Two big wide-scope regional transportation plans have been put forward recently, and surprise surprise they both rely on more biking in the future.
The first is Visualize 2045, which has been covered here before. Recently the TPB had subject-matter experts from the TPB’s subcommittees present recommendations for how to implement five of the seven initiatives from Visualize 2045. One of those goals is to "Improve walk and bike access to transit".
The Bicycle and Pedestrian Subcommittee recommended:
To develop a limited list of transit station areas that are regionally prioritized for pedestrian/ bicycle investments. These prioritized locations will be places where critical gaps in pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure currently exist and where demand is great for walking and biking to transit. Improvements in these areas will also improve safety in and around the stations, particularly for pedestrians and cyclists.
Prioritize traffic signal timing, turn lanes, crosswalk locations, and transit priority on roadways surrounding transit stations. These improvements would help people using all modes of transportation. They would also improve safety for people biking and walking, and improve bus reliability.
Expand the TPB’s Transportation Land Use Connections (TLC) Program, which currently provides technical assistance to TPB members for short-term planning activities to develop communities that are multi-modal and mixed-use. Subcommittee members believe that the TLC program has been highly cost-effective and enhancing the program would assist in having more non-motorized projects ready for funding and implementation.
Another is to complete the National Capital Trail
The Bicycle and Pedestrian Subcommittee notes that the National Park Service (NPS) worked with the subcommittee to adopt the National Capital Trail (NCT) into its Trail Master Plan. With some of the missing segments of the NCT located within National Park property, this action by the NPS is a significant step towards completing the trail.
One of the basic recommendations related to this initiative is for all appropriate regional jurisdictions and agencies to:Integrate the missing segments of the National Capital Trail into other highway, transit and other infrastructure projects so that the trail can be completed.
The subcommittee also noted that, thanks to numerous projects that have been built or funded in recent years, the National Capital Trail is well on its way to completion. Therefore, the subcommittee also recommends that the TPB expand the National Capital Trail to the entire TPB region (National Capital Regional Trail), thereby extending the trail to all TPB member jurisdictions.
There has been great interest among the region’s jurisdictions, agencies, and advocacy groups to build on the National Capital Trail, as endorsed by the TPB and adopted by the NPS. The Capital Trails Coalition was established through a public-private partnership to work on this idea. The subcommittee worked with the coalition to develop a framework through which trails from other jurisdictions that are not included in the NCT would be strategically incorporated to form a true regional trail system (National Capital Regional Trail). This work activity is not complete and is in need of a regional sponsor to take on responsibility for finalization. Once complete, this National Capital Regional Trail could represent the region’s prioritized trail network to be considered for local, regional, and state level funding.
The other big plan is the Blueprint for Regional Mobility, released Monday by the Greater Washington Partnership. It also advises an expansion in regional bicycle trails. In fact, GGW says it's more ambitious on them. One of the 20 actions proposed is "Complete trail networks in all three cities." [That would be DC, Baltimore and Richmond].
Baltimore and DC have trail network plans, and the straightforward Blueprint recommendation is to implement them. Richmond, on the other hand, needs to create a trail network plan and then build it.
The Blueprint defines the action as
Complete the Baltimore Greenway Trails Network and Capital Trails Network, and establish a Richmond trail network strategy
It also calls for congestion pricing, which should make biking more appealing for commuters, relative to driving at least. The blueprint itself calls on leaders to expand and connect
the region’s multi-use trail networks to increase access to recreation and safe travel options for bicyclists and pedestrians.
It notes that
The Capital Region benefits from hundreds of miles of multi-use trails. Investments in a few critical trail connections for bicyclists and infrastructure for pedestrians can achieve further reductions in congestion, increase economic development, and improve community health outcomes.
The Baltimore and Washington metro areas have clear strategies to close gaps between existing trails and the Richmond metro area should develop such a strategy. If executed well, the region has the potential to generate economic benefits as high as an 8:1 return on investment as seen in other U.S. regions and reduce rates of chronic diseases—reducing direct health treatment costs in the community
The average Capital Region resident can access more than 1,320,000 jobs by vehicle, 109,000 jobs by transit, 203,000 jobs by bicycle, and 25,000 jobs by walking within 45 minutes from their home.
Investments in multi-use trails could increase bicycle and pedestrian travel (which are shown to reduce health costs)—generating a return on investment as high as 8:1 in other regions.
Richmond already has some great biking infrastructure. And, because it's an older city with a lot of railroad infrastructure, it has a lot of potential for rail trails that can form the core network. For example, much of the ROW of the old Richmond to Ashland electric interurban still exists.
It all starts with good planning, and so far these seem to have good plans for bike trails and transit access.
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