Research Project Description

Bicycling Access and Egress to Transit: Informing the Possibilities

Project Number: 2825

Project Objective:

The objective of this research is to analyze strategies for best integrating cycling and transit use using a cost-effectiveness framework, given various transit station characteristics. Special attention will be given to accommodating the first and last mile of a transit trip without the use of an internal combustion engine.

Principal Investigators:

Kevin J. Krizek, Ph.D., Associate Professor and Director of the PhD Program in Design and Planning, University of Colorado

Team Members:

Peter Haas, Ph.D., Professor, Graduate Transportation Management Program, San Jose State University

Project Abstract:

There exists considerable room for the bicycle to realize its environmental, health, and congestions benefits when it is integrated with transit services. A successful marriage between the two will likely result in increasing: (a) the catchment area and subsequent patronage of transit, (b) the efficiency of transit by reducing the necessity of feeder bus services, (c) the demand for cycling. A core problem, however, exists in that the predominant approach for integrating the two modes (bicycles aboard transit vehicle) frequently runs up against capacity restraints (typically 2 bikes for each bus on a front rack or 3-4 bikes per light rail car). Effectively integrating bicycling and transit requires analysis of a broad purview of alternatives a set of alternatives that fully considers both the travel patterns and needs of individuals but also accompanying urban form characteristics.

This research aims to inform key parameters under the framework of cost-effective analysis for three broad alternatives: carrying bicycles aboard the transit vehicle, parking cycles at transit stops, and bicycle sharing at transit stops. The first step is to identify characteristics of transit stops that are likely to be top contenders for attracting high cycle-transit-users (ctu) and subsequently arriving at a protocol to estimate bounds for existing or potential users. Given a likely number of users, the second step involves estimating costs to satisfy demand for given amounts of ctu´s. The third step estimates the likely efficacy of different users in terms of increasing cuts. The parameters will be arrived at by: (a) contacting appropriate representatives to glean cost estimates, (b) statistical analysis of secondary data, and (c) an estimated five focus groups/case studies which will then enable them to be used within a framework of traditional cost-effectiveness analysis.

Task Description:

Task 1: Literature review

Task 2: Acquire and Estimate Cost Data

Task 3: Data Acquisition and Analysis

Task 4: Focus Groups/Case Studies

Task 5: Establish Parameters for Cost-effectiveness

Task 6: Final Report

Technology Transfer:

The project will allow transit agencies, municipalities, and ctu´s to better understand when, where, and how to promote bicycle-transit integration.

Potential Benefits of Project:

The study will help planners and practitioners in US cities better understand the desirability of bicycle-transit integration and more importantly, how to choose from alternative policy instruments.

Project Funding: $71,659.00