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    Mwa 3 Activityreport

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    This document proposes improvements to bicycle infrastructure and safety in Albuquerque, NM. It notes that NM has high cycling fatality and injury rates. The author recommends improving existing bike lanes by painting them bright green and adding physical barriers between cyclists and traffic. Adopting an "Idaho Stop" law that allows cyclists to treat stop signs as yield signs is also proposed. Partnering with local advocacy groups could help promote cycling and safety. Providing employee incentives for cycling to work may increase ridership. Improved infrastructure could boost the economy through tourism and local business traffic.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    Mwa 3 Activityreport

    Uploaded by

    api-302148115
    52 views4 pages
    This document proposes improvements to bicycle infrastructure and safety in Albuquerque, NM. It notes that NM has high cycling fatality and injury rates. The author recommends improving existing bike lanes by painting them bright green and adding physical barriers between cyclists and traffic. Adopting an "Idaho Stop" law that allows cyclists to treat stop signs as yield signs is also proposed. Partnering with local advocacy groups could help promote cycling and safety. Providing employee incentives for cycling to work may increase ridership. Improved infrastructure could boost the economy through tourism and local business traffic.

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    This document proposes improvements to bicycle infrastructure and safety in Albuquerque, NM. It notes that NM has high cycling fatality and injury rates. The author recommends improving existing bike lanes by painting them bright green and adding physical barriers between cyclists and traffic. Adopting an "Idaho Stop" law that allows cyclists to treat stop signs as yield signs is also proposed. Partnering with local advocacy groups could help promote cycling and safety. Providing employee incentives for cycling to work may increase ridership. Improved infrastructure could boost the economy through tourism and local business traffic.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    52 views4 pages

    Mwa 3 Activityreport

    Uploaded by

    api-302148115
    This document proposes improvements to bicycle infrastructure and safety in Albuquerque, NM. It notes that NM has high cycling fatality and injury rates. The author recommends improving existing bike lanes by painting them bright green and adding physical barriers between cyclists and traffic. Adopting an "Idaho Stop" law that allows cyclists to treat stop signs as yield signs is also proposed. Partnering with local advocacy groups could help promote cycling and safety. Providing employee incentives for cycling to work may increase ridership. Improved infrastructure could boost the economy through tourism and local business traffic.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 4

    Dominic Benavidez

    UniversityofNewMexico
    Albuquerque,NM87131
    (505)2770111

    A Situation of Bicycle
    Safety, Adoption, and Future in
    Albuquerque, NM
    New Mexico State Highway and Transportation Department, Albuquerque Development
    Commission
    November 06, 2015

    Overview
    New Mexico has been ranked the second deadliest state for cyclists. In 2013, seven New
    Mexico cyclists were killed, 89 were hospitalized, and 1,684 were treated for injuries by
    hospital emergency departments (nmhealth). Theres a demand and a benefit for supporting
    bicycle infrastructure. 46% of all adults said they would be more likely to ride with physical
    separation, 52% of all adults worry about being hit by a car (peopleforbikes). Modern
    technology such as Heat Maps taken from smartphone fitness apps have proven that cyclists
    gravitate towards protected bike paths. This data can even give ideas for focus areas when
    looking at infrastructure improvements. States such as Colorado are putting more than $100
    million towards promoting cycling next year. As a growing metropolis, Albuquerque needs to
    lead New Mexico in staying on top of changing transportation needs.

    Importance
    Improvements to cycling infrastructure will create a friendlier environment between drivers
    and cyclists. Safer riding implementation will not only take New Mexico out of the top 5
    deadliest cities for cycling it will also incentivise the population to make more trips by bike.

    2
    Building better transportation infrastructure to support cycling will prepare Albuquerque in
    the ever changing transportation front. Additions such as painting existing bike lanes
    bright colors and implementing physical buffers between cyclists and motorist is a great start
    to improving bike friendly infrastructure. Biking is a positive force that promotes economic
    growth and tourism (interbike). Improvements will put Albuquerque on the map for future
    residents looking for a place to live, and will reflect the city and state as an active, healthy,
    clean, and safe place to live.

    Areas to Focus and Recommendations


    Improve Safety:

    a. People for Bikes Green Lane Project


    is a great place to start for
    improving upon current bike lanes
    (see photo). The bright green
    painted lanes have proven to help
    with keeping cyclists in the bike lane
    and motorist off of the bike lane.
    This method is a very low-cost
    process because it uses existing bike lanes. A future step from green lanes
    would be to add protected and buffered bike lanes. These lanes separate
    cyclists and pedestrians from motor traffic by a physical barrier. These would
    be a welcome addition to areas such as Nob Hill where traffic is fast moving,
    but are also highly populated by foot and bike traffic.
    b. Changing traffic laws such as implementing the cyclist friendly Idaho Stop
    will decrease confusion between road users at intersections. The Idaho Stop
    allows a cyclist to treat stop signs as yield signs when no other cars are
    present at an intersection. Since pedestrians and vehicles have different rules
    of the road, it would be a welcome change to implement bicycle specific laws.
    The Idaho Stop has seen huge support in the bicycle populated city of San
    Francisco. The nature of stop and go does not suit people on bikes and
    reduces the efficiency of a bicycle greatly. Cyclists also do not have blind spots

    3
    so in many cases a complete stop is not needed. These traffic laws could
    be first tested out on Bicycle Boulevard streets such as Silver and Mountain
    and then later spread out through the city where suitable.
    Increase Adoption:

    a. There are many bicycle advocacy groups right here in Albuquerque. Duke City
    Wheelmen, UrbanABQ, Bike Burque, and UNM Bicycle Friendly University to
    name a few. Partnering with these groups would be an easy way to spread
    word and increase adoption. Each group already promotes safe riding practices
    so they would be a welcome hub for those seeking more information about
    riding with traffic. These advocacy groups are currently all run on a
    volunteer/non-profit basis so the money given to further promote cycling will
    go further with them than for profit based organizations.
    b. Another recommendation would be to encourage local companies to offer
    incentives for their employees to commute to work by bike. Many companies
    already offer these programs to employees who drive low emission vehicles.
    Bikes are not included in many of these programs even though they are
    emission free.

    Future of the Situation


    Cycling not only offers transportation benefits for the user, it also offers an array of
    health benefits. Recent polls have concluded that bike commuters are the happiest
    compared to those who commute through public and private motorized transportation
    (bikeportland). States such as Colorado are implementing programs such as the
    Trails to School program which creates safe, car-free biking trails for students to ride
    to school (denverpost). The plan of the program is to increase physical activity in
    youth to combat the childhood obesity problem. This program also has great potential
    to expand to address the obesity problem with adults.
    Many cities that have focused on building upon alternative transportation have not
    only seen reductions in traffic congestion, they have also seen economic growth. Safe
    riding environments allow residents and tourists to explore more of the city using the

    4
    city's existing bike share program(abqmainstreet). Studies have shown that shop
    owners and businesses along dense areas like Nob Hill and Downtown can benefit
    economically from cycling infrastructure around their business(drive.google).

    Citations
    http://nmhealth.org/
    http://www.peopleforbikes.org/pages/u.s.-bicycling-participation-benchmarking-repor
    t
    http://www.interbike.com/media/press-releases/The-Honorable-John-W-Hickenlooper
    -to-Deliver-Interbike-Industry-Breakfast-Keynote-1528.htm
    http://bikeportland.org/2013/01/30/bike-commuters-are-happiest-and-other-psu-rese
    arch-tidbits-82448
    http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_28822526/hickenlooper-promises-100m-ma
    ke-colorado-best-state-biking
    http://www.abqmainstreet.org/bici/
    https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8tOk7_upXv5djhCajg1Z0I3bmhTVTIxWldwRzA0YjJ
    WNW9R/view

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