Rails-to-Trails Conservancy

Feasibility Study: Trail Program: Use of Recycled Pavements

Stephen Miller (RTC) — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 19:32:11 GMT

Prepared by Callander Associates for City of San José Departments of:

Environmental Services
Parks, Recreation, and Neighborhood Services
Public Works

July 11, 2007

This study was prepared on behalf of the City of San José (California) to explore the feasibility of using recycled pavements in the construction or resurfacing of trails. The report concludes that the use of recycled materials is both financially and environmentally feasible, and the use of recycled materials in trail construction is warranted. Three types of recycled material were evaluated: recycled base aggregate, rubberized asphalt, and recycled hot-mix asphalt.

Recycled base aggregate is a cost effective material that is readily available and may have performance advantages over virgin base aggregate.
Rubberized asphalt is more costly than conventional asphalt and current availability for small scale projects is limited, but it does have performance advantages.
Recycled hot-mix asphalt is also currently difficult to procure but may in time become a more readily available material. It is more costly and appears to perform similarly to conventional asphalt.

There are possible negative environmental impacts associated with these recycled materials, primarily with regard to water quality. Potential mitigation measures are suggested in this study.

Urban Trails and Physical Activity: A Natural Experiment

Stephen Miller (RTC) — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 22:58:22 GMT

Eugene C. Fitzhugh, PhD, David R. Bassett Jr., PhD, Mary F. Evans, PhD

American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Volume 39, Issue 3 , Pages 259-262, September 2010

Background: The built environment in which a person lives and works is thought to have a strong influence on his or her level of physical activity. However, this belief is largely based on cross-sectional studies underlining the need for prospective studies using natural experiments.

Design: This study adopted a quasi-experimental research design with multiple control neighborhoods and was conducted between 2005 and 2007. Data were analyzed in 2008.

Setting/participants: The subjects were children, adolescents, and adults in free-living conditions within one experimental and two control neighborhoods.

Intervention: An urban greenway/trail was retrofitted in a neighborhood that lacked connectivity of the residential pedestrian infrastructure to nonresidential destinations.

Main outcome measures: The main outcomes were 2-hour counts of directly observed physical activity in the general neighborhood and, at the school level, active transport to school.

Results: At the neighborhood level, the 2-hour counts of physical activity significantly increased between 2005 and 2007 (p=0.000) in the intervention neighborhood, with a median increase of 8.0 counts. The control neighborhoods had a significant decrease in counts (p=0.000). The pre- and post-intervention changes between experimental and control neighborhoods were significantly different for total physical activity (p=0.001); walking (p=0.001); and cycling (p=0.038). There was no noted change over time for active transport to school in either the intervention or control neighborhoods.

Conclusions: Changes to the pedestrian connectivity of the built environment infrastructure may lead to greater levels of physical activity. However, this positive effect was limited to physical activity at the neighborhood level and not to active transport to school.

Shared Path Widths

Stephen Miller (RTC) — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 22:27:22 GMT

Project Aim: to determine appropriate widths and develop a tool for off-road pedestrian and cyclist paths.

Megan Fowler and Warren Lloyd (ViaStrada Ltd)
Cameron Munro (SKM, Melbourne)
Undertaken for VicRoads, Victoria, Australia

GREAT Mid-Atlantic: Generating Recovery by Enhancing Active Transportation in the Mid-Atlantic Region

Stephen Miller (RTC) — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 15:16:03 GMT

Submission to the United States Department of Transportation - TIGER 2 Grant Application - August 23, 2010

This application seeks $35 million to design and construct 30 pedestrian and bicycle trail segments in 10 regional trail systems that span urban, suburban, and rural areas in three states, 17 Congressional districts, and would serve over 8 million Americans.

Cumulative Length: 65 miles
Total Cost: $51 million
Funding Available: $16 million
User Benefits: $18 million per year
Economic Impact: $416 million per year

The main applicant for this grant request will be the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), with co-applicants Camden County NJ, City of Newark NJ, and Wilmington Area Planning Commission (WILMAPCO).

Lafitte Greenway Sustainable Water Design

Stephen Miller (RTC) — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 15:42:39 GMT

Waggonner & Ball Architects, August 2010.

"Initiated by the Friends of Lafitte Corridor and made possible by a Greater New Orleans Foundation Environmental Fund grant, this report presents strategies for sustainable water design within the Lafitte Greenway redevelopment. The study was divided into three sections: historical research, data collection and analysis, and the development of illustrative water design potentials for the Lafitte Greenway."

Walking and Cycling to Health: A Comparative Analysis of City, State, and International Data

Stephen Miller (RTC) — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 15:07:03 GMT

August 19, 2010. American Journal of Public Health.

John Pucher PhD, Ralph Buehler PhD, David R. Bassett PhD, Andrew L. Dannenberg MD, MPH

Objectives. We sought to determine the magnitude, direction,and statistical significance of the relationship between activetravel and rates of physical activity, obesity, and diabetes.

Methods.We examined aggregate cross-sectional health and travel datafor 14 countries, all 50 US states, and 47 of the 50 largestUS cities through graphical, correlation, and bivariate regressionanalysis on the country, state, and city levels.

Results. Atall 3 geographic levels, we found statistically significantnegative relationships between active travel and self-reportedobesity. At the state and city levels, we found statisticallysignificant positive relationships between active travel andphysical activity and statistically significant negative relationshipsbetween active travel and diabetes.

Conclusions. Together withmany other studies, our analysis provides evidence of the population-levelhealth benefits of active travel. Policies on transport, land-use,and urban development should be designed to encourage walkingand cycling for daily travel. (Am J Public Health. Publishedonline ahead of print August 19, 2010: e1–e7. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2009.189324

Key Words: Diabetes, Exercise/Physical Activity, Obesity, Overweight, Underweight, Prevention

Ludlam Trail: Design Guidelines and Standards

Stephen Miller (RTC) — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 22:13:29 GMT

The purpose of the Ludlam Trail Design Guidelines and Standards is to provide specific guidance for the design and development of the Ludlam Trail and provide general guidelines and standards for urban trails and paths throughout Miami-Dade County by building upon the Miami-Date County Parks and Open Space System Master Plan Great Greenways, Trails and Water Trails Vision. These guidelines and standards were developed to work in concert with other regional and corridor specific studies and planning efforts. In addition, these guidelines and standards intend to inform decision makers on future designs of urban trails and paths within Miami-Dade County.

The needs of a wide array of users have been researched and consolidated into a set of recommendations and standards for the Ludlam Trail and urban trails in general.

May 2010.

Prepared by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, AECOM and Miami-Dade County Park and Recreation Department.

Trail Patrol: A Proactive Approach to Public Safety on Trails

Stephen Miller (RTC) — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 19:16:55 GMT

This article by Danny McCullough of the Three Rivers Park District Police appeared in IPMBA News, Vol. 19, No 3 (Summer 2010), published by the International Police Mountain Bike Association. It also appeared in the Spring 2010 issue of Minnesota Police Chief magazine.

Three Rivers Park Police in Minnesota have played an active role in developing safety protocols relating to trail safety, including trail educational efforts and enforcement in the greater Minneapolis metropolitan area. A number of staff have presented regionally on this issue and/or serve on committees at the state level to address trail safety.

Request for Proposals: Lafitte Greenway Corridor Revitalization Plan & Greenway/Trail Design

Stephen Miller (RTC) — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 20:09:02 GMT

Request for Proposals: The City of New Orleans desires to obtain proposals from an experienced, multi-disciplinary team (planners, landscape architects, engineers) that can bring together all of the professional services needed to complete four major tasks related to the Lafitte Greenway. These tasks include: the completion of topographic and legal surveys, completion of title record search, completion of the Lafitte Corridor Revitalization Plan, completion of design and construction management for the Lafitte Greenway and Trail and completion of the Management Structure Report.

Contra Costa County Trail Design Resource Handbook

Stephen Miller (RTC) — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 15:50:59 GMT

Prepared for: Contra Costa County City-County Engineering Advisory Committee and Contra Costa County Departments of Public Works and Community Development

By: Wilbur Smith Associates and 2M Associates

March 2001

The purpose of the Contra Costa County Trail Design Resource Handbook is to facilitate and ensure consistency in the design and construction of bicycle trails throughout the county. Because mobility by bicycle, either on roadways or designated bikeways, does not stop at city limits, there is a need for a consistent countywide approach.

This resource manual is intended to be a model and a reference in the design of bicycle trails for Contra Costa's nineteen cities, the County, and park districts. Cities are encouraged to reference and/or adopt this handbook, where appropriate, as part of their own Bicycle Plans and/or General Plans.

Guide for Reviewing Public Road Design and Bicycling Accommodations for Virginia Bicycling Advocates

Stephen Miller (RTC) — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 15:46:19 GMT

This guide, prepared by Fairfax Advocates for Better Bicycling (FABB) in consultation with the Virginia (VDOT) and Fairfax County departments of transportation, outlines ways bicycling proponents can get involved in the process of designing, approving, building, and retrofitting roads to ensure that bicycling accommodations are integrated into the plans where needed. Although geared for Virginia, many of the ideas contained in the report could be applied to other locations as well.

Implementing Safe Routes to School in Low-Income Schools and Communities: A Resource Guide for Volunteers and Professionals

Stephen Miller (RTC) — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 15:04:39 GMT

While there are many resources that document how to implement a Safe Routes to School program, few of them address the challenges and circumstances unique to low-income communities. To fill that gap, the Safe Routes to School National Partnership has created this resource guide.

The resource guide focuses on schools and communities where at least half of students or community residents are low-income. It includes specific tips for getting started with SRTS in low-income communities. It also includes an overview and explanation of six key challenges often identified in implementing SRTS in low-income schools and communities. More than 20 community profiles are included to show how SRTS is having success in addressing six specific issues:

Personal Safety: Crime and Violence
Community Readiness: Awareness and Attitudes
A Shortage of Professional Expertise
Limited Parental Involvement
The Barrier of Distance to School
Traffic Safety and the Built Environment

Gertrude's Walk Renovations Plan

Stephen Miller (RTC) — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 14:40:31 GMT

February 2010
Prepared by City of Orlando Department of Public Works

Site plan for renovation to rail-with-trail in Orlando, Florida.

Legal Research Digest: Liability Aspects of Bikeways

Stephen Miller (RTC) — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 18:03:53 GMT

April 2010

This report was prepared under NCHRP Project 20-6, “Legal Problems Arising Out of Highway Programs,” for which the Transportation Research Board is the agency coordinating the research. The report was prepared by Larry W. Thomas, Attorney-at-Law, Washington, DC. James B. McDaniel, TRB Counsel for Legal Research Projects, was the principal investigator and content editor.

The digest addresses the liability of public entities for bicycle accidents on bikeways as well as on streets and highways.

Washington & Old Dominion Trail Patrol Handbook

Stephen Miller (RTC) — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 20:25:04 GMT

This handbook, produced by the Friends of the W&OD Trail volunteer patrol, provides a good template on how a volunteer trail patrol program can be organized.

Produced April 2009.

What is a cycle track?

Stephen Miller (RTC) — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 22:06:53 GMT

Cycle tracks, also known as sidepaths, are separated bicycle facilities that run alongside a roadway. Unlike bike lanes, cycle tracks are typically separated from automobile traffic by a physical barrier, such as parked cars, bollards, a landscaped buffer, or a curb. Cycle tracks may be one-way running with traffic, one-way running against traffic, two-way on the same side of the road, or two-way on both sides of the road. Though much more prevalent in European countries, several US cities have recently incorporated cycle tracks as a component of their bicycle facilities. Cambridge, Massachusetts, New York City, Portland, Oregon, and Washington, DC, have all constructed cycle tracks, some permanently and some as pilot projects.

Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center at the University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center.

Do bicycle lanes improve safety for bicyclists?

Stephen Miller (RTC) — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 22:05:59 GMT

The overall safety of on-street bicycle lanes is a highly debated topic. Those in favor of bike lanes argue that they improve safety because they encourage cyclists to ride in the correct direction, signal to motorists that cyclists have a right to the road, and remind motorists to look for cyclists when turning. However, others argue that bike lanes create a false sense of security for cyclists and that drivers easily overlook bike lanes.

Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center at the University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center.

Socioeconomics of Urban Travel: Evidence from the 2001 NHTS

Stephen Miller (RTC) — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 22:01:43 GMT

By John Pucher and John L. Renne

Transportation Quarterly, Vol. 57, No. 3, Summer 2003 (49–77).

"The 2001 National Household Travel Survey (NHTS) confirms most of the same travel trends and variations among socioeconomic groups documented by its predecessors, the Nationwide Personal Transportation Surveys (NPTS) of 1969, 1977, 1983, 1990, and 1995. The private car continues to dominate urban travel among every segment of the American population, including the poor, minorities, and the elderly. By comparison, public transport accounts for less than 2% of all urban travel. Even the lowest-income households make only 5% of their trips by transit. The most important difference in the 2001 NHTS is the doubling in modal share of walk trips in cities, due to a much improved survey technique that captured previously unreported walks.

While the private car dominates travel, there are important variations in auto ownership and travel behavior by income, race, ethnicity, sex, and age. Overall, the poor, racial and ethnic minorities, and the elderly have much lower mobility rates than the general population. Moreover, the poor, blacks, and Hispanics are far more likely to use transit than other groups. Indeed, minorities and low-income households account for 63% of the nation’s transit riders. Different socioeconomic groups also have different rates of carpooling, taxi use, bicycling, and walking. In addition, they travel different distances and at different times of day. Many of these socioeconomic variations in travel behavior have important consequences for public policy."

Integrating Bicycling and Public Transport in North America

Stephen Miller (RTC) — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 21:56:01 GMT

John Pucher, Rutgers University
Ralph Buehler, Virginia Tech

Journal of Public Transportation, Vol. 12, No. 3, 2009

"This paper provides an overview of bike-transit integration in large American and Canadian cities. It begins with an analysis of national trends in bike-and-ride programs such as the provision of bike racks on buses, accommodation of bikes on rail vehicles, and bike parking at rail stations and bus stops. Most of the paper, however, is devoted to case studies of bike-transit integration in six large American cities (San Francisco, Portland, Minneapolis, Chicago, Washington, and New York) and two Canadian cities (Vancouver and Toronto). Much progress has been made over the past decade in coordinating cycling with public transport, but the demand for bike-and-ride far exceeds the supply of facilities in some cities. More funding, in particular, is needed to provide more secure, sheltered bike parking at rail stations and to increase bike-carrying capacity on rail vehicles."

Infrastructure, programs, and policies to increase bicycling: An international review

Stephen Miller (RTC) — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 21:44:58 GMT

John Pucher, Rutgers University
Jennifer Dill, Portland State University
Susan Handy, University of California, Davis

Preventive Medicine 50 (2010) S106–S125

Objectives. To assess existing research on the effects of various interventions on levels of bicycling. Interventions include infrastructure (e.g., bike lanes and parking), integration with public transport, education and marketing programs, bicycle access programs, and legal issues.

Methods. A comprehensive search of peer-reviewed and non-reviewed research identified 139 studies.Study methodologies varied considerably in type and quality, with few meeting rigorous standards. Secondary data were gathered for 14 case study cities that adopted multiple interventions.

Results. Many studies show positive associations between specific interventions and levels of bicycling. The 14 case studies show that almost all cities adopting comprehensive packages of interventions experienced large increases in the number of bicycle trips and share of people bicycling.

Conclusions. Most of the evidence examined in this review supports the crucial role of public policy in encouraging bicycling. Substantial increases in bicycling require an integrated package of many different, complementary interventions, including infrastructure provision and pro-bicycle programs, supportive land use planning, and restrictions on car use.

Making Sustainable Transport Politically and Publicly Acceptable

Stephen Miller (RTC) — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 21:05:26 GMT

David Banister, University College London
John Pucher, Rutgers University, New Jersey
Martin Lee-Gosselin, Laval University, Quebec City

Many promising measures have been implemented in an increasing number of cities and countries throughout the world that promote sustainable transportation. The next steps must be to encourage a more widespread adoption of best practice in the implementation of sustainable transport policies. Thus, the most pressing problem is how to make sustainable transport policies more acceptable, both among the general public and their elected politicians. In this chapter, we investigate ways to increase the acceptability of such policies, using case study material from the USA, Canada and the EU.

Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety and Mobility in Europe

Stephen Miller (RTC) — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 20:24:31 GMT

Pedestrian and bicyclist deaths accounted for 14 percent of U.S. highway fatalities in 2008. The Federal Highway Administration, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, and National Cooperative Highway Research Program sponsored a scanning study of five European countries to identify and assess effective approaches to improve pedestrian and bicyclist safety and mobility.

The scan team gathered information on strategies and approaches in the areas of engineering, education, enforcement, encouragement, and evaluation. The team learned that many of the countries studied have established an urban street user hierarchy that gives the highest priority to walking, biking, and public transit.

Making Walking and Cycling Safer: Lessons From Europe

Stephen Miller (RTC) — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 20:19:12 GMT

By John Pucher and Lewis Dijkstra
Transportation Quarterly, Vol. 54, No. 3, Summer 2000, pp. 25-50

"The neglect of pedestrian and bicycling safety in the United States has made these modes dangerous ways of getting around. Pedestrian fatalities are 36 times higher than car occupant facilities per km. Walking and bicycling can be made quite safe, however, as clearly shown by the much lower fatality rates in The Netherlands and Germany. Pedestrian fatalities per billion km walked are less than a tenth as high as in the United States, and bicyclist fatalities per billion km cycled are only a fourth as high. The Netherlands and Germany have long recognized the importance of pedestrian and bicyclist safety. Over the past two decades, these countries have undertaken a wide range of measures to improve safety: better facilities for walking and bicycling; urban design sensitive to the needs of nonmotorists; traffic calming of residential neighborhoods; restrictions on motor vehicles use in cities; rigorous traffic education of both motorists and nonmotorists; and strict enforcement of traffic regulations protecting pedestrians and bicyclists. The United States could adopt many of the same measures to improve pedestrian and bicycling safety here. The necessary technology and methods are already available, with decades of successful experience in Europe."

Cycling for a Few or for Everyone: The Importance of Social Justice in Cycling Policy

Stephen Miller (RTC) — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 20:07:28 GMT

By John Pucher and Ralph Buehler

World Transport Policy & Practice
Volume 15. Number 1. April 2009

"Our research shows that separate paths and lanes are especially important for those unable or unwilling to do battle with cars for space on busy roads such as arterials with heavy traffic and many large vehicles such as trucks and buses. Training courses may help, but they do not eliminate the inherent danger of cycling on the same right of way with motor vehicles, particular for those whose mental or physical conditions limit their ability to safely negotiate heavy traffic. The slowed reflexes, frailty, and deteriorating eyesight and hearing of many elderly make them especially vulnerable. Limited experience and unpredictable movements put children at special risk on streets. Moreover, regardless of age, many people prefer to avoid the anxiety and tension of cycling in mixed traffic, aside from the safety hazards. Most Europeans believe that bicycling should not be reserved only for those who are trained, fit, and daring enough to navigate busy traffic on city streets."

Cycling Safety on Bikeways vs. Roads

Stephen Miller (RTC) — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 18:50:02 GMT

This article by John Pucher appears in the autumn 2001 issue of Transportation Quarterly, vol. 55, no. 4. It is Pucher’s reply to John Forester’s spring 2001 TQ article “The Bikeway Controversy,” where he opposes separate rights of way as well as any special provisions of any kind for cyclists.

John Pucher, Ph.D.

Professor, Urban Planning and Policy Development Program, Rutgers University
Research Associate, Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center

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