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Biking: If you can?
Looking at the demand for Biking Infrastructure in the United States and the Rise of Mid-City Biking Policies in Sarasota, Florida
Introduction
When you think about infrastructure in the United States, the first thing that you probably think about is highways.
But what about Bicycle lanes?
Roadways in the United States were never initially planned for bikes. Although many U.S. cities today may have better biking lanes for the 'consumer,' it is apparent worldwide, especially in Amsterdam and Copenhagen's famously known biking cities, that the United States is not doing enough to create a safe and cohesive biking network. Roads in the U.S. have intensely focused on the auto industry and using vehicles to get from point A to point B. Economic and social factors such as the rise of suburbia, auto-industry advocacy, racism, and land apartheid have led to the design and bias against bikes within our roads, which was evident in the passing of the 1956 Federal-Aid Highway Act. The Federal Highway Act "authorized the construction of a 41,000-mile network of interstate highways that would span the nation"-sadly, safe biking lanes were left out of its memo (History.com).
Ultimately, creating a biking city is about understanding the needs of ALL people in the United States. Biking looks at the science and health of transportation, and what sustainable transport could mean in the shaping of our roads today. Urban planners need to be designing for the people and understanding the demand for biking infrastructure throughout the United States.
It is evident in U.S. cities today that there is resistance towards making that change, but if we visualize the context of desired biking lanes, we can actualize a future that provides the choice of multiple modes of transportation.
This story Map will look at the history and state of biking in The United States, what urban planning for bikes could look like, and the rise of Complete the Street initiatives throughout the county of Sarasota.
Through the course of this map, you will understand why the United States lacks biking infrastructure and why the demand remains, and why, presently, U.S. cities are looking to accommodate the needs of bikers.
History of Biking in the U.S.
Photos from the National Museum of American History (Right), Family Tree (Middle) and U.S. History Scene (Left)
1860
High wheeled "Boneshaker bikes" were used across the U.S. mainly for athletes. The first bikes being created in Europe.
1878
Colonel Albert A. Pop created a brand of Bikes called “Columbia” with the Weed sewing Machine Company
1887
The first U.S. safety bike was created by Overman
1890
Start of the first Bicycle boom in the United States
1894
Ban on African-Americans from Biking
1904- 1970
Biking boom has patterns of stopping and continued growth due to issues such as the 1930s Great Depression and the 1979 Iran Revolution
1980
Decline in bike manufacturing in the United States
Presently
Biking Boom in the United States spurred by the Covid-19 pandemic leading to questions of how U.S. cities can better support safer biking infrastructure
Information for this timeline was provided by The American Business History Center and the U.S. History Scene.
Importance of Bikes in the U.S.
Biking allows you to truly interact with nature and one’s urban environment. In 2010 within the United States, 15% of the population rode bikes for recreational purposes, and close to 4 billion citizens made bicycle trips in 2009. The importance is imminent as bikes are a healthier and lower cost option in the movement from point A to B, where Americans typically make really short trips (40% move less than 2 miles a day). Bicycling can positively impact the economy where for the U.S., the biking industry accounts for “1.1 million jobs and generates 1.8 billion in taxes (Shenandoah Valley Bicycle Coalition).” Those who bike will have a lower cost of living than those who drive and have to make car payments. “For every 1 mile pedaled rather than driven, nearly 1 pound of CO2 is saved,” making the act of biking a sustainable initiative for consumers and a move towards saving the planet. ( Shenandoah Valley Bicycle Coalition ).
Image from Triathlete.com
Although bicycling is a powerful enigma across the world and throughout the United States, economically, politically, and socially, the issue remains where although “biking and walking make up 10% of all trips made throughout the U.S. Biking landscapes continue to receive less than 2% of federal funding (America Bikes).”
A Bike Boom?
Underneath this caption is a video which looks at Covid-19's impact on the biking industry as well as talk on building biking friendly cities across the U.S. Take a break from reading!
Why Covid-19 Caused A Bike Boom
Photo by the League of American Bicyclists which shows the average growth of U.S. cities since 2005.
Mid-City Biking: Sarasota
In a report by the Rails to Trails Conservancy in 2009, they found that smaller community types like suburbs and towns find biking levels similar to large cities. "The two latest national household travel surveys (2001 and 2009 NHTS) report that bike trips for all purposes grew by 64 percent in metro areas with populations between 500,000 and 1 million inhabitants and by 42 percent in metro areas between 250,000 and 500,000 inhabitants (Bloomberg)."
Sarasota county fits into that category. Sarasota is a tourist destination but a home for many where the development of safer biking lanes could generate a lot of interest economically and socially. Sarasota also boasts a small university community with colleges such as the New College of Florida , The Ringling School of Art and Design , and the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee . In Sarasota a "large percentage of students and the density of university towns could likely increase the density of biking levels" throughout the county (Bicycling and Walking in the United States 2014).
When talking about Sarasota, it is important to highlight issues of inequity and inequality as well. According to the Economic Policy Institute, "Sarasota County ranked as the 33rd most unequal county in the nation, with the top 1 percent earning 40.1 times as much as the rest of the population." For the city of Newtown, a municipal of Sarasota county that has faced stratification and racism historically, re-distributing resources somewhat is a re-occurring issue. Today Newtown hosts a predominantly BIPOC and low-income community, where the town deals with a lack of resources and choice geographically and economically. When creating a biking system in Sarasota and filling in road gaps, it was vital for me to think about access in more impoverished neighborhoods as well.
Location of New Town circled on the map from the Sarasota County Government
Some Demographics of Sarasota
- The estimated 2018 population of Sarasota County was 423,604
- Approximately 5,500 people per year move to Sarasota
- According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2017 American Community Survey (ACS), the median age in Sarasota County was 55.1
- According to the 2017 ACS, 1.4% of Sarasota County’s households did not have regular access to a vehicle
- In 2017, the average commute time was 22.5 minutes by car
- In the Sarasota county commute to work 1.0% rode their bikes while 83.% drove alone inside their vehicles.
- All statistics are derived from The Sarasota County Government
Sarasota CTS initiative
Sarasota Complete Streets Animation
In the 1990s, a nationwide movement called “Complete the Streets " found more consumers and urban planners contemplating how roads were primarily designed for cars in the United States. Completing the streets incorporates the idea that the roads should serve cyclists and pedestrians in many ways. In the photos below, you can see that the city still has a lot of work to do in stopping transportation gaps created by auto-focused roads.
Both the right and left photos are from Sarasota County, showcasing continued gaps in it Complete the Streets inactive.
Data from these maps come from Sarasota County. On the left you can see the lanes already implemented through the Complete the Streets campaign. On the right you will see a visual looking at better connectivity of bike access lanes throughout Sarasota.
Bike Share!
Bicycle share programs have been progressing throughout the United States as they encourage active recreation that lessons traffic time, particularly in larger cities. These share programs are made up of bicycles in a designated spot, particularly inside the downtown area. Within this system, bikes can be checked out and returned in a cycle. Such a program could significantly impact cycling relationships and transportation choices in Sarasota, especially in lower-income neighborhoods where a barrier presented might be affording a bike to ride on any of Sarasota's new complete the streets lanes. "The costs of purchasing a bicycle were cited as a major obstacle to cycling by 60% of participants in focus groups of African, African American and Hispanic Portland residents when it came to accessing of BIPOC low-income neighborhoods (Understanding Barriers to Bicycling Project Final Report, July 2012)." I used ArcGIS location-allocation and population density tools to create a localized and equal bicycle share system for broader access to health activities in Sarasota. In creating a ratio comparing New York's longstanding city bike-share network and its population amount, I divided a proportion of the right amount of bike-share stations needed for Sarasota's population of 433,742 people. This amounted to the ratio of 20 to 21 bike stations needed in Sarasota County for connectivity between zones. If we multiplied this by the minimum number of biking docks seen in New York City (approximately 15), that would be 315 bikes throughout the county. The stations were chosen individually based on proximity to schools, roads, jobs, and bus stations (see below).
E-Bike Areas Sarasota
LTS: Level of Traffic Stress
- "47% of Americans say they would be more likely to ride a bike if pathways were physically separated from motor vehicles (People for Bikes Demographics). We all have varying levels of comfort when it comes to riding a bike down the road. This experience of safety on the road as a biker could differentiate when looking at tolerance for traffic stress and factors such as noise and proximities of cars. LTS or Level of Traffic Stress Employs a rating on roadways indicating the possible traffic stress for riders. As the United States roads' were built for cars and not bicycles, the road can be a scary experience for bikers in cities that lack biking infrastructure. "A total of 843 bicyclists were killed in crashes with motor vehicles in 2019, 90% of those victims being 20 years or older (Fatality Facts 2019)." The levels in traffic stress are seen below:
- LTS 1 – Comfortable for all ages and abilities
- LTS 2 – Comfortable for most adults
- LTS 3 – Comfortable for confident bicyclists
- LTS 4 – Uncomfortable for most.
This Photo from the City of Sarasota looks at the Level of Traffic stress for bikers. Most of the lanes display the highest level of Traffic Stress.
A visual depiction of what LTS could look like.
Cycling in the US from a Dutch perspective [266]
Biking Infrastructure Examples for Mid-city Bikers
- The book "Cycling and Walking in the United States" analyzes the implementation of eight specialized infrastructures for bikes in a Mid-size city. The photos below compare some locations needed to connect bike lane gaps within Sarasota and what the county could do to lessen LTS (Level of Traffic Stress) for pedestrians. The City of Sarasota's Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan (starting from page 107) also shows strategic action towards creating low-stress biking infrastructure. Some of these bicycle facility types are shown below, and all enable mixed traffic uses in Sarasota County.
Shared Lane Markings (Left Image Google, Right Image Mode Shift)
Colored Bicycle Lanes (Left image is from the National Association of City Transportation images, Right image Google)
Bike Boxes (Left Image Google, Right Image Kingston Herald)
Conclusion: Why do you bike?
- Bicycles offer better connectivity, access, convenience, comfort, and inclusion throughout cities. In continuing the current trend of U.S. cities building better biking lanes we also need to prioritize its funding by the federal government. Biking is essential because it advocates for the agency of people and our democracy. In the urban landscape of the U.S. biking acknowledges our right to choose different transportation services and provides an option that is more sustainable for our planet.
- Biking is both the design for man and nature, so I ask you to consider why you bike and why it is important to you? Below is a video of students from the College of the Atlantic displaying their love for the activity.
Why is Biking Important to you
If you are interested in the fight for better biking infrastructure in the United States, here are some non-profit and companies you can follow:
- Alliance for Biking and Walking
- International Mountain Bicycling Association
- People For Bikes
- Rails-to-Trails Conservancy
For more information you can go the webpage for the National Advocacy Groups for Bicycling