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Getabout Columbia data: Funding bicycling and walking really does work

Submitted by Brent Hugh on Thu, 04/02/2009 - 7:09am
Columbia, MO, Transportation Changes, Trip to Work or School, 2007 to 2008
Columbia, MO, Transportation Changes, Trip to Work or School, 2007 to 2008
We now have some of the first results from the Columbia, Missouri, nonmotorized pilot project, GetAbout Columbia.

The nonmotorized pilot projects, in four locations across the U.S., were designed to test whether or not spending relatively small amounts of transportation money on bicycling and walking could help solve the real, very difficult transportation problems facing our country, including congestion and pollution.

Experience in many other countries has shown that creating a good, complete, safe bicycling and walking transportation system is a very cost-effective transportation strategy.

But will it work in America?

Will it work in Missouri?

Based on the preliminary data we've seen--the results of just one year's worth of relatively minor and inexpensive changes in Columbia--the answer is a resounding yes.

A survey was made of about 400 Columbia citizens by phone in 2007 (before any changes were made) and then again a year later. The most interesting question was, "How do you get to school or work in a typical week?"

The results are summarized in the attached graphic.

Solo automobile use is down over 15 percentage points, walking is 1.6 times what it was 12 months ago and bicycling is 2.5 times what it was 12 months ago.

Other interesting facts, from an on-street count and survey of bicyclists and pedestrians: 

 * The percentage of utilitarian bicycling went from 31% in 2007 to over 50% in 2008.

 * Pedestrians outnumber bicyclists, but bicyclists travel further.  The result is that both groups travel almost exactly the same number of miles total (589 pedestrians traveled an average of 2.1 miles or 1240 miles total; 187 bicyclists traveled an average of 6.6 miles or 1227 miles total)

And you have to realize that the GetAbout Columbia project is really just getting started--these dramatic changes came as a result of:

* A one year program of the education, encouragement, marketing, promotion of bicycling and walking

* Approximately 7 new miles of bicycle lanes (for a total of 25 miles) and 10 new miles of marked bicycle routes (for a total of 28 miles)--completed about halfway through the year

* A few minor tweaks to some intersections, such as marking the spot where bicycles will trigger the light to change

In the grand scheme of Columbia's overall transportation system--some hundreds of miles of roads and bridges worth many hundreds of millions of dollars--these changes are pretty small and inexpensive.

It's quite amazing that such small, inexpensive steps show such large results so soon.

And we're likely to see further dramatic improvements in the next few years as more of the GetAbout trails, sidewalks, bicycle routes, and improved intersections are rolled out. 

That's what we've seen in cities like Portland--more bicycle/pedestrian infrastructure correlates directly with more bicycling and walking.  And you see some results immediately but it takes several years for people's behavior and habits to fully change.  So it takes some years for the full results to become apparent.

These first results from Columbia are very, very promising--and future results promise to be even better.
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