Action 2020 WorkshopSeptember 21, 2012Harrisonburg , VA

Sponsored by the Shenandoah Valley Bicycle Coalition and the Harrisonburg-Rockingham MPO

A Local Perspective

What can we do to create a bicycle-friendly community that we can all love?

• Location: The heart of the historic and scenic Shenandoah Valley in west-central Virginia.

• Localities: • City of Harrisonburg• County of Rockingham• 7 Towns

• Bridgewater• Broadway• Dayton• Elkton• Grottoes• Mt. Crawford• Timberville

• Population: 127,354

Rockingham – Harrisonburg Region

• Economy• Agriculture - # 1• Manufacturing• Higher Ed and Health Care

• Higher Education:• Bridgewater College• James Madison University

• Eastern Mennonite University • Transportation Network

• I-81• Rt. 11 (Historic)• Skyline Drive • Public Transportation – Harrisonburg Transit• Horse-drawn buggy• Aviation (Shenandoah Valley Airport)• Freight Rail• Biking and hiking trails, Sidewalks, etc.

Rockingham – Harrisonburg Region

Bicycle Planning

Fail to plan, plan to fail.

Central Shenandoah Valley Bicycle Plan – 2005

Harrisonburg Bicycle & Pedestrian Plan - 2010

HR MPO-wide Bike-Ped Plan - currently underway

Rockingham Bicycle Advisory Committee Work Plan - 2012

Public workshop in January

• Initiated by “Citizens for Safe Cycling”

• Region-wide; covered 5 cities and 5 counties

• Made recommendations for infrastructure improvements, bike/ped programs and identified on-road routes throughout the district

• Broad in scope - laid the groundwork for more local and detailed plans to take place

• Completed in 2005

• Adopted at the same time as the State-wide bike/ped policy

Regional Bicycle Plan

VDOT Rural Transportation Grant Program matched with local government contributions.

• Adopted first Bicycle Plan in 1994; updated in 1999 and 2005

• Adopted first Pedestrian Plan in 1995

• Bicycle & Pedestrian Plan updated and adopted in July 2010

• Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan available on City website

City of Harrisonburg Bicycle Plan

City Funds

• Bike/Ped Plan for the MPO region:• City of Harrisonburg• Portions of the County• Towns of Mt. Crawford,

Bridgewater and Dayton

• Goals• Identify existing bicycle and

pedestrian infrastructure• Identify opportunities for future

bike/ped projects and programs• Mapping and preliminary design• Project prioritization• Cost Estimates

• Coordination with City and RBAC

• Time frame: approximately 1 year

HR-MPO funds (Federal, state and local)

HR MPO Bicycle/Pedestrian Plan

Bicycle Facilities

• Dedicated Bike LanesToday’s Total: 10.3 milesBy 2015 total: 14+ miles

• Share Lane Markings “Sharrows” Today’s Total: 4.05 miles By 2015: 9+ miles

City Funds

• Shared Use Path: Today’s Total: 2 miles By 2015 Total: 6.05+ miles

• Sidewalks: Today: ~ 62.41 miles (2.41 new miles in past 3 years)By 2015 Total: 64.7+ miles

Bike/Ped Facilities

City Funds

Bike Racks: Public & private locations K-12 schools, universities, downtown businesses, apartment complexes, etc.

City parking requirement for new development

All City buses equipped with bike racks

Bicycle Facilities

City Funds; SVBC Bike Rack matching program; Safe Routes to School program.

Bicycle Facilities

Share the Road

•Signage•Wider Shoulders•Paved Shoulders•Striping•Sharrows

VDOT

• SRTS is a federally-funded program, administered through VDOT, that is designed to encourage students to walk or bike to school.

• K- 8th grade

• The 5 E’s• Engineering (and infrastructure)• Enforcement• Education• Encouragement• Evaluation

• SRTS Projects:• Mt. View Elementary• Plains Elementary (Timberville)• Waterman Elementary• Keister Elementary

Safe Routes to School

SRTS (100% funding; no match)

Public Transportation

• Public transit must be integrated with bicycle and pedestrian network

• Operated by Harrisonburg Department of Public Transportation (HDPT)

• In 2011: carried over 2 million passengers

• Ridership is expected to increase approx. 10% per year

• All City transit buses are equipped with bike racks

• HDPT & City Public Works coordinate installation of bus shelters, benches, etc. with new road and sidewalk construction.

Public Transit

City; DRPT

Multi- use Trails• Bluestone Trail• Northend Greenway• Community Parks• National Forest Trails

Multi-Use Trails

Bluestone Trail

Multi-use Trails

• Proposed 3-mile multi-use trail in design stage

• 10-ft wide, off street, obstacle free route for transportation and recreation

• Ideal for walkers, runners, bike riders, and children

• Provides greater connectivity between neighborhoods, parks, and other destinations

Northend Greenway

• Effort being led by New Community Project, local non-profit group

• Proposed 2.5 mile shared use path

• Connects Park View to Downtown

• Design stage

Multi-use Trails

• IMBA Ride Center• Events• National Forest Trails• Massanutten Trails

Mountain Biking

Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, SVBC

• Developed as a result of Region-wide Plan that was completed in 2005

• www.bikethevalley.org

• Over 40 bicycle routes• Printable maps• Turn-by-turn directions• Elevations• Scenic descriptions

• Bicycle events, festivals and organized rides and races

• Resources and Links to Bike Clubs

• Safety tips for cyclists and motoristsShare the Road GuidesBike Like Ike Rules of the Road

Bike the Valley

Bike Like Ike• A campaign geared for

college-age kids• Bus Advertisements• Campus fliers• Bike the Valley website

Bicycle Safety and Education

Rules of the Road

• Bicycle Safety Booklets distributed to:• High school students enrolled

in Drivers Ed classes • Bicycle Safety Clinics and

Events

• Boy Scout Troops

Bicycle Safety and Education

VDOT, DMV, Bike Walk Virginia

Bicycle Rodeos

Walk-Smart, Bike Smart Campaign

Helmet GiveawaysPolice DepartmentsSafe Kids Central Shenandoah Valley Schools

Other:Radio and print advertisements and public service announcements

Bicycle Safety and Education

• Benefits of Bicycling:• Recreational • Affordable• Eco-friendly• Family-Friendly• Educational• Healthy• Alternative Transportation

• Marketing the Shenandoah Valley as a Bicycle Destination

• Rack Cards• Welcome Centers• Visitor Centers• Canada Tourism

• Bike the Valley website

Bicycle Tourism

Virginia Tourism Corporation and Harrisonburg Tourism, Bike Clubs

Annual Events

April – Massanutten Yee Ha!May – DR 100 May – Bike to Work June – Massanutten Super DJune – Massanutten Hoo-Ha!July – Tour de BurgJuly – Shenandoah Valley Bike Festival Sept – Shenandoah Mountain 100Sept – Shenandoah Valley CenturySept – Jeremiah Bishop Grand FondoOct – Shenandoah Mountain Bike Festival

Annual Bike Virginia Tour

Bicycle Events

Funding OpportunitiesFederal

• FHWA• HUD (Community Development Block Grant) • NPS

State•VDOT - Transportation Enhancement•VDOT - Safe Routes to School•VDOT – Safety Improvement Projects• VDOT – Road and maintenance funds• DCR – Recreational Trails Program • DCR – Land and Water Conservation Fund• DMV – Safety Programs (Helmet)

Local• MPO (for planning)• City, County, Town capital improvement funds• Private donations• Fundraisers – bike events, organized rides, etc.

What can we do to create a bicycle-friendly community that we can all love?