Delaware County Bicycle Plan Vision: Improve acceptance of, access to, facilities for, and use of bicycling for the purpose of transportation in Delaware County.

Vision: Improve acceptance of, access to, facilities for, and use of bicycling for the purpose of transportation in Delaware County. Why and how was this plan created? Implementation through the Four E’s Engineering and Planning On road bicycle route opportunities Off road bicycle opportunities Encouragement Education Enforcement Plan Recommendations

Why and how was this plan created?

Implementation through the Four E’s

Engineering and Planning

On road bicycle route opportunities

Off road bicycle opportunities

Encouragement

Education

Enforcement

Plan Recommendations

Why Encourage Bicycle Transportation? Transportation Benefits – 27% of all trips one mile or less, 49% 3 miles or less, 63% five miles or less Pollution Benefits – Short trips are a more effective means of decreasing air pollution than decreasing total VMT. Health Benefits – Childhood obesity reaching epidemic proportions; 1 in 3 children born in the year 2000 will develop type II diabetes (based on current trends). Community Livability Benefits – Allows older suburbs to build on their strengths and promotes social interaction. Required – Federal law requires examinations of non motorized transportation. (US 105-178 §1202).

Transportation Benefits – 27% of all trips one mile or less, 49% 3 miles or less, 63% five miles or less

Pollution Benefits – Short trips are a more effective means of decreasing air pollution than decreasing total VMT.

Health Benefits – Childhood obesity reaching epidemic proportions; 1 in 3 children born in the year 2000 will develop type II diabetes (based on current trends).

Community Livability Benefits – Allows older suburbs to build on their strengths and promotes social interaction.

Required – Federal law requires examinations of non motorized transportation. (US 105-178 §1202).

Why Create a Bicycle Plan? Improve acceptance of Bicycling as a mode of transportation, especially for short trips. Improve safety and confidence of bicyclists in Delaware County. Encourage motorist and cyclists to follow traffic laws. Strengthen requests for improved facilities.

Improve acceptance of Bicycling as a mode of transportation, especially for short trips.

Improve safety and confidence of bicyclists in Delaware County.

Encourage motorist and cyclists to follow traffic laws.

Strengthen requests for improved facilities.

How was the Bicycle Plan Created? Sources and Models Surveys Accident Data Planning Department Staff Review Advisory Committee Draft Bicycle Plan Public Meetings Planning Commission County Council Bicycle Plan is adopted Return to staff for revisions

Vision: Improve acceptance of, access to, facilities for, and use of bicycling for the purpose of transportation in Delaware County. Why and how was this plan created? Implementation through the Four E’s Engineering and Planning On road bicycle route opportunities Off road bicycle opportunities Encouragement Education Enforcement Plan Recommendations

Why and how was this plan created?

Implementation through the Four E’s

Engineering and Planning

On road bicycle route opportunities

Off road bicycle opportunities

Encouragement

Education

Enforcement

Plan Recommendations

Engineering and Planning On road bicycle routes opportunities Off road bicycle opportunities Engineering and Planning aim to improve the physical infrastructure to reach the vision of increased bicycle use.

On road bicycle routes opportunities

Off road bicycle opportunities

Engineering and Planning aim to improve the physical infrastructure to reach the vision of increased bicycle use.

On Road Bicycle Network Roads which were identified for bicycle improvements where possible. Routes NOT rated based on bicycle friendliness currently, but rather based on estimates of current use, desire, and demand for their use by bicyclists. Creates priority routes, the plan talks of a “Complete Streets” policy.

Roads which were identified for bicycle improvements where possible.

Routes NOT rated based on bicycle friendliness currently, but rather based on estimates of current use, desire, and demand for their use by bicyclists.

Creates priority routes, the plan talks of a “Complete Streets” policy.

Current Bicycle Use There are currently no bicycle counts similar to those available for motor vehicles. Bicycle accidents on the route were used to estimate the bicycle use on the route.

There are currently no bicycle counts similar to those available for motor vehicles.

Bicycle accidents on the route were used to estimate the bicycle use on the route.

Current use

Desire for Bicycle Improvements The desire for bicycle improvements was estimated using a bicycle survey.

The desire for bicycle improvements was estimated using a bicycle survey.

Demand by Bicyclists Demand was estimated based on common attractors of activity: Open Space and Recreational Facilities Major Employers Transit School Facilities

Demand was estimated based on common attractors of activity:

Open Space and Recreational Facilities

Major Employers

Transit

School Facilities

Swarthmore Recreation

Chosen Roads for Improvement All routes with at least one survey vote or one bicycle accident were included. Routes were scored based on the formula [(votes + accidents) / route length] + trip attractor points. Routes were divided equally into primary, secondary, and tertiary routes Connector routes were added to avoid dead end routes and to link with neighboring counties’ planned routes.

All routes with at least one survey vote or one bicycle accident were included.

Routes were scored based on the formula [(votes + accidents) / route length] + trip attractor points.

Routes were divided equally into primary, secondary, and tertiary routes

Connector routes were added to avoid dead end routes and to link with neighboring counties’ planned routes.

On-Road Bicycle Network

On Road Facility Types Shared Lanes - All roads which do not have bike lanes or paved shoulders where bicyclists and motor vehicles share the same roadway. For bicycle use wide curb lanes are preferred to narrow ones.

Shared Lanes - All roads which do not have bike lanes or paved shoulders where bicyclists and motor vehicles share the same roadway. For bicycle use wide curb lanes are preferred to narrow ones.

On Road Facility Types Paved Shoulders - Allow bicyclists to stay out of traffic.

Paved Shoulders - Allow bicyclists to stay out of traffic.

On Road Facility Types Bike Lanes - A portion of roadway striped with pavement markings and signed for exclusive use of bicycles. These must meet certain standards for width, striping, signing, and markings.

Bike Lanes - A portion of roadway striped with pavement markings and signed for exclusive use of bicycles. These must meet certain standards for width, striping, signing, and markings.

On Road Facility Types Bicycle Boulevards - Local streets modified to function as a through street for bicycles. Local access for automobiles is maintained, but through traffic is discouraged .

Bicycle Boulevards - Local streets modified to function as a through street for bicycles. Local access for automobiles is maintained, but through traffic is discouraged .

On Road Facility Types Bicycle Routes - Any combination of paths, lanes, trails, or streets which are designated for bicycle travel by mapping or signing as a preferential travel route for alternate modes, regardless of whether such facilities are designated for the exclusive use of bicycles or are to be shared with other transportation modes.

Bicycle Routes - Any combination of paths, lanes, trails, or streets which are designated for bicycle travel by mapping or signing as a preferential travel route for alternate modes, regardless of whether such facilities are designated for the exclusive use of bicycles or are to be shared with other transportation modes.

Vision: Improve acceptance of, access to, facilities for, and use of bicycling for the purpose of transportation in Delaware County. Why and how was this plan created? Implementation through the Four E’s Engineering and Planning On road bicycle route opportunities Off road bicycle opportunities Encouragement Education Enforcement Plan Recommendations

Why and how was this plan created?

Implementation through the Four E’s

Engineering and Planning

On road bicycle route opportunities

Off road bicycle opportunities

Encouragement

Education

Enforcement

Plan Recommendations

Planned and Existing Shared Use Paths

Other Off Road Possibilities Stream Valleys Preserve floodplain Utility Corridors Electric Gas pipelines Roads Where there is excess width Paper streets

Stream Valleys

Preserve floodplain

Utility Corridors

Electric

Gas pipelines

Roads

Where there is excess width

Paper streets

Newtown Square Branch Present

Newtown Square Branch with SUP

Vision: Improve acceptance of, access to, facilities for, and use of bicycling for the purpose of transportation in Delaware County. Why and how was this plan created? Implementation through the Four E’s Engineering and Planning On road bicycle route opportunities Off road bicycle opportunities Encouragement Education Enforcement Plan Recommendations

Why and how was this plan created?

Implementation through the Four E’s

Engineering and Planning

On road bicycle route opportunities

Off road bicycle opportunities

Encouragement

Education

Enforcement

Plan Recommendations

Encouragement Encouragement aims to improve the perception of bicycling to reach the vision of increased bicycle use. Health and Education sectors are increasingly getting involved with encouragement and educational efforts. Share the Road Campaign

Encouragement aims to improve the perception of bicycling to reach the vision of increased bicycle use.

Health and Education sectors are increasingly getting involved with encouragement and educational efforts.

Share the Road Campaign

Keystone Healthy Zones Pennsylvania Advocates for Nutrition and Activity (PANA) work with schools to help create activity and nutrition programs in schools including safe routes to schools programs. PANA also has programs to encourage residents of every age to make more use of local recreational resources.

Pennsylvania Advocates for Nutrition and Activity (PANA) work with schools to help create activity and nutrition programs in schools including safe routes to schools programs.

PANA also has programs to encourage residents of every age to make more use of local recreational resources.

Vision: Improve acceptance of, access to, facilities for, and use of bicycling for the purpose of transportation in Delaware County. Why and how was this plan created? Implementation through the Four E’s Engineering and Planning On road bicycle route opportunities Off road bicycle opportunities Encouragement Education Enforcement Plan Recommendations

Why and how was this plan created?

Implementation through the Four E’s

Engineering and Planning

On road bicycle route opportunities

Off road bicycle opportunities

Encouragement

Education

Enforcement

Plan Recommendations

Education Education aims to improve the knowledge of bicycle issues to reach the vision of increased bicycle use. There is a need to educate both motorists and cyclists of proper rules of the road. Publications are available from PennDOT for adults.

Education aims to improve the knowledge of bicycle issues to reach the vision of increased bicycle use.

There is a need to educate both motorists and cyclists of proper rules of the road.

Publications are available from PennDOT for adults.

Share the Road Campaign DVRPC worked on promoting a share the road campaign throughout the region. The goal of this program was to increase awareness of traffic laws in the region.

DVRPC worked on promoting a share the road campaign throughout the region. The goal of this program was to increase awareness of traffic laws in the region.

Vision: Improve acceptance of, access to, facilities for, and use of bicycling for the purpose of transportation in Delaware County. Why and how was this plan created? Implementation through the Four E’s Engineering and Planning On road bicycle route opportunities Off road bicycle opportunities Encouragement Education Enforcement Plan Recommendations

Why and how was this plan created?

Implementation through the Four E’s

Engineering and Planning

On road bicycle route opportunities

Off road bicycle opportunities

Encouragement

Education

Enforcement

Plan Recommendations

Enforcement Work with law enforcement to ensure that bicyclists and motorists follow the rules of the road. Enforcement aims to improve safety through encouraging the following of laws related to reach the vision of increased bicycle use.

Work with law enforcement to ensure that bicyclists and motorists follow the rules of the road.

Safe Routes to School PennDOT funded engineering program to increase children’s ability to walk or bike to school. School run encouragement program to make walking and biking to school safe and fun.

PennDOT funded engineering program to increase children’s ability to walk or bike to school.

School run encouragement program to make walking and biking to school safe and fun.

Vision: Improve acceptance of, access to, facilities for, and use of bicycling for the purpose of transportation in Delaware County. Why and how was this plan created? Implementation through the Four E’s Engineering and Planning On road bicycle route opportunities Off road bicycle opportunities Encouragement Education Enforcement Plan Recommendations

Why and how was this plan created?

Implementation through the Four E’s

Engineering and Planning

On road bicycle route opportunities

Off road bicycle opportunities

Encouragement

Education

Enforcement

Plan Recommendations

Plan Recommendations Create a bicycle coordinator position County and municipal level Can be existing staff person Create a regional handbook Regional guidance for implementation Suggested to be completed on MPO or State level

Create a bicycle coordinator position

County and municipal level

Can be existing staff person

Create a regional handbook

Regional guidance for implementation

Suggested to be completed on MPO or State level

Plan Recommendations Ensure that activities conducted and overseen by the County are bicycle friendly where possible and conform with the recommendations in the Plan. Work with municipal officials to implement the Plan. Start a Delaware County Bicycling Advisory Committee. Work with PennDOT, DVRPC, and other higher levels of government to implement and fund Plan elements. Review implemented elements and provide analysis in biannual progress reports. Regularly update the Plan. Action Agenda – County actions to implement the Plan

Ensure that activities conducted and overseen by the County are bicycle friendly where possible and conform with the recommendations in the Plan.

Work with municipal officials to implement the Plan.

Start a Delaware County Bicycling Advisory Committee.

Work with PennDOT, DVRPC, and other higher levels of government to implement and fund Plan elements.

Review implemented elements and provide analysis in biannual progress reports.

Regularly update the Plan.

Delaware County Bicycle Plan Questions and Comments Information is available on Delaware County’s website. http://www.co.delaware.pa.us/planning/transportation/bicycling.html