Survey of Bicycle Trail-Users in New Orleans: Characteristics, Attitudes and Implications for Planning
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University of New Orleans ScholarWorks@UNO University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations Dissertations and Theses 12-17-2010 Survey of Bicycle Trail-Users in New Orleans: Characteristics, Attitudes and Implications for Planning Coleen Judge University of New Orleans Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.uno.edu/td Recommended Citation Judge, Coleen, "Survey of Bicycle Trail-Users in New Orleans: Characteristics, Attitudes and Implications for Planning" (2010). University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations. 1266. https://scholarworks.uno.edu/td/1266 This Thesis is protected by copyright and/or related rights. It has been brought to you by ScholarWorks@UNO with permission from the rights-holder(s). You are free to use this Thesis in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights- holder(s) directly, unless additional rights are indicated by a Creative Commons license in the record and/or on the work itself. This Thesis has been accepted for inclusion in University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks@UNO. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Survey of Bicycle Trail-Users in New Orleans: Characteristics, Attitudes and Implications for Planning A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the University of New Orleans in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Urban and Regional Planning Specialization: Transportation and Land Use by Coleen (Cole) E. Judge B.A. William Smith College, 2005 December, 2010 Copyright 2010, Coleen E. Judge ii Dedication This thesis is dedicated to the City of New Orleans. iii Acknowledgements I would like to thank my graduate thesis committee: Dr. John Renne AICP, Dr. Billy Fields, and Dr. Pat Haughey. I would also like to thank the Urban Planning professors at the University of New Orleans for cultivating my planning skills; my colleagues Laura Philips and Nicole McCall for sharing their knowledge of bicycle and pedestrian planning; David Lambour for his guidance; and my partner, Sean Edwin, for always listening to me talk about the role of bicycle facilities within a transportation network. iv Table of Contents List of Figures!...................................................................................................................ix List of Tables!....................................................................................................................ix Abstract!.............................................................................................................................x Keywords!..........................................................................................................................x Chapter 1: Introduction!......................................................................................................1 Introduction!............................................................................................................1 Purpose!..................................................................................................................4 Research Questions!..............................................................................................4 Contents and Methodology!....................................................................................6 Chapter 2: Literature Review!............................................................................................8 Overview!................................................................................................................8 Bicycling Demand!................................................................................................12 Theoretical Framework!........................................................................................14 Travel Behavior Theory!.............................................................................14 Social Ecological Theory!...........................................................................15 Bicycle Counts!.....................................................................................................17 Bicycle Facilities: Lanes versus Trails!..................................................................19 Travel Behavior Model: Influences on the Decision to Bicycle!............................22 Social Ecological Model: Influences on the Decision to Bicycle!..........................24 Chapter 3: Methodology!.................................................................................................29 v Overview!..............................................................................................................29 Intercept Surveys!.................................................................................................32 Automatic Bicycle Counts!....................................................................................35 Limitations!............................................................................................................37 Chapter 4: Results!..........................................................................................................39 Research Question 1 (RQ1): What are the social and demographic characteristics of the bicyclists on the Jefferson Davis Trail!................................39 RQ1a: What are the gender characteristics of bicyclists on the Jefferson Davis Trail? !..............................................................................................39 RQ1b: What are the age characteristics of bicyclists on the Jefferson Davis Trail? !..............................................................................................40 RQ1c: What are the racial characteristics of bicyclists on the Jefferson Davis Trail?!...............................................................................................41 RQ1d: What are the origin and destination characteristics of bicyclists on the Jefferson Davis Trail?!.........................................................................42 RQ1e: What are the trip distances of bicyclists using the Jefferson Davis Trail?!.........................................................................................................44 RQ1f: What are the home neighborhoods of bicyclists using the Jefferson Davis Trail? !..............................................................................................44 RQ1g: What are the trip purposes of bicyclists (i.e. recreation, commute) on the Jefferson Davis Trail?!.....................................................................45 RQ1h: How often are bicyclists using the Jefferson Davis Trail?!..............48 RQ1i: What are the other facilities used by bicyclists on the Jefferson Davis Trail?!...............................................................................................48 RQ1j: What are the characteristics of Spanish-speaking bicyclists on the Jefferson Davis Trail?!...............................................................................50 vi Research Question 2 (RQ2): What are the opinions and perceptions of the bicycle users of the Jefferson Davis Trail regarding safety, what other mode they would use if not bicycling, improvements to the trail, and improvements to overall bicycling infrastructure in the City?!......................................................................50 RQ2a: What are the opinions of bicyclists on the Jefferson Davis Trail regarding safety?!......................................................................................50 RQ2b: What mode of transportation would bicyclists be using if not bicycling?!..................................................................................................52 RQ2c: What are the opinions of bicyclists on the Jefferson Davis Trail regarding improvements to the trail?!.........................................................53 RQ2d: What are the opinions of bicyclists on the Jefferson Davis Trail regarding improvements to overall bicycling infrastructure in the City?!....54 RQ2e: What reasons do bicyclists give for using the Jefferson Davis Trail based on infrastructure, distance, etc.?!.............54 Research Question 3 (RQ3): How many bicyclists are using the Jefferson Davis Trail?!....................................................................................................................55 Chapter 5: Discussion!.....................................................................................................56 Chapter 6: Conclusion!....................................................................................................61 Recommendations for the Jefferson Davis Trail!..................................................61 Recommendations for Bicycling in New Orleans!.................................................67 Recommendations for the Profession!..................................................................69 Future Research!..................................................................................................71 References/Bibliography!................................................................................................73 Appendix A. Glossary!.....................................................................................................84 Appendix B. Status of New Orleans Bicycle Facilities!....................................................85 Appendix C. Map of New Orleans Bicycle Facilities!.......................................................86