A Resident's Guide for Creating Safer Communities for Walking and Biking

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Notice

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This document is disseminated under the sponsorship of the U.S. Department of Transportation in the interest of information exchange. The U.S. Government assumes no liability for the use of the information contained in this document. This report does not constitute a standard, specification, or regulation.

The U.S. Government does not endorse products or manufacturers. Trademarks or manufacturer' names appear in this report only because they are considered essential to the objective of this document.

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1. Report No. FHWA-SA-14-099	2.Government Accession No.	3.Recipient's Catalog No.
4. Title and Subtitle A Resident's Guide for Creating Safer Communities for Walking and Biking		5.Report Date January 2015
		6. Performing Organization Code
7. Author(s) Laura Sandt, Libby Thomas, Kristen Langford, and Dan Nabors		8.Performing Organization Report No.
9. Performing Organization Name and Address Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc. 8300 Boone Blvd., Suite 700 Vienna, VA 22182		10. Work Unit No.(TRAIS) XXX
		11. Contract or Grant No. DTFH61-10-D-00022
12.Sponsoring Agency Name and Address Federal Highway Administration Office of Safety 1200 New Jersey Ave., SE Washington, D.C. 20590		13.Type of Report and Period Covered Final Guide; 2014-2015
		14. Sponsoring Agency Code
15. Supplementary Notes The contract manager for this report was Tamara Redmon (FHWA Office of Safety). Highway Safety Research Center (UNC-HSRC) were subcontractors to VHB; Laura Sandt was the Principal Investigator from UNC-HSRC. Gabe Rousseau (FHWA), Leah Walton and Paula Bawer (NHTSA), and other USDOT staff reviewed the guide and provided valuable feedback. Authors of the original guide, A Resident's Guide for Creating Safe and Walkable Communities, upon which this guide is based, include: Laura Sandt, Robert Schneider, Dan Nabors, Libby Thomas, Colleen Mitchell, and RJ Eldridge. Credit goes to NHTSA for its contributing role in the education and enforcement section of the original guide and for funding pilot-testing of the original guide with 15 community groups across the U.S. he purpose of that testing was for community groups to assess pedestrian safety needs in their community and develop and implement educational, engineering, or enforcement projects to address those needs based on information provided in the guide. The feedback and findings from the effort contributed greatly to improving the content for this current version, including incorporating the lessons learned into useful community success stories. Images are from the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center Image Library (taken by Dan Burden, Ryan Snyder, Mike Cynecki, Michael Ronkin, and guide authors), the National Center for Safe Routes to School, project staff (including HSRC, Toole Design Group, and VHB), Dan Gallagher, the City of Seattle, the City of Boulder, the NC Complete Streets Planning and Design Guidelines, and the contributors credited in the community success stories.
16. Abstract This guide is intended to assist residents, parents, community association members, and others in getting involved in making communities safer for pedestrians and bicyclists. The guide includes facts, ideas, and resources to help residents learn about traffic problems that affect pedestrians and bicyclists and to find ways to help address these problems and promote safety among all road users. The guide includes information on identifying problems, taking action to address pedestrian and bicycle concerns, finding solutions to improve safety, and resources to get additional information.
17. Key Words Pedestrian, safety, education, enforcement, engineering, community action, local partnerships, walkable, bikeable		18. Distribution Statement No restrictions. This document is available to the public through the National Technical Information Service, Springfield, Virginia 22161.
19. Security Classif. (of this report) Unclassified	20. Security Classif. (of this page) Unclassified	21. No. of Pages	22. Price

About This Guide

People need and want communities where streets are safe, accessible, and comfortable for all users, including those traveling by car, foot, bike, or mass transit. Streets that are pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly have many benefits, including:

• Safer environments, where you are less likely to be in a traffic collision or get injured.
• Better access to more destinations, providing more choices in how you can get where you want to go without relying on a car.
• More opportunities to be physically active, which can improve your health and overall quality of life.
• Opportunities for everyone, which includes people with disabilities.

It takes the commitment and involvement of many people to build and maintain places that are safe and friendly for walking and bicycling. This guide is designed to be used by anyone looking for ways to improve the safety and comfort of their neighborhood streets, whether they are just beginning to learn about traffic safety or are already part of an established community safety or advocacy group. Residents can make a difference by raising awareness of pedestrian and bicycle safety issues and pushing for change.

This guide provides examples from other communities working to improve pedestrian and bicycle safety. It includes ideas and resources to help residents learn about issues that affect walking and bicycling conditions, find ways to address or prevent these problems, and promote safety for all road users. The Resource Sheets at the end of the guide contain checklists, tip sheets, worksheets, and sample materials – these materials can be adapted to meet the needs of your community, or distributed to others working to improve pedestrian and/or bicycle safety. The guide provides an introduction to common safety issues and includes references to other resources and materials for those interested in more in-depth information.

Keep in mind that pedestrian and bicycle safety improvements often happen in stages. Even minor changes take time and may require effort from various individuals or agencies. This guide is a starting point and will help you be more efficient and effective, but patience and follow-through are crucial to your success.

Communities need "Complete Streets" that are safe and accessible for everyone

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

The guide is organized into six sections to lead you through your efforts to improve safety in your community. Depending on your needs, you can start with any of the sections below.

Section One: What's the problem here?

This section will help you learn how to identify and document pedestrian and bicycle safety issues in your community.

Types of Pedestrian and Bicycle Problems
Ways to Assess Problems
Linking Problems to Solutions

Section Two: Who can help me?

This section provides ideas on groups and individuals that can help improve walkability or bikeability in your neighborhood and offers information on how to expand your partnerships.

Engage Residents and Raise Awareness
Identify and Collaborate with Agencies Responsible for Making Improvements
Engage with Elected Officials
Connect with the Media

Section Three: What can be done?

This section describes different fixes for improving traffic safety conditions in your community and how community groups can support or initiate improvements.

Engineering, Plans, and Policies
Education
Enforcement
Encouragement

Section Four: I need more information!

This section includes important resources to help you find more detailed information on making pedestrian and bicycle safety improvements.

National Bicycle and Pedestrian Clearinghouses
National Coalitions and Alliances
National Transportation Agencies
Resources and Research

Section Five: Community Success Stories

Communities large and small are taking actions to improve the safety and mobility of pedestrians and bicyclists and are getting great results. Visit this section to learn what they're doing, how they're doing it, and get inspiration and tips for replicating efforts in your own neighborhood. Community Success stories in the downloadable PDF include:

• Creating a Plan for Pedestrian Improvements in Washington, DC
• Working Together to Define the Issues in Duck, North Carolina
• Promoting Physical Activity in Rural Wabasha, Minnesota
• Partnering with the Disability Community to Improve Accessibility in Tulsa, Oklahoma
• Improving Bicycle and Pedestrian Infrastructure through Advocacy in Memphis, Tennessee
• Engaging a Changing Urban Community in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Integrating Health Equity into Bicycle and Pedestrian Planning in New Orleans, Louisiana
• Making Connections Between Health and Transportation in Brownsville, Texas
• Aligning Community Values with Funding Priorities in Charleston, South Carolina
• Mobilizing Community Leaders and Volunteers for Safe Routes to School Programs in Corrales, New Mexico
• Leveraging Community Member Expertise to Advance Bicycle Safety in Newport, Rhode Island
• Improving Health and Safety in a Low-Resource Community in Baldwin Park, California

Section Six: Resource Materials

This section includes detailed tip sheets, checklists, ways to take action, and sample materials that can be used to generate ideas and improve the walkability and bikeability of your community. To download a PDF of all the resources click HERE.

Resource 1: A Resident's Quick Guide for Creating Safer Communities for Walking and Biking
Resource 2: Tips for Planning a Walkabout to Identify Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Concerns
Resource 3: Local Sources of Information Worksheet
Resource 4: Tips for Working with Social Media
Resource 5: Engineering Concerns and Treatments to Improve Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety
Resource 6: Sample Fact Sheet: Making the Case for Walking and Bicycling
Resource 7: Sample Community Resolution
Resource 8: Tips for Traffic Safety
Resource 9: Enforcement Contact Worksheet
Resource 10: Sample "Warning" Letter to Drivers
Resource 11: Tips for Event Planning
Resource 12: Tips for Fundraising

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