safer people, safer streets, and safer policies at usdot
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Title: Safer People, Safer Streets, and Safer Policies at USDOT Track: Connect Format: 90 minute moderated discussion Abstract: This USDOT panel will provide details on the Department’s new bicycle and pedestrian safety initiative, including information on the Ped-Bike Safety Action Agenda, Road Safety for Transit Patrons initiative, bike-walk assessments, Road Diet Guide, an aggressive research agenda, and local partnerships, including how community members can get involved. Presenters: Presenter: Barbara McCann Office of Secretary, USDOT Co-Presenter: Heidi Coleman National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Co-Presenter: Dan Goodman Office of Human Environment, Livability Team, FHWA Co-Presenter: Joanne Waszczak Special Assistant, FTA Office of Budget and PolicyTRANSCRIPT
Safe. Convenient. Connected. Walking & Wheeling to Transit
Joanne Waszczak FTA Office of Budget & Policy
ProWalk ProBike ProPlace
September 9, 2014
2
Walking and Wheeling to Transit
• Transit riders access their stops & stations in a variety of ways:
– By foot
– By bike
– By wheelchair, walker or other mobility device
– By stroller
– By skateboard, scooter or rollerblades
– By car, motorcycle, or other motorized vehicle
• All of these trips should be safe and accessible.
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SAFETY is
Our #1 Priority
• Safety: DOT’s longstanding top priority
• Congress gave FTA new safety authority (MAP-
21)
• As we operationalize and define transit safety, we
intend to emphasize the multimodal and
intermodal aspects of transit safety
• We are all pedestrians at some point in our trip to
and from transit, whether we bike 3 miles or walk
across a kiss-and-ride lot
• Look for bike/ped safety in FTA’s national safety
plan
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Bike/Ped Safety includes
Road Safety for Transit Patrons • Agencies that own roads often not the same
agencies that use roads, leading to: – Interagency barriers
– Gaps in the network
– Risky conflict points
• FTA will encourage all levels of government – federal, state and local – to: – Build effective relationships between practitioners
in planning, engineering, public works, public safety
– Work collaboratively to plan and implement safe access to transit stops and stations
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DOT Policy on
Bike/Ped Accommodation
DOT encourages transportation agencies to:
• Plan, fund and implement improvements to bike/ped
networks including linkages to transit
• Go beyond minimum requirements / design standards
• Proactively provide convenient, safe, context-sensitive
facilities that foster increased use by bicyclists
• Improve non-motorized facilities during
maintenance projects
• Remove snow from sidewalks and
shared-use paths
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FTA Policy on
Bike-Ped Access to Transit Transit stop / station
Ped funding eligibility within 1/2 mile
Bicycle funding eligibility within 3 miles
• De-facto, functional
relationship to
transit
• Eligible project
expense
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Federal Transit Law
Within the definition of a Capital Project – “A public transportation
improvement …including...pedestrian and bicycle access to a public
transportation facility”
This means FTA capital programs can fund, for example…
• Planning for bike-ped-transit integration
• Access to a public transportation station or stop
– Sidewalks, multi-use paths, etc.
• Parking at a public transportation station or stop
– Bike racks, lockers, etc.
• Storage on a transit vehicle
– Bike hooks on trains, bike racks on buses, etc.
Existing Funding Opportunities
for Bike-Ped FTA
• Metro and Statewide Planning (Joint
FTA-FHWA program)
• Urbanized Area Formula Grants
• Formula Grants for Rural Areas
• Fixed Guideway Capital Improvement
Grants (previously known as New
Starts/Small Starts)
• Bus & Bus Facilities Formula
• Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and
Persons with Disabilities
• Bus Livability
• TOD Pilot Planning Grants
More info available on FTA’s and
FHWA’s websites.
FHWA
All FHWA funds can be flexed to FTA for any
project that would be eligible under both
programs [23 U.S.C. 104(f) (mod by MAP-
21)].
Most commonly flexed:
• CMAQ: Congestion Mitigation and Air
Quality Improvement Program
• STP: Surface Transportation Program
Also flexed:
• HSIP: Highway Safety Improvement Program
• NHPP/NHS: National Highway Performance
Program / National Highway System
• TAP: Transportation Alternatives Program
• RTP: Recreational Trails Program
• SRTS: Safe Routes to School Program
• 402: State/Community Hwy Safety Grant
Program
• FLH: Federal Lands Highway Program
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Integrating Safe Bike/Ped Infrastructure
into Transit Projects • Silver Line in Metro DC
– Reston-Wiehle East Station • Enclosed, secure bike parking for 200+ including oversized
bikes and trailers
• Two “fix it” stations
• Tucson Streetcar (Sunlink) – Painted designated areas to
stand with bike
• SunRail in Central Florida – Six bikes per passenger car
– Stations linked to bike-ped trails
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Bikeshare
• Bikeshare & transit mutually supportive
• Systems exploring ways to address equity issues
– Bikeshare users generally young, white, well educated
(Mineta Transportation Institute)
– To increase use by additional demographics, culturally
sensitive outreach and alternative payment options
needed
Note:
FTA funds can be used to
purchase bikeshare
infrastructure located near
transit stop/station
Bikes themselves do not
qualify under the definition of
public transportation
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Ladders of Opportunity
Secretary Foxx has called
public transportation a “line
of opportunity ” -- also
applies to bike/ped.
Secretary encourages
communities to: • Prioritize transportation equity
• Increase access and
opportunity for all users
• Remove barriers (physical and
functional)
• Address environmental justice
12
Emerging Trends:
Audits / Assessments
• Walk and bike assessments
– Wide range of tools available: formal to informal
– Evaluate infrastructure: safety, access, comfort, convenience
– Identify alternatives, solutions
– Experiential: walk/ride the route during peak travel times
– Democratic: • Train the trainer model
• Can be facilitated by anyone: nonprofit staff, community leaders, young people, older people
• Opportunity for transportation professionals and users to interact & learn from each other
– Conducted at various scales: neighborhood, corridor, transit station area
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Emerging Trends:
Bike/Ped Safety Assessments
• DOT led three assessments this summer: – Boston
– Dallas-Fort Worth
– Lansing
• Brought together: – FTA, FHWA, NHTSA
– State DOTs
– MPOs
– Transit agencies
– Cities and counties
– Advocacy and education groups
14
Emerging Trends:
Slow Rolls & Awareness Campaigns
• Throughout the US: – Slow Roll Detroit, DC & Baltimore Bike Parties, Denver Bike
Night
– Safety awareness: Bike Cleveland’s “Ride Together” campaign
• Impacts: – Cyclists conducting informal bike assessments through
experience
– Organizers growing a new, diverse transit/cycling constituency
– Corkers and sweepers role modeling bike etiquette and rules of the road, including how bikes and transit can share the road