copyright 1996, Tracy-Williams Consulting

Balancing Engineering, Education, Law Enforcement, and Encouragement in Local Bicycle Programs

By John Williams & Kathleen McLaughlin, Adventure Cycling Association

(published February 1993 as Case Study 11 of the National Bicycling and Walking Study; FHWA)


Step 2: Set achievable goals and objectives

With a basic understanding of community problems, needs, and desires, it is possible to begin creating a clear set of goals and measurable objectives upon which all participants agree. The following relatively general statements are offered as a way to start the process.

It is expected that individual communities will produce sets of goals and objectives that are more specific, as well as more useful in measuring their own progress.

OVERALL Goal:

Encourage safe travel by bicycle.

I Engineering and planning

1. Make the road network bicycle-friendly

A. Consider bike needs in new construction.
Why: Roads that have not been built yet can be the easiest to get changed-if suggestions are offered early enough in the design process.
B. Add bike improvements to existing roads.
Why: Existing roads form the basic network of travel in any community. While often harder to alter than roads contained in new construction, existing roads serve significantly more people.
C. Eliminate small problems through "spot improvements."
Why: Small problems often combine to make bicycling unpleasant and unsafe. Eliminating potholes near the right side of the roadway can help bicyclists get where they are going safely.

2. Provide bicycle linkages to increase travel options

A. Break barriers to bicycle travel.
Why: Since, for most people, bicycling tends to be a short-distance (one to three miles) mode of travel, barriers that force a one- or two-mile detour can discourage many non-motorized trips.
B. Provide new bicycle alternative routes.
Why: Traffic congestion slows both motorized and non-motorized modes of travel. Providing better access for bicyclists than for motorized travelers can encourage greater bicycle use.
C. Provide bicycle transit links.
Why: Use of mass transit is limited by the potential capture area of each route and its stations or stops. By making it easier for bicyclists to get to and use transit, it is possible to increase the capture area and, as a result, to benefit both.

3. Provide a supportive bicycling environment.

A. Modify land use policies to make short bicycle trips more feasible and useful.
Why: Bicycling will not attract many utilitarian users if distances are too great. Land use policies should allow mixing of uses (e.g., neighborhood stores and small compatible offices in residential neighborhoods) in order to keep trip distances short.
B. Consider bicycle parking at all existing "bicycleable" destinations, and showers and lockers at workplaces.
Why: Finding a place to park one's bicycle is an important aspect of each trip, particularly in communities with high theft rates. In addition, because bicyclists are their own engines, they may need a shower or change of clothes when they get to work.
C. Modify zoning requirements to include bicycle parking and showers and lockers.
Why: It is generally easier to affect new construction than existing facilities. Zoning requirements help institutionalize bicycle and pedestrian considerations.

II Education

1. Educate key target groups in lawful, responsible bicycling and driving.

A. Teach youngsters important bicycling skills.
Why: Riding is a lifelong skill that can enhance a person's well-being and contribute to good health if done safely. Studies have shown that children's mistakes tend to involve a limited set of basic errors and that these errors can be addressed through education.
B. Teach adults important bicycling skills.
Why: Mistakes that adults make are often different from those made by children and they tend to ride in more demanding situations. Teaching advanced traffic skills to adults may reduce their chances of crashes and injuries and encourage greater reliance on bicycles.
C. Teach drivers how to interact safely and courteously with bicyclists.
Why: Many bicycle/motor vehicle crashes result from mistakes made by motor vehicle drivers. Drivers need a better understanding of how to safely share the roads with the growing number of people who ride bikes.

2. Inform the public of key bicycle safety issues.

A. Identify important subjects for crash and injury reduction.
Why: Society needs to better understand bicycling in order to practice these skills more safely and to better share the roads with bicyclists. Yet, with the vast number of messages being directed at the public, it is more important than ever to target those topics that are most important.
B. Use the media to publicize important safety messages.
Why: The media can help target the many members of the public who cannot be easily reached through schools or organizations.

III Enforcement

1. Improve traffic laws that affect cyclists.

A. Compare the traffic code and Model Traffic Ordinance.
Why: City codes may contain outdated laws that unnecessarily restrict bicycle travel. For consistency's sake, traffic law should follow or improve upon the national models.
B. Compare State traffic laws and Uniform Vehicle Code.
Why: State law may contain outdated bicycle provisions. State law should follow the model established by the National Committee on Uniform Traffic Laws & Ordinances and local officials should suggest such changes to the State for consistency with local ordinances.

2. Enforce laws affecting bicycle safety and security.

A. Base enforcement priorities on crash study findings.
Why: To reduce the incidence of bicycle/motor vehicle crashes, it makes sense to focus on those violations most likely to have an effect. Typically, these involve basic errors like bicycle ride-outs, or motorist failure to yield.
B. Review and modify youthful violator procedures.
Why: For youngsters, bicycle/motor vehicle crashes most often result from their violating some basic traffic law. But since they have not taken driver training, they seldom know how the traffic system works. As a result, ticketing young children is an unnecessarily harsh approach to handling their violations.
C. Review and, if necessary, modify procedures for handling bicycle theft and assault on bicyclists.
Why: Bicyclists fall prey to certain characteristic types of crime. They often complain about being insulted or assaulted while traveling; yet few offending motorists are ever apprehended. Bike theft is common in some communities.

3. Consider adding bicycle enforcement options to routine police department procedures.

A. Investigate establishing a mountain bike police patrol.
Why: Police departments all over the country are learning the advantages of community-based enforcement efforts. Mountain bikes can be a key part of such an emphasis. They are fast and quiet, allowing new levels of success in drug enforcement, for example, and help officers keep fit. Such patrols are also very popular with the public.

IV Encouragement

1. Reduce or eliminate disincentives for cycling and incentives for driving single-occupant motor vehicles.

A. Add bicycle options to agency motor pools.
Why: Often, it is as quick to get somewhere by bicycle as it is to check out an agency car and drive. And there are advantages, in terms of capital investment, public image, and employee health.
B. Review agency procedures that reimburse employees for use of their own vehicles.
Why: Many agencies reimburse employees for using their own private autos for official travel but there is nothing similar for bicyclists. If the agency sees an advantage in encouraging bicycle travel, some form of incentives should be considered.
C. Include bicycles in Transportation Demand Management programs and other traffic reduction efforts.
Why: Bicycling can be a key part of efforts to reduce the community's dependence on single-occupant motor vehicles, particularly when considering short-distance utilitarian trips.

2. Provide ways for non-participants to receive a casual introduction to bicycling.

A. Include entry-level bicycling activities in local recreation programming.
Why: A fun event for newcomers can give people the incentive and opportunity to try it with little risk.
B. Offer detailed information on utilitarian bicycle travel to key target audiences.
Why: "How-to" seminars and literature can help non-participants solve basic problems associated with bicycling. For example, white collar bicycle commuters must learn how to look good at the office after riding to work.

3. Use electronic and print media to present the benefits of bicycling.

A. Develop and disseminate key pro-bicycling messages.
Why: Many people seem to believe that bicyclists are a "problem" rather than part of the solution to problems created by motorized modes.
B. Publicize experiences of current non-motorized travelers.
Why: One of the most effective ways to encourage new participants is to highlight the experiences of current ones. This also builds respect for a group that is often ignored.
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