Making Way for Bicycle Infrastructure

In terms of environmental impact, there’s no competition between cars and bicycles. Cars crowd roads with traffic and noise and emit greenhouse gases and other pollutants as a part of both regular operations and manufacture and disposal. While bicycles also emit a relatively small amount of greenhouse gases during their production and disposal, riders need less infrastructure and space to use bikes, create less noise, and are involved in far fewer fatal or near-fatal accidents a year.

For many years, bicycle groups, academics, and public transit agencies have advocated for increasing public funding and attention on biking infrastructure, arguing that dollar for dollar, bicycle infrastructure serves the transportation needs of more people than maintaining roads and highways. That advocacy may have influenced federal investment in bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, as annual obligations, channeled through states, counties, and localities, rose more than twentyfold in real terms from $22.9 million in 1992 ($39.2 million in 2017 dollars) to over $970 million in 2017.¹ Federal investment was curtailed somewhat during the Trump Administration ($925 million in 2020). Some states have increased their investment in bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure to cover some of the shortfalls in federal funding, while others have decreased their funding.

What is Cycling Infrastructure?

Cycling infrastructure can include a wide range of accommodations to enhance bicycling and scootering on roads, dedicated paths, and even sidewalks, where permitted. It also includes bike racks, shelters, lockers, changing rooms, showers, traffic signs, and overall urban design to facilitate bicycle commuting routes. In some cases, separate lanes are designated for bikes along the side of a road (separated either by a curb, a parking lane, plastic bollards, or a simple painted line); in other instances, the entire road is designated (often with a symbol called a “sharrow”) to be shared between bikes and lower-speed cars—these are called greenways or bicycle boulevards. The more general term “bikeway” is used to describe routes that encourage cycling.

Birds-eye view of SW Moody Street in Portland Oregon showing the intersection of a major bikeway with a motor vehicle road. Credit: Bike Portland

A central concern for bicycle infrastructure design is that of safety. Protected bicycle infrastructure is associated with improved safety for all road users. Protected intersections are often built to enhance the visibility of cyclists to motorists and to facilitate safer crossing for cyclists and pedestrians. Some dedicated bike paths have a line painted in the middle to facilitate bike traffic flow in both directions. A shared-use (or mixed-use) path supports multiple modes, such as walking, bicycling, in-line skating, skateboarding, and wheelchair usage. Streetscape modifications such as medians, grade separation, designating a street one-way for cars but two-way for bikes, shared bus and cycle lanes, and designating a “bike box” at the head of a traffic lane at a signalized intersection are often used as “traffic calming” devices as well as to make cyclists and pedestrians more visible.

A synthesis of recent research found that replacing car lanes with bike and/or pedestrian lanes had either positive or non-significant economic effects. Of five cities investigated in 23 studies, data showed that cyclists and pedestrians generally spend more money per month in commercial areas than visitors who arrive by car or transit. A review of other studies involving 16 U.S. and Canadian cities showed that creating or improving bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure generally had a positive impact on retail and food service businesses near the infrastructure. Some studies found that cyclists spent less than motorists at supermarkets, but more at food services, bars, and other service-related businesses. One could expect similar findings at businesses where large-volume purchases are common, like big-box retail stores, due to the limited hauling capacity of bikes. The measured impact was mostly in terms of changes in local business sales, but some studies included other metrics, such as number of customers, commercial vacancy rates, commercial property values, employment, and business owner perceptions.

Cycling infrastructure is also often integrated with public transit to enable commuters to bike the last mile from their homes or offices to transit pick-up locations and back. Such accommodations include secure bike parking at train/bus stations, bicycle rental systems near terminals, allowing bikes to be carried on trains and buses, and development of housing close to public transit.

Recent Growth of Bicycle Infrastructure in U.S. Cities

Since early 2020, when the Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns first began, biking has increased across the country and globally. Eco-Counter, which collects bike data, said that cycling was up 5 percent in North America compared to usual as of May 2020, and that multiple regions in the United States are up over 100 percent on weekends.

Bike sales are also on the rise. Since the 1990s, manufacturers have increased their models targeted for commuters in urban settings—sales of such models have grown considerably compared to road bikes, racing bikes, or mountain bikes.² Bicycle advocates claim that these trends indicate a shift away from cars for commuting and toward bicycles, mirroring trends in the movement of jobs toward cities and inner suburbs and away from suburbs and exurbs. While this trend may have slowed down or in some cases even reversed during the current pandemic, some urban planners argue job consolidation will continue as automobile traffic congestion continues to worsen and people learn to avoid contagious diseases while being in close proximity to others. For many urban commuters, the bicycle offers a lower cost alternative to driving or taking public transit.³

At the beginning of the pandemic, bicycle and e-bike sales dampened as the global supply chains were disrupted by lockdown orders and bike stores were forced to close. But after a few months, sales increased globally and surpassed their previous levels as people began looking for exercise options that do not involve going to a gym. Many buyers choose electric bikes as a means for independent commuting.

The Tilikum Bridge in Portland, Oregon is dedicated to public buses, light rail, bicycles, and pedestrians. Credit: Joe A. Kunzler Photo

Since the 2008 recession, many cities in the United States and around the world have significantly expanded their bicycle networks through bike-sharing systems in which a city grants licenses to private sector companies to provide short-term rentals of bicycles using automated docking stations. Registered users can unlock a bike from any of the racks located around the city using a smartphone application, ride the bike to their destination, and return it to another docking station near their destination. In some cities, newer “dockless” bike-share systems are also being deployed whereby docking stations are not used. The bike (or e-bike, or e-scooter) simply locks in place wherever the user leaves it. The next user unlocks the bike using a code provided by their smartphone application. From 2010 to 2018, over 50 U.S. cities deployed bicycle sharing systems.⁴ By 2018, several Chinese companies had entered the bike-sharing market in a number of American cities, and such arrangements continue today.

Many U.S. cities have also added significant bike lanes to their road infrastructure. New York City, which has seen a dramatic drop in vehicular traffic, opened 12 miles of roadways to pedestrians in May 2020 and added nine more miles of protected bike lanes. That was in addition to the nine miles of roads that have been closed to cars since early May 2020, a temporary measure instituted during the pandemic that could become permanent. Mayor Bill de Blasio, who is frequently criticized for his use of a city-owned SUV, has said his goal is to create a total of 100 miles of open streets. Portland, Oregon, also has a long history of support for biking infrastructure. In recent years, the city has built the Tilikum bridge, which only allows pedestrians, bicycles, public buses, and light rail, as well as a large network of greenways.

Electric bicycle manufacturers also saw sales skyrocket in 2020, as city-dwellers keen on social distancing looked for speedy ways to get around without using public transportation or ride-share vehicles. Sales climbed throughout 2020, and they haven’t slowed since. Sales were also bolstered by a trend towards more affordable electric bicycles that offer high performance and sought-after features. In April 2020, New York legalized electric bikes, which was a boon to food delivery workers, and the rules went into effect in November.

Bicycle-oriented legislation in the 117th Congress

The following bills have been introduced to date in 2021:

• On January 21, Rep. Blumenauer (D-Ore.) re-introduced the Bikeshare Transit Act (H.R.382), which would allow the U.S. Department of Transportation to provide funding to micro-mobility projects like bikeshare and scooter share services (micro-mobility refers to transportation modes using lightweight vehicles such as bicycles and scooters—especially electric ones that may be rented for short-term use).
• Also on January 21, Blumenauer introduced the Bicycle Commuter Act (H.R.384) that would reinstate a pre-tax commuter benefit for cyclists that the Republican-led House rejected in 2017 (scooter-share services would also benefit from pre-tax benefits, a key difference from the bill proposed in 2017). This bill increases the value of the benefit to 30 percent of the parking benefit (currently $81/month) and expands the benefit to include bikeshare and e-bikes.
• On January 25, 2021, Rep. Espaillat (D-N.Y.) introduced the Transportation Alternatives Enhancement Act (H.R.463), which would increase funding for the Transportation Alternatives Program administered by the U.S. Department of Transportation, from its 2020 limit of $850 million to an estimated $1.5 billion in 2022. The bill would allow states to request funds for bikeways, sidewalks, and other transportation-related infrastructure projects. A companion bill (S.614) was introduced in the Senate by Sen. Cardin (D-Md.) on March 5.
• On February 4, Rep. Brown (D-Md.) introduced the Safe Routes to School Expansion Act (H.R.386), which would expand the Safe Routes to Schools (SRTS) program to high schools, allow these projects to be 100 percent federally funded, and expand the Highway Safety Improvement Program to include such projects. The SRTS program includes projects to develop or expand bicycle routes to schools and within neighborhoods throughout the country.
• On February 4, Rep. Brownley (D-Calif.) introduced the SAFE Streets Act (H.R.508), which would require states to use some of their Highway Safety Improvement Program funds on vulnerable road user safety in areas with higher than average fatality rates.
• On February 11, 2021, Rep. Blumenauer and Rep. Panetta (D-Calif.) co-introduced the E-BIKE Act (H.R.1019), which would create a tax credit covering up to 30 percent (or $1,500, whichever is less) of the cost of an electric bicycle.
• On February 24, Senator Markey (D-Mass.) introduced the Green Streets Act (S.431), which would direct the Department of Transportation to establish performance standards for transit accessibility (the share of jobs, health care facilities, grocery stores, schools, and other destinations accessible by public transportation), transit stop distance (the average distance to the nearest transit stop) and transit mode share (the percentage of trips taken by public transportation for both commuting and non-commuting trips), which includes those for bicycle infrastructure.
• On February 25, Rep. Cohen (D-Tenn.) introduced the Complete Streets Act (H.R.1289), which would allow states to use five percent of their highway funds to create a grant program for Complete Streets, a design philosophy that seeks to ensure that roads are safe and convenient for all modes of transportation. Complete Streets features include sidewalks, bike lanes, cross-walks, and bus stops. The legislation would also require state departments of transportation to create Complete Streets design standards. A companion bill (S.425) was introduced in the Senate by Sen. Markey on February 24.
• In 2019 (the 116th Congress), Rep. Blumenauer introduced the Vision Zero Act (H.R.4819), which he plans to introduce again in the 117th Congress. This bill would permit states to use funds under the Surface Transportation Block Grant program, the Highway Safety Improvement Program, and the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement program to develop and implement plans to eliminate transportation-related fatalities and serious injuries within 20 years of enactment.

In addition to the above-listed legislation, several other proposals are being discussed by members of Congress intended to bolster bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure. These include establishing performance measures for access to jobs and services across all transportation modes (possibly within Department of Transportation authorization legislation, with funding from the Transportation Alternatives Enhancement Act); increased funding for the Recreational Trails Program (a federally-funded grant program implemented through the Federal Highway Trust Fund); and making a “railbanking” proposal suggested by Rep. Thompson (D-Calif.) eligible for “Build America Bonds.” Railbanking entails an agreement between a railroad company and a trail agency to use an out-of-service rail corridor as a trail until a railroad might need the corridor again for rail service.

Author: Richard Nunno

Resources

• The Federal Highway Administration’s Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices provides standards for cities and states to follow for their cycling infrastructure design.
• The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials’ Guide to Bikeway Facilities
• The US National Association of City Transportation Officials’ Urban Bikeway Design Guide
• Vision Zero is a collaborative movement by transportation planning groups, state and local governments, and private sector companies to eliminate all traffic fatalities and severe injuries while increasing safe, healthy, and equitable mobility for all—including bicyclists.
• The Washington Area Bicycle Association provides summaries of the laws in DC, Maryland, and Virginia
• The League of American Bicyclists provides a state-by-state summary of bike laws

 

Sources:

¹Cyclescapes of the Unequal City: Bicycle Infrastructure and Uneven Development, by John G. Stehlin, 2019. Page xiv.

² Cyclescapes of the Unequal City: Bicycle Infrastructure and Uneven Development, by John G. Stehlin, 2019. Page 2.

³ Cyclescapes of the Unequal City: Bicycle Infrastructure and Uneven Development, by John G. Stehlin, 2019. Page 4.

⁴ Cyclescapes of the Unequal City: Bicycle Infrastructure and Uneven Development, by John G. Stehlin, 2019. Page 1.

⁵ Cyclescapes of the Unequal City: Bicycle Infrastructure and Uneven Development, by John G. Stehlin, 2019. Page 2.

 

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