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WCEL
> Issues > Urban Growth and
Development > Smart Bylaws Guide > Part
4 > Connect Destinations and Transportation Modes
> Pedestrian and Bicycle Infrastructure
Smart Bylaws Guide – Connect Destinations and Transportation Modes
– Pedestrian and Bicycle Infrastructure
To encourage pedestrian and bicycle travel, municipalities are
requiring that roads provide safe and comfortable pedestrian and
bicycle infrastructure, as well as access and ease of movement for
automobiles. Many municipalities are also creating multi-use
non-motorized paths and corridors to create walkable and
bicycle-friendly neighbourhoods.
Pedestrian Infrastructure
“Walkability” depends on a number of features, including:
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five minute (400 metre) walking distances to services,
transportation, and other destinations;
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a series of destinations dispersed at five minute walking
distances;
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a network of routes and pathways between destinations that are
safe and comfortable;
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streetscape design that buffers pedestrians from traffic and
offers a pleasant atmosphere (e.g. includes street trees and
interesting architecture that is close to the street); and
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pathways that are viewed by users of nearby buildings, thus
creating a sense of safety.
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12
Steps Toward Walkable Communities (Florida Department of
Transportation Safety Office, 1995)
- Provide continuously
linked walkways
- Pedestrianize
intersections
- Make all walkways
accessible
- Place signals for
optimum visibility
- Illuminate pedestrian
crossings
- Simplify median
crossings
- Provide specific
pedestrian access points to schools
- Eliminate backing
- Create independent
pedestrian access to commercial facilities
- Construct
auto-restricted zones and parking-restricted zones
- Combine walking with
transit
- Favour land use
planning that facilitates walking
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Examples of pedestrian-oriented policies and bylaws
“The East Clayton pedestrian and bicycle network is a series of
multi-use corridors that are to connect areas of public and natural
interest with mixed-use and residential neighbourhoods. A key
component of green infrastructure is that the proposed
pedestrian/bicycle circulation system is designed to encourage
alternatives to automobile travel and to provide opportunities for
passive recreational use throughout East Clayton.”
City of Surrey, East
Clayton Neighbourhood Plan, p.86 (see the road network standards
for streetscape design)
City of
Coquitlam
OCP policies that support walking as the main mode of transportation
to local destinations (p.6-7).
City
of Kamloops Pedestrian Master Plan
District of Ucluelet Official Community Plan, Bylaw No. 900, 2004
City
of Seattle Complete Streets Ordinance No. 122386 (2007)
establishes new principles for street design, to support and
encourage safe walking, bicycling and transit use, and fight climate
change - with design features that include street and sidewalk
improvements, pedestrian and bicycle safety improvements, public
transit facilities and street trees
Bicycle Infrastructure
Bicycle infrastructure includes on-road facilities, safe biking
routes, and end-of-trip facilities.
Examples of bicycle-oriented policies and bylaws
City
of Burnaby – three tiered on-road bicycle infrastructure of
Cycle Roads (with bike lanes or extra wide curb land), Urban Trails
(off-street shared cycling/ pedestrian paths that are geared to
recreational and beginner cyclists) and Bike Routes/bikeways (on
street bicycle facilities that are usually located on local
residential streets and provide a safe cycling environment for
riders of all abilities).
District
of Saanich Bicycle Parking Standards and Bikeways on all major
and collector streets
City
of Kamloops Bicycle Master Plan
City
of Vancouver Bike Routes and Map
City
of Langford Bicycle Plan
Portland,
Oregon Bicycle Parking Standards (Portland Zoning Code –
Parking and Loading – Bicycle Parking 33.266.200)
Wheel
Deal: Canada's Urban Bike Policies (CBC News Interactive)
City
of Seattle Complete Streets Ordinance No. 122386 (2007) establishes new
principles for street design, to support and encourage safe walking, bicycling
and transit use, and fight climate change - with design features that include
street and sidewalk improvements, pedestrian and bicycle safety improvements,
public transit facilities and street trees
Urban/Multi-Use Trails for Transportation
Multi-use trails often serve important transportation, recreation
and conservation purposes. Trails are often provide linear
access and transportation points along waterfronts and through
parks. For example, the Resort
Municipality of Whistler has an extensive Valley Trail system,
currently 66 kilometres long. The purpose of the Trail is to provide
a continuous link through the municipality for non-motorized
recreation and commuting. Land is secured for the Valley Trail
through purchase, expropriation, and (mostly) as a condition of
rezoning or subdivision. New developments near the Trail are
required to provide rights of ways and links to the Valley Trail
system.
The Provincial Capital Commission and the Capital
Regional District jointly manage the 55 kilometre Galloping
Goose Regional Trail. The Trail follows an old railway right of way
and provides an easy route for recreational and commuter uses by
bicycle, foot, and rollerblade through four municipalities. It
currently stretches from the Victoria core, through Saanich, to the
Western Communities (Colwood, Langford and Metchosin). An arm
projects into Saanich which is planned to extend through Central and
North Saanich. Only five years old, user congestion is already an
issue on the popular trail.
Finally, the City
of Burnaby has adopted an Urban Trail program to create links
between parks, open spaces, major developed nodes, Town Centres and
various areas of the municipalities through a series of recreational
trails and commuter routes. Currently, 25 of 75 kilometres of urban
trails have been constructed. Right-of-ways are established on
existing road allowances, infrastructure corridors, and as part of
rezoning applications. The City is also working with the GVRD
towards establishing a regional greenway.
City
of Langford Trail Master Plan
For More Information
Pedestrian and Bicycle
Planning: A Guide to Best Practices (Victoria Transport Policy
Institute, 2002)
Bicycle Parking
Guidelines – DRAFT (Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle
Professionals)
Pedestrian and Cycling
Issues (Victoria Transport Policy Institute, e.g. End of Trip
Bicycle Facility Design Publications and other publications on
bicycle and pedestrian design safety)
Burnaby
Bikeways – Making Community Connections (archived page)
Promoting
Public Health through Smart Growth: Building Healthier
Communities through Transportation and Land Use Policies and
Practices (Lawrence Frank, Sarah Kavage and Todd Litman,
prepared for SmartGrowth B.C.) |
