Officials from the Village of Frankfurt in Will County announced that construction will begin soon on a 1.2-mile paved multi-use bike path.  The 10-foot-wide path will travel along Sauk Trail Road through the Sauk Trail Forest Preserve between 80th Avenue and Harlem Avenue, with access points at Harlem Avenue, St. Andrews Way, and 80th Avenue.  The facility is shown in CMAP’s Regional Greenways and Trails Plan.

The path is funded in part by a $119,000 grant from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.  Frankfort will provide the balance of the $254,475 cost for the facility. The project is a cooperative effort between the Village of Frankfort, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, and the Will County Forest Preserve, which owns the land and will maintain the path. Construction of the path is expected to be completed by the end of the fall.

Part 1 of the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center’s (PBIC) Pedestrian Safety Webinar Series take place on July  20, 2010, from 1:30 to 3:00 p.m. CDT.  The title of the webinar is “Introduction to Pedestrian Safety Design and Planning Principles.”

The webinar will provide an overview of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)/PBIC course, "Designing for Pedestrian Safety" and will also provide participants with a background in planning and pedestrian safety issues. Nationwide statistics on pedestrian safety and crash trends in the U.S. will be presented to give participants an understanding of the scope of the problem.

The presentation also covers key questions regarding pedestrian planning principles and related accommodations, and builds the case for including pedestrians in all Transportation and design decisions. Participants will then be presented with an overview of planning elements that affect pedestrian safety, including land use, connectivity, access management, site design, and level of service.

The instructors will be Michael Ronkin of Designing Streets for People, LLC, and Craig Allred, FHWA resource center technical specialist.  Online registration is available.

Chicago Public Radio (WBEZ), along with other area media, have picked up on the growing popularity in our region of bikable communities.   More and more suburban towns are acknowledging the desire of residents to live in places where you can comfortably and safely ride a bike or walk.  These communities are actively seeking ways to make that happen. WBEZ recently ran a piece on the Village of Homewood’s innovative approach to house-hunting.  The Village, with the help of Steve Buchtel of the Active Transportation Alliance, has promoted house-hunting trips by bike so that potential buyers can see just how bike-friendly the Village is.  CMAP’s draft GO TO 2040 plan, recommends the development of walkable and bikeable communities to increase livability.  Comments are currently being accepted on the draft GO TO 2040 plan until August 6, 2010.

The Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center (PBIC) hosts the Livable Communities Webinar Series in order to encourage safe walking and bicycling as a viable means of Transportation and physical activity.  The free webinars are offered every other month. Afterwards, the webinars are archived for free download.

Learn about the evolving best practices in the creation of bicycle boulevards.  This Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals (APBP) webinar will draw from lessons learned in Portland, OR, and other cities across the nation.  Presenters Mia Birk of Alta Planning+Design and Greg Raisman of Portland Bureau of Transportation will describe the current state of the practice and the “next big thing” -- neighborhood greenways -- which incorporate the idea of bicycle boulevards with green streets, neighborhood enhancements, and community building.  This broader concept of sustainable, bike-friendly streets appeals to diverse groups and can help communities obtain funding.

The webinar is designed to help practitioners fully optimize existing bicycle boulevards. Attendees will learn about:

• route selection
• levels of intervention
• examples of challenges and solutions for a range of design issues
• neighborhood greenway strategies, and
• processes for getting project buy-in and approval

The webinar takes place Wednesday, July 21 from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. CDT.  Cost is $50 per site for APBP members, $75 per site for non-APBP members.  Online registration is available.  For more information, contact Debra Goeks at 262-228-7025 or deb@apbp.org.

The Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center (PBIC) launched a web-based library collection of pedestrian and bicycle-related safety videos on its website.  Submitted from pedestrian and bicycle organizations from across the country, the videos can either be viewed online or downloaded from the site. Visitors to the PBIC Video Library can use the videos for any noncommercial projects including on websites, presentations, and for events. Users of the site can either browse available videos or search by topic area.

PBIC will continually seek and compile videos to be included in this Library.  If you have publicly available videos that you have developed and would like to be included in the Video Library, contact Katy Jones at jones@hsrc.unc.edu or 919-843-7007. All videos must be either in digital or DVD format, be educational and non-commercial, and be relevant to pedestrian and bicycle safety issues.

Localities and states have increasingly turned to land planning and urban design for help in reducing automobile use and related social and environmental costs.  However, the effects of such strategies on travel demand have not been generalized in recent years from the multitude of available studies. The authors of the article “: a meta-analysis,” published in the June issue of the Journal of the American Planning Association reviews and generalizes literature on the built environment and its affect on Transportation options and travel behavior.  Consistent with prior studies, the authors find that vehicle miles traveled (VMT) is most strongly related to measures of accessibility to destinations and secondarily to street network design variables.  According to the article, “walking is most strongly related to measures of land use diversity, intersection density, and the number of destinations within walking distance.”

The full article is available for free online.

Bike lanes now run down the middle of Pennsylvania Avenue -- America’s “Main Street.”  As the Secretary of Transportation, Ray LaHood wrote on his blog, “for too long, walking and biking have been overlooked as important forms of Transportation. Now we see local governments answering that call by creating new opportunities for people to take advantage of streetcars, transit, walking, and bike lanes. They’re taking the needs of pedestrians and cyclists into account like never before.”

The Federal Highway Administration released The National Bicycling and Walking Study: 15-year Status Report.  The report, by the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center (PBIC), discusses trends and outcomes in bicycling and walking since 1994.

More specifically, the report measures the progress made toward goals of lowering the number of fatalities while increasing the percentage of trips made by bicycling and walking.  Injury and fatality statistics are presented to measure this progress, as well as results from surveys related to travel habits.  This 15-year report, unlike two earlier reports, examines a range of efforts to increase bicycling and walking in the U.S.  Programs at the federal, state, and local levels are included, as well as case studies on best practices.  In addition, the report makes recommendations for research, policy, and other measures that can help achieve goals proposed in the original study.

For the second year in a row, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) is making funds available through competitive grant program designed to assist local and tribal governments in establishing and implementing climate change initiatives.  The overall goal of the Climate Showcase Communities grant program is to create replicable models of sustainable community action that generate cost-effective and persistent greenhouse gas reductions while improving the environmental, economic, public health, or social conditions in a community.  The U.S. EPA expects to award approximately 25 cooperative agreements ranging from approximately $100,000 to $500,000. Approximately 5 percent of the total available funds ($500,000) are set aside for tribal governments.

Proposals are due by July 26, 2010, 4:00 p.m. EDT.

The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) has announced the 2010 Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program (ITEP).  The 2010 ITEP program makes approximately $80 million in federal funds available to eligible applicants and is expected to create or sustain approximately 870 future jobs in Illinois.  The ITEP program is designed to expand travel choices, enhance the experience of travel, and improve quality of life in Illinois by funding projects that promote bicycle and pedestrian travel, improve roadway and streetscape design, and preserve and improve the cultural, historic, aesthetic, and environmental aspects of our Transportation infrastructure.

ITEP funds are awarded competitively, and any local or state government with taxing authority is eligible to apply for and sponsor an enhancement project.  Local matching funds are required and work must begin on the projects within three years.  For more information about ITEP or to access the on-line application, please visit the IDOT website.

Upcoming webinar: Pedestrian safety from around the world

In this presentation -- one in the series of webinars offered by the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center (PBIC) -- Charlie Zegeer will discuss pedestrian safety from an international perspective.  From China to Dubai to New York City to India, Mr. Zegeer will lead us on a quick tour of pedestrian safety design and treatments from around the globe.

Beginning with pedestrian safety statistics at the global and regional level, the presentation will uncover relationships between design, engineering treatments, and pedestrian safety and establish the basic principles that guide and inform these relationships.  Charlie will also present a selection of results from the International Scan on Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety and Mobility, which examined pedestrian safety treatments at a number of locations throughout the world.  He will also describe a case study from Miami-Dade County, Florida, regarding safety benefits that can potentially result from a comprehensive pedestrian safety program.

The webinar is free and takes place Wednesday, June 30, 2010 from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. CDT.  Registration is available online.

The privatization of the Chicago’s parking meters and the subsequent switch to pay-and-display consoles has resulted in thousands of bike parking spaces – in the form of the meter posts – being removed.  This fact could turn out to be a boon for local artists.  Earlier this month, the City of Chicago’s Transportation Committee authorized an innovative public art program, which some believe may rival the popular “Cows on Parade” program.  The City of Chicago will ask local artists to design decorative bike racks that double as pieces of public art.  The idea of bike racks as sculpture is already being tried in a few cities around the country -- Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, Louisville, and San Antonio.  Within our region, the Village of Algonquin in McHenry County also initiated a similar program.

The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) issued a Bureau of Design and Environment (BDE) Procedure Memorandum (Number 68-10) on “Bicycle and Pedestrian Accommodation (Complete Streets).”  The memorandum modifies Chapters 5 and 17 (‘Local Agency Agreements’ and ‘Bicycle and Pedestrian Accommodations,’ respectively) of the Bureau of Design and Environment Manual.  The changes represent IDOT’s implementation of the Illinois Complete Streets Law.  The revisions will be incorporated into the next update of the BDE Manual.

Minneapolis launches America's largest bike-sharing system

Minneapolis launched “Nice Ride,” the nation's largest bike-sharing system to date.  The system includes 700 bicycles and 65 stations or kiosks where riders can swipe a keycard, pick up a bike, and go -- or afterward, drop one off.  Minneapolis is joining Denver, Washington D.C., and a few other American cities trying to cut down on obesity, traffic congestion, and air pollution with bike-sharing programs.

Nice Ride is funded mainly by $1.75 million from the U.S. Federal Highway Administration and $1 million from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota. Riders will pay to use the bikes: a 24-hour pass is $5; a yearly subscription is $60. Chips in each bike track the rider, and lost, stolen, or damaged bikes must be paid for by the user.

The bike kiosks are concentrated in downtown, at the University of Minnesota's campus, and near dining hot spots. The program will be seasonal, with bikes available from April to November.

Chicagoland bicyclists now have the most up-to-date riding and route information, thanks to the release of the new, fifth edition of the Chicagoland Bike Map.  The map is the result of many volunteers around the region bicycling, surveying, and documenting new and old trails, existing road conditions, and the surrounding areas.  In addition, a series of public meetings gathered input from cyclists and residents to ensure the accuracy and comprehensiveness of the map.

The new edition, produced by the Active Transportation Alliance, features:

• Expanded coverage -- north to Lake Geneva, south to the Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie in Will County, and southwest to Grundy County
• More connections, trails, and on-street bike facilities and routes
• Icons for all the bicycle and bike repair shops in the region
• Preserved open spaces, rail transit lines and stations, and historic sites

Copies of the map are available online for $10. 

The draft GO TO 2040 comprehensive regional plan is now available for public comment through August 6, 2010.   Based on nearly three years of research, deliberation, and public input, the plan recommends action in four themes: Livable Communities, Regional Mobility, Human Capital, and Efficient Governance. By implementing GO TO 2040, our region will:

• Emphasize support for existing communities.
• Encourage more compact, sustainable development patterns.
• Increase the efficiency and transparency of government through better decision making.
• Reduce congestion by emphasizing modernization (rather than expansion) of the current Transportation system.
• Give residents more options for getting around, including transit, walking, and bicycling.
• Improve parks and preserve open space.
• Reduce consumption of energy and water.

Have your say by commenting or attending one of 10 open houses across the region this summer.  The final GO TO 2040 plan will be presented to CMAP's Board and MPO Policy Committee for approval in October, when the plan's implementation phase will begin.

A number of state departments of Transportation (DOTs) are very active in promoting, funding, and implementing Transportation demand management (TDM) programs.  TDM promotes alternatives to single occupant vehicle usage in order to reduce congestion and preserve the environment.  To share the successes and lessons learned from the states’ experiences, the National Cooperative Highway Research Program is producing a report that will provide examples of successful implementation and support of TDM programs by state DOTs.

On Thursday, June 17, TRB will host a webinar from 1:00 to 2:30 p.m. CDT to explore the findings of the report, which will be released later this summer.  Presenters will discuss case studies that illustrate the different ways that states have implemented TDM.  A survey of TDM programs developed by state DOTs will also be discussed.  This webinar will be useful for practitioners interested in incorporating TDM strategies into state, local, and regional programs.

As part of GO TO 2040, CMAP prepared a Strategy Paper on TDM.

The Safe Routes to School (SRTS) National Partnership will issue a new resource guide in June, "Implementing Safe Routes to School in Low-Income Schools and Communities."  As part of the launch of the resource guide, the Partnership is hosting a webinar to highlight some of the promising practices and creative strategies that have been successfully employed in low-income communities.

The free webinar will  be held on Thursday, June 17 from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. CDT, and will feature two SRTS experts:

• Bill Swiatek, Senior Planner, Wilmington Area Planning Council, Wilmington, DE
• Christy Filby, parent champion, Ridgewood Elementary School, East Moline, IL

Online registration is available.

Bike to Work Week is underway!  The annual, region-wide event runs this year from June 12 to June 18, 2010, and is the perfect time to bike and to promote two-wheeled commuting at your organization!  Individuals and groups are encouraged sign up and ride their bikes.  So far, 465 companies, non-profit organizations, and other groups have signed up to compete against each other to see who can get the highest percentage of bike riders.  Bike to Work Week culminates on Friday, June 18 with the Bike to Work Week Rally in Daley Plaza.  Stop by anytime from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday to enjoy snacks, entertainment, giveaways, and a major bike commuting celebration!