Texas Bicycle Tourism Trails Study Final Report Public Transportation Division July 2018 Acknowledgements Prepared for: TxDOT Public Transportation Division Prepared by: Carl Seifert and Stephanie Lind Quality Reviewers: Teri Kaplan and Bonnie Sherman Bicycle Tourism Trails Study This page is intentionally blank. ii Bicycle Tourism Trails Study Table of Contents 1. Introduction ................................................................................................................... 1 2. Study Background ......................................................................................................... 2 2.1 Vision, Goals, and Objectives ................................................................................ 2 3. Stakeholder Engagement .............................................................................................. 4 3.1 TxDOT’s Bicycle Advisory Committee (BAC) .......................................................... 5 3.2 BAC Working Group ................................................................................................ 6 3.3 TxDOT Divisions and Districts.............................................................................. 11 3.4 Consultation with Texas State Agencies ............................................................. 11 3.5 Regional Planning Entities ................................................................................... 14 3.6 BikeTexas and Users ........................................................................................... 15 3.7 Collaborative Approaches to Bicycle Tourism .................................................... 16 4. Benefits of Bikeways and Trails .................................................................................. 18 4.1 Economic Benefits ............................................................................................... 18 4.2 Health Benefits .................................................................................................... 23 4.3 Environmental Benefits ....................................................................................... 26 4.4 Transportation/Travel Benefits ........................................................................... 27 4.5 Preservation of Historic and Cultural Features .................................................. 28 5. Development of the Example Network Routes ........................................................... 29 5.1 Preliminary Route Development ......................................................................... 29 5.2 Conceptual Route Network and Regional Stakeholder Input ........................... 42 6. Bicycle Tourism Trails: Example Network .................................................................... 46 6.1 Example Network Analysis .................................................................................. 47 6.2 Example Network Bikeway Types Analysis ......................................................... 48 7. United States Bicycle Route System (USBRS) ............................................................. 53 7.1 USBRS Overview .................................................................................................. 53 7.2 AASHTO Designation Process .............................................................................. 54 8. BTTS Bikeway Design Guidance .................................................................................. 58 8.1 Bikeway Design Criteria Development ............................................................... 58 8.2 Shared Use Path/Sidepath ................................................................................. 59 8.3 Buffered Bicycle Lane .......................................................................................... 62 8.4 Bicycle Lane ......................................................................................................... 66 8.5 Paved Shoulder .................................................................................................... 70 9. Bikeway Cost Estimates .............................................................................................. 72 10. Next Steps ................................................................................................................... 77 11. Conclusion ................................................................................................................... 79 i Bicycle Tourism Trails Study 12. References .................................................................................................................. 80 Appendixes Appendix A: Example Network Route Development Data Sources Appendix B: Wikimap Online Input Tool: All Stakeholder Comments Appendix C: Detailed Cost Estimate Tables Tables Table 1: BAC and Working Members ............................................................................................ 6 Table 2: TxDOT BAC and Working Group Meeting Activities ....................................................... 7 Table 3: BTTS Stakeholders ........................................................................................................ 10 Table 4: Summary of Research: Daily Expenditures by Bicycle Tourists .................................. 20 Table 5: Working Group's Criteria Prioritization Exercise Results ............................................ 32 Table 6: Route Location Criteria and Metrics ............................................................................ 36 Table 7: Detailed Quantitative Criteria Metrics .......................................................................... 37 Table 8: Example Calculation for Composite Segment Score................................................... 38 Table 9: Wikimap Online Input Tool: Written comments summary .......................................... 43 Table 10: Example Network by Route Type ................................................................................ 47 Table 11: Example Network Geographic Analysis ..................................................................... 48 Table 12: Example Network Bikeway Accommodations: Existing vs. Future ........................... 50 Table 13: Example Network by Bikeway Type ............................................................................ 50 Table 14: Bikeway Construction Cost Estimate Ranges (per mile) .......................................... 74 Table 15: Bikeway Operation and Maintenance Activities ........................................................ 75 Figures Figure 1: Texas Bicycle Tourism Trails Study Planning Process ................................................. 3 Figure 2: Simplified BTTS Stakeholder Engagement Schedule .................................................. 4 Figure 3: BTTS Stakeholder Involvement ..................................................................................... 5 Figure 4: BTTS Project Partners Diagram ..................................................................................... 6 Figure 5: Bicycle Tourism Typology Spectrum ............................................................................ 19 Figure 6: Chances in Trail Use Based on Amenities .................................................................. 26 Figure 7: Route Development Methodology Diagram ............................................................... 29 Figure 8: Working Group Feedback Drawn on a Texas Statewide Map ................................... 30 Figure 9: Working Group Feedback Drawn on an East Texas Regional Map ........................... 31 Figure 10: Working Group Feedback Drawn on a Dallas/Fort Worth Regional Map .............. 31 Figure 11: Routes Drawn by Working Group – April 10, 2017 ................................................. 31 Figure 12: BTTS Preliminary Routes – July 17, 2017 ............................................................... 34 Figure 13: Composite Segment Scores Applied Statewide ....................................................... 39 Figure 14: Composite Segment Score Distributions ................................................................. 40 Figure 15: Example of a Preliminary Route Modification .......................................................... 40 Figure 16: Preliminary and Conceptual Routes Compared ....................................................... 41 ii Bicycle Tourism Trails Study Figure 17: Wikimap Introduction Screen and Legend ............................................................... 42 Figure 18: Wikimap Online Input Tool: Feedback Map ............................................................. 43 Figure 19: Houston-area Wikimap Feedback/Comments ........................................................ 44 Figure 20: Houston-area Conceptual Route Modifications ....................................................... 45 Figure 21: BTTS Example Network ............................................................................................. 46 Figure 22: Example Network Bikeway Accommodations: Existing vs. Future Map ................. 49 Figure 23: Example Network by Bikeway Type Map .................................................................. 51 Figure 24: BTTS Route Development: Detailed Process Overview ........................................... 52 Figure 25: USBRS National Corridor Plan .................................................................................. 54 Figure 26: USBRS Route Designation Process .......................................................................... 55 Figure 27: Typical Shared