Designing for Nonmotorists

Course Overview

Part 1: Policy, Planning, Programs, Provisions

• Policy: This is Why we do what we do.
• Planning: What we do, who does it, where and when we do it.
• Programs: How we fund it.
• Provisions: What is the result.

Part 1: Policy, Planning, and Programs:

How do we treat nonmotorized transportation?

Picture source: Claes Tingvall, Director of Road Safety for the Swedish Road Administration. http://www.slidefinder.net/t/swedish_model_vision/zero/modele_suedois/1896950 (slide 18).
Photo circulated by the US Fish & Wildlife Service.
Big Cypress National Preserve, Florida

Don't Embarrass the Agency or Yourself.

Then it was the DOT traffic engineer's turn....and I quote: "Since the bicyclists are always in the way of traffic, we need to figure out how to get them off the road." (or something very close to that :-]). I couldn't ignore the comment. I tried. Really I did. But I had to share: "Bicyclists and pedestrians are also traffic." The poor man didn't say one more word the rest of the meeting.

- A planner from the Heartland

Laws, Regulations

• 23 U.S.C. 217: Bicycle Transportation and Pedestrian Walkways
• 23 U.S.C. 109(m): Protection of Nonmotorized Transportation Traffic
• 23 U.S.C. 134 and 135: Planning
• 23 U.S.C. 133: Surface Transportation Program
• 23 CFR 652: Pedestrian and Bicycle Accommodations and Projects: Obsolete and superseded by subsequent law.

Guidance

• Nonmotorized Transportation Policy
• USDOT Policy Issued on March 15, 2010.
• FHWA Guidance - Bicycle and Pedestrian Provisions of Federal Transportation Legislation
• Accessibility
• Design
• Planning
• State Coordinators

Information

• FHWA Bicycle and Pedestrian Guidance
• Accessibility
• Equestrian Use
• Motorized Use
• Shared Use Paths
• Surfaces
• Planning
• Funding Sources

Why Should We Care?

• The Federal Surface Transportation Program is the largest fund source for shared use paths and trails.
• $790 million in FY 2011 (under 2% of highway funds).
• Pedestrians are 10.5% of trips; bicyclists are 1.0%.
• Pedestrians are 12% of highway fatalities, 67% occur on Federal-aid highways. Bicyclists are 2%.
• About $200 to $300 million/year for trails, including $70 to $90 million/year for recreational trails.
• Bicycling and walking benefit economies and health.

Why Should We Care?

• About 10-14% of morning trips are parents driving children to school: http://saferoutesinfo.org/program-tools/NHTS-school-travel-1969-2009/
• About 60% of trips shorter than 1 mile are made in a vehicle: an easy walk for most people.
• About 72% of trips shorter than 3 miles are made in a vehicle: an easy bicycle ride for many people: www.bikeleague.org/resources/reports/pdfs/nhts09.pdf
• If more people walk and use bicycles, we free up highway capacity for longer trips.

Nonmotorized Transportation Policy

United States Department of Transportation

• Policy Statement on Bicycle and Pedestrian Accommodation Regulations and Recommendations
• Issued March 15, 2010.
• See http://fastlane.dot.gov/, March 15, 2010.
• See www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/bicycle_pedestrian/overview/.

Nonmotorized Transportation Policy

The DOT policy is to incorporate safe and convenient walking and bicycling facilities into transportation projects. Every transportation agency, including DOT, has the responsibility to improve conditions and opportunities for walking and bicycling and to integrate walking and bicycling into their transportation systems. Because of the numerous individual and community benefits that walking and bicycling provide - including health, safety, environmental, transportation, and quality of life - transportation agencies are encouraged to go beyond minimum standards to provide safe and convenient facilities for these modes.

California Policy Example

"The Department views all transportation improvements as opportunities to improve safety, access, and mobility for all travelers in California and recognizes bicycle, pedestrian, and transit modes as integral elements of the transportation system." Providing safe mobility for all users, including motorists, bicyclists, pedestrians and transit riders, contributes to the Department's mission/vision: "Improving Mobility Across California".

Successful long-term implementation of this policy is intended to result in:

• More options for people to go from one place to another,
• Less traffic congestion and greenhouse gas emissions,
• More walkable communities (with healthier, more active people), and,
• Fewer barriers for older adults, children, and people with disabilities.

California Policy Example

• Economically, complete streets can help revitalize communities, and they can give families the option to lower transportation costs by using transit, walking or bicycling rather than driving to reach their destinations.
• The Department is actively engaged in implementing its complete streets policy in all planning, programming, design, construction, operations, and maintenance activities and products on the State Highway System.
• www.dot.ca.gov/hq/tpp/offices/ocp/complete_streets.html

FHWA Accessibility Guidance

• FHWA's Oversight Role in Accessibility: The FHWA is responsible for implementation of pedestrian access requirements from the ADA and Section 504. This is accomplished through stewardship and oversight over all Federal, State, and local governmental agencies ("public agencies") that build and maintain highways and roadways, whether or not they use Federal funds on a particular project.
• FHWA Accessibility Resource Library: www.fhwa.dot.gov/accessibility/
• Recommendation: Go to the Accessible Design Course.

FHWA Design Guidance

• Accommodating Bicycle and Pedestrian Travel: A Recommended Approach
• FHWA issued February 2000.
• www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/bicycle_pedestrian/guidance/design_guidance/

Protection of Nonmotorized Transportation Traffic

• 23 U.S.C. 109(m)
• (m) Protection of Nonmotorized Transportation Traffic.--The Secretary shall not approve any project or take any regulatory action under this title that will result in the severance of an existing major route or have significant adverse impact on the safety for nonmotorized transportation traffic and light motorcycles, unless such project or regulatory action provides for a reasonable alternate route or such a route exists.

Planning for Nonmotorized Transportation

Conference photo: Available on many websites.
Search for "conference bike photo".

Planning: Livability

Livability means "being able to take your kids to school, go to work, see a doctor, drop by the grocery or post office, go out to dinner and a movie, and play with your kids at the park, all without having to get into your car."

- Secretary of Transportation - Ray LaHood

Planning

• Each State DOT must have a State Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator.
• Nonmotorized transportation must be considered in all transportation plans.
• Nonmotorized transportation planning should be funded as part of normal statewide and metropolitan planning.
• No requirement to build, but...

Planning: 23 U.S.C. 217(g)

• "Bicyclists and pedestrians shall be given due consideration in the comprehensive transportation plans developed by each metropolitan planning organization and State.
• "Bicycle transportation facilities and pedestrian walkways shall be considered, where appropriate, in conjunction with all new construction and reconstruction and transportation facilities, except where bicycle and pedestrian use are not permitted."
• "Transportation plans and projects shall provide due consideration for safety and contiguous routes for bicyclists and pedestrians."

Planning: 23 U.S.C. 134 & 135

Specific requirements for the TIPs/STIPs include:

• The process in developing the long-range statewide and metropolitan transportation plans and transportation improvement plans is to consider "...all modes of transportation..." (23 U.S.C.134(c)(3) and 135(a)(3))
• The long-range metropolitan and statewide transportation plans are to "provide for the development and implementation of the intermodal transportation system". (23 U.S.C. 134(i)(2) and 135(f)(1))

Planning

• SAFETEA-LU added "representatives of users of pedestrian walkways and bicycle transportation facilities" to the list of "interested parties" with whom metropolitan areas and States must include in the development of the long range metropolitan and statewide transportation plan. (23 U.S.C 134(i)(5) and 135(f)(3)(A))
• Bicyclists and pedestrians shall be given due consideration in the comprehensive transportation plans developed by each metropolitan planning organization and State..." (23 U.S.C. 217(g)(1))
• www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/bicycle_pedestrian/guidance/bp-guid.cfm#bp7

Programs

How to fund nonmotorized transportation?

Photo from the National Transportation Enhancements Clearinghouse.

Programs

• Nonmotorized transportation facilities are eligible for all Federal-aid and Federal Lands Highway fund categories.
  • $790 million in FY 2011 (less than 2% of Federal-aid highway funds).
  • About $200 to $300 million/year for trails, including $70 to $90 million/year for recreational trails.

Federal Lands Highway Program

• Federal Lands Highway Program funds may be used for nonmotorized transportation projects: 23 U.S.C. 217(c).
  • National Park Service has been reluctant...
  • Forest Service has been less reluctant...
  • Fish & Wildlife Service dedicates about 5%.
  • Public Lands Highways Discretionary gets earmarked...

Federal-aid Highway Program

• All Federal-aid Highway Program funds may be used for nonmotorized transportation projects.
• Interstate Maintenance: Example: walkway under or over an Interstate.
• National Highway System: Projects that benefit an NHS Corridor.
• Bridge: For nonmotorized transportation on any eligible bridge project.

Federal-aid Highway Program

• Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program: Improve air quality.
• Surface Transportation Program: Eligible for all STP funds. May be located anywhere (not only on Federal-aid highways).
  • Transportation Enhancement Activities (A 10% subset of STP. See more information below.).
• Highway Safety Improvement Program: Eligible for all HSIP funds. May be located anywhere (not only on Federal-aid highways).

Federal-aid Highway Program

• Safe Routes to School: within about 2 miles of elementary or middle school. Located anywhere.
• Recreational Trails Program: recreational trails (motorized or nonmotorized). No transportation requirement; may include motorized trails.
• Discretionary Programs
  • Borders & Corridors; Ferry Boat; National Scenic Byways; Transportation, Community, and System Preservation; Public Lands Highways.

Federal-aid Highway Program

• High Priority Projects
• Appropriations Earmarks
• Transfers to Federal Transit Administration
• American Recovery and Reinvestment Act: $405 million in FY 2009: 2.1% of the $19.248 billion.
• See FHWA and FTA Funds That May be Used for Bicycle and Pedestrian Activities: www.fhwa.dot.gov/hep/bkepedtble.htm

Transportation Enhancement Activities

TE projects must relate to surface transportation and be eligible under one or more of 12 Eligible Categories:

Transportation Enhancement Activities

• Single largest source of Federal-aid funding for trails and nonmotorized transportation in the US.
• Reasonable amenities may be eligible:
  • Curb extensions, pedestrian crosswalks, curb cuts;
  • Benches, bus shelters, pedestrian plazas;
  • Trees, landscaping, lighting;
  • Bicycle parking
• Enhancements are enhancements: Not a substitute for normal environmental mitigation.

Transportation Enhancement Obligations

Source: National Transportation Enhancements Clearinghouse.
This pie chart (through FY 2008) was presented during the training.
See the latest figures at www.enhancements.org/publications.asp.

Provisions

Are pedestrians and bicyclists comfortable on your highway system?

Provisions

Picture source: Claes Tingvall,
Director of Road Safety for the Swedish Road Administration.
www.slidefinder.net/T/Swedish_Model_Vision/Zero/1896950 (slide 18).

How secure do
pedestrians feel?

Is it like walking next to
cliffs, with plywood boards
for bridges?

Provisions

If you build a facility...

• Make sure it works for all users.
  • Accommodate pre-existing legal users.
  • Ensure Accessibility: to be covered in the Accessible Design course.
  • Ensure construction to standards: Verify!
  • Maintain facilities for nonmotorized users to the same degree as motorized users.

Which Uses are Allowed?

• Who are nonmotorized transportation users?
• No Federal law or regulation prohibits equestrian use.
• Motorized vehicles: generally not permitted, but some exceptions...
• Electric vehicles: it depends...

Bicycles on Freeways?

QUESTION:
Can bicycles use Interstate Highways or other freeways?

ANSWER:
It depends on State law.
Most western States allow bicycles, with some exceptions in urban areas..
Major bridges often have separate facilities...

Traffic Control Devices

• The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices applies to nonmotorized transportation facilities:
• http://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/
• See MUTCD Part 9 - Traffic Control for Bicycle Facilities (1.25MB)
• Purely recreational trails: Use judgment.
• Snowmobiles: see www.snowiasa.org.

Questions, Comments, etc.???

Photo Credit: Rebecca Hayworth, FHWA Tennessee Division
(now FHWA Mississippi Division bridge engineer)