The State of Biking in St. Louis Rhonda Smythe

The State of Biking in St. LouisRhonda Smythe, MPH, MS, RD

Policy & Advocacy Manager

Where We Started

History

Ballot Measure

2000Prop C

Clean Water, Safe Parks and Community Trails

1/10th cent tax = $10 million/year(only Missouri)

Votes- St. Louis City: 76.6% Y, 23.4% N- St. Louis County: 69.6% Y, 30.4% N- St. Charles County: 56.7% Y, 43.3% N

Prop C - The River Ring

Planning: Bicycle and pedestrian plans

Policy/Advocacy: Federal, stateand local

Events: Creating social networks around physical activity

Programming: Safe Routes to Schools

TravelGreen: Education and encouragement

Regional Trail System: Collaborating on regional efforts

Trailnet Initiatives

Gateway Bike Plan

First 20 miles of Bike St. Louis (Phase 1)

Additional 50 miles added (Phase 2)

Funding allocated by Great Rivers Greenway for comprehensive plan to create a system of bicycle routes between communities, transit, greenways and trails

2009

2005

2008

Gateway Bike PlanCoordinated planning effort completed with GRG, MoDOT, EWG, Metro, Trailnet, and municipalities

St. Louis City receives $1.4 million STP grant to update 60 miles of bicycle facilities and add 40 new miles (Phase 3)

Phase 3 implementation

2013

2011

2014

Biking Trends

Where We Are

Biking Trends

Biking Trends

Education & Encouragement

Political Support

Bike Counts

50 locations counted

Bikes: 2,811

Pedestrians: 6,129

Total: 8,940

50 locations counted

Bikes: 2,536

Pedestrians: 5,795

Total: 8,331

2012

2013

Where We’re Going

Streets for Everyone

18

Geller R. Four types of cyclists. PDOT. 2006.

Four types of bicyclists

19

Dill, J. Categorizing Cyclists: What do we know?

Four kinds of bicyclists

20

Dill, J. Categorizing Cyclists: What do we know?

Four kinds of bicyclists

Dill, J. "Bicycling for transportation and health: the role of infrastructure.” Journal of Public Health Policy (2009): S95-S110.

Evidence Base

Higher levels of bicycle infrastructure are positively and significantly correlated with higher rates of bicycle commuting.

Dill, J, Carr T. "Bicycle commuting and facilities in major US cities: if you build them, commuters will use them." Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board 1828.1 (2003): 116-123.

Evidence Base

Evidence Base

FHWA Support

FHWA supports a “flexible approach” to bike/ped facility design. It urges transportation engineers to use, as their primary resources, two guides as they plan, design, operate, and maintain bicycle and pedestrian facilities. They are the Urban Bikeway Design Guide issued by the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NAACTO) and Designing Urban Walkable Thoroughfares from the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE).

25

National Household Travel Survey (2009)

39% are less than 3 miles

17% are less than1 mile

47%are driven

of these trips…

Tremendous potential

Of all trips . . .

People want transportation choices

of Americans want more transportation options so they have the freedom to choose how to get where they need to go.

currently feel they have no choice but to drive as much as they do.

would like to spend less time in the car.

66%

73%

57%Future of Transportation National Survey (2010)

Implementation

Does not require additional funds, new Right of Way, or new projects

This is about changing the way we do business so that existing resources are used to create transportation options for Saint Louis residents.

Thank you

Rhonda Smythe, MPH, MS, RD

Policy & Advocacy Manager