Safe. Convenient. Connected. Walking & Wheeling to Transit

Joanne Waszczak FTA Office of Budget & Policy

ProWalk ProBike ProPlace

September 9, 2014

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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

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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

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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