As part of their Women Cycling Project, the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals (APBP) and the Alliance for Biking & Walking are offering a free webinar on programs and approaches that engage, empower, and encourage women to bicycle, with insights and case studies from around the country.  The webinar will also include a brief update on these topics:

• Outcomes of the National Women Cycling Forum
• Plans for the interactive Women Cycling website
• Update on transportation legislation in Congress

 The webinar takes place tomorrow, Wednesday, March 28, 2012 at 2:00 p.m. CT.  The webinar is free but requires advance registration.

Cities for Cycling Road Shows highlighted Chicago and its current efforts to improve cycling conditions in a new video from the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) best practices film series.  The film covers the recent workshop hosted by the City of Chicago and its DOT, at which planning, engineering, and design experts from New York, Portland, and San Francisco weighed in on what’s worked in their cities and what might work best here.

On February 8, 2012 meeting the Northwest Municipal Conference (NWMC) adopted both the North and Northwest Cook County Bicycle Signage Plan and the Northwest Highway Bicycle Facility Plan.  The Bicycle Signage Plan recommends a network of way finding and destination signs for the regional bicycle corridors identified in the NWMC 2010 Bicycle Plan.  The Plan is designed to be used by municipalities and other local agencies to implement segments of these routes, provides design standards for signs and their placement, and proposes incorporating a website address and smart phone technology on the signs to give riders more information about the full network.

The Northwest Highway Bicycle Facility Plan recommends a series of bike facilities, including sidepaths, bike lanes, and signed bike routes to provide a continuous, 20-mile bicycle corridor from Barrington to Park Ridge. The plan includes cross section views of the proposed improvements, cost estimates, and an implementation strategy.

Learn more and download the complete plans on the NWMC Bicycle and Pedestrian Planning website.

According to a City of Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) press release, the City installed or restriped39 miles of on-street bikeways in 2011.  According to CDOT reported that, in 52 different projects, there were: 17 miles of new bike lanes; nine miles of restriped bike lanes; nine miles of new marked shared lanes; two miles of new protected bikes lanes; one mile of new buffered bike lanes; and one mile of restriped marked shared lanes were completed.

CDOT also installed its first protected and buffered bike lanes, its first bike boxes, bike parking corral, and new bicycle-friendly intersection designs during the last year.  For more information, visit the CDOT Bicycle Program website.

The Chicago Metro Chapter of the American Public Works Association (APWA), in conjunction with the Illinois Technology Transfer Center (T2), the Office of the Illinois Attorney General, and FHWA will be offering a one-day seminar on proposed Public Rights-of-Way Guidelines (PROWAG). Participants will learn about the new ADA guidelines for work within the public right-of-way. Participants will also receive a copy of the current Proposed Final Rule, Special Report on Accessible Public Right-of-way, and student handbook that will help you plan and design current and future projects.

This seminar includes presentations by the Office of the Illinois Attorney General, Federal Highway Administration – IL Division, and Illinois Department of Transportation that will provide a history of the American’s with Disability Act Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG) that impact highway agencies and provide an overview of proposed Public Right-of-Way Accessibility Guidelines (PROWAG).

The registration fee is $75 for APWA members, $90 for non-members, and includes hand-outs, breakfast snacks and coffee, and a certificate of attendance with 6.0 PDH's. $10 of the registration fee will be applied towards the 2013 Congress fund.  The seminar takes place March 21, 2012 at IDOT District 1 offices in Schaumburg.

Lunch is not included. Students can bring a brown bag lunch or eat at local establishments.

The Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center (PBIC), in conjunction with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), is offering a free webinar on pedestrian safety and accessibility considerations at modern roundabouts.  Modern roundabouts are an FHWA proven safety countermeasure and have been documented to reduce vehicle injury and fatal crashes when compared to signalized intersections.  However, the safety of roundabouts for pedestrians is less clear, and significant concerns about the accessibility and safety of roundabouts for pedestrians who are blind have often been raised.

This webinar will take place tomorrow, Wednesday, March 7, from 12:00 to 1:30 p.m. CT.  Register at https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/941771786.

The U.S. Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Office of Safety has launched a new website that includes links to detailed descriptions, related research studies, and evaluations of nine research-proven countermeasures -- superseding the 2008 guidance on the consideration and implementation of proven safety countermeasures -- which are considered highly effective and whose use should be encouraged. The nine countermeasures highlighted on the site address crashes that occur in the focus areas of intersections, pedestrians, and roadway departure.

The website provides a direct link to the January 12, 2012 memorandum from the Acting Associate Administrator for Safety to division administrators on the promotion of the implementation of proven safety countermeasures.

A new study has been released by the National Center for Safe Routes to School (NCSRTS), which explores and attempts to understand how school-level dynamics, which underlie the planning and implementation of SRTS programs, relate to the percentage of students who walk and bicycle between home and school.

The study begins with the question: Do successful Safe Routes to School programs have something in common?  It’s analysis identifies the following four key factors that successful SRTS programs share:

1. Identifying an in-school leader, often the principal, to champion SRTS.
2. Conducting activities that reinforce walking and bicycling, such as frequent walker/biker programs and Walk to School Day events.
3. Generating parent support for SRTS.

Establishing policies that support SRTS, such as early dismissal for students who walk or bicycle home from school.

A report issued by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) entitled, “The Role of FHWA Programs in Livability: State of the Practice Summary,” highlights the current state of the practice livability principles in relation to their implementation within the context of the federal-aid highway program.  The report offers examples of strategies and tools for implementing livability through different programs and agencies, and across various scales as they pertain to highway program planning and development.

In a dissertation entitled “Understanding Sustainable Transportation Choices: Shifting Routine Automobile Travel to Walking and Bicycling,” Robert Schneider, at the University of California Berkeley, examined factors associated with the decision to walk or bicycle rather than drive for short, routine trips.   The author used an intercept survey to gather travel data from 1,003 customers at retail pharmacies in 20 San Francisco Bay area neighborhoods.

The study results showed that automobile use was negatively associated with higher employment density, smaller parking lots, and metered on-street parking in the shopping district.  Walking was positively associated with higher population density, more street tree canopy coverage, lower speed limits, and fewer commercial driveway crossings.  In addition, an exploratory analysis of a small number of bicycle tours found that bicycling was associated with more extensive bicycle facility networks and more bicycle parking. However, people were more likely to drive when they perceived a high risk of crime.

The study also estimates the magnitude of mode shift that could occur if certain changes – increasing population and employment density, increasing the street tree canopy, and eliminating parking spaces – were made.

The transportation consulting firm Fehr & Peers has prepared a report for America Walks on signalized intersection enhancements that benefit pedestrians.  The report is intended to help educate decision makers, planners, engineers, and citizens on signalized intersection treatments that can improve pedestrian safety and convenience.

While clearly indicating that not all of the treatments summarized in this resource are appropriate for every signalized intersection.  This report categorizes signalized intersection enhancements into three types:

• Geometric treatments
• Signal hardware
• Operational measures

The Association of Bicycle and Pedestrian Professionals (APBP) will host a webinar, “Emerging Technologies for Bicycle and Pedestrian Planning,” today, February 15, 2012, from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. CT.

Together, land use patterns and transportation policies determine whether walking and bicycling are practical and enjoyable.  This webinar will help participants understand how land use policy and regulations are the basis for pedestrian and bicycle friendly communities, and what to look for in plan review. Through an overview and examples of policy and regulations, and the experience of one small Wisconsin city (Fitchburg, pop. 20,000), participants will find out how innovative zoning codes and policies can help promote active transportation.

The cost is $50 per site for APBP members and $75 per site for non-APBP members.  Register online.  For more information, contact Debra Goeks (262-228-7025 or deb@apbp.org).

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) recently updated and amended its Technical Advisories (TA) on the design and application of shoulder and edge line rumble strips (TA 5040.35 and 5040.39) to include issues of cyclists and cyclists’ safety.

Previously, the TAs contained little information on the needs of cyclists or the need for a public process when designing and installing rumble strips as part of road reconstruction or paving.  The revised TA (5040.39, Revised 1), released on November 16, 2011, includes a new section (Section 9) about the accommodation of all roadway users, with a special emphasis on the needs of cyclists and the measures that should be considered to accommodate them.

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) is accepting applications for the Recreational Trails Program (RTP).  The program, created through the National Recreational Trail Fund Act as part of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA) and re-authorized under SAFETEA-LU, provides funding assistance for acquisition, development, rehabilitation and maintenance of both motorized and non-motorized recreation trails.  The RTP program can provide up to 80 percent of federal funding on approved projects and requires a minimum 20 percent non-federal funding match.

Examples of eligible project activities include

• Trail construction and rehabilitation
• Restoration of areas adjacent to trails damaged by unauthorized trail uses
• Construction of trail-related support facilities and amenities
• Acquisition from willing sellers of trail corridors through easements or fee simple title

The deadline for the current round of applications is March 1, 2012.  For more information, instructions, and the Illinois Trails Grant Programs manual, can be found on the IDNR RTP webpage linked to above.

The national advocacy group Alliance for Biking and Walking has released its 2012 Benchmarking Report “Bicycling and Walking in the United States, 2012.”  The report, as in previous editions, compares states and major cities in terms safety, mode share, funding, and levels of biking and walking.  It is the third such report in the Alliance’s Benchmarking Project, an on-going effort to collect and analyze data on bicycling and walking in all 50 states and the 51 largest U.S. cities.  The report shows that where bicycling and walking levels are higher, obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes levels are lower. Higher levels of bicycling and walking also coincide with increased bicycle and pedestrian safety and higher levels of physical activity.  The primary recommendation of the report is the need for greater investment in bicycling and walking.

The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) has announced the solicitation of projects for the state’s 2012 Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program (ITEP). Approximately $50 million of ITEP funds are available for this round of projects.

The application must be submitted on-line.  Certain supporting materials, however, may be submitted in hard copy.  The schedule and deadlines for the 2012 round are as follows:

• February 1, 2012: On-line application process opened.
• May 29, 2012: Deadline for on-line application submittals.
• June 1, 2012: Deadline for hard copy submittals.
• June to August 2012: Application review.
• September 2012: Selection committee review.
• October 2012: Announcement of approved projects.

Additional information, instructions, the Guidelines Manual, and a Frequently Asked Questions section can be found on the ITEP website at www.dot.il.gov/opp/itep.html. 

IDOT plans to create an online tutorial that will provide an introduction to the ITEP program and walk the applicants thru the application page-by-page.  This tutorial will be posted online as soon as it is available (anticipated in February). 

CMAP encourages applicants with projects in the Bicycle and Pedestrian Task Force recommended package of projects for CMAQ funding that were not fully funded in the FY 2012-2016 CMAQ program to apply for ITEP funds, if appropriate.  While such a recommendation is no guarantee of ITEP funding, CMAP supports these Task Force-recommended projects that have been evaluated using such criteria as connectivity, population and employment served, access to transit, regional appropriateness of the project, and consistency with local and regional plans.  The recommended package of projects represents project submittals that best implemented CMAP’s GO TO 2040 Comprehensive Regional Plan.  The package is posted as a memorandum to the CMAQ Project Selection Committee and as part of analytical matrices (full poster-sized and summary 11x17).

Governor Quinn has announced funding recipients for the 2011 Illinois Safe Routes to Schools program.   The northeastern Illinois region received a total of $8.91 million, out of a state program of $21.17 million.  Approximately $7.9 million is for infrastructure projects, and $1.02 million is designated for non-infrastructure projects. For an analysis of the awards in northeastern Illinois by county and by City of Chicago, visit the CMAP bicycle and pedestrian webpage.

Among the communities successful in obtaining funding are six of the eight communities in which CMAP organized day-long SRTS workshops during the pre-application period (autumn of 2010).  These six communities (Elmhurst, North Aurora, Winfield, Orland Park, Batavia, and Steger) received funding for ten projects – four infrastructure projects and six non-infrastructure projects – totaling $663,170 in federal funds.

The region’s infrastructure project awards also include $75,504 for a sidewalk in the Fairmont community of Will County.  Last year, CMAP’s FLIP program helped to promote this project by working with local students and leaders to explore ways to increase walking to school and pedestrian safety.  CMAP continues its engagement with Fairmont through a Local Technical Assistance (LTA) project to complete the community’s first neighborhood plan.

The Cook County Board of Commissioners approved a Complete Streets Ordinance on December 14, 2011. The ordinance was fully supported by the County Highway Department and replaces an earlier Complete Streets executive order.   It strengthens and formalizes the County's commitment to creating streets that are better for everyone, regardless of their mode of travel.  According to the National Complete Streets Coalition, the Cook County ordinance is one of the strongest county-level policies in the country, as well as one of the growing number that include performance measures. Read more about the policy, its development, and adoption on Active Transportation Alliance website.

As part of the “Safe Routes to School Coaching Action Network Webinar Series,” developed by America Walks and the National Center for Safe Routes to School (NCSRTS), a webinar entitled “Pump Down the Volume: SRTS and Traffic Reduction” will be presented on January 31, 2012, from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. CT.  The webinar will look at the problem of traffic congestion as it relates to SRTS.  It will also focus on two SRTS programs that have had success in reducing congestion and measuring traffic reductions.  The first program, developed by an elementary school in Longmont, CO, surveyed families in order to understand travel patterns to school.  After learning that 75 percent of students arrived by car, the program focused on increasing walking and bicycling rates through education and encouragement. After just one year, the school saw a 40 percent reduction in motor vehicle traffic.  The second program, from Pinehurst, NC, focused on encouraging the school's 650 students to become engaged as leaders in the effort to get more students walking to school. The Student Council presented neighborhood walkability recommendations to the Mayor and Village Council, resulting in a $150,000 allocation for a greenway to connect the elementary school to other areas of the Village.  Their efforts resulted in a 22 percent reduction in traffic volume on walking school bus days.

The webinar is free but requires advance registration.  For more information please contact Michelle Gulley at mgulley@americawalks.org.

The U.K.’s Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) released a report highlighting existing research on the role of infrastructure in relation to the safety of cyclists and their interaction with other road users.  The report consists of an international literature review of this subject and was undertaken as part of the wider research program, Road User Safety and Cycling, being led by TRL.  The paper identifies the influence of infrastructure on intermediate, behavioral outcomes which, in turn, may influence accident risk, such as the speed of motorized traffic and cyclist route choice and maneuvers, etc.

The study finds that, of all interventions to increase bicyclist safety, the greatest benefits result from reduction in the general speed of motorized traffic. According to the report, speed reduction may be achieved through a variety of methods including physical traffic calming; urban design that changes the appearance and the (pedestrian) use of a street; and, possibly, the wider use of 20 mph speed limits, which are common in some cities.