "protected intersections" that have been installed in Davis, California, and Salt Lake City. But this intersection is controlled by signs, not traffic signals, which makes it unique in the United States, according to TTI.
The bike lanes are also coated with a material that absorbs solar energy during the day and transmits it into light at night to keep the path visible.
The intersection gets a lot of bike and pedestrian traffic, writes TTI. Students in the college's engineering and design programs will study the effects of the new design as part of their coursework.
