PENNDOT's New Directive For Bicycles and Pedestrians

Effective May 15 PENNDOT will require that all new projects evaluate the accommodation of bicyclists and pedestrians. PENNDOT will be issueing a Strike Off Letter which is a directive which will be delivered to all district executives and inserted in the PENNDOT design manuals.

Effective May 15, 2007, Department policy requires the evaluation of the access and mobility needs of pedestrians and bicycle users in highway and bridge transportation corridors. This revised policy mandates that highway and bridge projects must evaluate the existing, latent, and projected needs of pedestrians and bicycle users. It requires the integration of the identified needs into project planning and design processes. This revised policy also clarifies that bicycle users are vehicles*, and that pedestrians are classified as traffic in accordance with the Vehicle Code.** The intent of this policy is to bolster the importance of pedestrians and bicycle travel as viable and connective modes of transportation. Previous policy allowed the evaluation of the access and mobility needs of pedestrians and bicycle users to be a design and planning option, not as a process requirement.

This change of policy applies to all projects that are programmed on their respective Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) after May 15, 2007. Efforts should be made to evaluate and accommodate all existing projects, including existing projects that have not received environmental clearance in the design process, and projects that were placed on the TIP prior to the effective date. This change in Department policy is also applicable to all Highway Occupancy Permit requests for access to Department highways.

This change in Department policy is achieved by implementing the changes to the Department Design Manual Series listed in Appendix A of this document. The primary evaluation tool of access and mobility needs of pedestrians and bicycle users is the Bicycle and Pedestrian Checklist, which, when combined with sound engineering judgment, will address a wide range of pedestrian and bicycle solutions and accommodations.

A brief explanation of how to use the Bicycle and Pedestrian Checklist is also included in Design Manual 1A, Appendix J.

Supporting documentation for this revised policy is contained in Appendix A.

*Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, Title 75 “Vehicles” (Vehicle Code), Chapter 35, Part 3, Subchapter A “Operation of Pedalcycles”

**Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, Title 75 “Vehicles” (Vehicle Code), Chapter 1,Part 1, Section 102 Definitions, under the term Traffic