that better biking and walking
access to transit will result
in more trips.
(Photo © J. Maus)
TriMet General Manager Neil McFarlane knows how important it is to get the right language into Transportation System Plans (TSPs) — the documents that dictate many of the transportation policies and investments in cities and counties throughout our region.
Back in June, McFarlane sent out a letter urging cities, counties, and other jurisdictions to beef up support for bicycling and walking projects at the outset of their TSP updates.
I got a copy of the letter and have pasted the key paragraph below (emphasis mine):
“TriMet wants to support your goals by providing quality transit service that boosts mobility, improves access to jobs, fights congestion, and enhances the sustainability of our region. But as you may know, many areas still lack the basic sidewalk infrastructure to allow and encourage access to our service. As a regional partner, your work on safety issues, traffic operations that affect transit, and pedestrian and bicycle projects are fundamental to our ability to serve the mobility needs of local areas and of the region. We provide the service, but you control much of what makes transit successful. Safe and walkable streets are fundamental to good transit, because every transit rider is a pedestrian first and last.”
One local source in the planning field called his letter, “an extraordinary document,” and added, “I can’t think of any other transit agency tackling the bike/ped nexus so directly, and demonstrating that they really understand and want to support the development of facilities that support transit.”
The letter was accompanied by a two-page document titled, TriMet Recommendations for Transportation System Plans. 6 out of 10 of the recommendations revolved around greater support for bicycling and walking (emphasis mine)…
- Word Choice: Avoid calling walking, bicycling, and transit “alternative” modes. They are used by almost everyone and promote health, save money, avoid congestion, and reduce oil dependence. Instead simply say “walking, bicycling and taking transit.”
- Quality of Pedestrian/Bicycle Facility and Transit Service Matters: The existence of a 6-foot-wide, curb-tight sidewalk may make a street somewhat safer for a pedestrian, but it is not a place where people want to walk when it is next to traffic. To encourage more trips by walking, bicycling, and taking transit, go beyond minimum design standards… Long-term success requires complete facilities that feel safe and allow many people to choose walking, bicycling or taking transit.
- Analysis: Data collection and system analysis for walking, bicycling, and transit require explicit and rigorous methods just as motor vehicles do… Collect data that help identify meaningful and complete pedestrian, bicycle and transit needs.
- Prioritize Specific Locations and Areas Where People Walk, Bicycle, and Transit: Develop a list of pedestrian and bicycling projects, based on where it is most important for more people to be able to access specific places by walking, cycling or transit… Then identify investments that will increase comfort and safety for walking, bicycling and taking transit to and from those areas. In the long-term, this will be better for travel demand and for livability, saving money and avoiding negative impacts of continually widening roadways and intersections. Pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure costs are very low compared to roadways, but the pedestrian and bicycle network needs are substantial in every jurisdiction…
- Unbundle Pedestrian and Bicycling needs from Larger Road Projects: Pedestrian or bicycle improvements made now deliver substantial benefits immediately, even if long-term future plans may include roadway widening that could require rebuilding some of the improvements. Stand-alone pedestrian and bicycling projects are cost-effective and provide substantial benefits in the near term.
- Conduct Field Visits and Safety Audits of Select Corridors on Foot and Bicycle:… Roadways are all generally built to basic quality standards, and therefore engineers and planners can focus on things like capacity and function. But with walking and bicycling, there is not yet consistent basic quality and safety. Assess the facility on foot or bicycle with the engineers and planners who will be helping identify priorities. Include the following: Is it noisy? Do you feel too exposed to traffic? Is the environment attractive? What can I see at night? Do I generally feel safe walking? Can children safely walk here? Conduct 3-4 pedestrian safety audits (see Resources section below) and incorporate the results in the analysis. This will greatly improve the detail and completeness of the needs identification and the scope, as well as the effectiveness, of proposed projects.
This stuff looks reads like it could have been written by a bicycle advocacy organization, so it’s great to know that it not only came from TriMet, but it came with the stamp of approval from the GM.