ASCE Human Powered Transportation Committee
Update
September 1998

September 15, 1998

From: Mac Elliott   mac.elliott@home.com
2530 San Elijo Ave. Cardiff, CA 92007
Tel (and fax on request) 760-944-7324
 HPT Website. http://www.ascehpt.homestead.com

To: All ASCE Human Powered Transportation Committee (HPT Com) Members &

Friends.

1. .HPT Com is continuing Shoulder Rumble Strip (SRS) related activity. (See previous Updates). Some unresolved issues remain:

1a. AASHTO Bike Facilities Guide Committee gave only partial guidance re. SRS. "Final| Draft" of Guide being voted on in Oct 98 (see Item 2 below), states only that: - - "SRS are not recommended where shoulders are often used by bicyclists unless there is minimum clear path of 1.2 m from SRS to outer edge of shoulder or 1.5 m to adjacent guardrail, curb or other obstacle. - - If existing conditions preclude achieving the minimum desireable clearance, engineering judgment as to appropriate alternative solutions will be needed". - - If draft is adopted, AASHTO will leave to local jurisdictions the responsibility to establish their own specific guidelines. e.g. Need numbers defining, "SHOULDERS NOT OFTEN USED BY BICYCLISTS". (Must take care that these not result in SRS on large numbers of narrow shouldered roads, degrading or eliminating those shoulders for bike use.) What are APPROPRIATE ALTERNATIVE SOLUTIONS? Etc. HPT Com continuing to monitor, and working to provide additional guidance where appropriate.

1b. FHWA completed their surveys of U.S. Shoulder Rumble Strip practices. Still working on uniform policies for use nationwide. (See March 98 Update, Item 2.) No problem with SRS on shoulders wider than 8 ft. A problem with shoulders less than 7 ft wide. Per Richard Moeur 602-255-6661 at meeting of State Bike Coordinators and FHWA during Pro Bike in Sept, Coordinators expressed concern about widespread use of SRS, particularly on narrower shoulders, and the strong negative effects on cyclist access to roads and on cyclist safety.. Task force of Bike Coord & others will study & make recommendations to FHWA. HPT Com provided some recommendations to FHWA regarding narrower shoulders, and continues to work with FHWA here. Contact Elliott for further info.

1c. HPT Com tested and reported on (to ADOT) experimental rumbles in Arizona. A series of GROUND-IN depressions spaced 12" to 14" o.c.. Depressions 12" wide perpendicular to direction of travel, by 7" to 8" long in direction of travel, with curved bottom 3/8" to 1/2" max depth at center. 4" to 6" flat spot between depressions. Axis of grinding wheel was perpendicular to line of travel. (Need a picture here!.) Bike riding these depressions gave VERY ROUGH, JARRING ride. The faster the ride the worse the jarring. NOT a bike friendly design. However, the 12" wide strip could be crossed diagonally at speed without loss of control. Just a momentary jolt. 12" width was plenty wide to give strong rumble from car.. Alex Sorton stated he'd ridden similar ground-in strips in Minnesota with 12" to 18" flat spots between depressions (instead of 4" to 6"). His ride was much better. Arizona considering testing wider flat spots between depressions, as well as leaving intermittent smooth spaces several feet long between groups of ground-in depressions. Contact Richard Moeur at ADOT 602-255-6661.

HPT Com will continue to monitor

2. Barring any strong dissent expressed in the Oct 98 AASHTO membership vote, the revised Bike Facility Guide is scheduled for release in late 98 or early 99.

3. Need Volunteer. College Engineering Student interested in Human Powered Transportation. Preferably with at least 2 years left in school. To help develop nationwide roster of students with interest in HPT, and assist in providing leadership for student activities. For more info contact Mac Elliott.

4. Next meeting of HPT Com will be in Wash DC, at Jan 99 TRB Meeting. All Members & Friends are welcome to attend. Website will post more info when available.

5. At Sept 98 Pro-Bike, Tom Brahms Exec Dir. of Institute of Transp Engrs, re-stated ITE's commitment to recognize Bikes & Walking as valuable transportation modes. ITE increasingly active in biking & walking issues. (Printed Ped Facility Guide this year)

6 Recent TEA-21 legislation requires USDOT to produce guidance on accomodating bike & ped travel. John Fegan of FHWA heads effort. Report deadline is Dec 99. One approach might provide guidance on HOW to design facilities by just referencing AASHTO plus other relevant Bike Guides plus proposed AASHTO Ped Guide plus other relevant ped info (e.g. ITE Ped Guide), finding & filling gaps where necessary. (Probably more gaps & more effort required for Peds than for Bikes.) Would still need to provide clear guidance on WHEN and WHERE to design for bikes & peds, and WHAT KIND of accomodation to provide. John Fegan chaired meeting in Wash. DC Aug 17, to discuss and lay out directions. John has asked all interested parties for comments before end of Oct 98, on their Vision of What Guidance Should Be re. Bikes, and re. Peds. John will compile comments and materials to present to the oversight panel at TRB meeting Jan 99, and may be contacted at 202-366-5007, or at FHWA, HEP-10, 400 7th St. SW, Wash DC 20540, or <John.Fegan@fhwa.dot.gov> .

7. ASCE May 98 Conference, "Transp, Land Use, & Air Quality" was excellent. Host City, Portland Ore a working laboratory of engineers & planners aimed at sustainability and quality of life. Office of Transp, Bureau of Traffic Management, has strong programs and long experience in Bike Transp, Walking, Traffic Calming, including strong emphasis on both Education & Engineering. City proud of Walkability. Contact any phone no. below for web sites with more info. Bus & Light Rail rides (Tri-Met) within downtown are free, and connections to outlying areas excellent.

7a. Portland has well coordinated system to reduce speeding problems. Traffic Management at 503-823-5185 has info.

6b. Portland's Skinny Street program for Low Volume Residential streets. 2 way traffic using only one lane plus parking space. Streets 20 ft wide if parking allowed one side. 26 ft wide if parking allowed two sides. When 2 vehicles meet, one pulls into vacant parking or driveway space to let the other pass. Cut-thru traffic is discouraged, and volume & speeds are reduced. High resident approval reported. Lola Gailey, 503-823-7563, knowledgeable on Skinny Streets. Per Bike Program Specialist Jeff Smith, 503-823-7083, Portland's Skinny Streets work with bikes. Elliott has Loaner background report on Skinny Street standards.

7c. Portland has many small Traffic Circles (to reduce traffic speeds), but has stopped installing new ones. Auto-bike conflicts, plus loss of some parking, plus high costs to install are reasons stated.. City using Speed Humps instead, to reduce traffic speeds.

7d. Portland does Not install Stop Signs solely to reduce speeds. Their stop signs are for assigning Priority at intersections.

7e. Portland does not yet have a Win-Win solution for Bulbed Out Curb Extensions, which make Ped crossings shorter & easier but squeeze Bikes out into main traffic flow. City solution to date is not to use where bike traffic high..

7f. Portland using Blue Line markings when bike lanes weave at intersections. Contact Jeff Smith from 7b above.

8. Roundabouts: Joe Bared of FHWA Safety Division, R & D, 703-285-2509 sent 2 pg summary of Dutch article "Roundabouts & the Priority Role" by J. van Minnen. Compared road hazard on 17 roundabouts where cyclists had priority (right-of-way) over other traffic, with road hazard on 62 roundabouts where motorists had priority. On average, more cyclists were injured when cyclists had priority over other traffic. Safest designs were roundabouts with separate cycle paths outside the motorist circle and motorists had priority over cyclists. Casualities were reduced by 90%.. Contact Elliott for copy of summary. See also Dec/Jan Update Item 6, & Feb/Mar 98 Update Item 3.

8a. NCHRP Synthesis 264, Modern Roundabout Practice in the U.S., 1998 75 pgs.Good info on 38 U.S. roundabouts with detailed studies on 3 different types. Excellent safety for motor vehicles. Safety for bikes was mixed. Best for bikes with single lane, 100 ft or less inscribed circle. Larger multi-lane roundabouts needed separate bike paths outside, or re-route bikes away from roundabout. Roundabouts can be hazardous to bikes. Need more research in how to design for bike safety. Contact Elliott for copy of loaner, or TRB Publications 202-334-3214 to order. See also Dec/Jan Update Item 6, & Feb/Mar 98 Update Item 3.

 9. New report, "Study of Bike Lanes vs Wide Curb Lanes", by Hunter, Stewart, & Stutts is based on videotapes of over 4,500 cyclists. Not yet available for release. To be presented to TRB Jan 99. Some prelim findings follow:

  9a. BL & WCL both work. Report recommends using BL where there is adequate width, believing BL to be preferred and thus more likely to increase cycling than WCL. Important to reach "Critical Mass" necessary to make motorists & peds aware of regular presence of bike. Will enhance ability to implement solutions.

  9b. More cyclists need training in negotiating intersections safely. Videos indicate majority of "fault" in bike-motor vehicle conflicts at intersections was due to bicyclist action. (Intersections produce about half of bike-motor vehicle crashes.)

9c. Clearance between bike & passing motor vehicle was direct function of total width of facility, whether total facility was WCL, or BL plus motor vehicle travel lane.

9d. Conflict rates were lower for straight thru & right turning bikes when BL stripe continued to intersection, instead of being dashed prior to intersection.

10. Bicycle Forum Issue # 47, June 98. Excellent issue. Elliott has Loaner copy. Some points follow:

10a. New Jersey considering banning construction of schools & highway ramps within 1,000 feet of each other. Motorist speeds too high, & dangerous to students.

10b. 2 new videos from Eugene Ore. Educating bus drivers in how to operate around cyclists, "Sharing the Road, Bus Operator Training", 10 min, and educating cyclists in how to operate around buses, "Sharing the Road:, Bikes & Buses", 5 min. Order from Lane Transit District, (541) 741-6100. $10 for one, $17.50 for both incl shipping.

10c. Mike Ronkin , Bike-Ped Program Mgr for Ore DOT states, "Virtually every bridge constructed by Ore DOT in past 5 yrs has right provisions for bikes & peds. Shoulders for bikes & peds on rural roads, sidewalks & bike lanes on urban bridges." 503-986-3555.

11. John Ruzek sent info on new 176 ft span Steel Arch Ped-Bike Bridge in Walnut Creek CA. Use projected at 1 million people per year. City of Berkeley is considering similar but much longer bike/ped overcrossing. Contact Ruzek at 756 Hilton Rd, Walnut Creek, CA 94595, 650-689-8458, for further info, or Elliott for copies of material sent..

12. Michael Jackson, Bike Facilities Coordinator for Calif"s Contra Costa County, sent copy of 8 pg TRB paper, "Standards vs Guidelines, Engineering Tools or Legal Weapons?" by Brelend. C. Gowan, Deputy Chief Counsel, Calif DOT (Caltrans). Emphasizes that engineers often see Standards as goals which are sought to be achieved, where lawyers see standards as minimum thresholds that must be achieved. Contact Elliott for copy.

13. From Lois Thibault: U.S. Access Board published synthesis on "Accessible, (to the Handicapped), Pedestrian Signals (APS)". 40 pgs. Includes listing of mfrs, & a matrix comparing features of various types of APS, along with analysis of traffic control situations that may warrant an APS device. Obtain copy by phone 800-872-2253, press 1 & follow instructions, or fax 202-272-5447, or e-mail <aps@access-board.gov> (TEA-21 directs engineers to consider use of audible signals where appropriate}.

14. TRB June 99 Urban Street Design Symposium in Dallas. HPT Com has opportunity to participate. Possible session on bike info resources, & how best to "institutionalize" HPT into all Urban Street thinking & planning & design & construction.. Perhaps Panel Discussion regarding place & need for Bikes & Peds in urban streets. Would need good speaker with knowledge of need, potential, and solutions for HPT in Urban use, and ability to deal with possible anti HPT concerns expressed by others. Contact Chair David Loutzenheiser at 831-373-8286 or <dloutzen@jps.net> .

15. ASCE has new Chief Operating Officer, Henry Hatch, P. E., former Chief of Army Corps of Engineers. Long record of leadership in Engineering for Sustainable Development, which he defines as, "Meeting the Needs of the Present Without Compromising the Ability of Future Generations to Meet Their Own Needs". (HPT is sustainable development). Gen. Hatch will have active role in charting ASCE's future direction. A strong advocate of Education, so engineers understand risks and potential impacts of every action, and also the Search for Sustainable Alternatives. Real opportunity here for ASCE to provide solid leadership in positive direction. HPT Com encourages all Members & Friends to offer their full support to Gen Hatch as he assumes his new duties. Contact him at ASCE Headquarters, 1801 Alexander Bell Drive, Reston, VA 20191-4400. Tel 202-789-2200. Fax 202-289-6797.

16. Please note Mac Elliott's move to Calif address per pg 1. No longer in Arizona.

Mac Elliott