John LaPlante, PE, PTOE

Director of Traffic Engineering

T.Y. Lin International, Inc.

jlaplante@tylin.com

ProWalk/ProBike Presentation

Long Beach, California

September 12, 2013

Committing a Lifetime to

Active Transportation

In the beginning…

There were bikes … and people walking

So how did we end up here?

So how did we end up here?

Common Traffic Engineering Myths

• Slower speeds reduce mobility and

increase costs for all vehicles

• Speed limits should be set at the 85th

percentile speed

• Required to design to Level of Service C

for the peak half hour 20 years hence

• Federal highway standards and

guidelines require wide lanes

• Spending for Complete Streets is a luxury

we cannot afford

Common Traffic Engineering Myths

• Slower speeds reduce mobility and

increase costs for all vehicles

• Speed limits should be set at the 85th

percentile speed

• Required to design to Level of Service C

for the peak half hour 20 years hence

• Federal highway standards and

guidelines require wide lanes

• Spending for Complete Streets is a luxury

we cannot afford

Defining Mobility

• Typical experience: – 45 mph speed

– 2 min wait at signal

Defining Mobility

• Viable alternative:

– 2-way progression set for 30 mph

Benefit/Cost Analysis

• Reducing speed from 45 mph to 30 mph – For a 5-mile trip, a 3.33-minute delay

– Assume 30,000 ADT and $20/hr driver cost

– $12.154 million in loss to economy, right?

• Wrong! – Delay for each person is still 3.33 minutes

– Less time than their daily stop for Starbucks

• Community benefit – Slower operating speeds

– Safer and more comfortable ped crossings

Common Traffic Engineering Myths

• Slower speeds reduce mobility and

increase costs for all vehicles

• Speed limits should be set at the 85th

percentile speed

• Required to design to Level of Service C

for the peak half hour 20 years hence

• Federal highway standards and

guidelines require wide lanes

• Spending for Complete Streets is a luxury

we cannot afford

ITE New

Recommended

Practice

Designing

Walkable Urban

Thoroughfares:

A Context

Sensitive

Approach

Sets target speed (desirable operating speed)

as the most important design element

Speed Affects Crash Avoidance

High speeds equate to greater

reaction and stopping distance 7-12 How to Develop a Pedestrian Safety Action Plan – Engineering

Strategies

High speeds lead to

greater chance of

serious injury &

death

Speed Affects Crash Severity

What about the 85th Percentile?

• The 85th percentile is the speed at which 85% of the drivers feel most comfortable driving

• It has nothing to do with the comfort of pedestrians or bicyclists

• It has nothing to do with safety

• It is only based on the ease of writing tickets

However, posting a lower speed limit does not slow cars down

Only designing the street for the target speed can achieve that goal

Common Traffic Engineering Myths

• Slower speeds reduce mobility and

increase costs for all vehicles

• Speed limits should be set at the 85th

percentile speed

• Required to design to Level of Service

C for the peak half hour 20 years hence

• Federal highway standards and

guidelines require wide lanes

• Spending for Complete Streets is a luxury

we cannot afford

Roadway Capacity Analysis

• Designing to LOS C for peak hour means: – Unnecessary pavement, waste of tax dollars

– Increased ped crossing times, thus reducing vehicular movement times

– Increased operating speeds for other 22 hours

ALWAYS design urban roadways to LOS D

Will traffic volumes always increase? Maybe not

Since 2005 US VMT has been flat

17

1,700

1,900

2,100

2,300

2,500

2,700

2,900

3,100

3,300

1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010

An

nu

al V

eh

icle

-Mile

s (

Billio

ns

)

Common Traffic Engineering Myths

• Slower speeds reduce mobility and

increase costs for all vehicles

• Speed limits should be set at the 85th

percentile speed

• Required to design to Level of Service C

for the peak half hour 20 years hence

• Federal highway standards and

guidelines require wide lanes

• Spending for Complete Streets is a luxury

we cannot afford

AASHTO: American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials

ITE: Institute of Transportation Engineers

Nothing in Complete Streets

Conflicts with National Guidelines

Common Traffic Engineering Myths

• Slower speeds reduce mobility and

increase costs for all vehicles

• Speed limits should be set at the 85th

percentile speed

• Required to design to Level of Service C

for the peak half hour 20 years hence

• Federal highway standards and

guidelines require wide lanes

• Spending for Complete Streets is a

luxury we cannot afford

Costs of Retrofitting Urban

Arterials to Complete Streets

• Requires arterial traffic calming/taming:

1. Controlling operating speeds

2. Ped-friendly street crossings

• Geometric issues

• Signal considerations

Costs of Retrofitting Urban

Arterials to Complete Streets

• Requires arterial traffic calming/taming:

1. Controlling operating speeds

2. Ped-friendly street crossings

• Geometric issues

• Signal considerations

• Design to D LOS

• Signal progression

• Narrower travel lanes

• Road diets

• Raised medians and landscaping

• Retain curb parking

Costs to Control Operating Speeds

• Design to D LOS – Less pavement =

less cost

Costs to Control Operating Speeds

• Design to D LOS – Less pavement = less

cost

• Signal progression – Cost to

interconnect

Costs to Control Operating Speeds

News Flash! 10 and 11-foot lanes are just as safe as

12-foot lanes on urban arterials with posted speeds

less than 45 mph

Narrower Travel Lanes

• Design to D LOS – Less pavement = less

cost

• Signal progression – Cost to interconnect

• Narrower travel lanes – Less pavement

= less cost

Costs to Control Operating Speeds

29% reduction in total crashes/mile

Effect of Converting 4-Lane

Roads to 3-Lane and TWLTL

“Classic Road Diet”

Mission District, San Francisco

North-South ADT

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

Dolores Guerrero Valencia Mission S. Van Ness

1998 – before Valencia Road Diet 2000 - after Valencia Road Diet

Handles 20,000 ADT

29

• Design to D LOS – Less pavement = less

cost

• Signal progression – Cost to interconnect

• Narrower travel lanes – Less pavement =

less cost

• Road diets – Install with resurfacing, no

additional cost

Costs to Control Operating Speeds

Continuous raised median

Raised Medians

40% reduction in pedestrian crashes

Median/Parkway Landscaping

• Design to D LOS – Less pavement = less

cost

• Signal progression – Cost to interconnect

• Narrower travel lanes – Less pavement =

less cost

• Road diets – Install with resurfacing, no

additional cost

• Raised medians and landscaping – With

roadway reconstruction

Costs to Control Operating Speeds

Eliminating on-street parking

encourages cars to go faster and

discourages neighborhood business

Retain Curb Parking

• Design to D LOS – Less pavement = less cost

• Signal progression – Cost to interconnect

• Narrower travel lanes – Less pavement = less

cost

• Road diets – Install with resurfacing, no

additional cost

• Raised medians and landscaping – With

roadway reconstruction

• Retain curb parking – No cost, parking meter

revenue

Costs to Control Operating Speeds

Costs of Retrofitting Urban

Arterials to Complete Streets

• Requires arterial traffic calming/taming:

1. Controlling operating speeds

2. Ped-friendly street crossings

• Geometric issues

• Signal considerations

• Tighten corner curb radii

• Corner “pork chop” islands

• Eliminate free flow right turn lanes

• Curb bulb-outs

Pedestrian Friendly Geometrics

Effect of large radius on drivers

They drive fast, ignoring pedestrians

Large corner radii:

•Increase

crossing distance

•Longer signal

time

Tighten Corner Curb Radii

Pedestrian Friendly Geometrics

• Tighten corner curb radii – With roadway

reconstruction

Corner “Pork Chop” Islands

Benefits:

• Separate conflicts &

decision points

• Reduce crossing distance

• Improve signal timing

• Reduce ped crashes (29%)

• Tighten corner curb radii – With roadway

reconstruction

• Corner “pork chop” islands – With

roadway reconstruction

Pedestrian Friendly Geometrics

Eliminate free flow turns across

crosswalks/bikeways Designing Streets for Pedestrian Safety – Interchanges & roundabouts 7-10

… they are difficult for pedestrians to cross… they are difficult for pedestrians to cross

Avoid freeAvoid free--flow movements…flow movements…

Asheville NC

Free Flow Right Turn Lanes

Free Flow Right Turn Lanes

Eliminate free flow turns across

crosswalks/bikeways

• Tighten corner curb radii – With roadway

reconstruction

• Corner “pork chop” islands – With roadway

reconstruction

• Eliminate free flow right turn lanes – With

ramp reconstruction

Pedestrian Friendly Geometrics

Reduce crossing

distance

Improve sight

distance and sight

lines

Prevent

encroachment by

parked cars

Create space for

curb ramps and

landings

Curb Bulb-outs

• Tighten corner curb radii – With roadway

reconstruction

• Corner “pork chop” islands – With roadway

reconstruction

• Eliminate free flow right turn lanes – With

ramp reconstruction

• Curb bulb-outs – With roadway

reconstruction and on-street parking

Pedestrian Friendly Geometrics

Costs of Retrofitting Urban

Arterials to Complete Streets

• Requires arterial traffic calming/taming:

1. Controlling operating speeds

2. Ped-friendly street crossings

• Geometric issues

• Signal considerations

Pedestrian Signal Considerations

• Time signals for 3.5 ft/sec walking speed

• Countdown clocks

• Ped actuated HAWK signals

• Rectangular Rapid Flash Beacon

2009 MUTCD now recommends using a

pedestrian walking speed of 3.5 fps for FDW and

3.0 fps for overall WALK phase

Pedestrian signal timing

Recent studies found that previous 4.0 fps

walking speed based on average walking speeds

(not 15th percentile)

• Time signals for 3.5 ft/sec walking speed –

Signal maintenance

Pedestrian Signal Considerations

50% of pedestrians in the

U.S. do not understand

that “Flashing Don’t Walk”

really means it is OK to

continue walking

So we put signs like this to

“correct” the problem

Effective Communications

Pedestrian count-down signal tells pedestrians

how much crossing time is left

Countdown Clocks

Results from San Francisco:

25% Crash Reduction Factor after

countdown signals installed

Countdown Clocks

• Time signals for 3.5 ft/sec walking speed –

Signal maintenance

• Countdown clocks – Can be added for

roughly $2,000/intersection

Pedestrian Signal Considerations

HAWK (High Intensity Activated Crosswalk)

Also in 2009 MUTCD

HAWK Pedestrian Hybrid Signal

Drivers

see

Beacon

Peds see

Pedhead

• The CROSSWALK STOP ON RED sign shall be used

• There are Guidelines (similar to signal warrants) for

Pedestrian Hybrid Beacons – variables include:

– Pedestrian volume

– Traffic speeds

– Traffic volumes

– Crosswalk length

Excerpts from MUTCD Chapter 4F

For Pedestrian Hybrid Beacons

Speeds exceeds 35 mph

0

100

200

300

400

500

0 500 1000 1500 2000

Major Street - Total of Both Approaches - Vehicles Per Hour (VPH)

To

tal o

f A

LL

Pe

de

str

ian

Cro

ssin

g

Ma

jor

Str

ee

t -

Pe

de

str

ian

s P

er

Ho

ur

(PP

H)

34 50 72 100 Signal Warrant Minimum Pedestrian

Signal warrant

Curves based on

length (see below)

Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon Effectiveness

• Time signals for 3.5 ft/sec walking speed –

Signal maintenance

• Countdown clocks – Can be added for

roughly $2,000/intersection

• Ped actuated HAWK signals – Half the

cost of standard ped signal; lower

warrant

Pedestrian Signal Considerations

Rectangular Rapid Flash LED Beacon

►Beacon is yellow, rectangular, and has a rapid “stutter” flash

►Beacon located between the warning sign and the arrow plaque

►Must be pedestrian activated (pushbutton or passive)

►Studies indicate motorist yielding rates increased from 18.2% to 81.2% for 2 beacons and to 87.8% for 4 beacons

►Interim approval from FHWA in July 2008

• Time signals for 3.5 ft/sec walking speed –

Signal maintenance

• Countdown clocks – Can be added for

roughly $2,000/intersection

• Ped actuated HAWK signals – Half the

cost of standard ped signal; lower warrant

• Rectangular Rapid Flash Beacon - $20K

and no specific warrant

Pedestrian Signal Considerations

• Slower speeds reduce mobility and increase

costs for all vehicles

• Speed limits should be set at the 85th percentile

speed

• Required to design to Level of Service C for the

peak half hour 20 years hence

• Federal highway standards and guidelines

require wide lanes

• Spending for Complete Streets is a luxury we

cannot afford

ALL MYTHS!

Common Traffic Engineering Myths

• Bikes and pedestrians are alternative

transportation modes

• Bikes should only be on low stress

facilities

• Bike boxes are an answer

• Cycle tracks are the ultimate answer

• Cars are the enemy!

Common Nonmotorized Myths

• Bikes and pedestrians are alternative

transportation modes

• Bikes should only be on low stress

facilities

• Bike boxes are an answer

• Cycle tracks are the ultimate answer

• Cars are the enemy!

Common Nonmotorized Myths

is like calling women

alternative men Mark Fenton

Designating peds and bikes as

“alternative transportation”

• Bikes and pedestrians are alternative

transportation modes

• Bikes should only be on low stress

facilities

• Bike boxes are an answer

• Cycle tracks are the ultimate answer

• Cars are the enemy!

Common Nonmotorized Myths

Auto-oriented street: High stress

Four Bicyclist Types*

Bicyclist Characteristics

* Roger Geller, Portland, OR

• Strong & Fearless <1%

• Enthused & Confident 7%

• Interested but Concerned 60%

(Includes children)

• No Way, No How 33%

• LTS 1: Suitable for almost all cyclists, including

children trained to safely cross intersections

(paths, low volume streets).

• LTS 2: Suitable to most adult cyclists but

demanding more attention than expected from

children (bike lanes, sharrows).

• LTS 3: More traffic stress than LTS 2, but less

stress than integrating with multilane traffic (bike

lanes/sharrows on arterials).

• LTS 4: Strong and fearless.

Levels of Traffic Stress (LTS)

Source: Mekuria, Furth & Nixon- “Low-Stress Bicycling and Network Connectivity” – Mineta Transportation Institute, May 2012

It’s okay for young kids to ride on sidewalks

Sidewalks are Low Stress

An adult bicyclist on a sidewalk is not a good sign

A cyclist on a sidewalk interferes with pedestrians

A cyclist on a sidewalk places himself at risk

Especially when riding against traffic!

RELATIVE DANGER INDEX Of various types of facilities

• Major Streets w/o bike lanes 1.28

• Minor Streets w/o bike lanes 1.04*

• Streets with bike lanes 0.5

• Mixed-use paths 0.67

• Sidewalks 5.32

(* = shared roadway)

1.00 = median

Source: William Moritz, U.W. - “Accident Rates for Various Bicycle Facilities” - based on 2374 riders, 4.4 million miles

Provide space on streets …

Bike lanes most

appropriate on urban

thoroughfares

They get you from one

part of town to another

efficiently

Intersections stop or

signal controlled

No point in striping

local streets with bike

lanes

Can be low stress when wide on low speed roads

Provide access to major destinations on arterials

Guide bicyclists into safer behaviors

More visible bicyclists improves motorist behaviors

Advantages of Bike Lanes

Disadvantages of Bike Lanes

Most bike lanes on arterial streets are LTS 3 or 4

Often not enough street width (even with 10-foot

travel lanes)

May require stripping parking (NEVER a good idea)

• Bikes and pedestrians are alternative

transportation modes

• Bikes should only be on low stress

facilities

• Bike boxes are an answer

• Cycle tracks are the ultimate answer

• Cars are the enemy!

Common Nonmotorized Myths

Bike Box

Colored Bike Lane & Bike Box

Allows bicyclists to go before motor vehicles at

signalized intersections

More visible bicyclists improves motorist behaviors

Bicyclists think they are wonderful

Advantages of Bike Boxes

Disadvantages of Bike Boxes

Requires lots of bicycles to gain motorist compliance

Onset of green can lead to blind right turn hooks of

bicyclists approaching from behind

Crash record is mixed, no good data available as of

this time

Not in AASHTO Bike Guide or MUTCD

Merging Bicyclists & Right

Turners Still a Better Idea

Merging Bicyclists & Right

Turners Still a Better Idea

Merging Bicyclists & Right

Turners Still a Better Idea

• Bikes and pedestrians are alternative

transportation modes

• Bikes should only be on low stress

facilities

• Bike boxes are an answer

• Cycle tracks are the ultimate answer

• Cars are the enemy!

Common Nonmotorized Myths

Midblock (LTS 1)

Cycle Tracks

Cycle Tracks

Midblock (LTS 1)

Where a bike signal is required

Cycle Tracks (LTS 1)

Except at intersections

Or a combined bike/right turn lane

Cycle Tracks (LTS 1)

Except at intersections

Or special markings through the

conflict area

Cycle Tracks (LTS 1)

Except at intersections

Very low stress midblock

Encourages bike riding, thereby increasing overall

conspicuity and crash rate reductions

Advantages of Cycle Tracks

Disadvantages of Cycle Tracks

Requires special intersection treatments (signals,

prohibit vehicular right turns or merged right turns)

Not appropriate on streets with driveways

Takes more room (removal of travel or parking lane)

More costly than traditional bike lanes

Not in AASHTO Bike Guide or MUTCD

• Bikes and pedestrians are alternative

transportation modes

• Bikes should only be on low stress

facilities

• Bike boxes are an answer

• Cycle tracks are the ultimate answer

• Cars are the enemy!

Common Nonmotorized Myths

“All roads, streets and

highways, except

those where bicyclists

are legally prohibited,

should be designed

and constructed under

the assumption that

they will be used by

bicyclists.” AASHTO

Bikes Belong

Bikes Belong

“Therefore, bicyclist’s needs should be considered in all phases of transportation planning, design, construction. ,maintenance, and operations.” AASHTO

Cars Also Belong

Wide Bike Lane/Low Speed (LTS 1)

5-foot Bike Lane/30 mph (LTS 2)

Cars Also Belong

5-foot Bike Lane/30 mph (LTS 2)

Cars Also Belong

Cars Also Belong!

H.G. Wells: “When I see an adult on a bicycle,

I realize there is hope for civilization.”

QUESTIONS?

COMMENTS?

CONCERNS?