United States Department of Transportation

FHWA Highway Safety Programs

Lesson 9: Bicycle and Pedestrian Connections to Transit

Objectives:

Upon completion of this lesson, students will be able to:

Describe the problems related to the lack of pedestrian and bicycle connections to transit.
Cite examples of how pedestrians are being accommodated by transit services.
Cite examples of how bicyclists are being accommodated by transit services.
Describe the elements of programs wherein pedestrian and bicycle travel has been successfully integrated with transit.

Pre-Instruction:

Components	Activities
Motivation	Ask the class to present the results of their inquiries regarding how well your local transit agency accommodates pedestrians and bicyclists.
Objectives	Present and explain the four lesson goals listed above (V-9-1).

Information Presentation:

Components	Activities
Information Sequence	Outline the presentation of the lecture (V-9-2 and V-9-3).
Information	Describe the problems and opportunities related to providing good bicycle and pedestrian connections to transit. Discuss examples of how some cities are providing good connections to transit services for pedestrians. Explain why and how bicycles should be integrated with transit (V-9-4 and V-9-5). Cover the various concerns of both the transit agency and bicyclists (V-9-6 and V-9-7). Describe the “bikes on buses” and “bikes on rails” programs. Describe different types of bicycle parking facilities. Cite the elements of successful bike-transit programs (V-9-8).
Example(s)	Show multiple examples (e.g., slides, videotape) of some of the methods cited in the Student’s Guide regarding how transit agencies accommodate pedestrians and bicyclists.

Student Participation:

Components	Activities
Practice	Use either of the exercises presented at the end of the Student’s Guide section.
Feedback	Provide comment and feedback to the class as appropriate.

Follow-Up:

Components	Activities
Enrichment	Assign reading for Lesson 10. Have the students locate information on biking and walking trails in the area. Ask them to consider both functional (i.e., home-based work, home-based shopping, non-home-based shopping) travel and recreational (both home-based and non-home-based) travel needs.
Review	Review Provide a summary of Lesson 9 (V-9-9).
Exercise	Ask the students to complete the exercise at the end of Lesson 9 in their workbooks. This exercise is reprinted below for your convenience. 9.12 Exercise Choose a local transit station (or individual transit stop) and determine the potential catchment area. Design a program for increasing bicycle and pedestrian access to the transit station, including both design improvements and education/promotion efforts. For physical improvements, include both the immediate vicinity, as well as connections to origins that lie in the catchment area. Alternate Exercise Choose a nearby transit stop or park-n-ride station and ride a bike or walk to it. Document the problems along the way, as well as those you experience when you arrive at the station/stop. Given your knowledge of the community, what would it take to get people to bicycle and walk to this site?

Lesson Objectives:

Describe the problems related to pedestrian/bicycle
connections to transit
Cite examples of how pedestrians are being served
Cite examples of how bicyclists are being served
Describe the elements of successful programs

Lesson Outline:

Problems and opportunities related to providing bicycle and pedestrian connections to transit
Examples of good connections to transit services for pedestrians
How and why bicycles should be integrated with transit
Transit agency and bicyclist concerns
“Bikes on buses” programs
“Bikes on rails” programs
Bicycle parking facilities
Elements of successful bike-transit programs

Why Bicycles Should Be Integrated With Transit:

Significant amounts of the population live near transit stations in urban areas
Improvements for bicycle access lead to increased ridership
Vehicle modifications and station access improvements can be made at modest cost

How Bicycles Should Be Integrated With Transit:

Bike racks on buses
Transporting bikes on light and heavy rail, commuter rail, and intercity rail vehicles
Bike parking
Station design improvements
Links to transit stops
Bicycle-ferry programs

Transit Agency Concerns:

Schedule adherence
Safety and protection of transit property
Equipment procurement

Bicyclist Concerns:

Fares
Permits
Fees
Restricted hours
Parking
Access

Elements of Successful Bike-Transit Programs:

Demonstration project
Advisory committees
Marketing and promotion

Lesson Summary:

Providing good links to transit for pedestrians and bicyclists is essential
Providing good facilities for pedestrians and bicyclists at transit stations is essential
Linking pedestrians and bicyclists with transit can increase transit ridership