creating connections _______________________ creating bicycle friendly communities

CREATING CONNECTIONS _______________________

CREATING BICYCLEFRIENDLY COMMUNITIES

2013 Pedal MN Bicycle Summit

Alison Dewey

According to the UN, one major common theme among the worlds happiest nations is

“Happy people rides bicycles – by choice”

NATIONAL BIKE SUMMIT MARCH 3-5, 2014

ADVOCACY ADVANCE

SMART CYCLING EDUCATION

BICYCLE FRIENDLY AMERICA PROGRAM

NATIONAL BIKE CHALLENGE

WOMEN BIKE &EQUITY ADVISORY COUNCIL

Growth in Bike Commuting 2000-2012

2012 American Community Survey, 70 largest U.S. Cities

85%

61%47

%

Where people want to live, work and visit

Mercer International Quality of Life Ranking:

7 of 8 U.S. cities are BFCs

Forbes Healthiest Cities

15 of top 20 are BFCs

Where economies are strong

Businessweek’s “Best Places to Ride

out the Recession”

17 of 20 are BFCs

CYCLING CONNECTS >>

HAPPY CUSTOMERS TOBUSINESSES

…& IMPROVE BUSINESS

Photo: Andy Clarke

Valencia Street, San Francisco, CA2/3 of merchants say bike lanes had an overall positive effect on business

Drennen, Emily, “Economic Effects of Traffic Calming on Urban Small Businesses,” San Francisco, CA

LANES LEAD TO SALES…

Protected bicycle lanes led to a 49% increase in retail sales at local businesses

New York City Department of Transportation. Measuring the Street: New Metrics for 21st Century Streets. NYC, 2012.

Manhattan

PEOPLE ON BIKE AND FOOT SPEND MORE PER WEEK

Transportation Alternatives. East Village Shoppers Study: A Snapshot of Travel and Spending Patterns of Residents and Visitors in the East Village. Oct 1, 2012.

East Village, NYC

“BUT WE NEED AUTO PARKING…RIGHT?”

ASK THE MERCHANTS

75% of merchants said business would improve or stay the same if HALF the on-street parking was removed

Clean Air Partnership, “Bike Lanes, On-Street Parking and Business: A study of Bloor Street in Toronto’s Annex

Neighborhood,” February 2009

Bloor Street, ON, CA

BIKE CORALS FIT MORE VEHICLES

Time Out Chicago, “Chicago's first on-street bike parking corral installed,” May 18, 2011

Chicago, Il

Portland, OR, converted 107 car spots to 1,140 bike parking spaces

12 times more bikes than cars at Wicker Park coral

BIKE PARKING COSTS LESS

$15,000 average cost

of one structured parking spacehttp://www.carlwalkerconstruction.com/

faq.php#ncp5

$75-150 cost for one bike

parking space

http://www.bicyclinginfo.org/engineering/parking.cfm

“FINE, BUT WE’RE NOT LIKE THOSE PLACES”

BICYCLE FRIENDLY BUSINESSES

http://www.bikeleague.org/programs/bicyclefriendlyamerica/bicyclefriendlybusiness/

BICYCLING & THESTATEWIDEECONOMY

WISCONSIN

MINNESOTA

VERMONT

NORTH CAROLINA

WASHINGTON, DC

COST EFFECTIVETRANSPORTATION

WHAT WILL $30 MILLION BUY?

One mile of Street Widening

Yale Avenue, Tulsa, OK

Source: Tulsa Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Committee

600 miles



600 milesof quality bike lanes

100 miles

100 milesof sidewalk



300 milesSource: Tulsa Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Committee


300 milesof buffered bike lanes

120 miles


Tulsa Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Committee

120 milesof bike boulevards

30 milesSource: Tulsa Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Committee


30 milesof bike trails

20 milesTulsa Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Committee


20 milesof physically separated cycle tracks

2,000 unitsSource: Tulsa Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Committee


2,000 Rapid Flashing Beacons


One mile of Street Widening

Yale Avenue, Tulsa, OK


ENTIRE NETWORK FOR THE COST OF 1 MILE OF URBAN FREEWAY

http://www.portlandoregon.gov/transportation/article/370893

Portland, OR

Reuters

~$60 million

BIGGER BANG FOR THE BUCKFor every dollar spent, bike

projects create 1.5x the jobs of road projects

Source: Garrett-Peltier, Heidi, Pedestrian and Bicycle Infrastructure: A National Study of Employment Impacts, Political Economy Research Institute University of Massachusetts, Amherst, June 2011

Less $ for

materials=

more for salaries

PLACESPEOPLELOVE

SMART COMPANIES USE BIKES TO MAKE SALES…

Photo: Darren Flusche

…SO DO SMART COMMUNITIES

BICYCLING SELLS REAL ESTATE

PROXIMITY TO TRAILS RAISES HOME VALUES

Monon Trail, Indianapolis

Otherwise identical houses

Worth 11% more for every half mile closer to

trail

HEALTH SAVINGS SAVE THE BOTTOM LINE

EMPLOYERS SAVE ON HEALTHCARE

Quality Bicycle Parts Bloomington, MN

“Quality Bike Products Health and Wellbeing Program” Report

2007 – 2011

QBP launched “Bike to Work”

incentive

Average health care costs

increased 24.6%

QBP’s health care costs decreased

4.4%

Saving $169,880

Photo:

Providing a Roadmap for a Bicycle Friendly

America• Setting targets and options for any place

• Benchmarking

• Facilitates partnership between advocates & decision makers

• Hands-on assistance from staff

• Award designation and media promotion

What is the BFA Program• Started in 1996 with the

BFC program

• Updated program in 2002

• 5 Award levels: Diamond, Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze

• Program recognizes communities for bicycle friendliness and provides roadmap and assistance to become better.

Application Criteria• Engineering

• Education

• Encouragement

• Enforcement (except in BFB)

• Evaluation &Planning

Online applicationbikeleague.org/community

BFC Snapshot• 257 BFCs in 47 states

• Three Platinum BFCs – Boulder, CO; Davis, CA; Portland, OR

Six BFCs in MN :

• Minneapolis, Saint Paul, Bemidji, Rochester, Grand Rapids, Greater Mankato, with more to come!

BFB Snapshot• Started in 2008

• 541 BFBs in 43 states

Minn. BFBs include: IBM, Northwestern Mutual, Ameriprise Financial, Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, City of Mineapolis

• Minnesota needs 3M and Target to join the ranks.

BFU Snapshot• Launched in 2011• 58 Designated BFUs in 30

states• Stanford U – only Platinum

Two BFUs in the state: University of MN, Twin Cities Gustavus Adolphus College

Benefits of applyingWe knew this recognition would be important to our civic and business leaders, and that the metrics set out in the League’s application would be important measures for us.” - Allan Crawford, Bike Long Beach

Photo: Allan Crawford

Providing Feedback for a Bicycle Friendly America

Celebrating the Award

Pre-application Tools

bikeleague.org/bfa

• Use BFC Scorecard for self-assessment

• Review the application and resources yourself to see how bicycle-friendly you are today

Resourceful

Connected

Knowledgeable

AND Effective

Online resource library

Thank you.

Thank you.

creating connections _______________________ creating bicycle friendly communities

Documents