Yesterday we discussed the need for education to expand our network of bicyclists. Today we will discuss expanding the infrastructure to include bicycles on a day to day basis in transportation planning. We all think of Copenhagen as the model for this, and we should, but they have been working at it for 50 or 60 years, and even Portland, Oregon has been at it for 30 years to get where it is today.
As noted in this excellent piece from planetizen,
A proper bicycle network is comprised of four basic types of bikeways: bicycle lanes, bicycle boulevards, shared streets and off-street paths. Although bicycle use is not common in many American cities, planners and government officials must acknowledge that such activity is unlikely to increase without a sufficient bicycle network in place. Cities and towns interested in developing or expanding their bicycle network must consider plans that include all four types. Doing so creates a tapestry of options for the three types of bicyclists and their individual requirements (outlined in my previous post). Portland, Oregon and Berkeley, California experience some of the highest bicycle mode shares in the country precisely because they use a layered approach.
So, with that in mind we turn to the update of our local transportation plan that will happen over the next year or two. The plan needs to include bicycles wherever possible, expand the network of on and off road facilities, and obviously including the routes of the Coastal Georgia Greenway.
The best strategy, and one we will push for with the city and county during this time, is adoption of a complete streets policy. This idea, already in place for our neighbors in Florida and South Carolina, requires pedestrian and bicycle facilities be included in all new road projects and expansions. Assuming we allow for exceptions where this is excessively costly, we could grow our infrastructure incrementally and continue to build the bicycle friendly place we know Savannah could be.
UPDATE: Bicycle “improvements” are usually the first thing to get cut from a project to limit cost; nevertheless, they are very inexpensive when compared with the total cost.
Furthermore, if a motorist argues the old lie that their tag and gas taxes pay for the roads, point them to this from Texas (see last paragraph), or this older study. The bottom line: income and property taxes are necessary to build and maintain roads which are tremendously expensive and usually much less than half paid for by gas and tag taxes. As such, we need to change our thinking and funding of transportation to include other modes besides personal autos.
1 Comment
My bicycle is my primary means of transportation, because I do not own any automobile. I work at Georgia Regional Hospital and live close to the intersection of Victory Drive and Harry Truman Parkway. There is no such thing as a safe way to go to work, because Harry Truman Parkway has too much high speed traffic and Skidaway Drive has no berm to use. I worry about dying on the way to work.
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