ASSESSING THE WALKING & BIKING ENVIRONMENT M A Y 2 0 1 3 Jon Morgan WI DHS
ACTIVE COMMUNITY LINE-UP Rationale Why do an audit What s involved in an audit Things to look for and consider Hitting the streets Let s look at the results
WHAT S CHANGED & WHY DOES IT MATTER? Health Neighborhood Design Transportation Options Environmental & Economic Impact
DOESN T EVERYONE DRIVE? 55% of Americans would rather drive less & walk more. Nearly one-third of Americans don t drive: 21% of Americans over 65. Children under 16. Many low income Americans do not have access to automobiles.
2 Examples in Green Bay
CUL-DE-SAC NEIGHBORHOOD 1.4 Miles How many households & destinations are within walking distance?
How many households/destinations are within walking distance?.75 mile radius GRID NEIGHBORHOOD Welcome to Green Bay
NEIGHBORHOODS MATTER % Active % 100% 80% 60% 40% 20% 43% 27% One study found that 43% of people with safe places to walk within 10 minutes of home met recommended activity levels; among those without safe places to walk just 27% met the recommendation. 0% Walkable Neighborhood Less Walkable Neighborhood
WHY DO A PEDESTRIAN/ BIKE AUDIT? Identify fixable issues in problem areas Create safe, accessible, and welcoming environments for walkers and bikers Walkability & bikeability = improved health, livability & economic vitality Establish a baseline from which to measure progress It beats working on a nice day
RANGE OF AUDITS Informal: General impression of the current status of the walk / bike environment. Example / Use - Raise awareness of elected officials, media and the general public (Overall 0 10 score ) Semi-formal: Rating of a short, specific list Example / Use - More objective scoring of a variety of criteria on a written scale. Could provide a neighborhood list of possible areas to change. Formal: Rating of a comprehensive criteria list Example / Use Objective scoring of many criteria that can be compared with other audited areas (WI form). Could be used to prioritize across multiple neighborhoods
THE ASSESSMENT TOOL: KEY STEPS Where should I do an audit? Identify priority areas high-traffic areas crash sites new developments citizens complaints school zones neighborhood association Identify geographic area to be assessed intersection + 1-2 blocks in each direction school property + 1 sq mi census block
THE ASSESSMENT What are some things you might need: Walking Audit Checklist Walking Audit Route Map (if multiple sites will be reviewed) Aerial photograph for each Focus Area Clipboards Pens / Highlighter Post-its Camera Measuring tape or wheel Safety vests
Mixed land use Stoplights WHAT DO YOU SEE HERE? Pedestrian signal Retail destination Bus Highlighted crosswalk Curb ramps Painted median Bike lane Photo: Santa Barbara, CA (Dan Burden, 13 Walk and Livable Communities Institute, Inc.)
THE WI AUDIT TOOL
AUDIT TOOL A) Land Use Environment WalkScore, Mixed-use neighborhoods/destinations, Facilities, Features, Ease of access B) Transportation Environment Alternative transportation, Speed, Volume, Connectivity C) Walking Environment Features, Sidewalks, Intersections, Safety, Key issues D) Biking Environment Features, Surfaces, Intersections, Safety, Key issues E) Facilities & Aesthetics Equipment, Amenities, Aesthetics, Safety, Activity
Recording Map X = Ped/Bike Crash site
#1 WALKSCORE & #10 TRAFFIC VOLUME 2 Web Stats to Pull: Q #1 WalkScore Q #10 Traffic Volume Caveat on WalkScore Heavily weighted to # of destinations Take results with a large grain of salt
A) LAND USE ENVIRONMENT 1. WalkScore 2. Residential Mix 3. Commercial/ Public Mix 4. Recreational 5. Natural features www.pedbikeimages.org 6. Barriers
WHY LOCAL PLANNING MATTERS VARIOUS TYPES OF WALKING/BIKING TRIPS Exercise trips Recreational trips Purposeful trips These require destinations to go to
#2 & #3 MIXED-USE NEIGHBORHOODS (RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL)
#4 RECREATIONAL FACILITIES Gyms Parks Athletic Fields
#5 & #6 NATURAL FEATURES & EASE OF ACCESS Rivers & Lakes: nice aesthetics, but also potential barriers
B) TRANSPORTATION ENVIRONMENT 7. Alternate modes 8 & 9. Speed limits 10. Traffic volume (online count) 11. Routes
#7 ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION Bikes, Buses, etc
#8 & #9 SPEED LIMITS
C) WALKING ENVIRONMENT 12. Walking features 13. Good sidewalks 14. Safe Intersections 15. Buffers
TRAFFIC CALMING/CONTROL
Roundabouts TRAFFIC CIRCLES
PEDESTRIAN ISLANDS
Other Pedestrian Assists Curb Extension Countdown Timer
#14 (WALKING) & #19 (BIKING) INTERSECTIONS Signals Width Time to cross Crosswalks Islands Speed
D) BIKING ENVIRONMENT - #17 TO #21 17. Features: Bike lanes, signs, no barriers 18. Road surface 19. Safe intersections
KEEP ALL USERS IN MIND (#12 & #20) www.pedbikeimages.org
E) FACILITIES & AESTHETICS (#22 - #28) 22. Recreation 23. Service & comfort 24. Attractive features 25. Comfort features 26. Low pollution 27. Safety 28. And People!
WHAT TO DO WITH THE INFO: PLANNERS AND DECISION-MAKERS Identify items for the following categories: Recommendations that can be implemented immediately Recommendations for prioritizing greatest safety and overall walkability Comparison of walkability opportunities with other similar sites Recommendations for future policies for new development and redevelopment Recommendations for citywide policies, programs, and practices From A Technical Guide for Conducting Pedestrian Safety Assessments for California Cities, University of California at Berkeley Institute of Transportation Studies, 2008.
Google: WI Physical Activity OTHER RESOURCES
ASSESSING THE WALKING & BIKING ENVIRONMENT IN GRANTSBURG M A Y 2 0 1 3 Jon Morgan, WI DHS Brad Cavanagh, ANCHOR
GRANTSBURG Safe Routes distances = 1.25 miles walking 2.5 miles biking ¾ mile Radius ½ mile Radius 2016 Aerial Map
GRANTSBURG AERIAL VIEW Memory Lake Park Downtown Schools Grocery Store Hwy 70
GRANTSBURG KEY LOCATIONS 2. Crex Meadows Wildlife Area (1.25 miles from downtown) 5. Memory Lake Park 6. Downtown Pine & Madison 1. High School/MS 4. Grocery Store 3. Family Dollar
(650) (3200) (590) (2600) (770) (3000) GRANTSBURG TRAFFIC COUNTS (Q 10) (1000 on extension of Pine St/Cty F near Crex) (1600) (1500) (760) (3700) (4500) (3600)
GRANTSBURG WALK SCORES (Q 1) Walkscore Scale 90+ Walker s Paradise 70-89 Very Walkable 50-69 Somewhat Walkable 0-49 Car-Dependent
(3200) (590) (2600) (3000) #1 MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL (1600) (1500) ½ mile radius (4500) (Daily traffic count)
HIGH SCHOOL / MIDDLE SCHOOL
SCHOOL VIEW
(1000) #2 CREX MEADOWS (~1.25 miles to Downtown) (Daily traffic count)
CREX MEADOWS
CREX MEADOWS VIEW
(650) #4 GROCERY STORE (3700) ½ mile radius (Daily traffic count)
GROCERY STORE
GROCERY STORE VIEW
#6 DOWNTOWN N PINE ST & W MADISON AVE
(3000) N PINE ST & W MADISON AVE (1600) (1500) ½ mile radius (Daily traffic count)
PINE AND MADISON
FACTORS TO CONSIDER Most Impactful Key destinations Multiple trips Regular dose One Example: Schools Key destination: YES Multiple trips: 180 school days Regular dose: 2 trips daily x 10 minutes each = 360 doses Physical Activity Adult Recommendation = 30 minutes/day Physical Activity Child Recommendation = 60 minutes/day If 1 dose = 10 minutes, annual goal is ~ 1000 adult, ~2000 child
GRANTSBURG VIRTUAL AUDIT https://www.google.com/maps/@45.7779706,-92.6802447,15.79z Disclaimer: Google Image Capture in Grantsburg was September 2008
QUESTIONS
TRAFFIC CALMING OPTIONS
INEXPENSIVE FIXES 1. Paint 2. Signage / way finding 3. Street furnishings (benches, etc) 4. Curb extensions 5. Bike parking 6. Parklets in 2 parking spaces (can be temp) 7. Transit stops 8. Improve a crosswalk 9. Lane diets 10.Traffic calming 11.Begin paving shoulders 12.Require multi-modal analysis for projects (not just autos)