2013 Session: 827

• Missing Links: How Social Paths Can Improve Light-Rail Pedestrian Accessibility
  Abstract: In the last several decades, planners and policy makers have focused creating more balanced transportation systems that include better transit service as well as improved options for pedestrians and bicyclists. Pedestrian accessibility is vital to the success of transit stops since transit users are likely to walk on at least one end of their trip. As a result, practitioners have focused on improving pedestrian environments in station areas. Pedestrian accessibility studies have focused on formal pedestrian links such as roads, sidewalks and multi-use trails. However, a small but important body of literature suggests that the informal pedestrian environments play an important, but often overlooked, role in pedestrian accessibility. Social paths are informal routes that emerge in grassy areas due to footfall. Social paths have formed at numerous suburban transit stops and show the deficiencies in the design of formal pedestrian networks. Because current travel behavior studies omit informal pedestrian networks, their results may be inaccurate, resulting in misguided policy. This study identified social paths at twelve light rail stations in Denver, Colorado and Dallas, Texas. Using two pedestrian accessibility metrics, the formal pedestrian environment was compared to a joint formal-informal pedestrian environment that includes social paths. This paper makes the argument that social paths are important components of station-area pedestrian accessibility and should be incorporated into future travel behavior studies and pedestrian improvement projects.
  Authors: Gallagher, Patrick; Marshall, Wesley; Atkinson-Palombo, Carol
  Authors: Gallagher, Patrick; Marshall, Wesley; Atkinson-Palombo, Carol
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Paper
  Subject: Pedestrians and Bicyclists; Planning and Forecasting; Policy
  Session: 827
  Paper Number: 13-1799
• Improving A Cyclist and Pedestrian Environment While Maintaining Vehicle Throughput: A Pre- And Post-Construction Street Analysis
  Abstract: Reallocating road space to enhance bicycle and pedestrian access is frequently a contentious issue in many American cities. This is true in Eugene, Oregon, where a key street segment, adjacent to a pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly university, was retrofitted to better accommodate non-motorized users. Intending to expand pedestrian and bicycle access, a bicycle lane was actually removed in one direction in favor of implementing a shared lane, and physical barriers between an existing contraflow bicycle lane and a one-way automobile traffic lane were removed. Additionally, two-sided parallel parking stalls were replaced with single-sided, back-in angle parking stalls (a first for Eugene), and sidewalks were widened to better accommodate high pedestrian volumes. Using video footage to record behavior along this block before and after the re-design occurred, this study focuses on traffic volume changes by mode and changes in behavior. Results demonstrate that bicycle volumes increased, pedestrian crossing volumes increased and vehicular traffic volumes showed little change after re-design. The integration of bicycle and vehicular traffic lanes and removal of physical barriers improved non-motorized safety, as the rate of traffic conflicts remained low, no collisions occurred, and the re-design provided new ways for convenient navigation around blockages. Despite a perceived increase in chaos, given increased non-motorized traffic volumes, this block became no less safe after re-design even though non-motorized traffic volumes and adaptive use of the space greatly increased. Examination of the particular elements of this re-design provides insight into ways other multimodal traffic streams can be improved.
  Authors: Barnes, Emma; Schlossberg, Marc A.
  Authors: Barnes, Emma; Schlossberg, Marc A.
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Paper
  Subject: Pedestrians and Bicyclists; Planning and Forecasting; Policy
  Session: 827
  Paper Number: 13-2900
• Do Complete Streets Cost More Than Incomplete Streets?
  Abstract: For over five years, the City of Charlotte has been applying the award-winning Urban Street Design Guidelines to plan, design, and build context-based complete streets which consider the needs of all transportation modes. This paper intends to answer the most common question the City receives about building complete streets: does building a complete street cost more than a traditional street and, if so, how much? Staff from the Charlotte Department of Transportation (CDOT) has compiled information from past projects to determine the range in cost of typical complete street projects. In addition, CDOT staff used the North Carolina Department of Transportation’s (NCDOT) database to analyze actual line item bid costs for complete streets project elements such as bike lanes and sidewalks. CDOT staff also examined fluctuations in transportation project construction costs over a five year period. The analysis shows incorporating complete streets elements such as bike lanes and sidewalks slightly increases the cost of a project. However, CDOT staff also determined overall market fluctuations in construction costs plays a more significant role in the costs of a project than do the costs for incorporating complete street elements. Costs for typical complete street elements make up a very small percentage of the overall project cost. In summary, after considering the small percentage of project budgets required to include complete street elements and the significant fluctuation in historical project construction costs, the authors of this paper make the argument for continuing to include complete streets items in project scopes and budgets.
  Authors: Shapard, James; Cole, Mark
  Authors: Shapard, James; Cole, Mark
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Paper
  Subject: Pedestrians and Bicyclists; Planning and Forecasting; Policy
  Session: 827
  Paper Number: 13-4283
  Practice-Ready: Yes
• Considerations for Integrating Bicycling and Walking Facilities into Urban Infrastructure
  Abstract: Several manuals, handbooks and web resources exist to provide varied guidance on planning for and designing bicycle and pedestrian facilities, yet there are no specific indications about which of the varied treatments in these guides work well for users. This paper highlights best practices and identifies program characteristics associated with high levels of non-motorized travel, with an emphasis on bicyclists and pedestrians in the California communities of Davis, Palo Alto and San Luis Obispo, cities known for being bicycle- and pedestrian-friendly. Based on an analysis of survey data from over 630 residents in the case study communities, this study found several factors that mattered most to stakeholders for creating bicycling- and walking-friendly places. These factors are the following: (a) acceptable bicycling and walking distances to desired activities; (b) direct routes; (c) good route connectivity; and (d) separation of motorized and non-motorized transportation modes. The findings are integrated into key guiding principles that correspond to the trip-making cycle, from the decision to engage in an activity through the choice of route to arrival at the destination.The results of a user preference survey and review of the literature indicate that bicyclists and pedestrians alike strongly desire auto-separated facilities on streets. This suggests that these kinds of projects may merit priority over purely recreational paths.
  Authors: Nuworsoo, Cornelius Kofi; Cooper, Erin
  Authors: Nuworsoo, Cornelius Kofi; Cooper, Erin
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Paper
  Subject: Pedestrians and Bicyclists; Planning and Forecasting; Policy
  Session: 827
  Paper Number: 13-3997
  Practice-Ready: Yes
• Missing Links: How Social Paths Can Improve Light-Rail Pedestrian Accessibility
  Authors: Gallagher, Patrick
  Authors: Gallagher, Patrick
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Presentation
  Subject: Pedestrians and Bicyclists; Planning and Forecasting; Policy
  Session: 827
  Paper Number: 13-1799
• Considerations for Integrating Bicycling and Walking Facilities into Urban Infrastructure
  Authors: Nuworsoo, Cornelius
  Authors: Nuworsoo, Cornelius
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Presentation
  Subject: Pedestrians and Bicyclists; Planning and Forecasting; Policy
  Session: 827
  Paper Number: 13-3997
• Do Complete Streets Cost More Than Incomplete Streets?
  Authors: Shapard, James
  Authors: Shapard, James
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Presentation
  Subject: Pedestrians and Bicyclists; Planning and Forecasting; Policy
  Session: 827
  Paper Number: 13-4283