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FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION

Executive Summary

Introduction

Section 1807 of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) P.L. 109-59 established the Nonmotorized Transportation Pilot Program (NTPP) in August 2005.[1] Over the span of 4 years, the NTPP provided roughly $25 million annually in contract authority allocated equally among four pilot communities (Columbia, Missouri; Marin County, California; Minneapolis, Minnesota; and Sheboygan County, Wisconsin) “to construct … a network of nonmotorized transportation infrastructure facilities, including sidewalks, bicycle lanes, and pedestrian and bicycle trails, that connect directly with transit stations, schools, residences, businesses, recreation areas, and other community activity centers.” From its inception, the NTPP was designed as a demonstration program to gather statistical information on transportation mode share shifts before and after the implementation of nonmotorized transportation infrastructure and educational or promotional programs. The program was intended to “demonstrate the extent to which bicycling and walking can carry a significant part of the transportation load, and represent a major portion of the transportation solution, within selected communities.”

Throughout the program to date, the four communities, each with unique physical and demographic characteristics, identified and implemented a locally devised strategy to significantly increase the use of nonmotorized transportation, along with the accompanying safety, environmental, and health benefits. This report represents the culmination of that initial implementation and analytical effort.

Key outcomes of the NTPP described in this report include:

• An estimated 16 million miles were walked or bicycled that would have otherwise been driven in 2010, and an estimated 32 million driving miles were averted between 2007 and 2010.
• Counts in the four pilots saw an average increase of 49 percent in the number of bicyclists and a 22 percent increase in the number of pedestrians between 2007 and 2010.
• In each community, a greater percentage of pedestrian and bicycling trips included transit in 2010 than in 2007.
• Mode share increases in the pilot communities to bicycling and walking and away from driving from 2007 to 2010 outpaced the national average from 2001 to 2008. For the communities in sum, bicycling mode share increased 36 percent, walking mode share increased 14 percent, and driving mode share decreased 3 percent between 2007 and 2010.
• The additional nonmotorized trips in the pilot communities in 2010 reduced the economic cost of mortality by an estimated $6.9 million.
• While each pilot community experienced increases in bicycling and walking from 2005 to 2009, fatal bicycle and pedestrian crashes held steady or decreased in all of the communities.
• The pilot communities saved an estimated 22 pounds of CO₂ in 2010 per person or a total of 7,701 tons. This is equivalent to saving over 1 gallon of gas per person or nearly 1.7 million gallons from 2007 to 2010.
• Thousands of people were reached by training classes, personalized outreach, and other educational and promotional activities; many people tried bicycling for the first time in their adults lives or ever.
• New plans and studies funded through NTPP will continue to improve nonmotorized transportation into the future.
• Education and training for local planners, engineers, and elected officials has helped to institutionalize nonmotorized planning and projects into the future.
• Expanded transportation options for all segments of the population, prioritizing access to schools, shopping, transit, and other community centers.
• The remainder of the Executive Summary provides an overview of the four pilot communities, the program investments, evaluation results, and lessons learned.

 Download full version (PDF): Outcomes of the Nonmotorized Transportation Program

About the Federal Highway Administration
www.fhwa.dot.gov
“The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is an agency within the U.S. Department of Transportation that supports State and local governments in the design, construction, and maintenance of the Nation’s highway system (Federal Aid Highway Program) and various federally and tribal owned lands (Federal Lands Highway Program). Through financial and technical assistance to State and local governments, the Federal Highway Administration is responsible for ensuring that America’s roads and highways continue to be among the safest and most technologically sound in the world.”

Tags: Bicycling, Cycling, F, Federal Highway Administration, FHWA, ntpp, Pedestrian, SAFETEA-LU, U.S. Department of Transportation, USDOT, Walking

This entry was posted on Monday, June 16th, 2014 at 12:09 pm and is filed under Biking, Infra Views, National, Policy, Public Parks & Recreation . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.