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Active transportation pilot program evaluation: A longitudinal assessment of bicycle facility density changes on use in Minneapolis
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Active transportation pilot program evaluation: A longitudinal assessment of bicycle facility density changes on use in Minneapolis

Billy Fields, Angie L. Cradock, Jessica L. Barrett, Tony Hull and Steven J. Melly
Transportation research interdisciplinary perspectives, v 14, 100604
Jun 2022
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trip.2022.100604
url
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trip.2022.100604View
Published, Version of Record (VoR)CC BY-NC-ND V4.0,  Open

Abstract

Active transportation Bicycling Nonmotorized Transportation Pilot Program Physical activity
•This natural experiment examines the impact of bicycle facilities on ridership.•Bicycle facilities In Minneapolis increased by 76 miles between 2007 and 2013.•Counts increased by 69% at locations with protected bikeways.•The presence and network density of bicycle facilities predict ridership increases. Cities around the world are adding bicycle facilities to enhance physically active travel to improve sustainable transport and public health outcomes. One of the most promising policy interventions is the use of targeted pilot programs that aim to build connected networks of bicycle facilities to increase bicycle use. In the United States, the federal Nonmotorized Transportation Pilot Program (NTPP) provided approximately $25 million to four communities (Columbia, MO, Marin County, CA, Minneapolis, MN, and Sheboygan County, WI) to test the impact of building a full network of bicycle facilities. This study examines the impact of the NTPP in Minneapolis to determine whether the addition of bicycle facilities and increased density of bicycle facilities are related to increased bicycle ridership over time. Secondarily, the study examines the impact of differing facility types (protected facilities like trails vs. non-protected facilities like on-street bike lanes) on bicycle use. The study finds that both the presence of and density of bicycle facilities emerged as significant independent predictors of bicycle counts and growth in counts over time. Compared to locations with no facility, sites with protected facilities had 113 more cyclists during the evening peak 2-hour count period (95% CI 16.19, 209.99; p = 0.02) and a greater rate of increase in cyclist counts over time. Over the study period, counts increased by 69% at locations with protected bikeways, by 26% at locations with on-street bike lanes, and by 10% at locations with no on-site facility.

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