bicycle infrastructure and the revival of the american city
Post on 11-Mar-2016
217 Views
Preview:
DESCRIPTION
TRANSCRIPT
2
Bicycle Infrastructure and the Revival of the American City Joseph Giampietro . Cindy Trivisonno
For over a century, the bicycle has been recognized as a recreational activity
and mode transportation. Not until recent decades though was the bicycle directly
accommodated for in a system of transportation infrastructure. In the United States
there seems to still be a level of apprehension even as major cities modify their
transportation systems to add accommodations for cyclists. Cities such as New York
City; Portland, Oregon; Minneapolis have taken on the identity of a bicycle friendly
city. As these role model cities continue to adapt and improve their systems, the rest
of the country can observe their successes in improving road safety, lowering
carbon emissions and pollution, creating jobs, and strengthening community. As a
growing culture, bicycling is slowly beginning to make a comeback in the United
States since the rise of the automobile and national highway system. While this
culture is still somewhat new to Americans, and even unappreciated by a portion of
the population, there is no doubt that bicycle transportation and infrastructure is a
huge opportunity for success on many levels. With more education and awareness
on the topic, we as Americans can learn how to become involved and save our
country’s inefficient and declining transportation system.
By studying European bicycle cities and the European approach to
transportation, it is apparent that a system of bicycle infrastructure is something
that can work in an urban setting. Countries such as Denmark and the Netherlands
have been sharing the road for decades and have adopted bicycle transportation
into their culture as a norm. With strategies such as bike-‐share programs, bicycle
education, integrated traffic signage, and more, cities like Copenhagen have
integrated cycling into the daily lives of all its citizens as they together sustain a
greener, more democratic city. In the United States, as we move toward the goal of a
sustainable city, incorporating cycling into the urban transportation system is a
major advancement towards a long term goal.
3
Research Question/Goals of Study:
Through the research and analysis of successful European and American
bicycle studies and the associated design strategies, cultural adjustments, and
greater impacts, the study will acknowledge the construction, cooperation,
experience, influence and benefits of bicycle transportation and bicycle
infrastructure. Research of these aspects will reflect that bicycle infrastructure can
result in the revival of the American city and how it has already begun to do so.
Research and an improved understanding of modern bicycle infrastructure will
allow for the development of a conceivable approach to the
transportation/infrastructure deficiency in the United States and the resolution by
way of bicycle infrastructure.
History of Transport: Informing Urban Design
In contrast to the typical European city, the American city is substantially
younger and has been developed in accordance to transportation technology
current to the time of its planning and construction. Because much of America’s
development has happened simultaneously with and after the development of the
automobile in the early 20th century, many American cities have been planned with
the automobile being the primary means of transit. Because European cities
typically predate American cities, they have been designed to be accessible by
means of transit that predate the automobile, thus the European city is more
compact and pedestrian friendly. The European city has been designed from the
perspective of the pedestrian whereas the American city has been designed with
respect to the automobile and the opportunity of traveling greater distances that
were previously impractical.
4
The increase in railroads in the late 19th century and the development of the
automobile in the early 20th century gave Americans unprecedented freedom of
travel, which in turn shifted city development from the urban compact to a more
expansive metropolitan area. Railroads connected satellite cities to urban city
epicenters that allowed people to live outside of
the city and commute to work. This reduced
urban congestion and connected people to places
outside of their immediate environment.
“Contemporary transportation planning was
born with the dawn of the interstate highway
system, and the institutions, financing
arrangements, and modeling techniques familiar
to us today were developed to address a singular
project: the task of building a national highway
system”1 The increased use of America’s
highway system reduced America’s reliance on
railroads for long distance travel and gave
Americans the freedom of
independent travel and opportunity
to travel wherever and whenever at
their own convenience. Because
Americans had the opportunity to
travel at their own freewill, the role
of public transportation had
diminished. City designers and
planners shifted the focus of design
to accommodate the mass quantities
1 Boarnet, Marlon Gary. Transportation Infrastructure: the Challenges of Rebuilding America. Chicago:
Railroad Map
Highway Map
5
of automobiles rather than the pedestrian. Because of the reduced necessity for
public transport, design of pedestrian infrastructure became secondary to
automobile infrastructure.
The rapid expansion of suburban areas along with poor design
considerations has led to suburban sprawl. Suburban sprawl is essentially an
inefficient network of single use zones connected by highways and arterial roads
that lack cohesion and accessibility. It is a landscape built for the automobile that is
devoid of human scale as public services are spread out making the city less
accessible. The limited means of access and inefficiency in public and personal
transit to these public services and infrastructure causes the city to become less
democratic and functional whereas “a democratic city is one where all its residents
have equal opportunities to benefit from the city’s assets and to participate through
representative governance in shaping the identity and the destiny of the city.”2 The
lack of design, which constitutes suburban sprawl, requires the citizen to rely on
automobile based transit causing pedestrian based transportation to become
irrelevant, as the city was not designed to be experienced by means besides vehicle-‐
based transit. To borrow Gehl’s observation that “architecture and planning should
fit man and man should not try to fit planning and architecture, perhaps the same
analogy can be made for pedestrians and bicyclists: transportation planning in large
central cities should fit pedestrians and bicyclists and pedestrians and bicyclists
should not try to fit transportation planning.”3
Current global concerns have caused city planners to address urban issues in
the context of climate and environmental protection4. America’s current highway
system is in a state of disrepair and “In 2010, it was estimated that deficiencies in
America’s surface transportation systems cost households and businesses nearly
$130 billion. This included approximately $97 billion in vehicle operating costs, $32
billion in travel time delays, $1.2 billion in safety costs and $590 million in
2 Sabini, Dr. Maurizio. "Infrastructure and the Democratic City." Pg. 2. Print. 3 Cerreno, Allison. "Bicycle and Pedestrian Design Guidance." Home | Federal Highway Administration. Web. 15 Dec. 2011. 4 Calthorpe, Peter. Urbanism in the Age of Climate Change. Washington, DC: Island, 2011. Print.
6
environmental costs”5 causing other means of long distance transportation to
become a necessity. Inner city transportation must be rethought and redesigned in
accordance to the current issues America faces in today’s world.
Copenhagen: A Model Bicycle City
Copenhagen is an example of a successful European bicycle city that has
effectively integrated bicycles into the transportation fabric with a cohesive
infrastructural system. The Danes emphasize the importance of the bicycle as part
of their culture with accommodations on every street as well as designated bike-‐
specific routes and parking throughout the city. On smaller quieter streets bicycles
ride directly on the street with motor traffic and on busier and larger streets, bike
lanes or elevated paths are utilized allowing people to feel safe. The busiest street
in Copenhagen reaches an average of 36,000 cyclists daily.6 The network allows for
people of all income and age groups to travel the city in an affordable, healthy and
sustainable manner. In school, children are taught transportation laws and bicycle
technique, introducing kids to the bicycle lifestyle at an early age. Families travel
together and often use cargo bikes to transport groceries or other goods, similar to
the American use of the SUV, allowing the bicycle lanes to become utilitarian. The
people of Copenhagen fully embrace the use of bicycle infrastructure with a
noticeable passion and dependency on the bicycle as a primary mean of transit. This
apparent pride contributes largely to the continuing success of Copenhagen as a
model bicycle city.
5 "Failure to Act: The Economic Impact of Current Investment Trends in Surface Transportation Infrastructure « InfrastructureUSA: Citizen Dialogue About Civil Infrastructure." InfrastructureUSA: Citizen Dialogue About Civil Infrastructure. Web. 15 Dec. 2011. 6 "Cycling Copenhagen, Through North American Eyes." Streetfilms. Web. Dec. 2011. <http://www.streetfilms.org/cycling-copenhagen-through-north-american-eyes/>.
7
Gehl Architects: Export of Danish Cycling Culture
Danish architect Jan Gehl, principal of Gehl Architects works to integrate
cycling design and culture with a People First Design approach to shape innovative
mobility projects around the world. The firm calls themselves “Urban Quality
Consultants,” emphasizing their focus on the experience of urban living and quality
of life beyond formal architecture.
New York City [2007-‐2009]:
Project: Urban Realm & Bicycle Strategy
Client: City of New York, Department of Transportation
“Gehl Architects is working to promote quality of life and livability in New York. [Their]
strategic recommendations will help make New York a lively, attractive, safe,
sustainable and healthy city.”
New York City, currently a leading global power city demonstrates such great
potential for adapting a new urban system of living with enhanced mobility and a
more sustainable approach to the existing complex infrastructural grid. The plans
and programs outlined by the NYC Department of Transportation reflect an
awareness of the “spaces between buildings” and an acknowledgment of the city’s
diverse communities, innovative residents, and strategies for sustainability and the
public realm. With a major concern being congestion, the city must take action
before matters become worse and the population becomes unmanageable. An
example of the circumstances of NYC is Times Square prior to intervention, which
only allocated 11% of the total street space to “soft traffic.” This comes nowhere
close to meeting the needs of the population that constitutes 4.5 times as many
users as those travelling by car.7
7 Gehl Architects | Urban Quality Consultants. New York City / USA / 2007-‐2009. Copenhagen: Gehl Architects | Urban Quality Consultants, 2009. Print.
8
The current condition of the city combined with the potential for immense
improvement has attracted Danish architect Jan Gehl to the scene. Specifically, his
firm was called to advise on improvements tied to the Mayor’s PlaNYC Initiative: A
20 year vision for a greener, greater NYC. The unique approach taken by Gehl
Architects incorporates the pride and success of Copenhagen as a role model city
into personalized plans for cities around the world including New York, Mexico City,
Melbourne, Rio de Janeiro, Sydney, Los Angeles and currently Bejing and San
Francisco. The attempt to improve or “Copenhagenize” these cities can be achieved
through a design with the implementation of bicycles and other sustainable design
strategies inspired by Danish culture.
Gehl’s plan for New York aims at “reclaiming space and easing congestion” on
major streets including Broadway and Times Square [see NYC diagram A].8 With the
focus on the behavior of the people and study of movement patterns at key nodes
throughout the city, Gehl pushes
for a balance between modes of
transportation through the
development of several new public
spaces complimented by a
comprehensive bicycle lane
network. The image to the right
diagrams the city of New York
conceptually with regard to bicycle
routes and rail stations.9 Taking a
sustainable approach to the
construction of bicycle infrastructure can be simply done by taking advantage of the
current transportation system and infrastructure. This method of incorporating the
two systems addresses and improves mobility even further by lessening the gap
between destinations throughout the city. Of course, with such a portable vehicle as 8 Gehl Architects | Urban Quality Consultants. New York City / USA / 2007-‐2009. 9 Gehl Architects | Urban Quality Consultants. New York City / USA / 2007-‐2009.
NYC Diagram B 1
9
a bicycle, making the connection between road and rail can be quite smooth. Cycling
becomes ideal for those who had never considered it practical for their lifestyle.
The Quantitative goals of the project include:
• 30% reduction of C02 emissions
• Planting of 1 million trees
• Implementing 300 km of cycle lanes
• Ensuring all citizens are within a 10 minute walk of a public open space
• Doubling the percentage of cyclist commuters
• Reducing traffic related deaths by 50%10
In 2009 the initiative spread
further and Green Light for Midtown was
launched to address congestion in the
target area of Midtown Manhattan
including Broadway Boulevard
improvements. As part of the project,
two pedestrian malls were created
along with the reduction of six-‐way
intersections simplified to allow more space for pedestrians and bicyclists. The NYC
Department of Transportation estimates that traffic times will improve on the
parallel streets by 27%.
Since 2007, New York City has doubled the quantity of bicycle lanes, reaching
450 miles in 2009. The new policy allowing bicycle parking inside office buildings in
addition to awareness campaigns has resulted in a two-‐fold increase in bicycle
commuting to work and school. Preliminary surveys show a 84% approval rate
among users in the Madison Square Park area while even local businesses seem to
be benefitting from the changes according to the Times Square Alliance. Measurable
10 Gehl Architects | Urban Quality Consultants. New York City / USA / 2007-‐2009.
Pedestrian Malls
10
improvements also include 50% drop in traffic-‐related accidents along Broadway
Boulevard, which already meets goals laid out by PlaNYC. 11
NYC Diagram A
11 Gehl Architects | Urban Quality Consultants. New York City / USA / 2007-‐2009.
11
Copenhagen, Denmark [2008]:
Project: Metropolzonen – Urban Realm Strategy
Client: Copenhagen City Council
Although Gehl Architects puts so much focus into improving the cities of
other nations, they also acknowledge the potential that Copenhagen has to improve
even further. The work done at “home” parallels the efforts of their global projects
resulting in a very unique, comprehensive, and synergistic design approach.
Metropolzonen is the most centrally located area of Copenhagen. It is home
to many popular destinations, various modes of transportation, and many
opportunities for public space. The high level of activity requires a certain
organization effort to be made on an urban scale. Through analytical studies of the
city and different conditions of the area, Gehl Architects developed a vision plan for
the area of Metropolzonen incorporating different types of public space and streets
into a functional network of improved urban living. 12
12 Gehl Architects | Urban Quality Consultants. Copenhagen / Denmark / 2008. Copenhagen: Gehl Architects | Urban Quality Consultants, 2008. Print.
Vision for Metropolzonen
12
Bicycles in the American City: Progress Toward a More Bicycle Friendly Nation
Extensive research by Bicycle Magazine has produced a full list of “America’s
Best Bike Cities” ranked one to fifty.13 In order to make the list, the cities had
populations of 100,000 or more and displayed a “vibrant and diverse bike culture.”
According to this list as well as many others, Minneapolis, Minnesota leads the
United States as the most bicycle friendly city with approximately 7,200 of its
380,000 residents biking to work [as of a survey conducted in 2008]. This equates to
about 3.8% of all Minneapolis commuters in 2007.14 Followed by Minneapolis in the
top three are Portland, Oregon and Boulder, Colorado.
Minneapolis Bicycle Master Plan:
Minneapolis’s clear sense of motivation and ever-‐progressing initiative plays
a large role in its success as a flourishing American bicycle city. As of 2008, the city
of Minneapolis has been working on an improved bicycle master plan for the city
with the final report in June of 2011. The new master plan will build from and
replace the 2001 Bikeways Master Plan and 5-‐Year Bikeways Plan [see Master Plan
2]15. Through various programs, construction projects, education, and community
involvement, Minneapolis continues to pursue their vision that “(a)ll bicyclists enjoy
a welcoming environment; riding safely, efficiently, and conveniently within the City
of Minneapolis year-‐round.”16
Prior to development of the new Bicycle Master Plan, Minneapolis was
already supporting 127 miles of on-‐street and off-‐street bikeways, over 17,000
13 "America's 50 Best Cities for Cycling | Bicycling Magazine." Bike Reviews, Gear, Bicycle Maintenance, Cycling Gifts | Bicycling Magazine. Bicycling Magazine, 11 Feb. 2011. Web. 09 Dec. 2011. <http://www.bicycling.com/news/featured-‐stories/bicyclings-‐top-‐50>. 14 "Bicycle Commuting up Nearly 50 Percent in Minneapolis." City of Minneapolis, Minnesota -‐ Official Web Site. City of Minneapolis, 29 Sept. 2008. Web. 9 Dec. 2011. <http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/news/20080929BikingUpInMpls.asp>. 15 Minneapolis Bicycle Master Plan. Minneapolis: City of Minneapolis, 22 July 2011. PPT. 16 Minneapolis Bicycle Master Plan. Minneapolis: City of Minneapolis
14
bicycle parking spaces, various bicycle
events each year, as well as many
programs including Bike Share and Safe
Routes to School, an international
movement to support, promote and fund
walking and bicycling to school. The city
is also currently making use of
innovations such as bike boxes, colored
lanes, bicycle boulevards, left-‐sided bike lanes, separated trails, cycle track, creative
bike racks, and more [see Design Strategies: Systems and Signage].
The City of Minneapolis admits that the plan is rather ambitious considering
a few of the goals to add 183 miles of bikeways and 300 parking spaces, as well as
ensure that all residents are within one mile of a trail, a half-‐mile of a bike lane, or a
quarter-‐mile of a signed bike route by 2020. This is merely evidence of all that is
required of a city in order to reach such a level of success. Other cities can use
Minneapolis as a role model case study to understand the process of improving a
city with bicycle infrastructure and the timeframe in which to expect results.
Midtown Greenway:
One of the strongest points of sustainable bicycle infrastructure in
Minneapolis is a 5.5-‐mile long former railroad corridor that now serves as biking
and walking trails and goes by the name Midtown Greenway. The Greenway is
owned by the Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority while the trails are
maintained by the City of Minneapolis keeping the trail open and safe 24/7 and
year-‐round. The trail makes trips across town via bike quicker than by car in many
cases, as the corridor is separated from the street by grade. With a series of
underpasses and overpasses, trail-‐users nearly completely avoid traffic all together.
The Greenway connects to a network of paths to the south, east, and west giving
access to nearly the entire city. The long-‐term plan for the corridor includes an
express rail transit service as part of a regional rail system to operate adjacent to
Bike Share
15
the trails. The Martin Olav Sabo Bike and Pedestrian Bridge, a cable-‐stayed bridge
designated for pedestrians and cyclists, takes the Midtown Greenway over Hiawatha
Avenue and to the Mississippi River. The popularity of the bridge itself has
dramatically increased traffic on the Greenway.
Stretching a diverse culture span along neighborhoods and business districts,
the Greenway has become somewhat of a forum for public art, including temporary
and permanent works as well as performances. In this case, transportation
infrastructure begins to cross over into the realm of cultural infrastructure, a trait
that puts Minneapolis atop the list of U.S. bike cities. The Midtown Greenway
Coalition believes “Public Art in the Greenway provides an essential role in
increasing community awareness and involvement with the corridor; increasing
value for adjacent property development; and in articulating the history, meaning
and local character of the Greenway as a Minneapolis resource.”17
17 "Advocating for Public Art in the Midtown Greenway." Midtown Greenway Coalition • Minneapolis. Midtown Greenway Coalition, 2008. Web. 13 Dec. 2011. <http://midtowngreenway.org/publicart/>.
17
Economic/Environmental Impact and Benefits
The addition and implementation of bicycle infrastructure into the American
city has large economic and environmental impacts. Economic benefits include
increased revenue and jobs for local businesses as well as higher real-‐estate values.
Tourism is also greatly benefited from bicycle infrastructure as over 80% of users of
a major bicycle path in Pennsylvania were more likely to purchase “soft goods” such
as café food, drinks and clothing and “hard goods” such as bicycles and safety
equipment for the use of the bicycle paths.18 In the Outer Banks of North Carolina,
68,000 tourists visited the area to cycle and generated $60 million in tourism
spending and created approximately 1,400 jobs.19 Bicycle and pedestrian
infrastructure creates more jobs per money spent than road-‐only infrastructure as
road only projects provide 7.8 jobs per million dollars spent and bicycling only
projects provide 11.4 jobs per million dollars spent.20 Bicycle infrastructure is also
more sustainable than road infrastructure as it requires less maintenance thus using
fewer materials and less energy to construct.
Environmental benefits include reduced urban congestion, better air quality,
safer travel and improved health outcomes. Bicycle paths and trails are commonly
used in parks for recreational as well as travel intentions. Bicycling is active
transportation which involves physical activity which allows one to receive a daily
workout for example on ones commute to work, in contrast to public or automobile
transportation in which very little or if any physical activity is involved. Carbon
emissions are reduced as well as pollution resulting in the use of less fossil fuels and
cleaner air providing a cleaner and healthier city.
18 Pedestrian and Bicycle Infrastructure: A National Study of Employment Impacts, Heidi Garrett-‐Peltier 19 Pedestrian and Bicycle Infrastructure: A National Study of Employment Impacts, Heidi Garrett-‐Peltier 20 Pedestrian and Bicycle Infrastructure: A National Study of Employment Impacts, Heidi Garrett-‐Peltier
18
Design Strategies: Systems and Signage
Existing transportation infrastructure must be modified to accommodate the
addition of bicycle infrastructure including bicycle lanes, cycle tracks, modifications
to intersections as well as the addition of signals, signs and markings. The design of
bicycle lanes varies according to the activity level and context of the street in which
they are placed and operate in conjunction with motor vehicles and pedestrians.
The primary issues with retrofitting existing streets are ensuring safety for the
cyclists and visibility to motor vehicles. It is important that cyclists constantly
remain in sight to motor vehicles and that proper markings are created to indicate
the paths of cyclists. Safety is a major concern and is commonly the deciding factor
on whether bicycling can be a primary means of transportation.
Conventional bicycle lanes are placed adjacent to motor traffic and are
separated by a painted line with bicyclists traveling in the same direction as motor
vehicles. Buffered lanes are identical to the conventional lane with the addition of a
buffer between the cyclists and motor vehicles. The buffer typically consists of an
increase in space or a physical barrier separating motorists from cyclists.
Buffered Lane
19
Lanes typically contain designations stating traffic directions and colors
show the direction of routes. The color paving within a bicycle lane increases
visibility of the facility, identifies potential areas of conflict and reinforces priority to
cyclists in areas with pressure for illegal parallel parking.
Ground Marking
Modifications at intersections include the addition of bike boxes, crossing
markers, turning queue boxes and bike turning lanes. These modifications are made
to existing roadways to reduce traffic congestion, increase the safety of cyclists and
pedestrians and optimize the flow of motor and bicycle traffic. When cyclists cross
intersections, there are often pavement markings that indicate the intended path of
a cyclist through an intersection or across a driveway or ramp. The markings safely
guide the bicyclist on a direct path through an intersection and provide a clear
boundary between bicycle and motor paths.
The bike box is typically
implemented as an advanced
stop area allowing cyclists to
safely make left hand turns at
intersections and become more
visible to motor vehicles. The
box places cyclists ahead of
queuing traffic during the red
signal phase at a traffic light.
Bike Box
20
The hybrid beacon is used in locations where
smaller roads intersect with major roadways. These
locations often have low traffic densities and lack the
proper signals to facilitate large increases in traffic during
peak times. These areas are especially dangerous for
cyclists to cross and are most benefited with a hybrid
beacon. The beacon provides signals to motor vehicles,
bicyclists and pedestrians and is the most efficient and
effective method to simultaneously signal each of the
three different types of traffic.
When bicycle infrastructure is designed correctly,
motor vehicle and bicycle traffic as well as pedestrian
activity can operate in harmony resulting in an equal and
pleasant urban experience.
Community Embracement
League of American Bicyclists
The main advocator for bicycling and bicycle friendly cities is the League of
American Bicyclists (LAB), a national organization that works with communities to
“promote bicycling for fun, fitness and transportation and work through advocacy
and education for a bicycle-‐friendly America.”21 The Bicycle Friendly America
program helps businesses and communities across the country learn how to become
more bicycle friendly. The Bicycle Friendly America Blueprint is a publication put out
by LAB that serves as a guide that lays out strategies, requirements, and ideas for
implementing bicycles into cities. The League is responsible for a large part of
bicycle education and awareness in the United States accomplished through
programs and events including National Bike Month, Safe Routes to School, BikeEd
21 "League of American Bicyclists" League of American Bicyclists. League of American Bicyclists. Web. 10 Nov. 2011. <http://www.bikeleague.org/about/index.php>.
21
programs, and Share the Road campaign.
The National Bike Summit is one of the most important events put on by LAB.
As an annual lobbying effort to push for bicycle-‐friendly legislation, state and federal
legislators, bicycle advocates, and the press gather on Capitol Hill to discuss the
state of bicycling in the U.S., also giving the public the opportunity to express their
wants, needs, and concerns directly. This year’s Bike Summit was titled “Acting on a
Simple Solution,” and discussion addressed the primary funnels of federal funding
toward bicycle-‐friendly improvements in US transportation infrastructure.
Currently, the majority of funding goes toward three projects: Transportation
Enhancements for communities including construction of bike lanes, Recreational
Trails Program to maintain a variety of trails particularly for mountain biking, and
Safe Routes to School. In all, bicycle and pedestrian facilities account for 1.5% of the
money available for transportation infrastructure.22
The Bike Summit as somewhat of a form of infrastructure itself, though a less
concrete example, helps build the democratic city that we as Americans strive to
reach. The conditions were created in which the public can be involved and
participate in envisioning and decision-‐making. When the people can be heard,
there is a sense of empowerment, which in turn results in a good urban
experience.23 Of course, first an effective system of communication must be in place,
hence without a democratic city, good infrastructure cannot exist.
Bike Train
The Portland Bike Train movement began as a month-‐long experiment giving
kids the opportunity to ride bikes to school in a safe and fun environment. The
project essentially created the bicycle equivalent to the school bus where the bike
22 Brooks, Karen. "Ms. Brooks Goes to Washington | Bicycle Times Magazine." Bicycle Times Magazine. 21 June 2011. Web. 5 Oct. 2011. <http://www.bicycletimesmag.com/content/ms-‐brooks-‐goes-‐washington>. 23 Sabini, Dr. Maurizio. "Infrastructure and the Democratic City." Pg. 3. Print.
22
train would make stops at each house picking up students and parents along the
way. The program provides exercise for children and reduces the amount of traffic
around the school in the morning. The program succeeds in eliminating the “circle of
fear” which consists of parents preventing their children to walk to bike to school
for the fear of motor traffic accidents. The program also succeeds in eliminating the
primary concern with bicycling being visibility. By traveling in a group the children
are easily visible to motor traffic decreasing risk of accidents. At the end of the
“Walk and Bike to School Month” the program had over 100 participants and the
program eventually expanded to five other Portland schools with over 650
participants. The Bike Train raised community awareness in which was accepted
and well embraced. Not only did the program succeed in that regard but it also
provided the community a vision for what could be.
Issue of Public Acceptance
Two recent cases concerning negative feedback on bicycle infrastructure
occurred in New York City. The 14-‐block bicycle path connecting the Staten Island
Railway to the Ferry Terminal and was replaced with automobile turning lanes,
curbside parking and bus lanes. The Staten Island Borough President and city
council members applauded the change while others were devastated by the
unprecedented removal. The other instance of negative exposure involved cynical
news broadcast attacking proposals for bicycle infrastructure in New York City. A
broadcast of Brian Williams’ news program, supporting the deconstruction of
existing bicycle infrastructure, and disagreed with Sadik-‐Kahn’s proposals. The
program was a one-‐sided and ill-‐informed negative biased negative portrayal of
bicycle infrastructure that unfortunately reached 4 million Americans.
Impact on Other Forms of Infrastructure:
Currently in the United States, nearly every bicycle infrastructure project is
retrofitted to existing roadway conditions, directly impacting these other forms of
infrastructure. The result is unobtrusive to current vehicular infrastructure and
creates a more versatile network of adjacent transit layers. For example, simply
23
replacing automobiles with pedestrians and cyclists can alleviate congestion in
dense urban settings. The exchange of vehicular space for public space should not
be viewed necessarily as loss but an effort towards a more sustainable
transportation initiative. Along with this initiative must be an adaptation of traffic
laws in order to safely and effectively integrate differing modes of transportation
into a holistic system. Aside from the obvious effects on transportation
infrastructure, bicycles influence soft infrastructures such as culture, education, and
recreation. The incorporation of hard and soft infrastructure with urban
enhancements creates a strong potential for the general well being of the city.
Bicycle Infrastructure and the “Democratic City”
One approach to obtaining a more democratic city is surely in the design of
good infrastructure to serve the city. While many may not recognize it, bicycle
infrastructure when designed for the needs of the people and the environment is a
very good example of infrastructure that affects democracy. A system of bicycle
lanes and laws implemented into a city immediately improves the accessibility and
mobility of those to use the system. The result is the increase in opportunities. The
city is instantly more attainable when bicycling is an eco-‐friendly, healthy, free
option. No longer is there a reliance on automobiles to access the city.
In addition to the need for well-‐designed infrastructure in order to have a
democratic city, there is similarly reliance on the strength of the community.
Educating the community about the positive effects of cycling and bicycle legislature
almost ensures participation. Consequently, a community active in decision-‐making
quickly builds the support needed to move forward and achieve a more democratic
city.
top related