Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation -- Performance Measures

Lauren Blackburn, AICP

NCDOT, Division of Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation

Pro Walk / Pro Bike / Pro Place Conference

September 2014

Campaign Goals

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Plan - Principles to Actions

1. Define

Goals/Objectives

2. Describe Metrics

3. Identify Data for

Metrics

4. Plan for Data

Collection

5. Communicate

Data/Information

Sample Plan Objectives

• Mobility: Implement Complete Streets policy

• Safety: Improve enforcement efforts

• Health: Improve public health via active living

environments

• Economy: Increase return on investment for bike/ped

facilities

• Environment: Expand statewide greenway network 4

Sample Metrics

• Mobility: % of eligible roadway including complete

street features

• Safety: Number of local governments, universities

participating in enforcement initiatives

• Health: Physical inactivity rates

• Economy: ROI measures (visits, spending, property

values, business development, etc)

• Environment: Miles of greenways built 5

Identify Data for Metrics

• Mobility: Project Descriptions

• Safety: # enforcement events tracked via Watch for Me

NC campaign

• Health: statewide survey questions about physical

activity risk factors

• Economy: Commerce visitor stats, property valuations,

user intercept surveys

• Environment: NC GIS inventory of bike/ped faciilties 6

Identify data needs

• Continue to conduct statewide GIS data collection

• Consider mapping and application options

Identify data needs

• 2014- purchase counters, identify locations, initiate counts in Triad region

• 2015- evaluation, launch statewide counts program

Share Information

• Use web and online tools to provide open source for data

• Provide mapping/digital tools that meet the needs of

state’s customers

• Provide reports and data to researchers and local

planners for other applications and studies

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Example Use of Metrics: Prioritize Projects

regions & divisions

40% of Funds 30% of Funds 30% of Funds

STI (Strategic Transportation Investments)

Statewide Mobility

Regional Impact

Division Needs

Focus Address Significant

Congestion and Bottlenecks

Eligible Projects

- Statewide type Projects

(such as Interstates)

• Selection based on 100% Data

Focus Improve

Connectivity within Regions

Eligible Projects

- Projects Not Selected in

Statewide Mobility Category

- Regional Projects

• Selection based on 70% Data

& 30% Local Input

• Funding based on population

within Region

Focus Address Local Needs

Eligible Projects

- Projects Not Selected in

Statewide or Regional Categories

- Division Projects

• Selection based on 50% Data &

50% Local Input

• Funding based on equal share for

each Division = ~$34M per yr

Bike-Ped Eligible Here

Available Data

• Geocoded crash info

• Speed limits on DOT roads

• Population Density

• Employment Density

• Destinations (local input)

• Cost

• ROW acquired, PE work complete

• Planning work

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Bicycle & Pedestrian – Data Points

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Criteria Weight

Safety 15%

Access (Destinations Connected)

10%

Density (Pop + Emp) 10%

Constructability 5%

Benefit-Cost 10%

Outcomes Evaluate Metrics

• Over 460 projects submitted (with additional criteria and

limits)

• In process of ranking and programming

• May or may not yield shift in balance of federal funding

programmed for bike/ped projects

• SPOT workgroup to reconvene in Sept to discuss

improvements to metrics and process

• Questions:

• How can we incorporate health measures into prioritization?

• How can we compare modes via common measures?

• What project funding goals are unmet by STI?

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Relating back to the Goals

• Projects selected can be directly related to specific

safety and efficiency goals

• Some metrics can be improved to track measures like

ROI

• New data sets identified through process (i.e. health)

• Didn’t directly address more nuanced or non-

infrastructure needs

• Continuous data collection is extremely important to

track progress

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QUESTIONS?