March 6, 2018
The bicycle as a mode of transportation, rather than simply for recreation, is getting more popular. With the increase in interest in reducing greenhouse gases and dependence on fossil fuels, cycling is returning to favor in many cities. One of the findings from the Norwalk Tomorrow Citywide Plan (POCD) Vision Forum in November was that many residents expressed a desire to have bikeable neighborhoods in Norwalk. Studies show more people are willing to ride bikes if cities provide infrastructure to support them. So what is a bikeable city, why is it desirable and how far is Norwalk on the path to being one?
Bike Friendly Cities
For urban planners, there has been a shift in recent years from trying to figure out how to move cars around a city, to how to incorporate public transportation, better sidewalks and other infrastructure for pedestrians and, of course, bicycling. While many European cities do this well, there are only a handful in the U.S. that can claim to be “bike friendly” such as Portland, Oregon, Chicago, Boulder, Co, New York City and San Francisco.
Bike-friendly cities share several criteria:
- Dedicated bike lanes or a network of bike paths
- Bicycle traffic signals
- Bike racks
- Cycling maps
- Bike sharing program
Bike Lanes and Paths
Bike paths are usually in parks or areas not designated for motor vehicles and are more oriented to the recreational biker. Bike lanes are lanes within city streets where bikes are protected. Bike lanes provide space and physical separation between the bicycle and the motor vehicle lane. For example, looking at the bikeable cities mentioned above, New York has built an average of 54 miles of bike lanes every year since 2007, while Chicago has added 27 miles per year since 2011. By providing dedicated bike lanes, cities attract more bikers. Portland State University found that when five major US cities added protected bike lanes, ridership rose 20 to 170 percent. It would stand to reason that more people would take to their bikes if they weren’t worried about collisions with cars.
Bicycle Traffic Signals, Maps And Racks
Just as creating designated bike lanes in a city increases ridership, so does adding bicycle-friendly amenities that make it easier to get around a city on a bike or own a bike, easier. Traffic signals that give guidance at intersections for bicyclists only separates the movement of bikes, motor vehicles and pedestrians – keeping everyone safer. Maps help people get to where they’re going and racks provide a place to park your bike once you get there.
Bicycle Traffic Signals, Maps And Racks
Just as creating designated bike lanes in a city increases ridership, so does adding bicycle-friendly amenities that make it easier to get around a city on a bike or own a bike, easier. Traffic signals that give guidance at intersections for bicyclists only separates the movement of bikes, motor vehicles and pedestrians – keeping everyone safer. Maps help people get to where they’re going and racks provide a place to park your bike once you get there.
Bike Shares
For people who don’t want to invest in a bike, but like the idea of an alternative to public transportation or driving themselves, bike shares are an option that can increase the number of people on bikes in a city. If a city is considering a bike-sharing program, there are some important factors to ensure the program is successful. Bike-share programs get the highest ridership when they are in dense areas with protected bike lanes and connected to public transit.
The overall sharing system should cover a sizeable area with equal access to bikes throughout the program area in order to provide meaningful coverage to entice people to ride.
Data from Capital Bikeshare annual members in Washington, D.C., show that if stations are more than one-quarter mile (a 3- to 5-minute walk) from either their home or work, people don’t sign up.
The program also notes that making sure that bike-share stations that are placed in close, visual proximity to transit stops can help people make first mile/last mile connections. Providing a single fare card that covers all modes of transportation also helps ridership.
Benefits of A Bikeable City
Certainly there’s no argument that the health benefits of biking are a big draw for many people. Bikes are also much less expensive that owning a car. The savings are especially important for low-income residents who rely more on public transportation or walking.
Biking reduces city traffic congestion and eases stress on parking availability.
There’s also the perception that bike lanes improve a neighborhood’s desirability. That same Portland State study showed that nearly three times as many residents felt that protected bike lanes had led to an increase in the desirability of living in their neighborhood, as opposed to a decrease in desirability (43% vs. 14%)
In Norwalk in recent years has taken steps to encourage and increase biking in the city. A city Bike Walk Task Force was organized by the Mayor’s office in 2014. This task force, working with the city’s Department of Public Works, created a map outlining Norwalk’s existing bike routes, bike lanes and sharrows (shared-lane markings. They also put together a plan of bicycle lanes that could be created in the future that would be on approximately 5 % of city streets. Those bike lanes were planned and designed in accordance with AASHTO (American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials) standards and Connecticut Department of Transportation (ConnDOT) requirements.
As of late 2017, this taskforce became a permanent BikeWalk Advisory Commission with seven members nominated by the mayor and appointed by the council.
Bikes are quiet, clean, small, sustainable, and make riders fitter. If a city makes adjustments to promote biking such as bike lanes, maps, designated lights and bike shares, accidents with motorists will be reduced and more people will be encouraged to bike. With more bikers on the roads, this strength in numbers can influence the political will to build even more bike infrastructure.
