Advancing bicycling through unified state and local advocacy organizations

Thunderhead Alliance

50 States/50 Cities Project

Complete Streets

Pro Walk/Pro Bike

September 8, 2004

Advancing bicycling through unified state and local advocacy organizations

Barbara McCann

McCann Consulting

The Scoop on Complete Streets

Advancing bicycling through unified state and local advocacy organizations

Sue Knaup

Thunderhead Alliance

The 50 States/50 Cities Project Role in Complete Streets

Advancing bicycling through unified state and local advocacy organizations

Local Successes

Alabama Bicycle Coalition

First Meeting!

Advancing bicycling through unified state and local advocacy organizations

Local Successes

San Francisco Bicycle Coalition

City Hall Bicycle Garage

Advancing bicycling through unified state and local advocacy organizations

Local Successes

Washington Area Bicyclist Association

More than 8000 cyclists line up in the shadow of the US Capitol dome for the start of Bike DC

Advancing bicycling through unified state and local advocacy organizations

Estimated Bicycling Mode Share (Year 2000)

1.8%

1.2%

3.4%

1.6%

11.3%

2.0%

6.7%

4.1%

1.7%

3.1%

1.6%

6.2%

5.2%

6.7%

1.2%

0.0% 2.0% 4.0% 6.0% 8.0% 10.0% 12.0%

Chicago

Columbus

Denver

Houston

Madison

Miami

Minneapolis

New Orleans

New York

Philadelphia

Pittsburgh

Portland

Salt Lake City

Seattle

St Louis

mode share

Advancing bicycling through unified state and local advocacy organizations

Miles of trails, lanes, and routes

0 100 200 300 400 500

Chicago

Columbus

Denver

Houston

Madison

Minneapolis

New Orleans

New York

Philadelphia

Pittsburgh

Portland

Salt Lake City

Seattle

St Louis

Lanes

Routes

Trails

Advancing bicycling through unified state and local advocacy organizations

Fatalities

0.72 0.59

2.85

1.3

3.13

0.63

1.331.62

1.43

0.84 0.83

2.04

0.53 0.4

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

Fatalities per 10,000,000 trips

Advancing bicycling through unified state and local advocacy organizations

Regional funding levels for bicycling (CMAQ)

6.4%

0.0% 0.0%

2.6%

0.0% 0.0% 0.0%

9.5%

6.6%

10.4%

0.0%

2.0%

4.0%

6.0%

8.0%

10.0%

12.0%

Ch

icag

o

Col

um

bu

s

Den

ver

Hou

ston

Mia

mi

Min

nea

pol

is

New

Orl

ean

s

New

Yor

k

Ph

ilad

elp

hia

Sea

ttle

% CMAQ for bike

Advancing bicycling through unified state and local advocacy organizations

Complete Streets example

Bicycle Transportation Alliance leads a bike education class on an Ashland, Oregon complete street

Advancing bicycling through unified state and local advocacy organizations

Complete Streets example

Prescott Alternative Transportation volunteers install bike route signs

Advancing bicycling through unified state and local advocacy organizations

Allen Turnbull

BikeWalk Virginia

Steps to Winning Complete Streets

Advancing bicycling through unified state and local advocacy organizations

VDOT Steering Committee

1 2Divisions/Departments

comprised the VDOT Bicycle and Pedestrian Steering Committee

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VDOT Steering Committee

• Commonwealth Transportation Board

• Commissioner's Staff

• District General Administration

• District Construction Administration

• District Maintenance Administration

• Residency Administration

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VDOT Steering Committee

• State Location and Design

• State Local Assistance Division

• State Asset Management Administration

• State Programming

• State Policy Division

• Dept. of Rail and Public Transportation

Advancing bicycling through unified state and local advocacy organizations

Stakeholder Working Group

1 5Divisions/Departments

or Agencies comprised the Stakeholder Working Group

Advancing bicycling through unified state and local advocacy organizations

Stakeholder Working Group

• Bicyclists

• Pedestrians

• Disabled

• Urban Area Locality

• Rural Area Locality

• Metropolitan Planning Organization

• Regional Rural Transportation Planning

• Federal Highway Administration

Advancing bicycling through unified state and local advocacy organizations

Stakeholder Working Group

• Dept. of Rail and Public Transportation

• Commissioner’s Staff

• VDOT Bicycle and Pedestrian Program

• VDOT Residency Office

• VDOT Local Assistance Div.

• VDOT Location and Design Div.

• VDOT Asset Management Div.

Advancing bicycling through unified state and local advocacy organizations

Project Timeline 2003

• April – Secretary of Transportation announces Directive at 5th annual BWV conference

• July – 1st mtg. Stakeholder Group

• Aug. – Andy Clarke gives “perfect” presentation to Stakeholders

• Sept. – User’s on-line survey

• Oct/Dec. – Policy Development

2004

• Jan/Feb – Public Comment

• March – Formal Adoption by Commonwealth Transportation Board

• April – Secretary of Transportation announces NEW policy at 6th annual BWV conference

Advancing bicycling through unified state and local advocacy organizations

Mele Williams

League of American Bicyclists

Your Role in Implementing Complete Streets

Advancing bicycling through unified state and local advocacy organizations

Essential Factors

• Must have adopted a “complete streets” policy

• Must result in improved policy framework (including evaluation and auditing element)

Advancing bicycling through unified state and local advocacy organizations

Important Factors

• Strength of local advocacy movement• Good working relationship with state/local

agencies• Showcase success to influential MOCs• State/locality is good example to others• Project will result in specific bike/ped projects• Unique opportunity and timing• Increased cycling, decreased crashes

Advancing bicycling through unified state and local advocacy organizations

South Carolina

“…be it resolved that the SCDOT Commission…affirms that bicycling and walking accommodations should be a routine part of the department’s planning, design, construction and operating activities, and will be included in the everyday operations of our transportation system.”

Advancing bicycling through unified state and local advocacy organizations

South Carolina“…be it further resolved,

that the SCDOT Commission requires SC counties and municipalities to make bicycling and pedestrian improvements an integral part of their transportation planning and programming where State or Federal Highway funding is utilized.”

Advancing bicycling through unified state and local advocacy organizations

Phase I: Fact-Finding

• Determine current awareness and commitment w/in state DOT and other agencies

– Aware, supportive and actively implementing?

– What barriers or perceived barriers are there?

– Who needs to be involved?

Advancing bicycling through unified state and local advocacy organizations

Phase II: Training and Education

• BFC Workshops• Bicycle Facility

Planning and Design• Advocacy Training• Presentations and

Briefings as Needed (City Councils, Mayors, legislators,

press, etc.)

• Conference Workshops

Advancing bicycling through unified state and local advocacy organizations

Phase III: Evaluation

• Follow-up interviews and surveys

• Reports– Numbers trained– Press coverage– Specific changes to

transportation projects/programs– Manual/document updates– Other demonstrable changes

• Final presentation to State DOT

Advancing bicycling through unified state and local advocacy organizations

Thank You!

• Thunderhead Alliance: www.thunderheadalliance.org

• Benchmarking: www.biketraffic.org/benchmarking

• McCann Consulting: www.bmccann.net

• BikeWalk Virginia: www.bikewalkvirginia.org

• League of American Bicyclists: www.bikeleague.org

Advancing bicycling through unified state and local advocacy organizations

Arlington, VA:Columbia Pike near Four Mile Run “Before”

Advancing bicycling through unified state and local advocacy organizations

Arlington, VA:Columbia Pike near Four Mile Run

“After”