The configuration of bicycle facilities ranges from off-street pathways to on-street shared surfaces, as described in the following sections.

8.4.1 Historic Center

Bicycles in the historic center should be accommodated with clearly designated on-street lanes, along appropriate routes. Such lanes are 4-feet to 5-feet wide and sit between moving traffic lanes and the curb, or between moving traffic lanes and the parallel parking lane. The total volume of traffic in the historic center dictates that bicycle lanes need to be clearly marked rather than shared or undesignated. The latter condition is generally permissible in smaller town centers because of lower traffic volumes.

Where possible, bicycle routes should be allocated to roadways where the need for on-street automobile parking is minimal, Otherwise, vehicles would frequently cross over the bicycle lane to access parking spaces, decreasing the safety and convenience of bicycle use. Since the density and connectivity of the pedestrian network is strong in the historic center, it is very reasonable to locate bicycle parking facilities along roadways with no on-street parking, and subsequently encourage bicyclists to walk to their final destinations.

The provision of adequate bicycle parking facilities is a condition that often goes overlooked in city centers. Whether located along side streets or at main activity generators, it is important that numerous, frequent bicycle racks be located in the town center to maximize the convenience of bicycle use, especially in cities with high concentrations of students.

8.4.2 Urban Villages

As previously mentioned, urban villages contain a broad mix of heavily utilized and lightly utilized streets. On heavily traveled roadways, bikeways should be designated by clearly defined lanes as in the historic center. On lightly traveled streets (likely residential side streets), a designated, separate bicycle lane is not necessary since traffic volumes and speeds are generally low. In these cases, bicycles and automobiles can coexist in the same travel space.
 

8.4.3 Suburban Villages

As explained in the transit section, suburban highways often represent the only continuous thoroughfares through suburban regions, due to the characteristic lack of connectivity in these areas. As a result, it is likely that regional bicycle routes in these corridors will need to be located along the main highways. Because the vehicular volumes on these roadways are high, it is essential that bicycle lanes be clearly designated.

Additionally, bicycle routes (marked or unmarked) should be provided to and through clusters of development. As with the historic center, bicyclists can be routed around areas of intense pedestrian activity, so long as adequate bicycle parking is provided on the perimeter and the pedestrian network is dense enough that it is not inconvenient for bicyclists to park and walk to their final destinations.

Because suburban centers incorporate a high volume of commercial activity, like the historic center, it is very important that bicycle parking facilities are frequently and conveniently located.

8.4.4 Existing Towns and Neighborhoods

The density in most outlying existing neighborhoods is such that bicycles and automobiles can peacefully coexist on the same travelways without the need for special designation. In other words, the travel volumes and speeds on neighborhood streets are low enough that such an arrangement does not present a hazard to bicycle travel.

Because there remains much green space in the hinterlands surrounding many lower-density outlying neighborhoods, it becomes feasible to map out recreational trails that are suited for bicyclists, joggers, walkers, and in-line skaters alike. These paths usually run through natural areas and connect with one or more major recreational areas such as regional parks. They typically measure 10-feet to 12-feet wide. Such paths are certainly not relegated to outlying suburban towns, but rather can run through any neighborhoods or commercial areas that contain adequate amounts of linear green space.

8.4.5 New Villages

In small village centers, it is very permissible to allow bicyclists to share on-street space with automobiles without the need for special designation. On roadways that contain parallel parking, only a small separation between travel lanes and parking lanes is required to accommodate bicyclists since these will likely function as very-low-speed environments. In these cases, the creation of designated bicycle lanes is not recommended because these would add almost 10-feet to the travel surface and hence counteract attempts to design the roadway for low speeds.

For streets with no parallel parking but with significant traffic volumes, bicycle lanes should be designated as in the historic city center. As with the historic center, the presence of a convenient pedestrian network, together with bicycle parking facilities on the perimeter of the area of intense pedestrian activity, can help to achieve the desirable condition where bicyclists are not compelled to ride through the pedestrian-oriented core. On small side streets, unmarked shared roadway surfaces are perfectly acceptable.

8.4.6 Country

Bicyclists in the country, as with pedestrians, will be relatively sparse due to the large distances between activity generators. A striped shoulder can very well accommodate these bicyclists, while also serving the functions of breakdown lane, emergency lane, and (occasionally) pedestrian lane. On the more heavily traveled of these two-lane country roads, designated bicycle lanes can certainly be created and striped, if desired, but they would serve almost identically to simple striped shoulders.

Also as with pedestrians, off-street trails and paths can significantly aid bicycle circulation in rural areas.

8.4.7 Congaree Preserve

Within the Congaree Preserve, bicycle facilities, like pedestrian facilities, would primarily serve the purpose of recreation. Recreational paths, with widths of approximately twelve feet, can accommodate various users, typically consisting of a designated area for bicyclists and skaters and one for joggers and walkers. Such a recreational facility should connect with the remainder of the regional bicycle network wherever possible.