SUBJECT: Assembly Bill 1193 (Ting) Protected Bikeways

DATE: February 5, 2014 TO: Transportation Policy Committee FROM: Jessica Zenk, Sr. Director, Transportation Policy

SUBJECT: Assembly Bill 1193 (Ting) – Protected Bikeways

ACTION

Take a position on Assembly Bill (AB) 1193, which would add protected bikeways to the bikeway definitions in the code and require Caltrans to set minimum safety and design criteria for these bikeways.

BACKGROUND

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) Division of Design prepares its Highway Design Manual (HDM) for use on the California State Highway System. The manual establishes uniform policies and procedures to carry out the highway design functions of Caltrans. Under current law, the HDM also determines the safety design planning for all bikeways (not just those on the State Highway System).

Bicycles are the only transportation mode by which the safety design criteria for planning and construction of its byways is determined by Caltrans rather than local agencies, regardless of whether the thoroughfare is constructed or maintained by Caltrans. Caltrans also bears responsibility for creating uniform specifications and symbols for signage and markers that regulate traffic and improve safety on bikeways and on roadways where bicycle travel is permitted.

Some recent changes to transportation in California have allowed experimentation and/or are designed to increase the state’s emphasis on biking as a mode of transportation. These include:

 SB 375 (Steinberg, 2008), which requires California regions to develop and adopt “Sustainable Communities Strategies” that lower greenhouse gas emissions from passenger vehicles; a key tactic being used by regions across the state is getting more people on bicycles.

 AB 819 (Wieckowski, 2012), which requires Caltrans to establish a mechanism by which local governments may create trial bikeways for the purpose of design experimentation for possible inclusion in following versions of the HDM.

 SB 99 & AB 101 (2013), which established a new Active Transportation Program (ATP), consolidating existing federal and state transportation programs, including the Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP), Bicycle Transportation Account (BTA), and State Safe Routes to School (SR2S), into a single program with a focus to make California a national leader in active transportation. The state is in the process of developing and adopting guidelines for the ATP.

ANALYSIS

The Leadership Group prioritizes active transportation as an important tactic for lowering our environmental impact and increasing people’s health, productivity and happiness. The work the state is doing in conjunction to establish the State’s new Active Transportation Program and implement Sustainable Communities Strategies is a very positive step towards promoting more biking and walking.

Especially in light of these extensive attempts to promote walking and biking within California, we should examine existing design standards and whether they are in step with current goals. Street designs, particularly for urban environments, must be innovative and flexible to accommodate all users in challenging environments. The Federal Highway Administration,i the Washington State Department of Transportation (DOT),ii and cities across the nation have officially recognized the need for design flexibility to truly make our streets great. Experiences in cities like New York have demonstrated that streets re-designed for all users are saferiii and economically vibrant.iv

Outside of California, cities have had successful results in increasing rider safety through the inclusion of protected bikeways. These cities have implemented existing bikeway safety design standards or creating their own, including the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) Urban Bikeway Design Guide and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Guide for the Development of Bicycle Facilities.

Several studies support that the development of protected bikeways is necessary to increase ridership. Among them, the City of Long Beach recently finished a federal one-year test study following infrastructure changes that included separated bicycle lanes. They found that bicycled riders increased 33%, pedestrians increased 13%, and vehicles decreased 12%.

Existing design standards do not fit all contexts, and the current exemption process can be difficult to navigate. Instead of requiring jurisdictions to seek exemptions to create protected bikeways, California should have a protected bikeway option within the toolbox of local jurisdictions looking to improve active transportation.

SUPPORTERS

California Bicycle Coalition (Sponsor) California Association of Bicycling Organizations Cities of Long Beach, Los Angeles, and San Jose

OPPONENTS

None on record (as of 1/21/14)

RECOMMENDATION

Staff recommends that the Transportation Policy Committee support AB 1193. i Guidance on Bicycle and Pedestrian Facility Design Flexibility (August 20, 2013). http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/bicycle_pedestrian/guidance/design_guidance/design_flexibility.cfm ii In December 2013, the Washington State DOT became the first DOT in the U.S. to officially endorse new design guidelines from the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO). http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/News/2013/12/WSDOTEndorsesUrbanStreetDesignGuide.htm iii Making Streets Safer, New York City Department of Transportation (November 2013). http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/downloads/pdf/dot-making-safer-streets.pdf iv The Economic Benefits of Sustainable Streets, New York City Department of Transportation. http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/downloads/pdf/dot-economic-benefits-of-sustainable-streets.pdf