BIKE: Local bicycle/ped planning as seen through federal eyes

[rcbaker]

Warning! Do not take the following comments by federal officials too seriously!

The comments below are taken verbatim from chapter 9 of the Federal Certification
Review, which are the legally required comments of the transpo feds on the local
CAMPO plannning process.

Note that the federal comments below are partly based on comments of the year 2025
plan, which actually exists, and the 2030 plan, which does not yet exist and which has
not been publicly released.

Meantime all the real estate interests are lobbying for the $2.2 billion toll road plan
proposed as a joint effort of the CTRMA and TxDOT. They want CAMPO to approve
billions for toll roads now! -- before the 2030 plan is even released. The toll road lobby
wants to get permission to build very specific projects for very specific costs, and wants
formal permission from CAMPO right now for its toll roads.

Meanwhile, the bike and ped and transit goals remain vague and non-specific few if any
numbers related to future transpo policy are to be seen below), but the bike stuff does
sound warm and fuzzy as noble future goals. In other words the alternative
transportation community gets lip service -- while the bankers, developers, and land
speculators want to get their roads approved now.

This only scratches the surface of the bad policy that results when you mix Texas
politics with the power of the road lobby. With the Bushies in power, and promises on
paper being cheap, it all smells wonderful to the feds.

 -- Roger




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Chapter 9
Page 1
BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN PLANNING
The Bicycle and Pedestrian element in the CAMPO area is currently guided by
policies
noted in the CAMPO 2025 Transportation Plan (see p. 10-5 & 10-6 section E of
the 2025
Plan; Chapter 2 of backup materials). These policies encourage connectivity of
facilities,
comprehensive planning of future facilities, and creation and preservation of a
safe, convenient,
and attractive bicycle and pedestrian environment.
In addition to the 2025 Transportation Plan policies, the CAMPO Transportation
Policy
Board has an adopted a policy to reserve 15% of the Surface Transportation
Program
Metropolitan Mobility (STP MM) funds that come to CAMPO for bicycle and
pedestrian
facilities. This policy has helped to fund approximately $17 million in bicycle and
pedestrian
facilities since the policy was implemented in 1995. Since the start of 2001,
CAMPO has funded roughly $7.5 million in bicycle –pedestrian facilities.
In addition to the policies stated above, the CAMPO 2025 Plan (see p. 6-1 of the
CAMPO 2025 Plan; Chapter 2 of backup materials includes a chapter for bicycle
and
pedestrian facilities, which addresses the following:
• federal bicycle and pedestrian requirements of MPOs under TEA 21;
• current levels of bicycling and walking (1990 U.S. Census and past CAMPO
public
opinion and travel survey data);
• increasing current levels of bicycling and walking
• the Bicycle System
o FHWA “design bicyclist” concept
o 2025 Metropolitan Bicycle Route System Map; and
• the Pedestrian System
o definition of a pedestrian
o factors that influence pedestrian modes
o promoting pedestrian modes.
Development of a CAMPO Bicycle and Pedestrian Subcommittee
The CAMPO Bicycle and Pedestrian Subcommittee was initially formed to write
the bicycle
and pedestrian element of CAMPO's 2030 Mobility Plan. The Subcommittee's
members
represent CAMPO's member jurisdictions, as well as the general public. It has
become
a source for regional bicycle and pedestrian-related information sharing. The
subcommittee
also has begun to take on new tasks, (see below) making it a valuable
subcommittee
in addressing regional bicycle and pedestrian issues. The subcommittee
meets once a month to discuss the development of CAMPO’s 2030 Plan,
distribution of
STP MM funding, and other regional bicycle and pedestrian issues.
A New Direction for Bicycle and Pedestrian Planning
There are many goals that CAMPO has for this subcommittee in the years
ahead. The
immediate goal for the Subcommittee is to finalize the chapter on the bicycle and
pedestrian
element of the 2030 Mobility Plan. This has included developing a vision, goals,
and activities for the three-county CAMPO region. The current draft bicycle and
pedestrian
vision and goals are as follows:
Chapter 9
Page 2
CAMPO's VISION for a regional bicycle and pedestrian system is a
transportation
system that offers not only choices among travel modes for specific trips, but
more importantly, presents these options in a way that they are real choices that
meet the needs of individuals and communities as a whole.
CAMPO’s goals to accomplish this vision are

• To allow our community the opportunity to bicycle and walk safely,
conveniently,
and pleasurably to their destinations.
• To make streets and roads “bicycle friendly” and well-designed to
accommodate
both motorized and non-motorized modes of transportation
In addition to the development of the vision, goals, policies, and the 2030 bicycle
and
pedestrian element for the CAMPO 2030 Mobility Plan, CAMPO staff and the
Bicycle
and Pedestrian Subcommittee have determined some needed activities for the
region:
• Regional bicycle and pedestrian cooperation among jurisdictions;
• Developing and maintaining an inventory of existing bicycle and pedestrian
facilities;
• Reporting recent regional accomplishments made in bicycle and pedestrian
facilities by CAMPO’s jurisdictions;
• Providing input into the development of STP MM bicycle and pedestrian project
selection criteria;
• Sponsoring or participating in mode shift studies (evaluating similar studies
for other regions);
• Assessing current levels of both modes through surveys and studies;
• Sharing of relevant bicycle and pedestrian news and information;
• Planning of potential local pedestrian districts - where regional transportation
funding can be targeted toward pedestrian and bicycle improvements combined
with high-intensity mixed-use development, providing pedestrian and
bicycle connections to transit stations to improve the functionality of the transit
system, and reducing regional vehicle miles traveled by connecting riders
to transit, and shifting many short trips to non-vehicle modes.
Within the CAMPO 2030 Mobility Plan, the subcommittee is working to develop
a regional
bicycle system. The system will incorporate the regional off-road element into the
comprehensive bicycle system, which will create a more regional, connective
system
that coordinates and maximizes the recreational and transportation purposes of
users.
CAMPO Bicycle and Pedestrian Tasks and Products
Since the formation of the bicycle and pedestrian subcommittee, there have
been many
issues discussed, many of those issues resulting in beneficial products for our
MPO and
its member jurisdictions.
The 2030 Bicycle and pedestrian Element
The obvious CAMPO bicycle and pedestrian products will be the CAMPO 2030
Mobility
Plan bicycle and pedestrian element chapter and 2030 bicycle map, which have
been
the main focus of the subcommittee since its formation. The new 2030 bicycle
and pedestrian
policies will address the areas of connectivity among all modes, new facilities
with roadway construction, mixed-use development, completion of the bicycle
system,
coordination between transportation and recreation, public awareness, and the
Trans-
Chapter 9
Page 3
portation Policy Board’s decision to reserve 15% of CAMPO’s STP MM funding
for bicycle
and pedestrian facilities.
The bicycle and pedestrian chapter of CAMPO’s 2030 Mobility Plan is in its final
draft
stage. The draft chapter contains the following areas:
• Pedestrians
o Influencing pedestrian decisions
o Regional cooperation for an enhanced network
• Bicyclists
o FHWA’s Design Bicyclist (Groups A, B, and C)
• Federal requirements of MPOs
• Current levels (recent Bureau of the Census and survey data)
• Regional bicycle and pedestrian systems
• Selection and implementation of facilities
• Accomplishments (since the adoption of the CAMPO 2025 Transportation
Plan)
• Policies
• System map
• Current programs
• Actions for the future
The map section for the bicycle and pedestrian chapter of the 2030 Mobility Plan
will address
bicyclists. The purpose of the map section will be to describe what the 2030
bicycle
map represents. This map resulted in numerous subcommittee discussions on
defining
regional bicycle facilities. The map will include all CAMPO 2030 Mobility Plan
roadways
that will accommodate bicycles, as well as planned off-road bicycle
accommodations
and facilities, which will result in a more regional, connective system.
Accomplishments Report
To address increasing levels of biking and walking, the Bicycle and Pedestrian
Subcommittee
is working to develop a regional bicycle and pedestrian accomplishments report.
The purpose of the report is to show what jurisdictions are doing in terms of
bicycle
and pedestrian planning, policies, facilities, amenities, and public awareness.
Currently,
the Subcommittee is in the early process of information and data gathering and
analysis.
Technical Recommendations
The Bicycle and Pedestrian Subcommittee has become an important source for
regional
bicycle and pedestrian input for both the Transportation Policy Board and the
Technical
Advisory Committee. In the fall of 2003, the Policy Board wanted to address
connectivity
of the submitted STP MM bicycle and pedestrian projects. The Subcommittee
gave input
and recommendations to CAMPO staff on how to address the Board’s concerns.
Recently, the subcommittee made a recommendation to the CAMPO Technical
Advisory
Committee to have a new Call for Projects for FY 2007 STP MM funds. In
addition, the
subcommittee recommended that new bicycle and pedestrian project selection
criteria
be developed. The TAC agreed with the subcommittee’s recommendation and
voted to
forward the recommendation to the Policy Board. It is the hope of the
subcommittee that
it will play an integral role in the development of the criteria.
Chapter 9
Regional Cooperation
Since its formation, the Bicycle and Pedestrian Subcommittee has proven its
ability to
focus on regional initiatives to enhance bicycle and pedestrian planning and
facilities in
the region. Staffs from the numerous jurisdictions and representatives of the
public work
cooperatively to provide valuable input in the variety of issues facing CAMPO,
making
the CAMPO bicycle and pedestrian planning process even more efficient and
timely.
Public Awareness and Involvement
CAMPO’s 2030 Mobility Plan, the subcommittee’s accomplishments report, and
a page
on the CAMPO website are ways that CAMPO and the Bicycle and Pedestrian
Subcommittee
can inform and educate the public about regional bicycle and pedestrian
planning and facilities. Citizen representation on the subcommittee also provides
a
valuable link to public input and involvement into bicycle and pedestrian
planning.

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