Energy Corridor District Bicycle Master Plan
Promoting programs that encourage and support bicycling.
2010 Walter P. Moore Bicycle Solutions
CONTENTS
Introduction ...... 1 About the Energy Corridor District ...... 1 About this Plan ...... 1 Coordination With Other Plans and Programs ...... 4 Purpose, Principles, Goals and Objectives ...... 6 Purpose ...... 6 Principles ...... 6 Goals ...... 7 Objectives ...... 7 Bicycle Routes and Facilities ...... 9 Existing Conditions ...... 9 2010 Bicycle Counts ...... 13 System Needs ...... 16 Bikeway Options ...... 18 Proposed Bikeways, Parking and Amenities ...... 24 Livable Center Study Draft Recommendations ...... 31 Education, Promotion and Outreach ...... 42 Introduction ...... 42 Elements of programs ...... 43 Existing programs ...... 47 Available programs ...... 64 Recommendations ...... 73 Conclusions ...... 76 References ...... 77
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LIST OF FIGURES
FIGURE 1: Energy Corridor District Location within Houston FIGURE 2: Energy Corridor Boundaries FIGURE 3: Livable Center Architectural Model (June 2010) FIGURE 4: City of Houston Existing and Proposed Bikeways (May 2009) FIGURE 5: Existing Energy Corridor District Transit and Hike & Bike Routes FIGURE 6: Bicycle and Pedestrian Count Locations (May 2010) FIGURE 7: Land Use and Major Attractors FIGURE 8: Shared Use Path FIGURE 9: Signed Shoulder Bike Route FIGURE 10: Bicycle Lane (“Bike Lane”) FIGURE 11: Signed Shared Roadway FIGURE 12: Proposed Routes FIGURE 13: Livable Center Proposed Bicycle Connections FIGURE 14: Pulteney Bridge, Bath, England (spans the River Avon) FIGURE 15: Trailville Drive Endpoints – Potential Buffalo Bayou Crossing FIGURE 16: Pipeline Easement West of SH 6 FIGURE 17: Neighborhood Access Point: Fleetwood Place Drive FIGURE 18: Commuter Bicycle Facility at BP Westlake Parking Garage FIGURE 19: LAB Scan (Shoulder-Check) Drill FIGURE 20: Energy Corridor Website- Mobility and Public Safety Page FIGURE 21: Houston Bikeway Program Website FIGURE 22: LAB Online Traffic Skills 101 Course FIGURE 23: San Francisco MTA Poster Campaigns FIGURE 24: San Francisco MTA Shared Lane Marking Educational Poster
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INTRODUCTION
ABOUT THE ENERGY CORRIDOR DISTRICT The Energy Corridor District (ECD or District) is a municipal management district in West Houston, Texas that works with public and private organizations at the local, regional, state, and national levels to attract and relocate companies to the Energy Corridor and support their success. Created in 2001 by the Texas State Legislature, the District encompasses 1,500 acres along both sides of Interstate 10 from Tully to west of Memorial Brook and along North Eldridge Parkway from Interstate 10 to south of Briar Forest. Figure 1 shows the general location of the district and Figure 2 shows the district’s boundaries.
The Energy Corridor District collaborates with public agencies and has leveraged its financial resources to design and implement several key projects.
ABOUT THIS PLAN Bicycling and walking are integral components of an efficient transportation network, along with public transit and the use of private motor vehicles. Therefore it is important that appropriate bicycle and pedestrian accommodations be made available to the public.
The District has identified transportation as an important success factor, and wishes to provide the most comprehensive transportation network by accommodating non-motorized travel modes in addition to automobiles and transit. This Bicycle Master Plan evaluates existing conditions, addresses the needs of bicyclists in order to create a network so that they can use to safely travel to, through, within and from the Energy Corridor, and proposes programs to encourage and support bicycling.
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Figure 1: Energy Corridor District Location Within Houston
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Figure 2: Energy Corridor District Boundaries
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COORDINATION WITH OTHER PLANS AND PROGRAMS Houston Bikeway Program As a part of the City of Houston, the Energy Corridor District wishes to coordinate its plans with the City’s Bikeway Program. The City of Houston Bikeway Program offers a 345-mile interconnected bikeway network that spans the city. The network includes bike lanes, bike routes, shared lanes, bayou trails, rail-trails and other urban multi-use paths. Bicycle commuters can use combinations of trails, bike lanes, transit, and shared roadways to travel between their homes and work places.
West Houston Trails Master Plan The Energy Corridor District is within the area addressed by the West Houston Trails Master Plan (WHTMP), which proposes a 100+ mile interconnected trail system connecting City of Houston bikeways with trails within parks, utility corridors, and along creeks and bayous. The WHTMP effort includes Energy Corridor and National Park Service officials. Community volunteers from super neighborhoods and municipal utility districts met for over two years to develop the criteria and plans. Public and private parties are motivated to complete plans and construct trails.
The West Houston Trails Master Plan process has provided several opportunities for community input, including a Saturday Stakeholder workshop in October 2008 at ConocoPhillips and a community input meeting held on September 9, 2009 at Maurice L. Wolfe Elementary School. Through these community meetings the WHTMP planning team identified and incorporated the community’s perceived needs. A web site was created to gather personal comments and answer survey questions.
The Energy Corridor District Bicycle Master Plan has adopted the WHTMP goals, and will be submitted to the WHTMP subcommittees for consideration of indicated WHTMP needs that lie within the Energy Corridor District, and proposed links to ensure that the completed system has sufficient continuity and connectivity.
Energy Corridor District Livable Center Plan The Houston-Galveston Area Council, the region’s Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), has identified several areas around greater Houston where improved connectivity for walking, bicycling, and transit could enable more commute and other trips to be made without the use of a private Energy Corridor District Bicycle Master Plan Page 4
auto. H-GAC’s description says “Livable Centers are walkable, mixed-use places that provide multimodal transportation options, improve environmental quality and promote economic development.” The program funds planning studies and implementation projects.
A Livable Center Planning Study is underway for the Energy Corridor area with a particular focus on the Addicks Park and Ride Lot, located on the north side of IH10 (Katy Freeway) just east of State Highway 6. This study, funded by the Energy Corridor District and H-GAC and led by LRK Architects, is creating a land development concept and feasibility analysis for the area roughly bounded by Addicks Dam, Grisby Road, SH 6 and Westlake Park Boulevard, with the development concept centered on the Park and Ride lot and the BP-owned parcel across the Katy Freeway. It would replace the existing surface parking with structured parking, and proposes a novel pedestrian/bicycle/transit bridge to join the areas across the freeway, as seen in Figure 3.
Figure 3: Energy Corridor Livable Center Architectural Model (June 2010)
The draft Livable Center Planning Study identifies many significant bicycle connectivity improvement opportunities. Because the Study’s recommendations have not been finalized at this writing, its draft recommendations are discussed and illustrated in the section titled Livable Center Study Draft Recommendations.
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PURPOSE, PRINCIPLES, GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
PURPOSE The purpose of the Energy Corridor District Bicycle Master Plan is to evaluate existing and proposed bicycle facilities and usage in the Energy Corridor so that gaps can be identified and addressed by public and private entities to complete an on-street and off road bicycle network.
PRINCIPLES The Plan’s principles include the six “Es” developed by the League of American Bicyclists (LAB):
Equality: The equal legal status and equal treatment of cyclists in traffic law. All US states must adopt fair, equitable and uniform traffic laws that are “vehicle-neutral” to the greatest extent possible. Cyclists’ ability to access all destinations must be protected. State and local laws that discriminate against cyclists, or restrict their right to travel safely, must be repealed.
Engineering: Roadways and separate facilities must conform to state and national standards and allow for safe, legal and efficient traffic movements. Construction and maintenance of roads must equitably serve all users. Separate facilities must be maintained at a level not less than that applied to the public roadway. Trip-endpoint and waypoint facilities such as parking must serve bicyclists.
Encouragement: Promotion of cycling as a healthy and environmentally sound method of transport and recreation. Encouragement is done via promotional campaigns, incentives for those choosing bicycling rather than another form of transport and promotion of cycling as a healthy activity. The encouragement of bicycling should be inclusive of all types of cyclists.
Education: Cycling training should be based on the principle that “cyclists fare best when they act and are treated as drivers of vehicles.” This type of cycling is based on the same sound, proven traffic principles governing all drivers, and is the safest, most efficient way for all cyclists to operate. By making them highly visible and their actions predictable to other road users.
Enforcement: police and the courts in the enforcements of traffic laws and in the investigation of crashes that involve bicyclists, which reach the threshold for the state or jurisdiction in question, must give Cyclists equal treatment. Cyclists must be viewed as fully equal to other parties in the determination of culpability in crashes, the economic value of injuries or death, and non- economic losses that are commonly awarded to crash victims
Evaluation: Evaluation of the other five Es (Equality, Engineering, Enforcement, Education and Encouragement) Evaluation must involve measurement, analysis and research using rigorous, statistically sound methodologies.
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GOALS The Plan’s goals include: Identify locations of future public trails and connecting routes Provide outdoor recreation opportunities on trails through parks and conservation areas Provide opportunities for bicycling and walking to be used for work commutes, school commutes and other local trips Increase conservation through reduced use of cars, fuel and roadways Increase opportunities for health and fitness Promote safety through proper design and construction of trails and roadways and education supporting safe use of bicycles Provide connections to transit and on-road bikeways
OBJECTIVES The Plan will achieve its Goals by pursuing the objectives listed in Table 1.1. Time frames for the Plan’s objectives depend on the support of federal, state, county and local agencies’ capital improvement plans. Projects identified in this Plan will be submitted to the appropriate authorities for approval, implementation and coordination.
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Table 1.1: Energy Corridor District Bicycle Master Plan Objectives
# Objective Timeframe Maintain existing bike lanes/sharrows and where feasible replace 1 Ongoing them with shared-use paths within the same ROW Expand the network of bike lanes/sharrows to thoroughfares where 2 ROW is constrained and prevents near term construction of shared- Ongoing use paths Continually identify contacts within Energy Corridor District 3 Ongoing companies to lead bicycle education initiatives 4 Promote National Bike Month and Annual Bike to Work Day Events Annually Coordinate plans and improvements with Katy ISD to make Addicks Planning: 2010 5 Howell a Safe Route to School, to serve the K-12 Wolfe International Implementation: Baccalaureate School Before school opens Coordinate with Harris County Precinct 3 the continual improvement 6 and expansion of the Precincts trail system along Buffalo Bayou and Ongoing within Barker and Addicks Reservoirs Partner with Harris County Precinct 3 to accelerate the construction 7 In 2010 of the N. Terry Hershey Trail Extension Open with N. Terry Partner with METRO and other interested vendors to provide a bike 8 Hershey Trail station at the Addicks Park & Ride Lot Expansion Project Coordinate with downtown, Uptown Houston and Texas Medical When Bike Station 9 Center officials to encourage cycling to the Addicks Park & Ride Lot opens as part of the regional transit system Coordinate with Harris County Flood Control District to provide multi- 10 functional uses along drainageways for recreation and transportation Ongoing purposes Coordinate with West Houston Trails Master Plan to improve 11 In 2010 pedestrian and bicycle connections to the Energy Corridor District Develop east-west shared-use trails to connect the Barker Dam Trail 12 By 2015 to the Eldridge Parkway shared-use trails Develop a north-south shared-use path spine on Eldridge Parkway 13 By 2015 connecting Bear Creek Park to Brays Bayou Coordinate with TxDOT to expand the width of sidewalks along IH 14 By 2020 10 to meet the criteria of shared-use paths Coordinate with METRO, the City of Houston and TxDOT to make 15 SH 6 a “Full Transportation” corridor accommodating pedestrians, By 2020 cyclists and transit patrons
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BICYCLE ROUTES AND FACILITIES
EXISTING CONDITIONS The Energy Corridor District has an established workplace-based cycling culture, described in the Education, Promotion and Outreach section. This section focuses on existing infrastructure.
As mentioned before, the Energy Corridor District is within the City of Houston (COH) limits, so its streets and paths are included in the City’s bikeway program. There are already several bikeways within the Energy Corridor District; Figure 4 shows the existing City of Houston Bikeways as they appear in the most recent Houston Bikeway Program map (May 2009). These include:
Bike lanes along Briar Forest from Barker Reserve in the west to Tanglewilde in the east;
Bike lanes on N. Dairy Ashford north of IH 10;
Bike lanes on Enclave Parkway from Eldridge in the north to Briar Forest in the south;
A shared lane / signed route on Enclave south of Briar Forest, extending to La Quinta on Enclave and on neighborhood streets to south of Richmond;
A shared lane / signed route to the south of the District that connects the Enclave route to the east along neighborhood streets including Whittington and Waldemar;
Shared-use paths connecting the Enclave route north to the Buffalo Bayou route and IH-10, and connecting the Dairy Ashford bike lanes to neighborhoods to the east along the south side of Addicks Dam; and
Trails along Buffalo Bayou, up Langham Creek, and around Barker Reservoir.
Several bikeways are not shown on the City’s map, including:
Shared use paths along both sides of Eldridge from Enclave north to the Buffalo Bayou trails, and north under IH 10 connecting to the Dairy Ashford Bike Lanes;
Shared use path along the IH 10 south frontage road from Addicks-Howell to Langham Creek;
A short multi-use trail loop along SH 6 under IH 10.
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Bike lanes along N. Dairy Ashford cover the entire distance between IH 10 and N. Eldridge Parkway.
In addition to these bikeways, the Energy Corridor District is served by several METRO bus routes, some of which serve the Addicks Park & Ride Lot that is located just north of IH 10, creating opportunities for multimodal trips where commuters use their bicycles to either start or finish transit trips. All bike routes are shown in Figure 5 along with existing bus routes in the area and public bicycle parking locations.
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Figure 4: City of Houston Existing Bikeways (May 2009)
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Figure 5: Existing Energy Corridor District Transit Routes and Selected Bikeways
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2010 BICYCLE COUNTS As part of a nationwide effort to gather data on non-motorized travel patterns, bicyclists and pedestrians were counted over a 48 hour period (Wednesday and Thursday, May 19-20, 2010) at the three Energy Corridor locations shown below. Cameras recorded travelers passing through various areas at each location. Software processed the captured video, identifying and tabulating moving shapes.
Figure 6: Bicycle and Pedestrian Count Locations (May 2010)
The count locations are described in detail and the results (pedestrian and bicycle) tabulated in a memo dated June 30, 2010 from Walter P Moore to Clark Martinson, included as an Appendix. This section summarizes only the bicycle results.
Terry Hershey Trail at Memorial Drive (west side of creek)
Here the Addicks Dam outflow (the extension of South Mayde Creek from Addicks Reservoir) runs north-south and passes under Memorial Drive; further north it passes under IH 10. There are trails on both sides of the creek at Memorial Drive; both cross under the street and connect to it on the south side.
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Along the south side of Memorial Drive a narrow sidewalk crosses the creek behind a guardrail. The east-side trail continues north and crosses under IH 10, beyond which it is planned to connect to the Addicks Dam south perimeter trail.
The following table summarizes the 48-hour counts at the three sites indicated by black lines in the detail figure above. The bicycle pattern was steady use between 6 am and noon with a significant peak between 5 pm and 8 pm.
Crossing Bridge Entering/Exiting On Trail Day Total (on sidewalk) Trail (from street) (west undercrossing) Wednesday 5/19 50 43 254 347 Thursday 5/20 82 76 379 537 Total 132 119 633 884
Terry Hershey Trail at Eldridge Parkway
Here Buffalo Bayou runs east-west and passes under Eldridge Parkway. West of Eldridge the trail runs along both sides of the Bayou. It crosses under Eldridge on the north side and continues to the east. Both sides of Eldridge have wide sidewalks that function as shared-use paths. The east-side path has a separate bridge across the Bayou and loops down away from Eldridge to intersect with the north-side Trail.
The following table summarizes the 48-hour counts at the two sites indicated by black lines in the detail figure above. The bicycle pattern was steady use between 7 am and 1 pm with a significant peak between 5 pm and 8 pm.
Crossing Bridge Day On Trail Total (east side of Eldridge) Wednesday 5/19 102 647 749 Thursday 5/20 115 636 751 Total 217 1283 1500 Energy Corridor District Bicycle Master Plan Page 14
Dairy Ashford Road at WB IH 10 Frontage Road
This is a major signalized intersection on the north side of IH 10. Counts were done at this location because some users of the trail along the south edge of Addicks Dam may cross under IH 10 on Dairy Ashford.
The following table summarizes the 48-hour counts at the four sites indicated by black lines in the detail figure above. Few bicyclists traversed this location. Of those that did, most traveled along Dairy Ashford and crossed the west (frontage road) leg.
E-W across N-S across E-W across N-S across Day north leg east leg south leg west leg Total (Dairy Ashford) (Frontage Rd) (Dairy Ashford) (Frontage Rd) Wednesday 5/19 2 2 0 12 16 Thursday 5/20 3 2 0 8 13 Total 5 4 0 20 29
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SYSTEM NEEDS In order to understand the needs of the Energy Corridor District bikeway system, this section explores its current and potential users (bicyclists) and their origins and destinations.
While the Energy Corridor District is mainly comprised of offices and commercial and retail development, it is surrounded by residential neighborhoods to the south and east. These residents, combined with those people that work in the District, create a large number of potential users traveling to, from, or through the area.
There are several bicycle attractors in or near the Energy Corridor District. Barker Dam and Reservoir to the west and Addicks Dam and Reservoir to the north attract recreational riders and are used as part of commuting routes. They are connected directly or indirectly to the Terry Hershey Buffalo Bayou trail, which connects all the way to Beltway 8 in the east and Fry Road in the west, with access to many adjacent neighborhoods. On the commercial side, the District is home to several large corporate campuses including Shell, CITGO, ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil Chemical, and BP (WestLake Campus). Figure 7 shows these workplace locations and the land use within the Energy Corridor District.
The existing bikeway network has fairly good connectivity to the east but not to the west, north and south. Eldridge Parkway, SH 6 and IH 10 are the District’s backbones for motor vehicle travel, and should also be spines within the bikeway network, in addition to key shared use paths. Spur routes should connect these corridors to the neighborhoods and parks just outside the Energy Corridor District.
As noted in the Introduction, the West Houston Trails Master Plan process included several opportunities for community input, including a Saturday Stakeholder workshop in October 2008 at ConocoPhillips and a Community Input meeting on September 9, 2009, held at Maurice L. Wolfe Elementary School. Through these community meetings the WHTMP plan identified and incorporated the community’s perceived needs. This bikeway master plan incorporates the indicated needs that lie within the Energy Corridor District and proposes other links to ensure that the completed system has sufficient continuity and connectivity.
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Figure 7: Land Use and Major Attractors
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BIKEWAY OPTIONS The term bikeway means a street with features to facilitate bicycle travel, or a shared-use path for the exclusive use of bicycles and other non-motorized traffic. On-street bikeway features include lane and shoulder widths, markings, signage, traffic and speed controls, and accommodations at traffic signals.
Bikeway design guides generally define four types of bikeways: shared use paths, signed shoulder bike routes, bicycle (“bike”) lanes, and signed shared roadways. The following sections describe each type and its advantages and disadvantages, as outlined in the Houston-Galveston Area Council’s (H-GAC) Building Better Bikeways planning guide.
Shared Use Path A Shared Use Path (Figure 8) is a path for the exclusive use of non-motorized travelers, separated from motorized traffic. Shared use paths are designed to be used by all types of non-motorized users including bicycles, pedestrians, rollerbladers, wheelchair users and joggers. Shared use paths may be adjacent to roadways behind an impact barrier, separated from the roadway by a landscape buffer, or on independent alignments such as those along Buffalo Bayou or in Barker Reservoir. Shared use paths – especially those on independent alignments – can provide a comfortable experience for less experienced riders who are not accustomed to operating around motor traffic. They can serve as bicycle commuter “freeways” covering long distances with no or few stops or interruptions, and also attract recreational riders. Because paths are separated from roadways, they often require considerable right of way and may have limited access, which is a possible barrier to their implementation and use.
Signed Shoulder Bike Route Signed shoulder bike routes (Figure 9) are located within the shoulder – the portion of the roadway adjacent to the travel lanes, designated for emergency use by motor traffic. In Texas and many other states, roadway shoulders can legally be used by bicyclists and may be signed as bike routes. Striped shoulders are similar to Bike Lanes except for treatments at intersections, on- and off- ramps, major driveways, and the rules governing parking.
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Bicycle Lane or Bike Lane Bicycle lanes, or “Bike lanes” (Figure 10) are striped on-street lanes for the exclusive use of bicyclists. Between intersections they are typically located at the right edge of the roadway, to the left of on-street parking if present. On intersection approaches with right turn only lanes, a bike lane may be placed between those lanes and the rightmost through lane. At intersections where many bicyclists turn left, left turn bike lanes are sometimes used.
Signed Shared Roadway A Signed Shared Roadway (Figure 11) is an on-street bikeway that shares the travel lane with vehicular traffic. Signed shared roadways typically feature outside through travel lanes at least 14 feet wide, a width determined to enable cars and trucks to pass bicycles within the lane with adequate clearance and without either party having to change their line of travel.
Signed Shared Roadways typically incorporate bicycle route guide signage. They may also be optionally marked with Shared Lane Markings (“Sharrows”), a new marking introduced in the 2009 U.S. Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD). Sharrows combine a bicycle icon with two chevron lines, indicated that the lane is for use by both motorized vehicles and bicycles, and indicating to bicyclists how far into the lane they should ride to avoid edge hazards and the driver’s side door zone along parked cars and trucks. While signed shared roadways require relatively minor modifications to existing roadways and are thus cost effective, some less experienced cyclists find sharing a lane uncomfortable compared with travel in a striped bike lane. Wide shared lanes may also encourage motorists to speed, which is also potentially uncomfortable for cyclists.
Bicycle lanes and shared outside lanes adjacent to parallel parked cars should incorporate door zone buffer width so bicyclists can travel safely outside the ‘door zone’ where drivers or left-side passengers may inadvertently open their doors. If a bike lane is located next to parallel parking, at least three feet of clearance should be provided between the fender line of parked vehicles and the right side of the (minimum 4-foot) bicycle travel space.
Recently several U.S. cities have experimented with placing bicycle travel areas at curbside and situating parked cars on the street to the left, with a passenger-side door zone buffer at least three feet wide. Such “parking-buffered on-street bike path” designs have been implemented in New York
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City and Portland, Oregon. These designs are not currently included in the U.S. Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices. They have been shown to reduce bicycle crashes caused by car doors, and they separate cyclists from moving traffic between intersections, which may make less experienced cyclists feel safer. However, these configurations increase potential conflicts with turning traffic at intersections by placing a bicycle through movement on the curb side of a motor vehicle turning movement, unless the bicycle through and vehicular turning movements are assigned separate signal phases.
Figure 8: Shared Use Path
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Figure 9: Signed Shoulder Bike Route
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Figure 10: Bicycle Lane (“Bike Lane”)
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Figure 11: Signed Shared Roadway
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PROPOSED BIKEWAYS, PARKING AND AMENITIES Based on the existing bikeway system, trip generators, and attractors, the bikeway network shown in Figure 12 is proposed. The proposed network creates more east-west connectivity with routes along Buffalo Bayou, Memorial Drive, IH 10, Park Row, and Addicks Dam. More north-south connectivity is proposed along SH 6, Addicks Howell Road, Langham Creek and Eldridge Parkway. These routes will connect bicyclists within the Energy Corridor District to existing routes and to METRO bus lines that serve all of Houston. Encouraging multimodal trips that combine a bicycle trip (on the home and/or work end) with a bus ride increases the area within which cycling to work is a viable option. The proposed bike station at the Addicks Park and Ride would provide storage for home-end or work-end bicycles whose owners use METRO’s express buses between the Energy Corridor District and downtown, Uptown Houston, and the Texas Medical Center.
To increase cyclist comfort and safety, and to encourage new or less experienced riders to commute to work by bicycle at least occasionally, it is recommended that a majority of the new bikeways be shared use paths separated from roadways by green space. The only exceptions are:
Roadway Segment Recommendation North Dairy Ashford Between IH 10 and N. Eldridge Parkway Maintain Bike Lanes or convert to Sharrows Enclave Parkway Between Briar Forest and N. Eldridge Maintain Bike Lanes Parkway Park Row Future Addicks Dam Trail west of Memorial Add Sharrows or Bike Brook, to Terry Hershey North Trail at Park & Lanes Ride Drive Memorial Drive Eldridge Parkway to SH 6 Add Sharrows or Bike Lanes
The prioritized list of projects is summarized in the following table. Detailed descriptions follow.
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Energy Corridor District Bicycle Master Plan – Prioritized Projects
# Project Notes Bicycle Commuter Education and High benefit and low cost for increasing safe use 1 Promotion of existing and new facilities 2 Terry Hershey Park N. Trail Extension STEP project by Harris County Precinct 3 TxDOT/ COH Transportation Enhancement 3 Barker Cypress Shared-Use Trail project connecting Cullen Park to George Bush Park Shared-Use Trail Connecting Cullen Park & Bear Creek Pioneers Patterson/ N. Eldridge Parkway Shared- 4 Park to Terry Hershey Park N. Trail and Addicks Use Trail Dam Trail 5 Grisby Shared-Use Trail Connecting Barker Dam Trail to SH 6 IH 10 North and South Frontage Roads Connecting SH 6 to N. Eldridge Parkway and 6 Shared-Use Paths Terry Hershey Park Trails On south bank of Buffalo Bayou under bridge 7 Eldridge Parkway Underpass connecting Terry Hershey Trail to Eldridge Parkway pedestrian bridge Extend the existing Shared-Use Trail in the 8 Eldridge Parkway Shared-Use Trail Energy Corridor District to connect Buffalo Bayou and Brays Bayou Between SH 6 and Langham Creek connecting Trailville Buffalo Bayou Bicycle/ 9 Fleetwood subdivision to Terry Hershey Park Pedestrian Bridge Trail Connecting Cullen Park and Bear Creek 10 SH 6 Shared-Use Trail Pioneers Park to Park Row Connecting Terry Hersey Park Trail to Memorial 11 Addicks Howell Shared-Use Trail Drive, IH 10 and Energy Corridor Livable Center 12 Turkey Creek Shared-Use Trail Connecting Addicks Dam Trail to IH 10 Frontage Connecting IH 10 and N. Eldridge Parkway to 13 N. Dairy Ashford Shared-Use Trail the Addicks Dam Trail Connecting George Bush Park Trail to Barker 14 Noble Road Trail Dam Trail and Briar Forest bike lanes For home-end or work-end storage of 15 Addicks Park & Ride Bike Station commuter bicycles
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1. Bicycle Commuter Education and Promotion – Begin with education and promotion of commuter bicycling so users will become familiar with the benefits and hazards outlined in the following section.
2. Terry Hershey Park N. Trail Extension (STEP project by Harris County Precinct 3) - The highest priority shared-use path to construct is the Terry Hershey Park North Trail extension. It extends the existing Terry Hershey Park trail under IH 10 to the Addicks Dam along Langham Creek. The project is extended along the base of the dam connecting to the Addicks Park & Ride Lot and the bike lanes on N. Dairy Ashford. This is a Harris County Precinct 3 project using TxDOT STEP funds and a $100,000 contribution from private sources and the Energy Corridor District.
3. Barker-Cypress Shared-Use Trail – TxDOT/COH Transportation Enhancement project connecting Cullen Park, the Alkek Velodrome and the West Houston Medical Center to George Bush Park Shared-Use Trail
4. Patterson/ N. Eldridge Parkway Shared-Use Path (connecting Cullen Park, Bear Creek Park and Addicks Dam Trail to the Terry Hershey Park N. Trail Extension) - From the N. Dairy Ashford/N. Eldridge Parkway intersection, extend the N. Eldridge shared-paths to Bear Creek Park. Use the USACE Addicks Dam maintenance ramps east of N. Eldridge Parkway to get over the dam. North of the dam, the bikeway would require a boardwalk bridge structure over the drainage way, under N. Eldridge Parkway onto the spoil bank east of N. Eldridge Parkway. There will also be a similar connection over the dam using the maintenance ramps on the eastern side continuing behind ConocoPhillips connecting to the Addicks Dam Trail behind Shell Oil at Turkey Creek. Both trails connect and continue northward on the spoil banks to the Bear Creek Park N. Eldridge Parkway / Patterson Road intersection and extend further to the N. Eldridge Parkway / War Memorial Parkway signalized intersection in accordance with the West Houston Trails Master Plan. The Patterson Road intersection would be signalized and improved for pedestrian and bicycle crossings to a new trial on the north side of Patterson Road that would continue to an entrance to Bear Creek Park on the abandoned old Eldridge roadway and westward to the
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existing Farm & Ranch Club Road entrance to Bear Creek Park, the surface parking lot at SH 6 and the signalized crossing at SH 6 connecting to the Cullen Park Trail.
5. Grisby Shared-use Path (connecting the Barker Reservoir Dam Trail to SH 6) Starting at the Barker Dam Trail cross the drainage ditch on the existing culvert and continue eastward behind Diamond Offshore to the south wide of Grisby Road. Continue eastward in a park like setting with connections to the IH 10 hotels to the SH 6 Shared-use lanes.
6. IH 10 North and South Frontage Roads Shared-use Paths (connecting SH 6 to N. Eldridge Parkway) - When the Terry Hershey North Trail connection is made and Harris County Precinct 3 builds a “pigtail” loop from the Langham Creek underpass to the IH 10 north side feeder road sidewalk, the sidewalks along the southern and northern IH 10 frontage roads between Langham Creek and Eldridge Parkway should be widened to meet the criteria of shared-use paths. The existing shared use trail on the south side of the IH 10 eastbound frontage road would also be extended to SH 6 and connections made to the Grisby Shared-use Trail. When the Energy Corridor District Livable Center at Addicks Park & Ride Lot is implemented, a shared-use trail on the northern side of the westbound IH 10 frontage Road would be constructed extending the connection from the Terry Hershey North Trail pigtail to the west and onward to the SH 6 shared-use trails.
7. Eldridge Parkway Underpass (on the south bank of Buffalo Bayou connecting the Terry Hershey Trail to West Houston Trail under the bridge) - On the south side of Buffalo Bayou between Memorial Drive and Enclave Parkway, construct 300’ of trail under the Eldridge Parkway bridge to connect the Terry Hershey trail, the shared-use trail on the west side of Eldridge Parkway and the new City of Houston West Houston Trail and pedestrian bridge on the east side of Eldridge Parkway.
8. Eldridge Parkway Shared-use Path (connecting Buffalo and Brays Bayous) - Continue the extension of the Eldridge Parkway shared-use trails southward from Buffalo Bayou on Eldridge Parkway to Brays Bayou
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9. Trailville Buffalo Bayou Bicycle/Pedestrian Bridge (Connecting Fleetwood to the Terry Hershey Trail on the west side of Langham Creek) - A new hike and bike bridge would connect neighborhoods north and south of Buffalo Bayou to Terry Hershey Park Trails.
10. SH 6 Shared-use Path (connecting Cullen and Bear Creek Parks to Park Row) This would be similar to the N. Eldridge parkway shared use path.
11. Addicks Howell Shared-use Path (connecting Terry Hersey Park Trail to Memorial Drive, IH 10 and Energy Corridor Livable Center) - Connect the shared-use lanes proposed along Memorial northward to Grisby and the IH 10 frontage road along Addicks Howell. These routes expand mobility to Wolfe Elementary School, restaurants and retail along Grisby, the businesses within Westlake Park and the future Energy Corridor Livable Center at the Addicks Park & Ride Lot. Also transform Addicks Howell south of Memorial Drive to be an exclusive hike and bike trail with several neighborhood pedestrian/bike gateways to Fleetwood. A new hike and bike bridge would extend over Buffalo Bayou connecting to the Terry Hershey Trails.
12. Turkey Creek Shared-Use Path (connecting the Addicks Dam Trail to the IH 10 frontage road) - Build a 540’ trail on the west side of Turkey Creek connecting the Addicks Dam Trail at N. Dairy Ashford to the sidewalks on the north side of the IH 10 frontage road. This will provide an alternative to the Dairy-Ashford bike lanes for east west travel destined for the Terry Hershey and Eldridge Parkway Trails from the Addicks Dam Trail.
13. N. Dairy Ashford Shared-Use Path (between IH 10 and N. Eldridge Parkway) - Replacing the bike lanes along N. Dairy Ashford between IH 10 and N. Eldridge Parkway with a multi- use path should be assigned the lowest priority.
14. Noble Road Trail (connecting the George Bush Trail to the Barker Dam Trail and the Briar Forest bike lanes) - Connect the George Bush Trail within Barker Reservoir to the Briar Forest bike lanes and the Barker Dam Trail roughly following the old Noble Road alignment . This will most likely be a natural surface trail and portions could be an all-weather surface trail where approved by the USACE.
Energy Corridor District Bicycle Master Plan Page 28
15. Addicks Park & Ride Bike Station – METRO is willing to entertain proposals for the reuse of the 1980’s Greyhound Bus Depot at the Addicks Park & Ride Lot as a multi-modal transportation center for the convenience of cyclists and bus transit patrons. When the trails are built leading to the Addicks Park & Ride Lot, a Bike Station would provide secure bicycle parking for commuters destined to the Energy Corridor District on the 75 Connector. It would also provide a wayside stop for downtown, Texas Medical Center and Uptown transit commuters.
These links and parking amenities will improve bicyclist access into the Energy Corridor District from the north, west and south, where there are many potential commuters. All bikeways should be designed and constructed in accordance with local and state laws.
It is recommended that implementation begin with education and promotion of commuter bicycling so users will become familiar with the benefits and hazards outlined later in the report. Education, promotion and outreach provide the most benefit and affect the most people for the least amount of money, and can help to ensure that new bikeways are well used.
Energy Corridor District Bicycle Master Plan Page 29
Figure 12: Proposed Routes
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LIVABLE CENTER STUDY DRAFT RECOMMENDATIONS Because the Energy Corridor District Livable Center Planning Study has not been finalized at this writing; therefore, its draft recommendations are described here rather than in the preceding Proposed Bikeways, Parking and Amenities section.
The Study’s goals for bicycle and pedestrian connectivity are as follows:
Goal Rationale 1 Provide fine-grained bicycle and Such connectivity is part of a Livable Center pedestrian connectivity to and within all new development parcels 2 Create a north-south bikeway a) Would complete the off-street bikeway network connecting Addicks Dam to Terry west and south of the Energy Corridor Hershey Trail, comfortable for users of b) Would connect families in the Barker’s Landing and all abilities Fleetwood subdivisions, and possibly subdivisions south of Buffalo Bayou, to the Livable Center north of Grisby Road 3 Provide two-way bicycle connectivity It is unreasonable to expect bicyclists to proceed along IH 10 frontage roads one-way on or along the IH 10 frontage roads to the next interchange in order to turn around and reach destinations on the other side of the freeway 4 Exploit opportunities to maximize The “wall of backyards” defining the perimeter of bicycle and pedestrian connectivity into many subdivisions forces bicyclists and pedestrians and through subdivisions out onto major streets. The subdivisions north and south of Buffalo Bayou are currently cut off from each other, forcing north- south bicyclists out onto SH 6 or Eldridge Parkway. 5 Provide fine-grained crossings of IH 10 It is impractical for bicyclists and pedestrians with between SH 6 and Eldridge Parkway. origins and destinations between SH 6 and Eldridge to travel to and from those major streets for all such trips.
The following Table, Proposed Connectivity Improvements, lists several types of bikeway segments and other connections deemed to be important for bicycle and pedestrian access to the Livable Center. Items in the table are keyed to items depicted in Figure 13, each of which is described in detailed following the figure.
Energy Corridor District Bicycle Master Plan Page 31
Livable Center Plan – Proposed Bicycle Connectivity Improvements
1. Shared use paths a) Completion of path along foot of Addicks Dam between SH 6 and Eldridge, including spurs to Park Row at Park and Ride Drive, and to the existing IH10 under-crossing west of Eldridge. Currently planned by Harris County. b) Two-way paths along both of IH 10’s one-way frontage roads (widen existing sidewalks to 12’ for shared use) c) Additional north-south spurs connecting Addicks Dam trail and IH 10 north frontage road to Park Row, through and along future development parcels d) Connection between Park Row and Grisby Road on the existing Park and Ride Drive axis. A pedestrian / bicycle / transit bridge over IH 10 would include shops and gathering places. e) Along Addicks-Howell Road between Grisby Road and Buffalo Bayou / Terry Hershey Trail, including conversion of street south of Memorial, and a gap closure south of it. This would connect the Barkers Landing and Fleetwood neighborhoods to the Livable Center. f) Along the east side of the channel at the foot of Barker Reservoir, between the west end of Grisby Road and Briar Forest Parkway, accessing the back sides of SH 6 businesses. g) Along Memorial Drive between Addicks Howell Road and SH 6, extending west between a parcel boundary to the Barker Reservoir trail. h) Trailville Drive across Buffalo Bayou, with south-side connection to Terry Hershey Trail i) East-west utility easement corridor midway between IH 10 and Park Row, extending from Park Row just west of SH 6 (current Sam’s Club driveway), to Park Ten Boulevard and potentially west to Barker Cypress Road. This would provide an alternative to Park Row. 2. Neighborhood-perimeter “shortcuts” (walk/bike-only connections) a) Barker’s Landing subdivision to Grisby Road via Captain’s Walk b) Barker’s Landing subdivision to Grisby Road via Whitewater Lane c) Barker’s Landing subdivision to Gracie Lane d) Fleetwood North to Addicks Howell Road path via Fleetwood Oaks Drive (existing) e) Fleetwood south subdivision to Addicks Howell Road path via Fleetwood Place Drive f) Fleetwood south subdivision to Addicks Howell Road path via Crossroads Drive 3. Bike lanes a) Park Row between Eldridge Parkway and SH 6, possibly west to Barker Cypress b) Memorial Drive between SH 6 and Eldridge Parkway. c) SH6 between Buffalo Bayou and Grisby Road. d) On future bridge connecting Westlake Park Drive over IH 10 to Park Row. 4. Shared roadways a) New internal streets in development replacing Addicks Park and Ride Lot b) Park Row west of SH 6 (if bike lanes will not fit)
Energy Corridor District Bicycle Master Plan Page 32
Figure 13: Livable Center Proposed Bicycle Connections
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1. Shared Use Paths a. Addicks Dam path
The south perimeter of Addicks Dam features an unpaved road (“Addicks Dam Road”) atop the dam and a paved path on the toe of the dam. However, the paved path currently begins at Dairy Ashford Road midway between Eldridge Parkway and Dairy Ashford’s signal on the IH 10 westbound frontage road. A planned Harris County project would add a paved path along the toe of the dam west to SH 6 and beyond, connecting across or under Eldridge Parkway. This would provide a bicycle expressway from points east of Addicks Dam. Along with spur connections to Park Row and the IH 10 westbound frontage road path, this would offer a direct and pleasant alternative to bicycling on Park Row. b. Two-way paths along both of IH 10’s one-way frontage roads
IH 10 includes one-way frontage roads – westbound on the north side and eastbound on the south side. A portion on the south side between SH 6 and Eldridge Parkway currently has an 8-foot-wide outboard sidewalks set back behind a planting strip or pavers. It is proposed to widen both frontage road sidewalks to 12 feet, to support shared use by bicyclists and pedestrians. These paths would connect to internal service streets of future development. Access control should be employed to minimize the number of driveways crossed by these paths. The provision of internal service streets can minimize the need for driveways on the frontage road. c. North-south spurs connecting Park Row to Addicks Dam trail and IH 10 frontage
Frequent path or minor-street connections between Park Row, the Addicks Dam path, and the IH 10 frontage road path will provide direct access for bicyclists and pedestrians, minimizing out-of- direction travel. Alignments of these streets should be required in development plans. d. IH 10 bridge connecting Park Row and Grisby Road
The Livable Center concept includes a bridge over IH 10 as the focal point for development on both sides of the freeway. The bridge is proposed to be located approximately midway between SH 6 and the T-bridge that connects the Park and Ride lot to the freeway’s express/toll lanes. The required vertical clearance above freeway features is minimized at that point, which roughly aligns with the existing Park and Ride Drive.
Energy Corridor District Bicycle Master Plan Page 34
The Livable Center Study envisions this bridge as a “shopping street” above the freeway, with two wide sidewalks flanking a narrow street shared by bicycles and local circulator buses, plus service vehicles at off-hours. Small shops would front on the sidewalks, seamlessly continuing the retail, hotel and office developments to the north and south. Historical references include the Ponte Vecchio in Florence, Italy and the Pulteney Bridge in Bath, England.
Figure 14: On the Pulteney Bridge over the River Avon in Bath, England e. Along Addicks Howell Road between Grisby Road and Buffalo Bayou
With a bridge added across IH 10 at the west side of the Livable Center, a high quality bicycle connection along the west edges of the Barker’s Landing and Fleetwood subdivisions will be important in conveying prospective bicycle commuters and nearby residents to Livable Center destinations. Addicks Howell Road has a narrow existing sidewalk along its west side and a wide (14’+) drainage swale along its east side. Converting the swale to underground drainage and adding a path atop it would connect Buffalo Bayou to Grisby Road for bicyclists and pedestrians.
The segment of Addicks Howell Road that connects Memorial Drive southward to SH 6 is not needed for motor vehicles, which can access SH 6 at the Memorial Drive signal. Converting this segment to a path, extending the path to the north side of Buffalo Bayou, and bridging the Bayou to connect to Briarhills Parkway would provide a first-class bicycle commute route and family-friendly recreational connection between neighborhoods south of Buffalo Bayou, and the Livable Center, including Addicks Dam via the proposed new IH 10 bridge. Spurs would connect this new path spine across SH 6 to the Barker Dam path network.
Energy Corridor District Bicycle Master Plan Page 35
f. Along east side of Barker Reservoir channel (and south side of Grisby)
The Barker Dam features an unpaved road atop the dam and a paved path on the toe of the dam. A drainage channel lies between the toe of the dam and the back side of commercial uses along SH 6 to the east and Grisby Road to the north. Currently most of those uses on SH 6 are not especially attractive as neighborhood destinations for Barker’s Landing, Fleetwood, and subdivisions to the south. A “Complete Street” treatment of the SH 6 corridor could include converting the highway’s existing shoulders to bike lanes and adding conventional sidewalks. However, a back-side path connection would provide an alternative for traffic-averse bicyclists, including families, who do not wish to use the bike lanes along this busy route. Alternatively the back-side connection could be a bicycle-friendly service street similar to the segment of Grisby Road west of SH 6 that serves the back side of several hotels.
One or more minor pedestrian-bicycle bridges would connect this east-side path or street to the main west-of-channel path that runs around the back of Barker Reservoir west to Katy. g. Along Memorial Drive from Addicks Howell Road to and beyond SH 6
If a path is added along Addicks Howell Road (item 1e above), it would be useful to provide a spur path to connect it along Memorial Drive to the SH 6 signal, and continue west of SH 6 to connect to the east-of-channel path or service road (item 1f above). This spur path would cross SH 6 on the north or south crosswalk alignment. h. Trailville Drive across Buffalo Bayou
Approximately midway between SH 6 and Eldridge Parkway, Trailville Drive dead-ends near the north and south banks of Buffalo Bayou, with no house lots at the street ends. Adding a pedestrian- bicycle bridge and path segments to connect the street across the Bayou and to Terry Hershey Trail on the south side would create a key north-south bicycle and pedestrian connectivity improvement for the entire western half of the Energy Corridor – the only alternative to SH 6 and Eldridge between those roadways. The north segment of Trailville connects to the Memorial Drive / Crossroads Drive signal via Ivy Wall Drive and Walkwood Drive. The south segment connects to Briarhills Parkway (to SH 6) and Enclave Parkway (to Eldridge Parkway) via Coachlight Drive. This north-south link would enable commute and recreational trips from as far south as Briar Forest Drive or beyond, and would connect north-of-Bayou subdivisions with four schools and the commercial/office areas along Eldridge near Briar Forest.
Energy Corridor District Bicycle Master Plan Page 36
a) North of Bayou (near Silvergate Drive) b) South of Bayou (near Coachlight Drive)
Figure 15: Trailville Drive Endpoints – Potential Buffalo Bayou Crossing i. Pipeline easement between IH 10 and Park Row west of SH 6
A wide pipeline easement runs east-west midway between IH 10 and Park Row, from Park Row just west of SH6 (at the current Sam’s Club driveway) to Park Ten Boulevard and potentially west to Barker Cypress Road. It is clear except for landscaping and one building. Adding a path on this easement would provide a bicycle/pedestrian alternative to Park Row, and would also creating a strolling path for lunchtime and after-work use by employees of nearby workplaces. A trail head park should be developed at the confluence point on Park Row near Sam’s Club.
a) Memorial Brook Blvd facing east b) West of Memorial Brook Blvd
Figure 16: Pipeline Easement West of SH 6
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2. Neighborhood perimeter “shortcuts” (walk/bike-only connections)
The subdivisions between Grisby Road and Buffalo Bayou are mostly disconnected from the surrounding street network, and subdivisions along the north side of Buffalo Bayou have no connections to those on the south side, or to the Terry Hershey Trail. This lack of fine-grained connectivity handicaps bicycle and pedestrian circulation by substantially increasing trip distances and forcing users to travel on high-traffic streets. However, the Fleetwood North neighborhood has one best-practice pedestrian access point where a street terminates at the subdivision wall without a house lot in the way (Figure 17). There are six similar opportunities for significant “shortcuts” like this around the Barker’s Landing and Fleetwood subdivisions. In addition, two Buffalo Bayou access points have a fortuitous alignment for a potential north-south connection.
Inside (Fleetwood Place Drive) Outside (Addicks Howell Road)
Figure 17: Neighborhood Access Point: Fleetwood Place Drive
Shortcut 2(d) exists. Shortcuts 2(a) through 2(c) would be useful immediately as pedestrian and bicycle commute routes to BP and other workplaces in the Westlake complex. Shortcuts 2(e) and 2(f) would become useful when the Addicks Howell Road path (item 1(e)) was implemented. a. Barker’s Landing subdivision to Grisby Road via Captain’s Walk
Captain’s Walk is a short dead-end street that meets the north (Grisby Road) wall of the Barker’s Landing subdivision about 300’ west of Helios Way. If an access point similar to the one shown in Figure 1.4 was created, residents could walk and bicycle to the BP complex, the Post Office, restaurants and shops in Leticia Village to the west, and to the proposed bridge over IH 10.
Energy Corridor District Bicycle Master Plan Page 38
b. Barker’s Landing subdivision to Grisby Road via Whitewater Lane
Whitewater Lane parallels Grisby Road near the northeast corner of the Barker’s Landing subdivision. The subdivision’s only vacant (unbuilt) house lot is located on the north side of the street directly opposite BP’s large surface parking lot about 300’ west of Westlake Club Drive. If an access point similar to the one shown in Figure 17 were created, residents could walk and bicycle to the BP complex and the ExxonMobil complex without having to use Memorial Drive. c. Barker’s Landing subdivision to Gracie Lane
The east wall of the Barker’s Landing subdivision runs along Westlake Club Drive (north-south) and Gracie Lane (east-west). The BP complex’s child care center is located on Gracie Lane near its corner with Westlake Club Drive. Within the adjacent subdivision, East Fair Harbor Lane parallels Westlake Club Drive and an unnamed street parallels Gracie Lane, the latter street approaching the neighborhood wall at the west and east ends of the BP child care center building. If an access point similar to the one shown in Figure 17 was created, residents could walk and bicycle to the BP complex without having to use Memorial Drive. d. Fleetwood North subdivision to Addicks Howell Road (existing)
The access point shown in Figure 17 is located where Fleetwood Oaks Drive meets the neighborhood wall along Addicks Howell Road. e. Fleetwood south subdivision to Addicks Howell Road via Fleetwood Place Drive
The west wall of the Fleetwood south subdivision runs along Addicks Howell Road south of Memorial Drive. If the path described in 1(e) was implemented along Addicks Howell Road, the neighborhood might want to create an access point similar to the one shown in Figure 17. This would enable pedestrians and bicyclists to reach the Terry Hershey Trail, the school near Grisby Road, Leticia Village restaurants and shops, the Post Office, and the proposed bridge over IH 10. f. Fleetwood North subdivision to Addicks Howell Road via Crossroads Drive
This access point opportunity is similar to 2(e) with the same advantages plus closer proximity to the Terry Hershey Trail. However, because of its proximity to SH 6, Fleetwood south residents indicated that a barrier along SH 6 might be needed to make it attractive to the community.
Energy Corridor District Bicycle Master Plan Page 39
3. Bike lanes a. Park Row
Especially when it is extended to connect to Dairy Ashford Road, the preferred bicycle accommodation on Park Row is bike lanes. There are no bike lanes on the existing segments of the street, and current lane widths typically do not allow for bike lanes even with reductions in travel lane width. However, the street’s landscaped median is wider than the minimum needed for left turn pockets with narrow islands, and could potentially be narrowed. In addition, Park Row west of SH 6 has three travel lanes in each direction. It is suggested that a traffic analysis be done to determine whether the third lane is needed, except perhaps at intersections. b. Memorial Drive between SH 6 and Eldridge Parkway
Especially if shortcuts 2(a) - 2(f) and the Addicks Howell path [1(e)] are implemented, bike lanes are the preferred bicycle accommodation for utility bicyclists on Memorial Drive. The street currently has two travel lanes in each direction, a largely-unused center turn lane, no shoulders or sidewalks, and drainage swales. It is suggested that a traffic analysis determine whether (a) the center lane can be eliminated except at intersections, and (b) whether both travel lanes are needed in both directions. The results could free up width for a sidewalk along at least one side, and for bike lanes, possibly without the need to bury drainage and take width from either swale. c. SH 6 between Buffalo Bayou (Briarhills Parkway signal) and Grisby Road
South of its flyover of IH 10, SH 6 has wide shoulders that could easily be converted into bike lanes with striping modifications at and approaching driveways. However, a “Complete Street” upgrade of this segment of SH 6 should include a sidewalk (5’ minimum) on both sides. d. Westlake Park Drive over IH 10
The Livable Center Study identifies the need for an additional bridge over IH 10 independent of its proposed bridge near Grisby Road. The logical location is at Westlake Park Boulevard, which has a signal at Memorial Drive. The bridge should incorporate sidewalks and bike lanes.
Energy Corridor District Bicycle Master Plan Page 40
4. Shared roadways a. New internal streets in development replacing Addicks Park and Ride lot
All new internal streets created within the redevelopment and new development areas would be designed to be pedestrian and bicycle friendly, with sidewalks on both sides and either slow traffic speeds compatible with shared use by bicycles, or bike lanes where applicable. b. Park Row west of SH 6 (if bike lanes will not fit)
Bike lanes are the preferred bicycle accommodation on Park Row, but on the 3-lane segment west of SH 6 if all three lanes are needed for capacity this may require narrowing the median – an expensive change. An interim improvement could be to shift lane width to the outside lane and add Shared Lane Markings (“sharrows”). This segment currently has three 11-foot lanes each way. An alternate striping would be 10.5 | 10.0 | 12.5, however 12.5 is less than the 14’ required for safe passing within the lane, so passing would still use all or part of the adjacent lane.
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EDUCATION, PROMOTION AND OUTREACH
INTRODUCTION Of the six “Es” described at the beginning of this Plan, this chapter covers Education and Encouragement. Both are especially important for creating and sustaining a transportation bicycling culture. Some education and encouragement approaches involve a third “E”, Enforcement, because educated bicyclists know applicable traffic law, and informed police officers and private security staff understand its details, enforce it accurately, and model it correctly when on bicycles. Some education uses enforcement channels, for example police-produced videos, handouts for “warning stops,” and “diversion” classes for bicyclist and motorist violators. This chapter does not cover crash records or enforcement statistics.
Many education and encouragement approaches enable a fourth “E”, Evaluation, because they provide opportunities to tabulate and analyze behavior change in bicycling and would-be cyclist populations. This chapter does not have separate sections for each of these four “Es”; instead, they are described where relevant in each of the following sections:
Section Description Introduction Overview (this section) Elements of A framework for understanding: programs audiences to be reached; messages (information and calls to action) relevant to each; channels and settings – the ways that messages arrive; and presenters qualified to deliver the messages. Existing programs Past and present education and encouragement programs within the Energy Corridor District and its commute area, including corporate initiatives, multi-company and agency events, plus websites, email lists, and response forms Lists of certified cycling instructors, bicycle clubs, bicycling groups, and bicycle shops local to the Energy Corridor District Available programs Applicable education and encouragement programs and resources from elsewhere Recommendations Recommended programs
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ELEMENTS OF PROGRAMS Before describing the existing and desirable education and encouragement programs and the resources available to deliver and sustain them, it is useful to define the elements that make up such programs.
Element Description Audience The individuals or roles to be reached. For children, this directly or indirectly includes the parents. Message The information or call-to-action to be communicated. Audiences, and audience members, vary in their readiness to absorb various messages. Channel The organization, agency or interpersonal context through which the message is delivered. May be formal or informal. Setting The physical or technology-mediated space in which the message is received. May have constraints based on availability, weather, work and non-work issues. Presenter Except for self-teaching materials, the person(s) who deliver the message -- whether live or recorded, in-person or online – and their roles and applicable training.
The following tables list relevant examples; these are not intended to be exhaustive.
Audiences (examples)
Audience Description a) Bicycle commuters Employees who bicycle between home and work b) Prospective bicycle Employees who may be interested in bicycling between home and commuters work Employees who may be interested in bicycle commuting, but whose distance is prohibitive for round-trips, at least until they build c) Prospective endurance. bike-carpoolers Those wishing to bike one way to avoid showering and dressing at work. d) Work-based Employees who use a work-based bicycle for recreation before work, recreational at lunchtime, or after work. bicyclists Employees living within two miles of their Energy Corridor District e) Local non-bicycling workplaces who do not currently use a bicycle for commuting or employees work-based recreation. Target market for new bicycle commuters and for bicycling programs oriented toward the local community. f) Carpoolers (current Employees who currently use carpools, or who live within the and prospective) distance range deemed workable for carpooling. Energy Corridor District Bicycle Master Plan Page 43
g) Vanpoolers (current Employees who currently use vanpools, or who live within the service and prospective) areas of existing or potential vanpools. Employees who use transit for their commute, combined with a h) Transit + bike bicycle on the home end, work end, or both. Includes prospective commuters users of the bicycle storage facility proposed for the Addicks Park- and-Ride facility. i) Motorist employees Employees who identify as motorists (solo commuters)
Messages (examples)
Messages Primary audience(s) Street cycling safety education Information on types of bicycle facilities (bike lanes, etc.) Short workshops for commuters on safety, lighting, clothing, cargo carrying, etc. Tips on issues and conveniences Group identity-building efforts including news about other commuters and their solutions Bicycle commuters News about new and improved route segments and intersections and prospective Maps and descriptions of suggested routes from key origin areas bicycle commuters District bicycling resource website “Bike buddy” mentor program Map of local routes, bicycle shops Maps and descriptions of suggested routes from key origin areas Information about bicycling classes Information about Addicks Park & Ride bike station Information on how to arrange a “bike-carpool” – a partnership between a Bicycle commuters motorist with a bike rack-equipped vehicle and a bicyclist who lives within and motorists easy bike range of the motorist. Information about bike racks on vanpool vehicles, locations where bicyclists Bicycle commuters can meet vanpools, etc. and vanpoolers Road-sharing (coexistence) promotions Bicyclists and Information about bicycle-related markings (such as shared lane markings) motorists and signage
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Channels (examples)
Channel Energy Corridor District (ECD) website Opt-in email list for bike commuting announcements and requests (non-discussion) Opt-in email list or blog or forums for bicycle commuting discussion Company wellness programs: Workplace facilities, events and newsletters Company commute programs: Workplace facilities, events and newsletters Workplace oriented events (multi-company): Transportation fairs, Wellness fairs “Push” email from ECD through company programs Bike shop literature racks (flyers, brochures) BikeHouston website and electronic channels New-resident packets distributed at ECD apartments and condominiums
Settings (examples)
Setting Description Need bike? Workplace / individual Employee’s personal office or desk Workplace / group Conference room or auditorium Workplace / field Outdoor without a bicycle, e.g. on a facilities tour No Classroom May or may not be at a workplace Computer – offline Computer, without an internet connection Computer – online Computer, with an internet connection Workstand / work area Home or bike shop (for maintenance class) Paved area suitable for bicycle skills practice: Off-street practice area parking lot, schoolyard, courtyard, plaza A public or private street or intersection on which Access-controlled street motor vehicles are controlled or limited during or intersection Yes practice Public streets Normal streets with everyday traffic Path Paved off-street corridor, a.k.a. “paved trail” Unpaved path Unpaved path, trail, or fire/maintenance road
Some courses use multiple settings – for example, the League of American Bicyclists (LAB) Traffic Skills 101 course uses a classroom, an off-street practice area, and public streets. It may use an access-controlled street or intersection if available.
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Presenters (examples)
Presenter Description Bicycle driver education instructor certified through the League of American Bicyclists (LAB) Smart Cycling program. League Cycling Instructor (LCI) See list of ECD-area LCIs in the Current Programs and Resources section. Bike shop staff or volunteer trained to deliver off-street adult or Skills Instructor (SI) youth bicycle skills clinics through LAB’s “Bicycling 1-2-3” program Volunteer trained to deliver off-street youth bicycle rodeos Youth Instructor (YI) through LAB’s “Bicycling 1-2-3” program Experienced commuter bicyclist who assists new bike Bike Buddy commuters by accompanying and advising them on their route Experienced commuter bicyclist who assists a group of new Commute Convoy leader commuters by leading and advising them on a route Bicycle mechanic Professional or amateur trained in bike maintenance Workplace or corporate staff responsible for creating and Transportation coordinator coordinating employee transportation programs and incentives Staff of a corporate or agency wellness program, trained in Wellness program staff health and possibly fitness programs and incentives Workplace staff responsible for facilities or security Facilities staff, Security staff respectively Police Officer Sworn police officer, sheriff, or deputy Sworn police officer or sheriff deputy trained in the operation of a bicycle as an enforcement vehicle, typically through the Bicycle Patrol Officer IPMBA (International Police Mountain Bike Association) program
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EXISTING PROGRAMS This section describes existing education, outreach and incentive programs within the Energy Corridor District or serving its workers. These include:
Single employer-based programs Volunteer and non-governmental programs Agency programs, including Energy Corridor District programs Other programs and resources
Single employer-based programs Several of the Energy Corridor District’s large employers provide amenities for their bicyclists, and some have policies for bicycle use on their campuses. The District interacts with “bicycle resource persons” employed at several of these firms, most of whom are volunteers whose job description does not include bicycle promotion. One particular employee, BP’s Keith Mouton, has been instrumental in fostering a multi-employer commuter bicycling community over the past decade, and starting some programs now delivered by Energy Corridor District staff.
Shell Information provided by Gregg Nady
Shell operates two facilities in the Energy Corridor District: Woodcreek (WCK) at I-10 & Dairy-Ashford, and Westhollow Research Center at Hwy 6 & Richmond. Both have shower and changing facilities.
Shell currently has no bicycle commuting programs or incentives. Gregg estimates 10-12 daily bicycle commuters at WCK and about 5 at Westhollow. He believes bicycle commuting has increased in recent years with the Bush Park to Terry Hershey Park trail connection (of which Shell was the main sponsor) and the Langham Creek improvements under IH 10 including safe access on north side of the freeway.
Energy Corridor District Bicycle Master Plan Page 47
Citgo Information provided by Leigh Severin, Environmental Analyst
Citgo currently has no bicycling incentive. Car parking is free. Some employees bike to work a few days a week. The workplace has showers. Respondent believes most employees do not bike due to time and distance. Citgo’s wellness site has commute alternatives information.
Bike racks are provided in the parking lot and are currently sufficient for the number of bicycle commuters. If more employees bicycled to work additional bike racks would be needed.
Leigh Severin coordinated Citgo’s 2009 Bike To Work event, held on May 14, 2009. Citgo formed a team of 12 riders that rode from their respective homes to Terry Hershey Park Gazebo with Clark Martinson and several other riders, and then on to Citgo Headquarters. These riders were also part of the Citgo’s MS 150 team.
Most Bike To Work Day commuters from outside the Energy Corridor District area live in Katy, the Spring Branch/Memorial Area or Northwest Houston. Most riders stated that they preferred to ride in the fall and spring when the weather was more tolerable than summer. Some expressed concern about riding part way in the dark during spring and summer. Many employees work 9-hour days (10 hours including lunch).
Many ride the trails around Citgo during lunch or after work. Some commuters transport bicycles to work on their cars, which probably indicates that they ride during lunch or after work.
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ExxonMobil Information provided by Howard Sears
ExxonMobil has no bicycling incentives other than bike racks in the parking garage, and clothing lockers and showers in the workplace. Many vanpool commuters originate in Clear Lake. ExxonMobil’s campus is located on the Terry Hershey Trail. However, its west gate (at the intersection of Grisby Road and Amoco Drive) is kept locked, preventing through access to BP’s WestLake campus.
BP (WestLake campus) Information and photos provided by Keith Mouton
BP’s WestLake campus includes major buildings WL-1, WL-2, WL-3 and WL-4 and surrounding commercial property bounded by (east) BP Way, (north) I-10, (south) Memorial Drive and (west) post office on Addicks Howell Road.
BP’s WL Campus Bicycle Safety Procedure provides a plan for the safe operation of bicycles at the WestLake Campus and identifies the requirements that apply to their use. This procedure addresses recommendations to meet Element 3 (People, Training, and Behaviors) of BP’s Getting HSSE Right. HSSE is BP’s Health, Safety, Security and Environment program.
WestLake employees and contractors are required to obey traffic law, follow the WL Campus Bicycle Safety Procedure, and report all bicycle-involved collisions. Bicycles are prohibited from WL campus sidewalks per City of Houston ordinance. All bicycles must be parked and locked in designated bike racks in WL-1, WL-2/3, WL-4 or Enclave Garages. Helmets must be worn while operating in the garages.
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Bike racks in car parking garage Separate bicycle entrance and circulation
Accessory storage lockers Work stand and floor pump
Figure 18: Commuter Bicycle Facility at BP WestLake Parking Garage
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ConocoPhillips Information provided by Steve Moskowitz, LCI
As shown in Figure 5, the ConocoPhillips campus occupies the northeast corner of Eldridge Parkway / Dairy Ashford, just south of Addicks Dam and immediately adjacent to a Shell campus.
Mr. Moskowitz said that a core group of riders commutes by bicycle year round. Approximately 30 employees rode to work on Bike To Work day 2009 and 10 to 15 others rode during the week but not on the specific day. The company does not currently compile detailed statistics on overall bicycle commuting but anticipates beginning this in 2010. This will be a self-reporting system to understand the overall level of activity and to identify trends and opportunities for growth and improvement.
ConocoPhillips has three important amenities for bicycle commuters:
Covered and secure spots for 40 bicycles A fitness facility with showers and lockers, open to all employees at no charge An active bike club, http://www.conocophillipsbikeclub.org, which leverages its annual MS 150 Houston-to-Austin charity ride training efforts into a year-round group
Mr. Moskowitz said that Bike To Work Week (mid-May) is well timed because it comes on the heels of the MS 150 bike ride to Austin, when interest in bicycling is high but daytime temperatures are not yet daunting. Participation in the company bike club grows dramatically between January and April when riders are training for the annual ride. Off-season events and news help to maintain interest throughout the year. Some small but avid employee groups do lunch time road rides at Bear Creek Park, two miles from the campus, and another group does occasional mountain bike rides along the trail along the south side of Buffalo Bayou.
ConocoPhillips has leveraged the interest generated by the Energy Corridor District’s orientation sessions for new riders interested in commuting, and is evaluating adding its own internal orientation sessions for 2010.
Because of the company’s campus location, the nearby Addicks Dam Trail and bicycle accommodations on Dairy Ashford and Eldridge connecting across IH 10 are of considerable value to its bicycle commuters. ConocoPhillips appreciates that there are several independent efforts Energy Corridor District Bicycle Master Plan Page 51
underway to develop hike-and-bike trails within its commute-shed, such as master plans for new communities to the west, and the Harris County’s development of trails through the large parks in the western county. Mr. Moskowitz said that the Energy Corridor District had been instrumental in creating an area-wide strategic plan that prioritizes opportunities for trail linkage. He believes that if just a few of the high ranking projects in this relatively new effort are implemented, it will have a huge impact on the ability to safely commute from the largest population centers to the ConocoPhillips campus.
Volunteer and non-governmental programs
League of American Bicyclists (LAB) Information from LAB website
Bicycle driver education classes for adults, driving-age teens, and youths are offered nationwide through the Smart Cycling program created by the League of American Bicyclists (LAB, www.bikeleague.org) and delivered by nationally certified League Cycling Instructors (LCIs). Smart Cycling was until recently named BikeEd. It evolved from the Effective Cycling program created by LAB’s mid-1970’s president, John Forester, author of the seminal book by that name.
LAB’s core street cycling class for adults and driving-age teens is called Traffic Skills 101 (a.k.a. “TS 101”), formerly “Road One” under the previous “BikeEd” brand. LCIs are free to use other names for their classes but are encouraged to indicate whether a class satisfies the requirements of TS 101, because this class is also the pathway to LCI candidacy for students so inclined.
TS 101 includes 4 to 5 classroom hours (presentation and discussion) and 5 to 6 on-bike hours (off- street practice and on-street rides). LAB’s Group Riding Skills Clinic is a short-format parking-lot workshop that prepares bicyclists for mass start rides such as Houston’s popular MS 150 event. Smart Cycling also includes classes and brief seminars for parents and children. LCIs may teach all LAB classes in their full length, and may also teach short courses that follow LAB’s “Need To Know” lists for the respective full courses. LCIs and their class facilities are covered by LAB’s insurance when LCIs teach conforming courses and subset courses.
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LAB’s website search feature found many LCIs within 15 miles of the Energy Corridor District office’s zip code, 77079; these are listed on the next page. The list includes Energy Corridor District General Manager Clark Martinson, City of Houston Bicycle-Pedestrian Coordinator Dan Raine, BikeHouston education contact Peter Wang, and BP WestLake employee (and B.I.K.E. founder) Keith Mouton, Steve Moskowitz of Conoco Phillips, and Ryan Terry and Tom Tirado of Bicycle World and Fitness. Several other LCIs within this search result have email addresses that indicate employment at energy-related companies such as Marathon Oil, FMC Technologies, Parker Drilling and Aker Solutions.
In September 2009 LAB, in partnership with the National Bicycle Dealers Association (NBDA), unveiled Bicycling 1-2-3!, Smart Cycling’s new entry-level off-street skills workshops for new adult and youth bicyclists, designed to be taught by two new basic instructor types certified at 2- or 4- hour workshops taught by LAB-designated “Master” LCIs. The idea is to qualify bike shop staff and community volunteers to lead off-street practice that builds skills used in street riding.
Instructor type Description Bike shop staff or volunteer trained to deliver off-street adult bicycle skills clinics using LAB’s “Bicycling 1-2-3” activity layouts and materials. Skills Instructor (SI) Certification: 4 hours total. 2-hour “Youth Instructor” workshop plus two additional hours covering training of adults, including adults who have never balanced a bicycle. Volunteer trained to deliver off-street youth bicycle skills events (a.k.a. bike rodeos) through LAB’s “Bicycling 1-2-3” program Youth Instructor (YI) Certification: 2-hour workshop on how to set up and conduct an off- street youth skills practice event, a.k.a. a bicycle rodeo, using LAB’s Bicycling 1-2-3! activity layouts and materials.
Skills Instructors and Youth Instructors are only qualified and insured to teach the specific off-street activities for adults or children as applicable.
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League Cycling Instructors near Energy Corridor District zip code, 77079
Lower numbers indicate earlier certification. Consecutive numbers typically indicate certification at the same LCI Seminar. First name Last name LCI# City Notes David Dick 722 Houston Regina Garcia 725 Houston Peter Wang 1420 Houston BikeHouston education contact Clark Martinson 1421 Houston Energy Corridor District General Manager Dan Raine 1422 Houston City of Houston Bicycle Program Coordinator Keith Mouton 1424 Houston B.I.K.E. founder. BP Billy Bealefield 1657 Sugar Land Ryan Terry 1658 Katy Bicycle World and Fitness Chris Egan 1874 Houston FMC Technologies Daveleous Jones 1877 Houston Donna Layton 1878 Richmond John Volek 1879 Richmond Deborah Volek 1880 Richmond Randall Bonnette 1885 Houston FMC Technologies Stephen Moskowitz 1890 Houston Conoco Phillips, MS 150 training series Mark LeBlanc 1896 Houston The Wellfit Group (corporate wellness) Rick Hecksel 1899 Houston Marathon Oil Brian Hatt 1901 Houston Tom Tirado 1904 Houston Bicycle World and Fitness Steven Earle 1905 Houston Susan Beavers 2230 Bellaire Sybren Van Der Pol 2232 Houston Tina Whiteford 2234 Houston Conrad Hirsch 2235 Houston Veljko Roskar 2236 Houston William Germann 2401 Katy Kamal Shah 2469 Sugar Land Aker Solutions (services to oil industry) Ronny Bedford 2471 Houston Parker Drilling Barron Lozano 2472 Houston Greg Allen 2473 Houston Michael Randall 2474 Houston
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National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS)
The National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS) operates programs to benefit those affected by Multiple Sclerosis, and funds research aimed at curing the disease. The organization’s main fundraising programs are large walking and bicycling events, including two-day “MS 150” bicycle rides held at numerous locations around the U.S In the Houston area, BP has been the title sponsor for the annual Houston to Austin BP MS Bike Tour managed by the NMSS Lone Star chapter. According to the NMSS website “nearly 1,000 BP Team members and employees participate”. Several other Energy Corridor District firms also field large MS Ride teams, among them:
ConocoPhillips ExxonMobil Mustang Wood Group Shell Participation in MS rides is by far the largest company- supported bicycling activity for Energy Corridor District firms. As group events, these rides attract thousands of bicyclists who are not currently comfortable in solo interactions with motorists, and as a result may not use their bicycle for utility transportation or be open to commuting. For this reason, educational activities tied to preparation for MS rides or building on the experience of completing such a ride are an essential channel for delivering street cycling messages and developing traffic cycling skills relevant to commuting to the Energy Corridor BP Team, Houston to Austin ride District. (MS Society website)
In 2007 the League of American Bicyclists (LAB) launched a partnership with NMSS to deliver Group Riding Skills Clinic classes – single-session courses combining a short presentation about safe riding in mass-start cycling events, with structured off-street (parking lot) practice of key handling and safety skills for riding in large groups of cyclists of widely ranging abilities. These clinics are conducted by LAB-certified League Cycling Instructors (LCIs), and the opportunity to educate fellow Energy Corridor District Bicycle Master Plan Page 55
MS ride participants at Houston-area firms has led several local bicyclists to become certified. LCIs are qualified to teach the full range of LAB classes and subsets thereof, and so can deliver commuter-related education at these same companies. Such options range from lunchtime brown- bag seminars to full Traffic Skills 101 (TS 101) classes.
Layout Scan Drill in action Figure 19: LAB Scan (Shoulder-Check) Drill
B.I.K.E. (Bicycling In Kind Environments) Information from Keith Mouton, founder, LCI 1424
Keith Mouton is an employee and Occupational Safety Specialist at BP’s WestLake campus. He is also a League Cycling Instructor who was certified in 2005 along with Clark Martinson (Energy Corridor District General Manager) and Dan Raine (Houston Bicycle-Pedestrian Program Coordinator). In 2001 he founded the B.I.K.E volunteer organization to support and promote bicycle commuting in the Energy Corridor District.
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B.I.K.E. provides the following resources and activities: A low-traffic email list, currently with about 250 members, used primarily for route buddy requests but also for route requests, Q&A, and to announce events of interest to bicyclists, such as trail dedications. A website with a Bike Buddy sign-up form asking where the person resides (nearby cross streets), whether they need a locker, and whether they need a route buddy. Keith matches riders with buddies by proximity, and the buddy follows up with the new commuter, reviews riding rules, bike commuting tips, and hazards specific to their route. He said there were currently about 13 participating Bike Buddies, with home locations distributed throughout the Energy Corridor District’s commute-shed. He also said there was a large increase in Bike Buddy interest during 2007’s period of $4/gallon gasoline. Keith said B.I.K.E.’s website has not been updated for about three years, and that Bike Buddy matching is now provided via the Energy Corridor District website’s Mobility section, along with Commuter Convoy (corridor-specific bicycle commute group) matching. Within BP, where Keith works, the BP Commute Solutions program, which focuses on carpools and vanpools, now also serves BP bicycle commuters. “Brown-bag” lunchtime seminars at District workplaces, presenting some of LAB’s Traffic Skills 101 course content in an abbreviated form. Monthly maintenance skills workshops held on weekday evenings at personal residences in the suburbs, promoted via the email list and led by “Master Wrenches” – bicycle commuters with good maintenance skills. Attendees learn such things as how to change a tube or fix a flat, and how deraillieurs work. These are very popular. Keith suggests that future maintenance workshops should be held at a bicycle shop, ideally within Energy Corridor District, in part because 50 attendees driving cars to a private residence has considerable traffic and parking impacts. Staffing information tables at HGAC (Houston-Galveston Area Council) transportation fairs at which Metro (Harris County’s transit agency) and vanpool providers participate. Participation in health and wellness fairs, where Keith has brought loaner bicycles intended to be borrowed short-term or long-term by individuals who want to begin riding. Media interviews.
Keith was instrumental in obtaining a quality bicycle commuter destination area within BP’s parking garage, including a bike rack area with a separate garage entrance and internal circulation, a workstand for minor repairs, a floor pump, and small lockers for securing valuable accessories such as lights, batteries, reflective clothing, and panniers.
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BikeHouston (www.BikeHouston.org) Information from Peter Wang, LCI 1420
Bike Houston is the Houston metro area’s bicycle advocacy and education resource. Its education program is based on LAB’s Smart Cycling program, and uses LCIs.
According to Bike Houston Education contact and LCI Peter Wang, LAB Traffic Skills 101 classes were held at three bicycle retailers within the Energy Corridor District’s commute area:
Bicycle World & Fitness (Memorial Drive & Dairy Ashford) Bike Barn Copperfield (State Highway 6 and FM529) REI Galleria (Westheimer and Voss). (According to BikeHouston, Bicycle World & Fitness is within the 30-minute bike commute footprint. Bike Barn and REI are within the 30-minute car commute footprint.) Between August 2007 and November 2008, LCIs conducted four LAB Road One classes at Bicycle World and Fitness, reaching 5, 17, 11, and 10 participants respectively. Bike Houston has also offered Group Riding Skills Clinic classes. As of October 2009 no classes were currently scheduled.
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Agency programs
Energy Corridor District (www.energycorridor.org) Information from website
The Energy Corridor District maintains a website that contains information useful to current and prospective bicycle commuters and recreational bicyclists.
At this writing, the website’s Mobility and Public Safety page showed the following resources:
Information about Bike Buddies (ride-along commute partners), Commuter Convoys (groups that commute along the same route), and a sign-up form Bike to Work Day 2010, and downloadable route maps Maps of George Bush Park and Terry Hershey Park, including trails Tips and Commuter Gear Basics Overcoming Bike Commuting Excuses News items such as West Houston Trails
Master Plan Updates.
Figure 20: Energy Corridor District website – Mobility and Public Safety page
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Houston Bicycle Program (www.houstonbikeways.org) From website
The City of Houston has a full time Bicyclist-Pedestrian Coordinator, Dan Raine, who is a certified League Cycling Instructor. The City has a full-featured Bicycle Program including maps and education including video Public Service Announcements for raising motorist awareness of bicyclists. At this writing, the website showed the following resources:
Bikeways (projects completed and planned) Bicycle Parking (partners, standards, and local examples) Education (videos and course descriptions) Image Gallery (trail dedications, Bike to Work events) Signs (Bike Route and arrows) Maps (Houston Bikeway Network – PDF and interactive GIS, park trails) News items such as Columbia Tap Rail to Trail Ribbon Cutting.
The Education page includes the Watch For Cyclists program, consisting of ten 20-second public safety announcement (PSA) -style videos created by HTV (The Municipal Channel). Each clip covers one tip for motorists operating around bicyclists, including some who are shown operating unsafely (entering an intersection on the right side of a car that may turn right, riding in the “door zone” along a car, riding into an intersection from the sidewalk). A “Tip card” is available in English and Spanish.
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Figure 21: Houston Bikeways Program Website
The Houston Bikeway Program is also pioneering online delivery of interactive bicycle driver education courses via its Online Bicycle Education website BikeEd.org, developed in partnership with the League of American Bicyclists (LAB). This site contains the full classroom content of LAB’s Traffic Skills 101 course, which usually encompasses four hours of lecture and discussion at an in- person class. It also has a lookup feature for LAB League Cycling Instructors and for LAB- sanctioned classes, though neither of these was working properly at the time we visited them, apparently due to City of Houston website maintenance activity, according to Dan Raine. This site is intended for nationwide use, so its instructor and class lookup features do not default to the Houston area even thought the home page acknowledges the City of Houston’s involvement.
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Figure 22: LAB Online Traffic Skills 101 Course
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Other resources The following are results of a League of American Bicyclists (LAB) bicycling resources search (“FindIt!”) within 15 miles of Energy Corridor District zip code 77079.
Bicycle clubs (all based in Houston) Club Notes Northwest Cycling Club 350-member club with a broad program of on- and off- www.northwestcyclingclub.com road rides and events Elves & More Youth earn-a-bike program for at-risk kids and their http://s242835542.onlinehome.us/ families. Holds annual Elves & More Texas Cycling Classic EMHomePage.shtm fundraiser. Houston Area Tandem Society Tandem (2-person bicycle) riding club www.tandem-hats.org Greater Houston Off-Road Biking 10-year-old off-road cycling club. Holds public mountain Assn. biking skills clinics, custom group clinics, and private www.ghorba.org lessons. Conoco Phillips Bicycle Club MS 150 ride team ExxonMobil Bicycle Club MS 150 ride team BP Bicycle Club MS 150 ride team
Groups Group City Notes BikeHouston Houston See Volunteer and non-governmental programs www.BikeHouston.org above.
Independent Bicycle Retail Shops Houston Katy Bicycle World And Fitness Northwest Cyclery Bike Barn Bicycle World Of West U Off Road Peddler Cycle Spectrum Bikesport Planetary Cycles Sun & Ski Sports Blue Line Bicycle Laboratory Southwest Schwinn Cyclery Cycle Spectrum Spring Valley Bicycle Sugar Land Cycle Spectrum Stress Management The Bike Route Recumbents Cyclone Cycles Sun & Ski Sports Cyclone Cycles Sun & Ski Sports David's Cycles Sun & Ski Sports Houston Bicycle Co. West End Bicycles
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AVAILABLE PROGRAMS This section describes education and encouragement programs and resources elsewhere that may be useful in the Energy Corridor District and its commute area.
A wide range of education and promotion resources have been developed by the City of Houston Bicycle Program, the Texas Bicycle Coalition, the League of American Bicyclists, and other sources throughout the U.S. Many are relevant to the Energy Corridor District’s bicycle transportation goals. The following tables describe programs for the following audiences:
Adults and employees Motorists and non-bicyclist residents All roadway users (displayed on vehicles or roadway signs) Workplace facilities, security, wellness and green-initiatives / environmental staff Parents and children (possibly relevant in the Energy Corridor District’s interaction with the local community, including families of those who work at Energy Corridor District workplaces)
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Education and encouragement programs for adults and employees
Resource Audience Description The core U.S. adult bicycle driving class. Current and prospective Traffic Skills 101 adult and older-teen 10 hours content. Often offered as a weekday class utility cyclists classroom module (3.5-4 hours) followed by an on-bike weekend day The classroom (lecture/presentation) portion of Online Traffic Skills Current and prospective LAB’s Traffic Skills 101 course, described 101 course adult and older-teen above. Available at http://BikeEd.org, module utility cyclists developed by the Houston Bicycle Program. 60 to 90 minutes. One topic or a few topics. Brown-bag / Current and prospective Presentation/discussion or roundtable. Can lunchtime bicycle commuters at a introduce Bike Buddies and Commute roundtable workplace or cluster Convoys. Employees who want to Around 2 hours: Bike fleet user use a company’s bike 60-90 min. presentation/discussion, qualification fleet 30-60 min. bike fit and introductory ride Bicycle inspection for safety and equipment. Adult bike skills Learn “pre-driving” bike handling skills: Adults and older teens rodeo: Level 2 scanning, signaling, precision starts and stops, lane change negotiation, outside pedal down
Education and encouragement programs for motorists and residents
Resource Audience Description Houston Bicycle A set of ten 20-second videos in Public Service Program (HBP) Announcement format, available on the Motorists Watch For Cyclists Houston Bicycle Program website’s Education PSAs page. Partnership with the Houston Community “To promote the College Broadcast and Technology Program. Houston Bikeway These programs are under development: HBP education Network and deliver a Program Overview videos safety and awareness message in the Public Service Announcements community” 16-mile Video Tour of on- and off-street bikeways, featuring safety tips HBP Adult Education “…introduce[s] the bikeway network to Houston Area residents Program: area residents” Presentations
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Education and encouragement programs for adults and employees: videos
Using helmet-mounted cameras, shows actual cycling on local, commercial, and arterial Video: Adult and older-teen streets Cyclist’s Eye View utility cyclists http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFjCza5e1kw (part 1) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIr3mI96FZk&feature=r elated (part 2) LAB’s overview of confident bicycling Video: Adult and older-teen http://www.bikeleague.org/store/cart.php?m=product_deta Enjoy The Ride utility cyclists il&p=33 Covers safe and confident commuter and utility cycling. Has a good segment from a motorist’s Video: Adult and older-teen perspective. TRT 20:00. Produced in the mid- Getting There By utility cyclists 1990s by University of California Santa Cruz Bike Bicycle Coordinator Jeanne LePage. http://video.csupomona.edu/JVGrizzell/GettingThereByBike .htm Features a professional long-haul trucker who is Video: Professional truck also an elite competitive cyclist. TRT 20:00; 10 Trucks and drivers (local and long- minutes each for trucker and cyclist Bicycles Sharing haul) perspectives. Produced by the American the Road Trucking Association (ATA). Video: Excellent short video (TRT 04:32) produced by Night-time and Commuter and utility the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition. Covers Wet Weather cyclists riding in rainy and nighttime conditions. Riding http://www.sfbike.org/?wet_weather
Education and encouragement programs for all roadway users
Resource Audience Description Informational poster mounted on the side or rear of a transit bus or shuttle. San Francisco produced a series of Bus poster (side Motorists and messages to educate roadway users about proper or “tail card”) bicyclists operation of bicycles, yielding to pedestrians, passing of trucks by bicyclists.
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Education and encouragement programs for workplace facilities, security, wellness and green-initiatives / environmental staff Resource Audience Description Facility, safety A field trip to visit “best practice” sites such as BP’s Workplace and risk parking garage bike area (separate entry and circulation, bicycle facilities managers at workstand, floor pump, and accessory lockers), for the tour major Energy target audience. [by ECD staff] Corridor Objective: Encourage discussion among facilities peers, workplaces leading to adoption of best practices at other workplaces. Photos and concise explanations of “best practice” Workplace Facility managers examples of bicycle access, parking (racks), accessory “best practices” at major Energy storage, commuter amenities, clothing lockers, changing flyer Corridor facilities, showers, and policies. Include facility manager [by ECD staff] workplaces contact information for of the “best practice” sites. Objective: Encourage adoption of best practices.
Education and encouragement programs for parents and children
Resource Audience Description Texas Texas Bicycle Coalition’s statewide curriculum taught by Elementary SuperCyclist elementary P.E. teachers and youth workers. Complete students program curriculum at www.biketexas.org Learn proper cycling techniques, laws, child perceptual Parent Parents of limitations and readiness factors. View and discuss “A orientation elementary age Kid’s Eye View”. LAB calls this “Kids I”; one instructor workshop children calls it “Bringing Up Bicyclists” Elementary and Bicycle inspection for safety and equipment. Youth bike skills pre-school age Kids: Learn entry-level bike handling skills: (balancing, rodeo: Level 1 children and their starting, stopping, steering) parents Parents: Learn basics of safe cycling, resources Bicycle inspection for safety and equipment. Kids: Learn “pre-driving” bike handling skills: Youth bike skills Elementary age scanning, signaling, precision starts and stops, lane rodeo: Level 2 children change negotiation, outside pedal down Parents: Learn basics of safe cycling, resources Youth learn-to- Pre-school or Bicycle inspection for safety and equipment. ride (“Freedom early elementary Kids: Learn to balance and pedal on two wheels From Training age children and Parents: Learn basics of safe cycling, hear about Wheels”) their parents resources
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Ideas for promoting the proposed Bike Station at the Addicks Road Park and Ride facility
Concept Audience Details Channel: Advance “pre-opening” tours. Message (bicyclists): Answer questions so they Current and prospective can spread the word. Collect suggestions for bicycle commuters success. Advance Media Message (media): Understand the rationale and marketing and benefits, including reduced I-10 congestion. pre-opening Understand how transportation bicycling plays a tours, to build part. “buzz” and Corporate staff with identity commute-related roles Channel: Advance “pre-opening” tours. or influence, including Message: New commute and fitness option for transportation employees. A way to reduce I-10 congestion so alternatives and Health motorist commuters benefit. and Wellness
Channels: Local media, community and residential complex newsletters, websites, email lists (e.g. Promote to the The bike station’s target neighborhood associations), homeowner target bicyclist bicyclist user (a potential associations, apartment management companies), user bike-to-transit convert) real estate agents, leasing agents Message: Information about the bike-to-transit option Channels: Commute Solutions, large employers Promote new Current I-10 car served by I-10 corridor, possibly toll authority. carpools to commuters Message: Matching with a bicyclist who can ride motorists to the facility can create a carpool that can get motorists free use of the express lane Message (general): Publicize the existence of the facility. Explain how it works and who can benefit. Raise profile of Energy Corridor District, Houston All potential users Bicycle Program, BikeHouston, Commute Local residents (workers Solutions. Grand opening and families) Message (schools): Support “green” education Media programs by giving school age children an understanding of how the facility will function to enable solo car commutes to be replaced by bike- to-transit/vanpool/carpool trips.
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Other ideas for promotion programs
Concept Audience Details Match bicycle commuters with motorist commuters from their general home location whose vehicles have, or can be equipped with, bike racks. (Consider a program of providing a) Would-be bicycle racks that fit hitch receivers on SUVs, vans and commuters who are pickup trucks – or discounts on the purchase of “Bike carpool” deterred by total such racks.) distance The bicyclist would not need to be picked up and (Bicyclist + b) Would-be bicycle dropped off at home; s/he could ride to the home- motorist + commuters who wish to end meeting point. vehicle + rack + bike in one direction only The bicyclist may choose to rideshare all the way meeting point) (perhaps to avoid the in to work so as to avoid showering and changing need to shower and at work, then bike all the way home. change at work) Objectives: a) Enable longer-distance bicycle commuting than is practical for most cyclists. b) Enable bicycle commuting by those for whom workplace dress code or arrival time is an issue. Arrange with local bicycle retailers to provide Bicycle commuters discounts on selected mid- to high-end lighting willing to commute in Bike lighting systems. Use the opportunity to build promotion with darkness and twilight, relationships with bike shops for other activities who want good lights bicycle shops such as maintenance workshops. Bicycle shops Objective: Encourage more, and more confident and reliable, multi-season bicycle commuting. Inform bicyclists and motorists of expectations Bus posters regarding safe and legal bicycling, and motor (side or tail); see Motorists and bicyclists; vehicle operation around bicycles Examples general public Objectives: Increase safe and legal bicycling. following Increase safe and courteous motor vehicle operation.
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Examples
(The above poster / card is also available in Spanish)
Figure 23: San Francisco MTA Poster Campaigns Wide format is for bus tails and bumper stickers
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San Francisco MTA Shared Lane Marking information
Shared Lane Markings (“Sharrows”) may be recommended for installation on wide (minimum 14’) outside lanes on some Energy Corridor District arterial streets. Sharrows are applied on street segments where there are no bike lanes or striped shoulders used for bicycle travel.
For motorists, the markings indicate that bicyclists are to be expected on these streets, and that bicyclists may occupy lane positions for their safety -- to deter unsafe passing, or to proceed safely into and through Shared Lane Marking, parking context intersections. (from SF Shared Lane Marking Study)
For bicyclists, the markings indicate the minimum recommended distance to ride left of the parked cars to avoid “dooring” between intersections. On streets without parking they indicate the recommended line of travel to avoid right-edge hazards such as debris and drainage grates. Sharrows are also used at intersections to show where to minimize conflicts with vehicles making other movements.
The following poster / bumper sticker was created by SF MTA to educate bicyclists and motorists regarding how bicyclists should position their bicycle relative to sharrows.
Figure 24: San Francisco MTA Shared Lane Marking Educational Poster
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Sharrows are standardized in the draft federal Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), also known as the “Notice of Proposed Amendment (NPA)”, which is expected to be adopted in late 2009 or in 2010. California standardized them several years ago, for the parking context.
San Francisco MTA maintains a “Sharrow FAQ” on its website, currently at:
http://www.sfmta.com/cms/bsafe/28372.html
This FAQ, with California references replaced, would be useful for education in the Energy Corridor District and greater Houston as sharrows are deployed.
The Bicycle Commuter Act (Tax Benefit) Section 211 of the 2008 federal transportation bill, “Transportation Fringe Benefit to Bicycle Commuters”, also known as the “Bicycle Commuter Act”, creates a $20/month benefit that became effective January 1, 2009.
According to the wording of the legislation, this benefit is applicable to “reasonable expenses incurred by the employee during such calendar year for the purchase of a bicycle and bicycle improvements, repair, and storage, if such bicycle is regularly used for travel between the employee's residence and place of employment.”
Employees need not commute year-round to qualify; eligibility is determined on a month to month basis. During a “qualified bicycle commuting month”:
the employee must bicycle to work at least three times a week
the bicycle must be used for a “substantial portion of the travel” between home and work
the employee may not receive any other commuting incentive such as a transit benefit during that month
Month-by-month qualification means that an employee could choose to commute by bicycle for some of the year and use transit for other (perhaps colder, hotter, or rainier) months, while obtaining a commuter benefit each month for their chosen mode.
Employers that offer commuter incentive programs such as this reduce their FICA expenses by about 9.5%. Many employers already offer transit / carpool / vanpool benefits, and can simply add the bicycle commuter benefit to this structure.
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RECOMMENDATIONS The following recommendations address several bicycling-related purposes:
Increasing the modal share and frequency of bicycle commuting commutes from residences to Energy Corridor District workplaces
Promoting commutes from Energy Corridor District -area residences to the proposed Addicks Road bike station and from there to workplaces outside the Energy Corridor District area
Explain and promote the Bicycle Commuter Tax Provision to employers and employees
Promoting recreational cycling within and near the Energy Corridor District, because it can build confidence and help bicyclists become more willing to consider bicycle commuting
Increasing non-commute utility cycling within the Energy Corridor District area, e.g. shopping and errand-running, because of its role in building confidence
Enhance the effectiveness of the Energy Corridor District and Houston Bicycle Program websites
Recommendation Rationale / Details Incorporate the Houston Bicycle Replacing an indirect link with direct information will Program’s educational videos on the make it more likely to be viewed. ECD site. Employees of some companies may get their commute Consider developing a “template” page alternatives information more from their company than on bicycle commuting for inclusion in from outside sources. Replacing an indirect link with internal corporate commuting websites direct information will make it more likely to be viewed. Consider developing a “template” page on bicycle commuting for inclusion in Employees of some companies may get their health and internal corporate health and fitness fitness information from their company and hence be websites unlikely to browse the ECD website. Encourage ECD employers to Corporate health and wellness programs may not realize prominently link to the ECD website’s or emphasize the role that bicycle commuting can play in bike page. achieving their goals. Providing and updating template content may increase the penetration of relevant Publicize ECD website’s bike commute messages. information widely.
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Bike Buddy and Commute Convoy programs
Recommendation Rationale / Details Consider developing icons (visual The icons will help to “brand” these services and may identities) for the Bike Buddy and attract more employees to inquire about them. Commute Convoy programs For those volunteers willing to do so, an “office Consider developing plaques or small conversation starter” may help them evangelize these signs for Bike Buddies and Commute programs. Convoy leaders to display at the door of Displaying a type of sign “breaks the ice” and creates their office or cubicle, and simple one- “pull” (curiosity) for the program. page handouts or postcards explaining the program. A handout or card makes it more likely that an interested party will follow up with a web visit and sign-up. Unlike a simple email list, a blog or forum is searchable Consider adding a moderated bicycle and can be viewed by thread (subject-based discussion). commuter blog or forum to the ECD Visible discussion content and Q&A may interest others website. and help to shift attitudes toward acceptance of bicycle use. Consider creating a Commute Convoy along Eldridge to Park Row for ECD residents living along and east of (Suggestion from an employee) Eldridge.
On-site programs
Recommendation Rationale / Details Continue lunchtime introductory Creates awareness of bicycle commuting options and sessions (“brown-bags”) at single large ECD commuter services. Workplace sessions eliminate employers the need to spend time after work or take time off to attend a session at another company’s facility. Continue periodic longer commuter Provides more in-depth information for bicyclists classes at workplaces becoming comfortable with commuting Work with BikeHouston and the Offering a longer course at a workplace may be a difficult Houston Bicycle Program to offer sell for commuters who don’t want to extend their commuter oriented classes, including workday. periodic LAB Traffic Skills 101 courses, Offering such courses at bicycle shops could help to near home locations. build a culture of education.
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Programs related to Bicycle Plan implementation
Recommendation Rationale / Details Create an informational campaign to This is a relatively new marking. Most roadway users will educate bicyclists and motorists about not initially understand its meaning (though the bicycle the Shared Lane Marking (“Sharrow”) if icon may lead to some good guesses) or know how they implemented on Eldridge Parkway and are expected to operate around it. other ECD streets Existing informational websites and print materials (See San Francisco MTA Shared Lane developed by agencies and advocacy groups in other Marking information in the previous areas, for example by San Francisco’s Metropolitan section) Transportation Agency (SF MTA), can be largely used verbatim with customization for Texas law and Houston practice. Create informational pieces and web Some potential bicycle commuters may be waiting for content about any proposed gap such improved connectivity and hazard removal before closures or obstacle removals deciding to begin riding.
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CONCLUSIONS As the Energy Corridor District continues its efforts to create an environment where people want to work, live and shop, it is taking a holistic approach to area transportation. This Bicycle Master Plan supports that approach by addressing bicycling -- a healthy and effective alternative to motor vehicle use. It proposes a bicycle travel network that addresses both the needs within the District and high- quality connections to nearby areas and the home locations of employees.
After the Energy Corridor District Livable Center and the West Houston Trails Master Plan are completed, an Energy Corridor Bicycle Summit should be conducted to combine and coordinate all projects. Representatives can review all project lists and compile a new ‘action plan’ for projects within the Energy Corridor.
This report is intended to be used as starting point to understand where bikeways and paths should be provided, and how education, promotion and outreach can increase the usage of these facilities.
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REFERENCES Building Better Bikeways: A Planning Guide for the Houston-Galveston Region. Houston-Galveston Area Council, Houston, Texas, 2009.
City of Houston e-government Center. http://www.houstonbikeways.org/
Energy Corridor District. http://www.energycorridor.org/home/
League of American Bicyclists. http://www.bikeleague.org/
West Houston Trails. http://www.energycorridor.org/west-houston-trails/default.aspx
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TAB ONE
Pedestrian and Bicycle Count Summary Letter