NCPC updating Federal Transportation Element calls on Feds to do more for biking

The National Capital Planning Commission has released the draft federal Transportation Element for public comment through November 12, 2019. 

The Transportation Element provides policy guidance to support a regional multimodal transportation system that promotes responsible land use and development and contributes to a high quality of life for residents, workers, and visitors. NCPC uses Comprehensive Plan policies as the primary guide when reviewing federal projects and plans. The proposed updates consider new parking ratios that better reflect existing and planned regional transit accessibility. Other new additions include policies addressing parking at federal visitor destinations and more detailed discussion of emerging trends and new technologies shaping regional transportation patterns.

All are welcome at an open house to learn about the proposed updates, ask questions, and provide written comments.

The report notes that the need for the update comes in part from a change in how people get around. They do so less by SOV and transit and more often by bicycle and ride-hailing for example. 

Between 2000 and 2016, bicycle commuting increased by 200 percent; though overall, bicycling accounts for only 1 percent of total commuting...There are a number of factors contributing to these trends such as an increase in teleworking and alternate work schedules; the rapid growth of bikeshare and other bicycle infrastructure, which prompted growth in non-motorized modes of travel.

For federal employees, bike commuters make up 2%. 

And it points out that the federal government has an oversized impact on transportation through the choices they provide. 

the federal government has an interest in coordinating with regional and local agencies and other stakeholders on a range of transportation issues. From establishing an integrated bicycle and trail network to improving tour bus operations and encouraging resource coordination among commuter bus systems, the federal government influences how travelers use and experience the transportation system. There can be challenges in connecting federal and regional systems, such as bicycle trails, due to differences in agency missions. Security requirements for some federal facilities can also pose a challenge to developing an integrated network. To the extent possible, it is important to create a seamless experience for users and integrate federal and regional trails and systems, which could be achieved through physical design and/or consistency in rules and regulations.

Here are the policies relating to cycling. The federal government should...

• Work with transit providers to ensure that stations are equipped to accommodate a range of travel options, including providing parking for car-sharing services, amenities for bicyclists and pedestrians, and curb space for shuttles, circulators, and ride-hailing services.
• Work with relevant agencies and other stakeholders to promote bicycling and establish an integrated regional bicycle network.
• Support the maintenance and improvement of existing transportation infrastructure, with a priority on multimodal transportation corridors that support transit, pedestrian, and bicycle use
• Work with local jurisdictions to ensure there is adequate infrastructure for bicycles and pedestrians to safely and efficiently travel to and from federal destinations, including sidewalks, protected bike lanes, and multiuse trails, as appropriate.
• Provide secure bicycle parking spaces or bicycle lockers in close proximity to federal building entrances and in convenient locations throughout federal campuses, such as in parking facilities and at transit centers.
• Provide publicly accessible bicycle racks, bicycle sharing stations... on federal land, where possible, or coordinate with local jurisdictions to provide them near federal facilities.
• Encourage compact development and connected walking, bicycle, shuttle/transit infrastructure and wayfinding on federal campuses so users can easily and comfortably travel between on-site destinations.
• Locate parking facilities so they do not obstruct pedestrian or bicycle access to buildings and minimize their visibility from surrounding public rights-of-way.
• Support efforts of local jurisdictions to design and implement new, expanded, and innovative multimodal services that connect to the existing public transportation network and enhance first- and last-mile connectivity, including supplemental transit services and small-scale solutions like dockless bikes and scooters.
• Coordinate with local and regional bike sharing programs to expand service at federal facilities, where feasible, to provide a flexible, comprehensive, and efficient bike sharing network.
• Provide a system of dedicated, inter-connected trails, protected bike lanes, and sidewalks, for pedestrians and other small-scale mobility options, among federal campus entrance points and all on-site buildings.
• Coordinate with regional and local agencies to develop an integrated system of trails that provides connections throughout the region including to and from federal destinations.
• Coordinate with regional and local agencies to ensure that trail connections and rules in areas with multiple jurisdictional boundaries are clear to users and result in seamless transitions.
• Allow regional and neighborhood trail access across federal land, where feasible, working with federal security staff to determine appropriate access points, pathways, and hours of operation.
• Consider a range of transportation management techniques to enhance multimodal access to visitor destinations before expanding parking, particularly for destinations in more isolated areas of the region. Such strategies may include improved multiuse trail connections, bus facilities, and sidewalks, along with improved pedestrian wayfinding.

I'm not clear on how much influence this document has, but NCPC is not some toothless organization, so it's good to have them making a statement in favor biking as transportation, and the need for the federal government to do more. 

The open house will be on Monday, October 7th 6-7:30pm at the National Capital Planning Commission, 401 9^th Street, NW, Suite 500N, Washington, DC

Comments

[Jonathan Krall]

Getting rid of helmet requirements for federal campuses would probably help.

[contrarian]

The National Park Service owns a lot of the land that could potentially provide cyclist arteries. If they decided to prioritize cycling it would make a big difference.