Bicycle and pedestrian planning is an essential part of creating livable, healthy, and sustainable communities. However, not all areas have the same needs and opportunities for improving the safety, accessibility, and attractiveness of walking and biking. How can you identify areas that need bicycle and pedestrian planning? Here are some steps and tools that can help you.
The first step is to assess the existing conditions of the area, such as the land use, transportation network, demographics, travel patterns, and crash data. You can use various sources of information, such as census data, traffic counts, surveys, field observations, and GIS mapping, to get a comprehensive picture of the current situation. This will help you identify the strengths and weaknesses of the area, as well as the gaps and barriers that limit the mobility and safety of pedestrians and cyclists.
Identifying areas needing bicycle and pedestrian planning involves analyzing existing infrastructure gaps, traffic patterns, demographics, safety records, accessibility to amenities, topography, community input, and future development plans. Assessing current road, sidewalk, and bike lane networks reveals deficiencies hindering safe travel. Demographic data highlights areas with high pedestrian traffic or commuter volumes. Safety records pinpoint accident-prone zones for prioritized improvements. Evaluating accessibility to key destinations identifies areas needing enhanced infrastructure. Considering topography helps address terrain challenges. Community input provides valuable insights into local concerns.
All land that’s under control of public bodies needs to be rethought, that means all roads and pavements. Considering space for just one mode is shortsighted - holistic design of space for people and time is essential if we are to avoid the disastrous messy imposition of one interest groups silo thinking on another.
Consider the demographics of an area, such as population density, age distribution, and proximity to schools, parks, and commercial centers. Areas with high population density, a significant number of students, or a concentration of amenities may require bicycle and pedestrian planning to accommodate the specific needs of these populations.
Una idea que siempre me pareció práctica es la de ordenar el ingreso de autos a las grandes ciudades, de forma controlada, por ejemplo por la numeración de patentes o a través de permisos gestionados con anterioridad. Creo que es un desperdicio que cada auto que ingrese a la ciudad sea ocupado sólo por su conductor. Esto sería una mejora en el tránsito y también una reducción de contaminación ya que alentaría alternativas como el uso de bicicletas, transportes públicos y también la posibilidad de compartir recursos con vecinos o compa?eros de actividad
The next step is to define the goals and objectives of the bicycle and pedestrian planning process, based on the vision and values of the community. You can use public engagement methods, such as workshops, surveys, focus groups, and online platforms, to solicit input from different stakeholders, such as residents, businesses, schools, and agencies. You can also use best practices and benchmarks from other places to guide your goals and objectives. This will help you establish the desired outcomes and indicators of the plan, as well as the priorities and trade-offs.
This elaborate scientific ‘evidence based’ approach dumbs down thinking, and creates barriers and promotes reactive thinking and misguided solutions that lack holistic consideration.
The third step is to analyze the opportunities and constraints of the area, such as the physical, environmental, social, economic, and institutional factors that affect the feasibility and effectiveness of bicycle and pedestrian planning. You can use various tools and methods, such as SWOT analysis, suitability analysis, network analysis, and cost-benefit analysis, to evaluate the potential and challenges of different alternatives. This will help you identify the most promising and realistic solutions and strategies for the area.
Looking at car-trips can help to understand in which areas bicycles are a real alternative. I made an analyses with floating car data on one of the main bridges in the city of Rotterdam. More than 50% of those car trips were shorter than 15 km and can be ridden by (e)bike.
The fourth step is to develop recommendations and actions for the area, such as the policies, programs, projects, and partnerships that can improve the bicycle and pedestrian environment. You can use various techniques and formats, such as design guidelines, conceptual plans, implementation plans, and action plans, to communicate your recommendations and actions. You can also use public feedback and technical review to refine and validate your recommendations and actions. This will help you create a clear and comprehensive plan that can achieve your goals and objectives.
The final step is to implement and monitor the plan, such as the funding, phasing, coordination, and evaluation of the bicycle and pedestrian planning. You can use various mechanisms and resources, such as grants, bonds, taxes, fees, and partnerships, to secure the funding for the plan. You can also use various tools and methods, such as project management, performance measurement, and reporting, to track the progress and outcomes of the plan. This will help you ensure the successful and sustainable implementation and monitoring of the plan.
Or the agency who’s responsible for the public realm (roads highways streets) could be restructured to have a wider responsibility (not to just drivers), and also be subject to the same democratic processes (planning) that everyone else is.
To identify areas requiring bicycle and pedestrian planning, approach incorporating predictive analysis and AI can be employed. Machine learning algorithms can analyze data from traffic sensors, social media, and mobile apps to predict high potential areas for non-motorized traffic. AI can also simulate different planning scenarios using agent-based modeling to assess the impact of infrastructure changes on pedestrian and bicycle traffic. Additionally, natural language processing (NLP) can analyze textual data from social media to gauge public sentiment towards existing infrastructure, helping to pinpoint areas needing improvement.
LTNs (or blocked roads) When public bodies ignores the advice of stakeholders and/or do not consult with stakeholders and then implement schemes only remove them months later or completely destroy functionality - this demonstrates a systemic problem that only a holistic restructure can address.