Reduce GHG Emissions: Promote Alternative Transportation through Better Parking and Safety for Cycli

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Reduce GHG Emissions Promote Alternative
Transportation through Better Parking and Safety
for Cyclists and Motorcyclists

• Morgan Chivers, Kimberley DeHart, Ryan Donovan,
  John Omweg
• Every time I see an adult on a bicycle, I no
  longer despair for the future of the human
  race.
• H.G. Wells

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Defining the objective

• GHG problem will promote mass transit and
  bicycle/motor scooter/cycle use.
• We want 60 of the total population of students,
  faculty and staff at SJSU to use transportation
  other than cars with 10 on bicycles by 2010.

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Whose problem is it?

• Problem is systemic in that government, industry
  and people have to collaborate to create a
  suitable infrastructure for cycling and parking
  of bicycles and motorcycles.
• We looked at cities in Europe as well as Bogota
  for ideas since they have been more active in
  promoting cycling.

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Obligations of those involved

• Cyclists and motorists have to be mutually
  respectful in terms of safety.
• Government officials have to wean the population
  away from an exclusive car culture to one that
  embraces mass transit complemented by cycling and
  motorcycles/motor scooters.

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SJSU Transportation

• SJSUs central location public transportation and
  bike paths make commuting easy
• Parking at school is a pain
• SJSU Commute Survey 2007
• 46 of students drive alone
• 25 of students use VTA. 3 ride bikes to
  stations / stops
• 2 of students ride bikes to school

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Proposed solution

• Enhanced Parking for Bicycles at SJSU
• Safety first.
• Stimulate bicycle use through student co-op.
• Encourage motorcycle and motor scooter riding by
  reducing the parking fee to 15/semester.
• 62 of motorcycle riders in the US have not
  attended safety classes. Novices are twice as
  likely to crash. Demand for traininggt the supply.

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SJSU Bike Parking

• Increasing bicycle commuting also means adding
  parking for bicycles and also frees up slots in
  the garages for cars.
• Need more efficient racks in dense parking areas
• More racks throughout campus

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SJSU Bike Parking Cages

• Cages are safe
• only 2 recent thefts
• Efficient use of space
• Need protection from elements
• San Carlos cage fills in wet weather

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Bike Parking Alternatives

• Racks in parking garages
• 1 parking stall can fit 10-12 bikes
• Air fill station for cars and/or bikes
• Individual bike lockers for high end bikes
• Bike valet in unused room with repair area

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Promoting Bicycle Commuter Safety

• BICYCLE COMMUTING SITUATION
• INCREASED BICYCLE COMMUTING
• SAFETY FACTS AND STRATEGIES
• RULES OF THE ROAD
• THE SAFE ROAD
• SAFETY GEAR

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BICYCLE COMMUTING SITUATION (practical,
environmental, social, systemic, and local values)

• Rising costs of automobile operation
• Health benefits
• Environmental values
• National, state, city, and university to promote
  increased use of bicycles
• San Jose climate, topology, and biking
  infrastructure favorable to bicycling

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II. INCREASING LEVELS OF BICYCLE COMMUTING

• 28 of students live within 5 miles of campus.
• Doubling percent of students that use bicycles
  from current levels of 2.5 could mean over 1,500
  more bicycle trips/commuting day.
• Bicyclists in the US are at greater risk of
  injury than those in other nations
• Santa Clara has the highest per capita rate of
  cycling deaths in the nine-county Bay Area.

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IIIa BICYCLE SAFETY FACTS

• Many bicycle related injuries are not reported
• Reported accidents are severe 21-61 suffered a
  head injury and 69-93 of all bicycle accident
  fatalities are caused by head injuries.
• Over 90 killed from crashes with motor vehicles.
• Over 70 percent of car-bicycle crashes at
  driveways or other intersections, where turns are
  frequent.
• Accidents - motorists/bicyclists fail to yield

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IIIb BASIC SAFETY STRATEGIES

• First, increased awareness and greater respect
  for right-of-way would serve to reduce overall
  accident rates considerably.
• Second, to the degree that crossing paths and
  turning relations between cars and bicycles can
  be reduced in frequency, many of these types of
  accidents could be avoided.
• Third, the bicyclist can utilize safety equipment
  to minimize frequency or severity of accidents.

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IV. RULES OF THE ROAD behaving and thinking in
terms of a shared environment

• Legal environment
• Education and knowledge are generally distributed
  
• Laws are reasonably appropriate to existing
  conditions
• Laws enforced consistently and fairly.
• Education, Awareness, Attitudes, Behavior

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Va. THE SAFE ROAD

• Analysis of safety qualities of various
  environments.
• Design or implementation of roads, bicycle lanes,
  intersections, campus bicycling environments,
  bicycle paths and trails.
• Incidental environmental factors Road hazards,
  meteorological, obstacles, parked cars.

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Vb Street design that separates vehicle from
bicycle transit areas

• bicycle lanes and sharrow areas on roads
• bicycle paths or trails that are separate from
  surface streets
• physical barriers
• bike streets

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Vc ADDITIONAL SAFETY FACILITIES LIST

• Locks and bicycle storage
• Special Bicycle-responsive signals
• Lighting
• Signs

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VIa. SAFETY GEAR A campaign to increase bicycle
safety would

• Advise bicyclists of the importance of safety
  items
• Increase the practical use of such gear
• Offer affordable, convenient, and attractive
  options to obtaining such items

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VIb SAFETY GEAR LIST

• Fitted bicycle, working brakes, inflated tires,
  fitted and effective helmet, shoes to protect
  feet
• Required lighting/visibility safety measures
  Front white light white front, red rear, pedal,
  and side reflectors.
• Recommended safety measures Red rear light
  reflective clothing.

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VIc SAFETY GEAR LIST

• Patch kit and pump
• Bicycle locks
• Tools
• Maintenance knowledge
• Sunglasses or glasses
• Ergonomic seat
• Bell or horn

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VId HELMET USE

• 80 of head and brain injuries can be prevented
  by wearing a helmet
• Only 35 to 50 of bicyclists wear helmets. Major
  obstacles to helmet use include cost, comfort,
  and peer disapproval
• The Grateful Head raised helmet use from 27.6
  to 49.3 via a social marketing that combined
  peer agents, educational materials, pledge cards,
  free helmets and safety equipment

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VII. CONCLUSION three action items

• Legal/educational resources must be devoted to
  improve awareness, attitudes, and behavior that
  honor rules of the road
• transit infrastructure must reflect safe road
  design philosophy that respects the presence and
  vulnerability of bicyclists
• bicyclists should use the safety gear needed to
  reduce frequency/severity of accidents

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Motorcycle Safety training and licensing

• 62 have never taken a training course
• Crash rates among untrained novice riders were
  double
• Demand exceeded the current number of training
  facilities, 40 were turned away
• 25 of motorcyclists involved in fatal crashes
  are unlicensed
• Unlicensed riders are 2 to 3 times more likely to
  be involved in a fatal crash and 20 times higher
  on a suspended license

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Stimulate bicycle use support student co-op

• Three options
• similar to the UC Davis Bike Barn, offering bike
  and accessories, rentals, repairs
• student-run repair facility, offering work-space,
  tool checkout, and advice
• student club, strengthening the cycling community
  and advocating for cyclists

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Performance factors relate to safety

• Fuel consumption, size of the motorcycle engine,
  riding style and techniques of the rider.
  Combined factors can create safety issues when
  not considered in purchase
• Conspicuity Daytime lamps fluorescent
  jackets/strips

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Roadway Environment Education

• Designing, constructing, and maintaining roadways
  with the motorcyclists in mind, including
• Smooth edge transitions with asphalt
• Proper warnings of drop-offs, shoulder
  hazardous areas
• Teaching motorcycle awareness in traffic mixes
• Promoting joint/shared use on roadways
• Educating safe riding habits for motorcyclists

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Deadliest injuries are to head and chest

• DOT approved helmet is most critical factor in
  the prevention and reduction of head injuries
• Other important safety considerations proper
  eyewear heavy duty boots to protect ankles and
  overall foot long-sleeve clothing, pants,
  leather and chaps protect the skin

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Parking Issues SJSU and Downtown

• Motorcycling increased from 330,000 in 1996 to
  over 1,160,000 in 2006.
• New riders tend to be young riders or over 50
• Greater risk for vandalism and theft of the
  motorcycle itself than of vehicles
• City has 70 designated parking spaces in and
  around the downtown area for motorcycles, 59 of
  them at SJSU (only 11 parking spaces on the
  streets of downtown)
• Competition for 59 spots difficult during
  daylight hours and start of semester
• SJSU parking structures are not set-up with
  designated parking just for motorcycles. 7th
  street garage has parking in the corners of the
  building, not designed with motorcycles in mind.

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Conclusions

• Feasibility Improved parking on campus is easy.
  Redesigning San Jose to make it bike friendly
  would be difficult but other cities have done it.
• Creativity or Innovation Not particularly
  creative but we were all reminded of safety.
• Extent of making a constructive change Getting
  cars off the road is critical.