Bike Lanes and Separated Cycle Tracks

Awareness Test TxDOT Bicycle and Pedestrian Program: an Overview of Best Practices Transportation Short Course TAMU October 17, 2012

Charles Riou P.E. - State Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator TxDOT Goals: • Maintain a safe system • Address congestion • Connect Texas communities • Become best-in-class state agency Fundamental Transportation Hominid bipedalism 4,400,000 years ago Transportation History Quest for horsepower

Chauvet Cave 32,000 years ago Horse domestication 6,000 years ago 323 BC Alexander’s Companion Cavalry - 8 squadrons of 200-300 horsemen 19th century Replacing the horse

April 1815 - Tambora

June 1815 July 1816

1880 –Good Roads Movement founded by bicyclists of L.A.W.

1817 First commercially Laufmaschine, velocipede, successful two-wheeled, dandy-horse or draisine steerable, human- "running machine" propelled machine Transportation History Not to beat a dead horse…

Marengo - Napoleon’s famous war mount Grey Arabian imported to France from Egypt in 1799 on display at the National Army Museum, London 20th century Automobile ubiquity

1940’s France

Saturn V 160,000,000 hp ½ ton pickup 300-400 hp Monster truck 1500-2000 hp (>2x horse pop 75,000,000 est) 21st century Rethinking Transportation

New Generations are driving significantly less than prior generations and choosing to live in areas that are easily walkable, bikeable, and have plenty of access to public transportation “Can’t we just build bigger roads?”

We can't keep widening our roads, we have to broaden our thinking Space

2.8 ac 0.7 ac

3.45 ac

Walking Pedestrian 3.9 ft/s = 8 SF………….. Bicycle 20 mph (5’ ln + 2’ HC) x 120’ SSD = 840 SF………….. 30 mph (12’ ln + 2’OS + 3’HC) x 200’ SSD = 3,400 SF………….. “You get a car… 70 mph (12’ ln + 30’ HC) x 730’ SSD = 30,660 SF/0.7 ac………….. Austin City Block (to CL street) 350’ x 350’ = 122,500 SF/2.8 ac………….. and you get a car…” 100 mph (13’ ln + 100’ HC) x 1310’ SSD = 150,290 SF/3.45 ac.…………. Sustainable Transportation

“High Five Dystopia” Total Projected Obesity Costs to Texas Businesses (in billions)

Bicycling is a big part of the future. It has to be. There's something wrong with a society that drives a car to workout in a gym. Bill Nye The Science Guy Consult your doctor ... What’s the best part of your day?

Physical Activity helps the body & also the mind: • solve problems & make complex decisions • perform better & think more clearly • Increase production of serotonin & dopamine

Mr. Walker & Mr. Wheeler • Increase blood flow & improves concentration

Bike To Work Day 1993 - 20 yrs/ 50,000+ miles A Traffic Engineer’s Lament We, as a profession, continued to build more roads, wider roads, and faster roads while knowing full well we were running out of capacity and making transport systems less efficient…the Brooklyn Bridge, when it was largely a rail and walking bridge, handled 430,000 people daily. In the 1940’s, we ‘modernized’ it by removing the rail; its daily person carrying volume dropped to 180,000. Sam Schwartz, former New York City Traffic Commissioner Tearing down walls - Still building barriers

1800 1920s 1936 1945

1961-1989 Today Human Environment - Renewing Relationships

Seurat's Sunday Afternoon on the Island of Grand Jatte 1884 1943 1957

2010 Engineering

Build it and they will come

Bike/Ped Infrastructure/Policies = Increased Mode Share

Walking and bicycling in 68 California cities in 2000.

Safety in Numbers More Walking/Bicycling = Greater Safety

Jacobsen P L Inj Prev 2003;9:205-209

Centerline Miles by Level of Traffic Stress (LTS) Stress LTS Miles % Lowest 1 (children) 2,131 64% Low 2 (mainstream adults) 115 3% Medium 3 (enthused & confident) 276 8% High 4 (strong & fearless) 678 20% Prohibited 5 134 4% Total 3,334 100% With a modest investment, the city could dramatically improve the connectivity of its bike network with traffic calming measures,

median refuge islands, bike lanes and separated cycle tracks. March 23, 2011 Memo to District Engineers Guidelines Emphasizing Bicycle and Pedestrian Accommodations

“TxDOT is committed to proactively plan, design and construct facilities to safely accommodate bicyclists and pedestrians.”

“The dimensions shown above for a wide curb lane or a bicycle lane are minimum values. Where traffic volumes or speeds are high, wider lanes for bicycles may be needed.”

Bicycle Facility Design Guidance

Texas Administrative Code Department adopts latest version of AASHTO Bike Guide. Department will continue to review guidelines with intent to adopt new guidelines as appropriate.

Texas MUTCD - Effective December 8, 2011 Part 9 - Traffic Control for Bicycle Facilities Shared Lane Marking and other treatments added

AASHTO Bike Guide - 2012 Forth Edition Covers paths & on road bikeways Covers design comprehensively Covers many , but not all innovations

NACTO Urban Bikeway Design Guide NACTO is a source of information for solutions that are currently being tested. The FHWA has posted information regarding MUTCD approval status various bicycle facilities, signs, markings, signals, and other treatments.

AASHTO Bike Guide - 2012 Forth Edition

Bicyclists need accommodation on ALL roadways – “All roads, streets, and highways, except those where bicyclists are legally prohibited, should be designed and constructed under the assumption that they will be used by bicyclists.”

Sufficient flexibility is permitted to encourage designs that are sensitive to local context and incorporate the needs of bicyclists, pedestrians, and motorists.

• Expanded from 75 pages to over 200 • Facility Selection guidance • Affirms lane diets and road diets • Expanded bike lane guidance • Expanded signal guidance • Expanded shared use path guidance • Considerations for Different Bikeway Types

Green Pavement FHWA Interim Approval April 2011

TAMU Area – Mobile Workshop

Joe Routt and Rudder/Koldus Plaza Renovation • Planter boxes, Seating & Shade Trees • Raised mid-block crossings • Accessibility improvements • Bike lanes

University Drive Pedestrian Safety Project • Reconstructed ramps & wider sidewalks • College Main Bicycle/Pedestrian mall • Bicycle and pedestrian crossings • Median on University Drive

MaroonBike Program - Lease or Buy • Save time & money (park FREE next to class) • Reliable transportation - airless, chainless • Never throw away or abandon

Old Main at Wellborn Road Underpass Grade separation of railroad from motor vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians AASHTO Bike Guide FREE Webinar Series www.walkinginfo.org/training/pbic/AASHTO_webinars.cfm 20% Bike Guide discount www.walkinginfo.org/training/pbic/ AASHTO_Promo_Flyer.pdf

Upcoming Webinars • Oct. 23, 2012 - Off Road Facilities: Share Use Path - Roadway Intersection Design • Nov. 6, 2012 - Maintenance and Operations

Archived Webinars • Overview of Revised AASHTO Guide for Development • Bicycle Planning • On- Road Facilities Part 1: Bike Lanes • On-Road Facilities Part 2: Shared Lanes, Paved Shoulders, Bicycle Boulevards and Traffic Signals • Off Road Facilities: Shared Use Path Design VeloTexas www.velotexas.com Technical conference designed to gather communities, bicyclists, planners, engineers, researchers, public agencies, and those interested in improving safety of bicyclists. Education Walking and biking skills for children Adult bicycle and pedestrian safety Motorist awareness Targeted safety messages Encouragement •Market as a healthy lifestyle. •Promote through special events (bike-to-work day). •Inform target audiences. •Include walking and biking in local recreation programs Enforcement •Enforce pedestrian/bike laws. •Review/modify existing laws. •Review/modify young violator practices. •Reduce bicycle theft. •Reduce assaults on pedestrians and bicyclists. •Implement police bicycle patrols.

Evaluation Equity 33% of Americans do not drive

Transportation programs and facilities should accommodate people of all ages and abilities, including people too young to drive, people who cannot drive, and people who choose not to drive. Ray LaHood, United States Secretary of Transportation

Helotes - Safe Passing Ordnance 2007, Paw Paw, Mich., 50 mph, 4 mi

London Marathon - 16 days United States Department of Transportation

Policy Statement on Bicycle and Pedestrian Accommodation March 2010 Purpose is to Support: • Fully integrated active transportation networks • Well-connected walking and bicycling networks • Going beyond the minimum requirements • Fostering increased use by bicyclists and pedestrians • Accommodating people of all ages and abilities Rationale • Walking and bicycling: – foster safer, more livable, family- friendly communities; – promote physical activity and health; – and reduce vehicle emissions and fuel use • Bike/Ped accommodation, including links to transit, is required by existing laws and regulations Paradigm Shift • Post-war era dominated by: – Automobiles – Increasing obesity, diabetes and health care costs • Improved facilities for active transportation: – Improved health – Improved safety for all users – Improved environment FHWA perspective • Presumption that bicyclists & pedestrians will be accommodated on all projects • Coordination with stakeholders • Explain early if not feasible (NEPA document) • Provide safe facility – go beyond minimums