Abstract

The Texas Tech Center for Multidisciplinary Research in Transportation worked together with the Texas Department of Transportation to conduct a survey of successful bicycle policies and practices in the United States. The team developed and released an online survey targeted at various groups including Metropolitan Planning Officials, government officials, bicycle users, bicycle advocacy groups, TxDOT employees, and TexITE members. The purpose of this survey was to rate various issues of funding, safety, and organization to create a clear picture of how successful bicycling would appear in Texas, particularly in mid-size cities. Although it is gaining popularity as a means of transportation, bicycling has historically been underutilized in the United States. The federal transportation funding program in the United States has focused on highway construction and maintenance for automotive travel. As a result, many U.S. cities have been developed with very little thought for the use of bicycling for recreation or travel. Insufficient and badly-designed bicycle facilities have caused many problems, including insufficient access, insufficient street markings, limited right-of-way, discontinuity, or heavily motorized vehicle traffic on bike paths. These challenges make it difficult for bicyclists to properly access and use the necessary facilities. The goal of this research project was to synthesize successful practices of bicycle planning in mid-size cities, including reviews of bicycle practices in the U.S. and successful experiences in planning, design, and implementation of bicycle facilities, conduct a survey of successful bicycle policies and practices in the U.S., and identify common problems in bicycling and key factors for promoting bicycling transportation. Key findings include that funding, culture, education, and engineering are equally important for promoting bicycling; funding and consistent commitment is the primary issue for transportation agencies while safety is the primary concern for bicyclists; there are few differences between city sizes for bicycle users and government officials; and that it is likely that bike plans are underutilized in mid-size cities. The research team suggests that the following actions be taken to properly plan and implement effective bicycle strategies: long-range and short-term transportation plans should be made with an aim at building livable societies in which bicycling is given dual consideration with automobile travel; local government agencies should be responsible for developing the bicycle plan and should be given authority to use federal funding for financing bicycle projects; mid-sized cities should have at least one bicycle coordinator employed by the city or local MPO; and state and local transportation agencies should be aware that promoting bicycling is a long-range endeavor which requires continuous funding support and coordinated planning, design, and maintenance efforts.

Project PI: Frank H. Liu

Project Co-PI's:

Phillip Nash
Sanjaya Senadheera

Student Assistant:Wesley Kumfer