What Happened?
Cities are rezoning their roadways, designs and housing amenities to support residents who commute by bicycle or prefer other methods of transportation besides a personal car.
So What?
Bike-friendly plans for housing and zoning activities are attracting environmentally-conscious residents while reducing traffic congestion. The Zocalo Community Development project in Denver, CO, is constructing a 231-unit apartment complex that not only offers residents bike storage facilities, but also a bike repair room with tools to maintain the transportation accessories. Municipalities focusing on bike-friendly developments hope to reduce unsafe roads, encourage alternative modes of transportation and drive roadway efficiency.
Portland Sharrows
In Portland, Oregon, a network of bike lanes, bike paths and streets with sharrows help cyclists share the roadways with drivers. Sharrows are arrow-shaped markings on the road indicating to motorists that bicyclists will be sharing the space and to be cautious. The sharrows are part of Portland’s network of safe streets that are ideal for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists can all safely traverse without risk of injury. The sharrows indicate:
- Motorists should be aware of people riding bikes
- Motorists should pass people on bikes slowly
- Bicyclists should follow the markings for safe travels
Shorter Blocks
A study published in the Journal of Transport and Land Use explained how the development of shorter blocks is another way communities can cut down on traffic to improve safety and bike-friendliness. Large cities are able to achieve similar results with mixed-use development strategies to lower rates of driving, but smaller cities have unique challenges. To enhance street connectivity, smaller municipalities are reducing block size. The study examined such experimentation in Seattle, Richmond-Petersburg, Norfolk-Virginia Beach, Baltimore and Washington, D.C. Researchers determined the impact on vehicles miles traveled based on:
- residential density
- employment density
- mixed-use development
- average block size, which measured walking friendliness
- infill development
The smaller cities in Virginia did not report strong results from the use of mixed-use developments, as was seen in the other three regions. Smaller urban areas often use cars to reach destinations and employment farther away, making mixed-use development areas less self-sufficient in smaller urban areas. Shorter block length, however, made a significant difference on traffic levels in the Virginia communities. In communities of all sizes, employment density increases can be a major factor in reducing driving, allowing more residents to work close to where they live.
Trails Plan
The Perris Planning Commission in California recently added the Trails Master Plan to its general plan to make the community more accommodative to cyclists and pedestrians. The goals of the plan include:
- Developing a network of bikeways and trails to support commuter and recreational needs of the community
- Accommodate bicycle use with amenities and facilities
- Improve bicycle and pedestrian safety
- Increase funding for pedestrian and bicycle facilities
- Promote bicycling as an alternative to driving
- Maintain roadways and bicycle/pedestrian related facilities for ease of use and optimal safety
Inexpensive Solutions
Gov1.com has been following the developments of many communities looking to provide alternative commuter solutions that are not only environmentally-friendly but also cost-efficient for local governments and individual residents.