FHWA Course on Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation

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LESSON 5: ADAPTING SUBURBAN COMMUNITIES FOR BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN TRAVEL (INSTRUCTOR'S NOTES)

Objectives:

Upon completion of this lesson, students will be able to:

1. Recognize the types of suburban development patterns that have led to automobile-oriented travel.
2. Demonstrate different strategies for re-designing suburban areas to accommodate non-motorized transport.

Pre-Instruction:

Components	Activities
Motivation	Take the class for a walk along a commercial strip or other equally pedestrian-unfriendly location in your area. Point out the problems with the development type in terms of how it discourages pedestrian and/or bicycle travel.
Objectives	Present and explain the two lesson goals listed above (V-5-1).

Information Presentation:

Components	Activities
Information Sequence	Outline the presentation of the lecture (V-5-2 and V-5-3).
Information	Review the historical development of urban and suburban land use as covered in Lesson 1. Focus on the suburban practices of leap-frogging and in-filling. Explain the importance of understanding the needs of the various users of non-motorized transportation, developing strategies to promote bicycling and walking, and recognizing current suburban land use forms that discourage non-motorized transportation (V-5-4 through V-5-6). Explain the inherent dangers in certain types of suburban development and land use features that affect bicyclists and pedestrians (V-5-7). Contrast planning for the automobile with planning for non-motorized transportation (V-5-8 and V-5-9). Demonstrate how good pedestrian and bicycling connections to transit services can encourage a symbiosis between these various modes. Provide examples of commercial and office developments that encourage walking and biking (V-5-10 and V-5-11).
Example(s)	Much of the information transmission should be done by way of example. The viewgraphs reflect this.

Student Participation:

Components	Activities
Practice	Use the activity provided in the student notes.
Feedback	Provide comment and feedback to the class as appropriate.

Follow-Up:

Components	Activities
Enrichment	Assign reading for Lesson 6. Ask the students to find an example of neo-traditional development completed within the last 10 years. Have them be prepared to report their findings to the rest of the class.
Review	Provide a summary of Lesson 5 (V-5-12).
Exercise	5.10 Exercise

Lesson Objectives:

• Recognize suburban development patterns that have led to automobile travel
• Demonstrate strategies for re-designing suburban areas to accommodate non-motorized transportation
  

Lesson Outline:

• Historical development of urban and suburban land use
• User needs
• Strategies that promote bicycling and walking
• Suburban land use forms that discourage non-motorized transportation
• Safety concerns
  

Lesson Outline (continued):

• Planning for the automobile
• Planning for non-motorized transportation
• Connections to transit services
• Commercial and office developments that encourage walking and biking
  

Suburban Development:

• Streetcar suburbs
• Leap-frogging
• Auto orientation
• In-filling
• Abandonment of the street
  

User Groups:

• Children
• Parents
• Elderly
• Commuters
• Recreationists
  

Promotional Strategies:

• Serve large groups
• Improve unsafe, frequently used locations
• Improve the busiest locations
• Attract new users
  

Present Land Use Forms:

• Individual tract subdivisions
• Linear arterial streets
• Bypassed vacant land
  

Planning for Non-Motorized Transportation:

• Conceptual planning
• Build around existing routes
• Arterials vs. collectors
• Identify major generators of non-motorized traffic
  

Planning for Non-Motorized Transportation (continued):

• Identify major attractors of non-motorized traffic
• Compare existing routes vs. demand
• Consider where improvements should be made
  • Existing
  • New
• Consider the impacts of new development
  

Development Features That Encourage Walking and Biking:

• Setbacks
• Orientation and facades
• On-site walkways
• Access between adjacent developments
• Lighting
  

Development Features That Encourage Walking and Biking (continued):

• Improvements between the building and the street
• Lot coverage
• Parking reduction
• Parking lot design
  

Lesson Summary:

• Suburban development patterns have made it difficult to use non-motorized transportation
• There are many ways to change this condition
  • Existing retrofits
  • New developments

 

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