Planning and Designing Pedestrian and Bicycle Networks for

People of All Ages and Abilities

Source: City of Calgary

James Donnelly, P.Eng., PTOE

March 19, 2019

Learning Objectives
1. To understand the benefits of walking/cycling
2. To understand unique needs and issues of
people
3. To learn which facilities are most preferred
and safest for people of all ages and abilities
4. To identify network planning principles
5. To identify design features
Source: City of Copenhagen
 Increase
physical
reduce auto activity
dependence

social
connections
 quality of life

all ages
and
abilities
Would you rather cycle here?
Photo Flickr: Tom Thivener
Photo Flickr: W.D. Vanlue
…Or here?
Photo Flickr: Paul Krueger
Bicycle Use
Bicycle Mode Share: Canada and United States

10% 10%

8%
In many North
American cities,
6% 5%
bicycles account for
only 1-2% of all trips
4% 4%

3% 3% 3%
2% 2%
2%
2% 2% 2% 2%
2% 2% 1% 1% 1%
1% 1% 1%
1% 1% 1% 1%
0% 0% 0% 0%
0%
0%
Philadelphia

Halifax
Saskatoon

Winnipeg

Regina

Los Angeles

New York
San Francisco

Baltimore
Ottawa

Boston

Edmonton

Chicago

Milwaukee

Detroit
Seattle

Houston
Montreal

Phoenix
Dallas
Toronto

Calgary

San Jose
Portland
Vancouver

San Antonio
Washington DC

Quebec City
Victoria

Percentage of Work Trips Made by Bicycle

Bicycle Use
Bicycle Mode Share: Global and Canada

40% 38%
36%
35%

30%
Bicycle Mode Share (%)

25%

20%

15% 13%

10%
7% 6%
4% 4%
5% 3% 3% 3% 3% 3% 2% 2% 2% 2% 1% 1% 1% 1% 1% 1%
0%

Percentage of Work Trips Made by Bicycle

Growth in Cycling Cycling is the fastest
Bicycle Mode Share Change
growing form of
transportation in most
North American cities
4% In many North
American cities,
Bicycle Mode Share

+38%
3%
+66% +41% bicycles account for
+20%
only 1-2% of all trips
2%
+23%
1%

0%

2001 2011

Percentage of Work Trips Made by Bicycle

Who should we be planning for?

These people?
or these people?
Source: City of Copenhagen
Trip Purpose Recreation
Commuter
Utilitarian
Work
26%
Exercise
34%

School
4%

Personal
Social Business
13% Shopping 11%
12%

Source: 2004 TransLink Travel Diary Survey, Metro Vancouver

Interest in Cycling
Bicycle Planning Principles

Engineering

Evaluation Enforcement

5 E’s

Encouragement Education
Bicycle Planning Principles

Engineering

Evaluation Enforcement

5 E’s

Encouragement Education
Motivators & Deterrents
Higher
Motivators Deterrents
Separated from vehicle noise and pollution Ice or snow
Beautiful scenery Lots of car, bus & truck traffic
Separated paths from traffic Glass or debris
Route is flat Vehicles drive faster than 50 km/h
Faster than other modes Risk of unsafe drive behaviour
Distance less than 5 km Risk of injury from car-bicycle crash
Trip in daylight hours Rain
Bikes allowed on SkyTrain Slick surfaces
Reflective centre line on pathways Poor lighting
Secure indoor bike storage Need to carry bulky or heavy items
Lower

Source: UBC Cycling in Cities Program

Motivators & Deterrents
Higher
Motivators Deterrents
Separated from vehicle noise and pollution Ice or snow
Beautiful scenery Lots of car, bus & truck traffic
Separated paths from traffic Glass or debris
Route is flat Vehicles drive faster than 50 km/h
Faster than other modes Risk of unsafe drive behaviour
Distance less than 5 km Risk of injury from car-bicycle crash
Trip in daylight hours Rain
Bikes allowed on SkyTrain Slick surfaces
Reflective centre line on pathways Poor lighting
Secure indoor bike storage Need to carry bulky or heavy items
Lower

Source: UBC Cycling in Cities Program

Busy street, parked cars, no bike infrastructure
Least safe, greatest deterrent to cycling

Photo Flickr: Café Mama

Busy street, sharrows
Less safe, deters cycling

Major street, parked cars,

Major street, sharrows painted bike lane
[Sources: Teschke et al, 2012; Harris et al, 2013]
Photo Flickr: W.D. Vanlue
Busy street, parked cars, bike lane
Less safe, deters cycling

Major street, sharrows

Busy street, no parked cars, bike lane
Safer, neutral impact on cycling

[Sources: Teschke et al, 2012; Harris et al, 2013]

Busy street, separated bike lane
Safest, motivates cycling

[Sources: Teschke et al, 2012; Harris et al, 2013]

Photo Flickr: Paul Krueger
Quiet street, bike route
Safer, motivates cycling
Safety of Facility Types

Source: UBC Cycling in Cities Program

Safety in Numbers
Cities with the highest cycling levels are also the safest for cycling

40% 1

Aveage Bicycle Fatalities / Million Annual Bicycle Trips

0.9
35%
0.8
30%
0.7
Bicycle Mode Share (%)

25%
0.6

20% 0.5

0.4
15%
0.3
10%
0.2
5%
0.1

0% 0

Bicycle Mode Share (%) Average Fatalities Per One Million Daily Trips
All Ages and Abilities Facilities
Less
More Comfortable comfortable

Off-Street Cycle Local Bicycle Shared Shoulder

Pathway Track Street Lane Use Bikeway
Bikeway Lane
All Ages and
Preferred Abilities
Facility Facilities
Types

Photos Flickr: Paul Krueger

Busy streets
cycle tracks

Quiet streets and neighbourhoods

neighbourhood greenways

Off-street
off-street pathways
Design Guidance

NACTO FHWA OTM

Busy Streets – Cycle Tracks
What is a Cycle Track?

A bicycle path along a

road, physically separated
from motor vehicle
traffic, and distinct from
the sidewalk
What is a Cycle Track?
Types of Cycle Tracks

Painted Buffer Bollards Parked Cars Barriers Visual / Surface Elevation

Treatments

Not just one type - many shapes and sizes

 One-Way

Curb

Laurier Avenue West, Ottawa

 Parked One-Way
Cars

Bollards

23 Street, Saskatoon
 Two-Way

Curb

Assiniboine Avenue, Winnipeg

 Bollards
Conflict
Zone
Planters Markings

Two-Way

12 Avenue SW, Calgary

 Elevation

Colour

Amsterdam, Netherlands
What is a Cycle Track?
What is a Cycle Track?
Parked Cars

Painted Buffer
 Painted Buffer

Bollards

Kinzie Street, Chicago

 Parked Cars

Curb and
Bollards

12 Avenue SW, Calgary

One-Way vs Two-Way
• Better safety record with one-way
cycle tracks

• Reasons for 2-way:

• Space limitations
• Wrong-way bicyclists
• Difficult street crossings
Intersections
Intersections
Low Volume Streets / Driveways
• Cycle track should retain priority
at driveways and low volume side
streets
• Driveways and low volume side
street crossings can be marked,
colored, textured and be grade
separated
• Continue the cycle track through
the crossing
Intersections
Conflict Zone Markings
• Coloured pavement markings can be
provided through intersections where
there is a conflict or to raise visibility
• Green is the standard colour in
Canada and the US
Transit Integration

Consider transit
when identifying
corridor.

Left side cycle track

eliminates conflict
Transit Integration
BUS
STOP

Minimize conflicts
Between CYCLE
disembarking transit TRACK
passengers and
cyclists in the cycle
track
Transit Integration

Minimize conflicts
between
disembarking transit
passengers &
cyclists in the cycle
track
Convenient Bike Parking
Secure Bike Parking
 Walking
Source: City of Copenhagen
Sidewalks

Source: NACTO Urban Street Design Guide

Enhanced Crosswalks
Narrower Crossings
Pedestrian Activated Signals

Source: iihs.org
Accessible Intersections
Raised Crossings
Accessible Pedestrian Signals
Transit Integration
Transit Integration
 Thank You!

James Donnelly, P.Eng., PTOE

March 19, 2019