PennDOT Extends Susquehanna Rd Bike Lanes in Montgomery County

In 2010 PennNDOT added bike lanes to Susquehanna Rd from Twining Rd in Upper Dublin Township to Hillside Cemetery in Abington Township. And while we noted that some elements of those bike lanes did not meet AASHTO design guidelines, it did represent one of PennDOT's first significant efforts to put bike lanes on suburban roads. (The same project also created bike lanes on Old Baltimore Pike in Chester County and the signed Bicyclists Baltimore Pike Bike Route in Delaware County.)

New bike lanes on Susquehanna Rd. (photo: Steve Spindler)

Now PennDOT has extended those bike lanes to Route 611 (Old York Rd), meaning those bike lanes really go somewhere. They now connect to Highland Ave (a bikeable street parallel to Route 611), providing access to Abington Hospital and Jenkintown.

As trails and transportation planner Mike Szilagyi stated on the Biking the Suburbs Facebook group - "Until recently, the stretch of Susquehanna Road from Easton Road to Old York Rd was "sort of" striped as a four lane road, the result being some motorists forcing the issue (speeding and passing where they shouldn't). The new striping will have ONE lane in each direction, with left turn lanes at intersections, and bike lanes. A big improvement."

The bike lanes were actually put in before Abington accepted a Bikeway Occupancy Permit (the Township has tabled a resolution to sign the permit) which is contrary to PennDOT's policy. Additionally the agreement prescribes that the Township also take the maintenance responsibility for the original section of bike lanes up to the Upper Dublin Township Line. At the time of construction PennDOT did not require Abington or Upper Dublin to sign one.

This disconnect may be due to the informal policy procedure that PennDOT has for signing of a BOP, which was first referenced in 2006. We only know of one road segment where the municipality actually signed an agreement. Last year the Borough of Trainer signed a BOP for a one mile stretch of bike lanes on US 13 as part of the East Coast Greenway.

A Grant Which Funded Many Bike Trails In Our Region Is Now Depleted

Oliver's excited to start building trails and
bicycle reefs, which are underwater bicycle trails

On September 26th the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) Board approved funding for 13 trail projects. With this $3.9 million allocation, the $10 million grant from the William Penn Foundation is fully depleted.

The Regional Trail Program funded by WPF helped build many valuable and beloved trails in our region. But there are many miles of The Circuit yet to be built. This is why we're running the Circuit Commitment Campaign: to raise new dedicated funds for trails in our region.

It's also why this week's fight in Harrisburg to secure funding for bicycle and walking in a PA transportation bill is vital. If you haven't already, speak up for bicycling and walkings' importance right now!

Here are the 13 projects approved last week by the DVRPC Board:

New Webinar Option for the April 30th Greater Philadelphia Pedestrian/Bicycle Summit

Due to overwhelming demand, DVRPC and MOTU are offering a webinar option for the upcoming Pedestrian/Bicycle Summit on April 30. Once registered, webinar attendees will be able to hear speakers and see the presentations in real time. All sessions will be available, except for the Lunch and Learn portion, and webinar participants will still be eligible for up to 6.25 AICP credits.

To register, please visit: phillypedbikesummit.eventbrite.com and select the new webinar option. You will receive additional access instructions as the event nears. Registration for the webinar is required and participation is limited. If multiple people plan to view the webinar together, only one registration is necessary. This will also help maximize the number of participants.

If you have already registered for the Summit and prefer to participate via the webinar rather than attend in person, please visit the Eventbrite page and change your order to reflect this.

If you are registered for the Summit but unable to attend, please cancel your ticket through the Eventbrite page. It is important that these steps are taken so that you will receive all further information and so that we can accommodate as many people off the wait list as possible.

If you have any questions about registration, please contact Cassidy Boulan at DVRPC (cboulan@dvrpc.org or 215.238.2832).

Crowdsourced Bike Parking Map Identifies Rail Stations Most In Need Of Bike Parking

This thing. Remember this thing?

Back in September we asked for your help to improve bike parking at area rail stations and transit hubs by adding information to a crowdsourced map. The project was a collaboration of DVRPC, SEPTA, NJ TRANSIT, DRPA (PATCO) and the Open Plans Shareabouts application.

The public input portion ended in December, and DVRPC has now compiled the 462 responses the map generated. PlanPhilly also covered the release of the survey results.

At the bottom of this post, you can see the three maps DVRPC generated based on the user responses.

DVRPC Lets You Play Amateur Regional Planner and Help Guide Our Region's Development

The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) is in the process of developing their 2040 Long Range Plan. To help them along they have developed a nifty online planning tool called Choices and Voices that allows the public to suggest their preferred vision for regional development. Its one of those nifty simulations where you decide the revenue streams and then have to make tough choices about how to allocate limited funds.

Choices and Voices is a savvy variation of a planning exercise game called Dots and Dashes, which DVRPC designed to help prioritize future transit projects by having a team draw dots (bus routes) and dashes (rail lines) on a regional map without exceeding a set budget. Choices and Voices expands that to cover all transportation spending over the next 27 years. Choices are made regarding the type of land use development you want to see and what projects and policies you support. Your choices affect the acreage of development, the number of people bicycling and walking, vehicle miles traveled and greenhouse gases emitted, open space etc. A graph on the right hand side of the screen charts your progress.

You can spend 5 minutes on it or 25 minutes. When you're finished, you can submit your vision to DVRPC who will average out the submitted proposals and allow the collected wisdom of the (engaged) masses to inform their decisions. So go to town, amateur (or professional) planners!

Further Reading:

• Connections 2040 Transportation Investments Scenarios 
• Connections 2035 (Current Long Range Plan)

Screen shot of the survey

Public Input Sought On Camden County Bike and Trails Plan

Residents of Camden County will have a chance to have input on the future of multi-use trails in the county on October 25th.

The Camden County Bicycling and Multi-Use Trails Master Plan will guide the implementation of multi-use trails and on-road bicycle facilities in Camden County. The proposed routes will connect county residents to greenways and trails, as well as enhance opportunities to walk or bike to schools, parks, shops, and employment centers. The final plan should also better define the county's portion of the The Circuit regional trails plan.

The public can bring forward suggestions for the countywide plan during a public listening session on October 25th at 6PM in the Camden County Boathouse, 7050 N. Park Drive, Pennsauken, NJ. If you plan to attend please RSVP to Jane Meconi - jmeconi@dvrpc.org. Bring your ideas on how to make Camden County a more bicycle-friendly community.

This Map Wants To Know Which Transit Stops Need More Bike Parking

Do you bike to a transit station? Would you do it if the station near your house had more bicycle parking? We've got a map that needs your input!

Combining a short bike ride and regional transit (ie, multi-modal commuting) has great potential for helping people avoid the stress of highway gridlock commuting. This commuting strategy doesn't happen in great numbers because of two obstacles:

1. The lack of secure, covered, plentiful bike parking at stations;
2. Gaps in the bikeway network to get you safely to the station.

Improving bike parking at transit stops has been on our radar for some time. Recently, SEPTA asked the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) to study obstacles that prevent more potential customers from using trails to get to transit stops. This seemed like a great opportunity to figure out where the demand for better bike parking and improvements to the local bikeway network exist. If this information could be obtained, it would help inform SEPTA, PATCO, and NJ Transit where to prioritize their resources.

We asked Open Plans to create a crowdsource map to accomplish this goal. We collaborated with DVRPC and the three transit agencies to prepare the survey and Open Plans developed the website with its new software Shareabouts, a tool to crowdsource data in a neighborhood or city.

Here's where you come in: visit the map and tell us which transit stops need better bike facilities! Then share the map with your friends, family, coworkers and others. The more input the map receives, the better the recommendations provided to DVRPC and the transit agencies.  The map will be up until December 1st, 2012 and we encourage you to return to the map to respond or discuss other people's responses.

If you have questions about the project or find issues with the map, direct them to bike@bicyclecoalition.org with the subject line "Bike Parking Map".

Volunteers Needed To Help Calibrate Traffic Counters

The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission and Eco Counter are calibrating automated bicycle counters in Center City Philadelphia and they need your help to make sure that every bike is counted. On Wednesday, July 18th and Thursday, July 19th volunteers are needed to help monitor the counters.

The testing will take place from 10AM to approximately 4PM and we welcome anyone who can give us at least two hours of their time..You will need your bike to get to the remote counters. The meeting place is at 22nd St between South and Lombard St.

Contact Steve Taylor BCGP Volunteer Coordinator and let him know your available times. We will then get back to you with specific instructions.

Bike Counter in Action

An Overview of DVRPC's New 3-Year Transportation Improvement Plan for Pennsylvania

Just four days before Congress quickly assembled and passed the watered down version of the MAP-21 Transportation Bill, the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission adopted the 2013 -2016 Transportation Improvement Program for Pennsylvania.

The TIP in its current form reflects the state funding reductions (from the I-80 tolling fallout) and PennDOT's focus on deficient bridges. This has deferred many projects across the spectrum. For example, the expenditure of construction funds for the Schuylkill River Trail to Pottstown and the Montgomery County portion of the Schuylkill River Trail have been pushed back to fiscal year 2016. It's possible that money from other sources could speed up either timeline, but the odds of connecting Philadelphia to Exton and Pottstown by 2014 is now a longshot.

DVRPC Awards Grants To Study 10 New Multi-Use Trails

The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) has awarded 10 grants totaling $450,000 to fund regional trail planning and feasibility projects. The grants are going to county and municipal governments, economic development partnerships, and transportation organizations. The studies funded will, we hope, lay the foundation for future additions to our regional trail system.

The projects selected are as follows:

• Schuylkill River Trail - Monocacy Bridge Feasibility Study – $60,000 (County: Berks)
• Neshaminy Creek Greenway (Multi-Use Trail Feasibility Study) – $60,000 (County: Bucks)
• Kinkora Trail Mansfield Township Community Park Connector – $40,000 (County: Burlington)
• Paoli-Chester Valley Trail Connector – $32,000 (County: Chester )
• East Coast Greenway Inactive Railroad Right-of-Way Title Search – $12,000 (County: Delaware)
• Powerline Trail Connector – $32,000 (County: Montgomery)
• East Coast Greenway: SugarHouse Casino Through Penn Treaty Park – $60,000 (County: Philadelphia)
• Frankford Creek Greenway Feasibility Study – $60,000 (County: Philadelphia)
• Ivy Ridge Trail Feasibility Planning – $60,000 (County: Philadelphia)
• Cynwyd Spur Trail Feasibility Study – $40,000 (County: Montgomery)

These grants constitute Phase II of DVRPC's Regional Trails Program. From their website:

The Regional Trails Program, administered by DVRPC with funding from the William Penn Foundation, provides funding for targeted, priority trail design, construction, and planning projects that will promote a truly connected, regional network of multi-use trails with Philadelphia and Camden as its hub. The program also provides technical assistance to trail developers, counties, municipalities, and nonprofit organizations.

DVRPC Announces Competitive Round Of Funding For Air Quality And Congestion Projects

For the first time in six years, the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission has announced a competitive round of funding for the construction and completion of bike, pedestrian, transit, and other projects aimed at improving air quality in the region.

DVRPC has allocated $10.6 million for this round; $8m is available for Pennsylvania and $2.6m for New Jersey. Transportation authorities, local governments and non-profits who partner with those organizations are eligible to apply for the funds.

DVRPC Looking For Applicants For Its Public Task Force

Interested in getting involved in regional transportation and planning issues? Is the Task Force section of your resume a little underwhelming? Well, The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) is looking for new members for its Public Participation Task Force. You can apply online (deadline is March 1st). Below is information from DVRPC on what this is all about:

Regional Trail Program Awards $5.2 Million to 18 Trail Projects

In late October, DVRPC awarded $5.2 million through Phase I of its Regional Trails Program, a grant program funded by $10 Million from the William Penn Foundation, to eighteen projects around the 9 county Delaware Valley region.

These initiatives include both trail design and trail construction in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. They extend existing trails, including the Schuylkill River Trail in Phoenixville, the Chester Valley Trail near Exton, and the East Coast Greenway in Tullytown. They connect the existing and planned elements of the regional trail network to neighborhoods through projects like the Baldwin's Run Tributary Trail in Camden and the Lawrence-Hopewell Trail in Lawrence. Finally, these grants support several landmark projects, including the Manayunk Bridge Trail that will provide a cross-river connection between Philadelphia and Lower Merion Township and serve as a destination for bikers and walkers from across the region.

The awards to trail projects include:

• Reading to Hamburg Schuylkill River Trail Gap (Leesport section) – $142,630 (design and construction) – Berks County
• Big Woods/Schuylkill-Hopewell Furnace Trail – $500,000 (construction – Phase 1, survey – Phase 2) – Berks and Chester Counties – Berks County
• Neshaminy Creek Greenway (Phase I) -- $130,148 (construction) – Bucks County
• US Route 13 Crossing – $471,000 (construction) – Bucks County
• Baldwin’s Run Tributary Trail – $150,000 (design) – Camden County
• Chester Valley Trail Phase III – $500,000 (construction) – Chester County
• Phoenixville Schuylkill River Trail Segment – Phase I -- $285,000 (design and construction) – Chester County
• Darby Creek Trail -- $290,000 (construction) – Delaware County
• Lawrence-Hopewell Trail: Lewisville Road Section -- $248,000 (construction) – Mercer County
• Chester Valley Trail Extension – $325,000 (construction) – Montgomery County
• Canal Towpath Spillway Bridge – $170,000 (construction) – Montgomery County
• Tacony Frankford Greenway Trail – $500,000 (construction) – Philadelphia
• Penn Street Trail – $500,000 (design and construction) – Philadelphia
• Schuylkill Crossing at Grays Ferry – $260,000 (preliminary design) – Philadelphia

In addition, the DVRPC Board today approved $125,000 in funding for Camden County’s Kaighn’s Avenue to Route 130 Connector Trail. This project was one of four “early action” projects originally approved for $50,000 of funding in July 2011. The grant has since been revised to $125,000. The other three early action projects were:

• Manayunk Bridge -- $400,000 (design) – Philadelphia
• Spring Garden Street Greenway – $75,000 (design) – Philadelphia
• Schuylkill South -- $165,000 (acquisition for future extension of waterfront trail) – Philadelphia

In mid-December, DVRPC received applications for Phase II of the program, for projects that were seeking planning and feasibility funding. Those awards are expected to be announced in early 2012.

Contest To Name Our Regional Trail Network Extended Until Wednesday

The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, working with the William Penn Foundation, is running a contest to find a great name for our regional trail network.

They've extended the contest deadline to Wednesday, December 21st. The author of the winning entry will receive $250.

Full details of the contest and how to submit your name ideas can be found on the DVRPC site here.

DVRPC Announces Grants To Bike/Ped Projects In Pennsylvania

The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission has announced the recipients of the 2012 Pennsylvania Transportation and Community Development Initiative Grants. In total, $1.2 Million was awarded to 24 projects. The projects listed below offer possible significant improvements for bicycling in the region, although other projects may contain some bicycle benefits as part of their final product. TCDI has been well-used by the City of Philadelphia as the primary source of funding for the Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan.

Mayors Office of Transportation, Center City Cycle Track Signal Timing - $76,000

The project is part of a larger initiative to design, test and build a cycle track along JFK Boulevard and Market Street, from Center City to 30th Street Station. The Center City District has been studying the feasibility of building such a cycle track since 2009. This study will build upon the work of these conceptual studies and provided analysis for the western portion of the proposed cycle track (20th to 30th Sts). Completing this study will enable the City and the CCD to develop the preliminary engineering for the cycle track.

City of Philadelphia, Washington Avenue Streetscape and Design - $75,000

This study will improve roadway safety and functionality for pedestrians, cyclists, passenger vehicles, buses and trucks on Washington Avenue. The study will also clarify parking and loading areas, look at landscaping and other streetscape improvements, and take into consideration and recommend land use changes along Washington Avenue. The goal of the project is to develop a plan for Washington Avenue as a Complete Street that works.

DVRPC Board Retreat - What About Active Transportation?

Pro Walk/Pro Bike was an energizing experience, all the trends are pointing in the right direction and the movement for better bicycling and walking (Active Transportation) can only go forward. While the movement still needs to work on being more inclusive, we are getting better at it.

But participating in the DVRPC Board Retreat at the Ace Conference Center in Lafayette Hill brought me back to reality. Around here the Active Transportation movement must be wintering at Valley Forge.

The opening session was a presentation about the current transportation funding crisis in Pennsylvania. Basically to build everything in the 2035 Long Range plan transportation funding must double. The tolling on I-80 proposal has failed and the current political climate makes a hike in the gas tax highly unlikely. On the Jersey side the Transportation Trust Fund faces bankruptcy

But it was the breakout session that showed me how far we still needed to go.

People started talking about trends and were saying the right things, young people moving back to urban areas and are delaying their driver licenses. On the opposite end of the spectrum a lack of transportation options affects our ability to age in place. The new economy may end the flight to the exurbs. The region is almost totally built out. Cities and inner suburbs share the same problems.

But when we started talking about where the region should invest in the future the conversation starting taking a more conservative route.

My mention of how transportation can affect of obesity and diabetes generated laughter - Some were snickering, but for others there was a realization that some in the room suffered from those disorders. (My BMI = 28)

The question that DVRPC Technical Services Director Charles Dougherty asked next was what three mega-projects should the region invest in.

Kathleen from SEPTA went first and came up with the most sensible project - a single fare collection media for the entire region (think EZ Pass for transit).

But when others listed their preferred mega-project the answers were more predictable. Widen I-95*, the Schuylkill Expressway and Route 422. Turn US 202 into an outer beltway from Doylestown to Delaware. Extend the Broad St Subway to the Navy Yard and build a new bridge over the Delaware River (How empty is the Betsy Ross Bridge?). A show of hands indicated a panel vote for the top 3 and most of the proposals had at least some of the participants concur.

My selection for a mega-project was also predictable - Complete the regional trail network. This could be completed at a fraction of the cost of the other projects. Charles Dougherty asks for votes - silence in the room.

The final vote - Fare Collection, I-95, Broad Street Subway.

It got worse when the breakout sessions came back for review, one group actually advocated for not spending transportation dollars for trails and funneling that tiny pot of money to interstates instead. Of the four breakout sessions our panel was the only one that proposed transit projects in our top 3.

As I was hearing this it came to mind that I should have proposed another idea for a mega-project - No more mega-projects. Keep our current transportation network in good repair. Direct funds throughout the region to solve community transportation problems and improve transportation choices.

So are the visionaries who attended Pro Walk/Pro Bike living in a bubble? Are the transportation officials who were at the DVRPC Retreat living in another? The reality is that neither faction has the tools to sell their case to the public. Active transportation advocates are by necessity message savvy but lack the resources to reach a general audience while transportation officials have the resources but have never figured out a way to make people care about infrastructure.

Can we talk here?

*I have been advised by a City transportation official that the current main I-95 project is mostly a reconstruction project with some widening elements which has been mandated by the FHWA - http://95revive.com. Based on the discussion during the voting, the group seemed to be making a statement supporting projects along the entire corridor, which includes capacity building projects such as the I-95/PA Turnpike Interchange and the Scudder Falls Bridge which of course includes the bike/ped path that we advocated for.

A Critical Eye on the Susquehanna Rd Bike Route

The Susquehanna Road bike route is nearing completion and we now have a good look at the results in Abington and Lower Dublin Townships. As we have reported here and here this project is part of an initiative began in 1998. DVRPC worked with Delaware, Chester and Montgomery Counties to develop one critical on road bikeway corridor in each county. Nearly a half million dollars in Congestion Mitigation Air Quality funds were allocated to complete the three segments.

As of early July the bike lane stenciling and striping was completed east of Fitzwatertown Rd but largely incomplete to the west. What we found east of Fitzwatertown offers some cause for concern.

Intersection treatments are the biggest problem, designers seemed to have problems dealing with a bike lane at intersections. This photo below shows the westbound approach at Fitzwatertown road. The striping suggests that cyclists ride in a 2-3 foot shoulder



The current guidance from the 1999 AASHTO Guide for the Development of Bicycle Facilities suggests that bike lanes either end before narrow intersections or are dashed to the stop bar. Sharrows (Shared Lane Markings) now deemed as acceptable by the FHWA would also be a good treatment. (Note - the 2010 version of the guide which is in draft form may offer better solutions)

Parking in the bike lane is already a problem in Abington across from Hillside Cemetery. The before and after shots confirm that people were already parking before the striping was added and perhaps the striping is encouraging more cars parking there.




View Susquehanna Rd in a Larger Map

East of Hillside the bike lane disappears with only the occasional Share the Road sign. This section near Abington Senior High School has two lanes going westbound and one eastbound, one has to wonder why a lane reduction didn't happen here. Was it local opposition?

Navigational signage similar to Bicyclists Baltimore Pike in Delaware County has not been installed, we hope that this will be an element of the completed project.

Our support for the concept of the project is absolute, but as always the devil is in the (design) details. And we believe that working with PENNDOT and Montgomery County on small fixes can make this corridor a viable bikeway artery.

BCGP Comments on 2011 PA Transportation Improvement Progam (TIP)

The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission has closed public comments the SE PA 2011-2014 Transportation Improvement Program known as the "TIP":

• The TIP is the agreed upon list of specific priority projects. The TIP lists all projects for which federal funds are anticipated, along with non-federally funded projects that are regionally significant.
• The TIP represents the transportation improvement priorities of the region and is required by federal law.
• The list is multi-modal; in addition to the more traditional highway and public transit projects, it includes bicycle, pedestrian, and freight related projects as well. It's a long dry document and is not on my summer reading list, but it enables us to follow the money and see how much is being spent on bicycle projects and how much is going toward widening our unbikeable intersections.

The Bicycle Coalition submitted comments on individual projects and summarized our general comments with this letter on June 30, 2010:
---
On behalf of the 1.5 million persons who ride bicycles in the Delaware Valley Region, we submit these comments on the 2011-2014 Pennsylvania Transportation Improvement Program (heretofore called, the TIP).

Overall, we are disappointed that the TIP does do more to advance bicycle/pedestrian facilities and that it does not reflect an adherance to PA’s Complete Streets check list. We urge the DVRPC to address these two deficiencies in its final draft.

1. The 2011-2014 TIP does not adequately reflecting comprehensive compliance with federal and state Complete Streets policies.

A. Several projects unnecessarily negatively impact bicycle/pedestrian transportation

Bristol Road

• This is both a lost opportunity and a negative impact project. Two foot shoulders are totally inadequate. New turn lanes will squeeze out bicyclists and right turn lanes encourage drivers to not yield to pedestrians.
  
• This project needs pedestrian refuges, a stop phase for right turning vehicles when the pedestrian signal button is pushed for pedestrians and four foot shoulders plus bike pockets at intersections to the left of the right turn lane.

Bridgetown Pike

• A shoulder will be eliminated for an auxiliary lane, we disapprove of marked right turn-straight through lanes as they force cyclists to make difficult choices for proper lane position, less experienced cyclists will opt to stay to the far right, leaving them vulnerable to a right hook crash.

Route 29 Improvements

• While we applaud the addition of 5 foot shoulders, we are concerned that they will disappear at intersections with channelized turn lanes.
• Yellow Springs Road is a popular recreational bike route. We suggest left turn bike pockets on southbound 29 at Yellow Springs and straight through bike pockets at all intersections with right turn lanes.

I-95 – Shackomaxon Street to Ann Street.

• There appears to be excess width on Delaware Avenue south of Girard. We recommend that more space be allocated to the bike lane to provide a buffer for cyclists.
• The intersection at Girard is very tricky, especially turning left from Delaware to Girard. We recommend a left turn pocket or bike box.
• There appears to be room for bike lanes on Girard from Delaware Ave over to the near Fletcher St and can be achieved by added bike lane markings in the shoulder and a bike left turn pocket at the Delaware Ave intersection and a green crossover bike lane at Ramp D.
• Where the I-95 goes over Richmond Street, there needs to be adequate lighting and other measures to make the Richmond St. sidewalk safe and attractive.

B. Numerous projects do not incorporate bicycle/pedestrian facilities and are “missed opportunities”

• Montgomery and Delaware Counties have TIP projects that have road segments that are included in their respective bicycle plans but do not include any bicycle/pedestrian facilities. Some Delaware County road projects refer to the bicycle plan, but don’t include any facilities that would implement the plan. If road construction is not the right time to implement a bike plan, when is? Each road project should have been evaluated with the PennDOT check list and the County Bicycle Plan and the project description should indicate the results of that evaluation.
• Most of the streetscape projects in the TIP do not include provisions for bicycle parking.
• The TIP should more clearly describe how well the projects meet the requirements of the Pennsylvania’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Checklist.
• Although not a full blown Complete Streets policy, Pennsylvania’s bicycle and pedestrian checklist serves in its place and was issued by PennDOT almost ten years ago. The effectiveness of the checklist is impossible to measure on a project by project basis because the outcomes are not evaluated or listed in the project description. DVRPC should play a more pro-active role in ensuring that the check list was used to ensure that each project is “passed” the checklist as much as possible.

We believe that DVRPC should have a Complete Streets policy itself, or some kind of set of principles that it uses to evaluate projects. For example, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission of California adopted Resolution 3765 in 2006, which is essentially a check list to determine if local jurisdictions considered complete streets principles.

While DVRPC has good bicycle-pedestrian goals in its 2035 Connections Plan (p. 87-90), it is not a policy. We urge DVRPC to take the next step and adopt an enforceable and transparent complete streets policy that generates measurable results to track how transportation funding in the TIP is meeting the goals laid out in its plan.

The TIP should reflect DVRPC’s implementation of FHWA’s March 2010 Policy Statement (http://www.dot.gov/affairs/2010/bicycle-ped.html): “The DOT policy is to incorporate safe and convenient walking and bicycling facilities into transportation projects. Every transportation agency, including DOT, has the responsibility to improve conditions and opportunities for walking and bicycling and to integrate walking and bicycling into their transportation systems. Because of the numerous individual and community benefits that walking and bicycling provide —including health, safety, environmental, transportation, and quality of life — transportation agencies are encouraged to go beyond minimum standards to provide safe and convenient facilities for these modes.”

The USDOT goes on to recommend to state agencies, MPO’s etc, that they adopt similar policies on bike/ped accommodation and take the following actions:

• Treat walking and bicycling as equals with other transportation modes.
• Ensure convenient access for people of all ages and abilities.
• Go beyond minimum design standards.
• Collect data on walking and biking trips.
• Set a mode share target for walking and bicycling.
• Protect sidewalks and shared-use paths the same way roadways are protected (for example, snow removal)
• Improve nonmotorized facilities during maintenance projects.”

PA TIP is released for public comment

On June 1st, the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC), released the FY2010 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) for public comment.  Comments are due June 30th. 

We will be analyzing the TIP over the next few days and will blog our findings and comments.  In the meantime, here is the link to the online documents.  Comments can be submitted online here.

Take DVRPC's Regional Bicycle Survey

The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission wants you to take this survey to help define the bicycle planning priorities in the region.

http://www.dvrpc.org/shiftinggears/