Institutionalizing Bicycle and Pedestrian Monitoring
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The Minnesota Bicycle and Pedestrian Counting Initiative: Institutionalizing Bicycle and Pedestrian Monitoring Greg Lindsey, Principal Investigator Humphrey School of Public Affairs University of Minnesota JANUARY 2017 Research Project Final Report 2017-02 • mndot.gov/research To request this document in an alternative format, such as braille or large print, call 651-366-4718 or 1- 800-657-3774 (Greater Minnesota) or email your request to [email protected]. Please request at least one week in advance. Technical Report Documentation Page 1. Report No. 2. 3. Recipients Accession No. MN/RC 2017-02 4. Title and Subtitle 5. Report Date The Minnesota Bicycle and Pedestrian Counting Initiative: January 2017 Institutionalizing Bicycle and Pedestrian Monitoring 6. 7. Author(s) 8. Performing Organization Report No. Greg Lindsey, Michael Petesch, Tohr Vorvick, Lisa Austin, Bruce Holdhusen 9. Performing Organization Name and Address 10. Project/Task/Work Unit No. Humphrey School of Public Affairs CTS #2015071 University of Minnesota 11. Contract (C) or Grant (G) No. 301 19th Avenue South (c) 99008 (wo) 177 Minneapolis, MN 55455 12. Sponsoring Organization Name and Address 13. Type of Report and Period Covered Minnesota Department of Transportation Final Report Research Services & Library 14. Sponsoring Agency Code 395 John Ireland Boulevard, MS 330 St. Paul, Minnesota 55155-1899 15. Supplementary Notes http://mndot.gov/research/reports/2017/201702.pdf 16. Abstract (Limit: 250 words) The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) launched the Minnesota Bicycle and Pedestrian Counting Initiative in 2011, a statewide, collaborative effort to encourage and support non-motorized traffic monitoring. This report summarizes work by MnDOT and the University of Minnesota between 2014 and 2016 to institutionalize bicycle and pedestrian monitoring. The project team established a new statewide bicycle and pedestrian traffic monitoring network with 25 permanent monitoring locations and a new district-based portable counting equipment loan program. Other key accomplishments included Minnesota’s first Bicycle and Pedestrian Annual Traffic Monitoring Report, a new MnDOT website for reporting annual and short-duration counts, and a new Bicycle and Pedestrian Data Collection Manual that local jurisdictions and consultants can use to design manual and automated non-motorized traffic monitoring programs. The project team also included provisions in MnDOT equipment vendor agreements that enable local governments to purchase bicycle and monitoring equipment; established new annual training programs for bicycle and pedestrian monitoring; and contributed provisions in the Statewide Bicycle System Plan and Minnesota Walks that call for bicycle and pedestrian traffic monitoring and creation of performance measures based on counts. Despite this progress, challenges in implementing monitoring remain and continued investment in and support for bicycle and traffic monitoring is needed. 17. Document Analysis/Descriptors 18. Availability Statement Bicycle, pedestrian, traffic monitoring, traffic data analysis No restrictions. Document available from: National Technical Information Services, Alexandria, Virginia 22312 19. Security Class (this report) 20. Security Class (this page) 21. No. of Pages 22. Price Unclassified Unclassified 114 THE MINNESOTA BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN COUNTING INITIATIVE: INSTITUTIONALIZING BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN MONITORING FINAL REPORT Prepared by: Greg Lindsey Humphrey School of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota 295C Humphrey School, 301 19th Ave, S, Minneapolis, MN 55455 Michael Petesch Bicycle and Pedestrian Data Coordinator Minnesota Department of Transportation Tohr Vorvick Humphrey School of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota Lisa Austin Planning Coordinator Minnesota Department of Transportation Bruce Holdhusen Research & Implementation Project Development Minnesota Department of Transportation JANUARY 2017 Published by: Minnesota Department of Transportation Research Services & Library 395 John Ireland Boulevard, MS 330 St. Paul, Minnesota 55155-1899 This report represents the results of research conducted by the authors and does not necessarily represent the views or policies of the University of Minnesota or the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT). The authors, the University of Minnesota and MnDOT, do not endorse products or manufacturers. Any trade or manufacturers’ names that may appear herein do so solely because they are considered essential to this report. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS We would like to acknowledge and thank the many people in MnDOT and other regional and local agencies who have supported or participated in the Minnesota Bicycle and Pedestrian Counting Initiative and are leaders in the effort to institutionalize bicycle and pedestrian monitoring in Minnesota. Our project management team included Ben Timerson, Mark Flinner, and Joshua Kuhn, Traffic Data Analysis; Amber Dallman, Mary Jackson, and Jasna Hadzic, Office of Transit; and Jesse Pearson and Tim Tabor, Office of Transportation System Management. Their efforts are helping to ensure that engineers, planners, and policymakers have the traffic data required to manage the state’s multi-modal transportation system. Tim Mitchell, Bicycle and Pedestrian Program manager, and Michael Schadauer, Director, Office of Transit, provided unwavering support and identified funds to implement the state’s non-motorized traffic monitoring network. Regional and local partners who are doing the hard work of monitoring bicycle and pedestrian traffic in their communities include: Charlie Moore, Arrowhead Regional Development Commission; Jason Pieper and Nadine Chalmers, Hennepin County Departments of Public Works and Planning; Maren Webb and Kristin Wharton, Moving Matters Program, Sawtooth Mountain Clinic; Thomas Mercier, Three Rivers Park District; Simon Blenski, Minneapolis Department of Public Works; Andrew Oftedal, Minnesota Parks and Trails Council; Andrew Korsberg, Minneapolis Department of Natural Resources; Heidi Schalberg, Metropolitan Council; Gina Mitteco, and Michael Corbett, MnDOT Metro District Office; and Kurt Wayne, Headwaters Regional Development Commission. Lila Singer-Berk, University of Minnesota, provided support and assistance with preparation of final documents. TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ...............................................................................................................1 CHAPTER 2: OVERVIEW OF THE MINNESOTA BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN COUNTING INITIATIVE ...........2 2.1 Bicycle and Pedestrian Monitoring Plan Overview............................................................................. 2 2.2 Permanent Index Monitoring Sites for Non-Motorized Traffic .......................................................... 3 2.3 Short-duration Monitoring Sites ......................................................................................................... 3 2.4 Monitoring Equipment Loan Program ................................................................................................ 4 2.5 Technical Assistance, Collaboration, and Encouragement ................................................................. 5 2.6 Longer Term Plans for Non-Motorized Traffic Monitoring ................................................................ 5 CHAPTER 3: PLAN IMPLEMENTATION AND COUNTER OPERATION .......................................................6 3.1 Installation of Permanent Bicycle and Pedestrian Traffic Monitoring Stations ................................. 6 3.2 Implementation of Short-Duration Bicycle and Pedestrian Traffic Monitoring ................................. 9 3.3 Implementation of Portable Counter Loan Program .......................................................................... 9 3.4 Counter Installation and Operations ................................................................................................ 12 CHAPTER 4: BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC DATA MANAGEMENT, ANALYSIS, AND REPORTING .. 15 4.1 Data Requirements for Managing Bicycle and Pedestrian Counts ................................................... 15 4.2 Spreadsheet Templates for Managing Bicycle and Pedestrian Counts ............................................ 16 4.3 Eco-Counter and Eco-Visio Data Management ................................................................................ 23 4.4 Online, Interactive GIS Map for Accessing Bicycle and Pedestrian Counts ...................................... 25 4.5 Data Analysis ..................................................................................................................................... 26 4.5.1 Quality Assurance/Quality Control ........................................................................................... 26 4.6 Descriptive Statistics ......................................................................................................................... 32 4.6.1 Factors for Data Analysis and Extrapolation of Short-duration Counts .................................... 33 4.6.2 Identification of Factor Groups ................................................................................................. 34 4.7 Summaries of Bicycle and Pedestrian Counts in Minnesota ............................................................ 37 4.7.1 Manual Counts of Bicyclists and Pedestrians ............................................................................ 37 4.8 Template for Automated Bicycle and Pedestrian Counts Annual