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Robert Felix

Academic Year: 2010-2011

Bicycle Transportation in San Diego: Increasing Mode Share by Understanding Why People Ride

Area of Concentration

  • Transportation Planning

Key Terms:

sustainable transportation, bicycle policy and infrastructure, regional transportation policy, bicycle facilities,

Significance/Broader Impact:

This topic interested me because of the significant impact a high bicycle mode share can have on the environment in addition to the physical and safety of communities. I have significant safety concerns when it comes to riding my bike for transportation. Those concerns are magnified when I consider my kids riding to school or anywhere else. By doing this study, I hope to determine the things that concern other members of the community so bicycle policy recommendations can be made to local governments. Put differently, I want to know what keeps people from riding to work or to shop and how best to address those challenges through advocacy, policy, and infrastructure investment.

References

Banister, Chris, and Nick Gallent. “Sustainable Commuting: A Contradiction in Terms?” Regional Studies 33, no. 3 (1999): 274 - 80.
California, Air Resources Board. “Assembly Bill 32: Global Warming Solutions Act.” California Environmental Protection Agency, http://www.arb.ca.gov/cc/ab32/ab32.htm.
———. “Senate Bill 375 - Regional Targets.” California Environmental Protection Agency, http://www.arb.ca.gov/cc/sb375/sb375.htm.
Caltrans. “Highway Design Manual.” edited by Caltrans, 1000-18. Sacramento: Caltrans Publications Unit, California Department of Transportation, 2009.
City of San Diego. “City of San Diego Bicycle Master Plan (Draft).” edited by Department of City Planning: Transportation. San Diego, CA, 2010.
Gatersleben, B., and K. M. Appleton. “Contemplating Cycling to Work; Attitudes and Perceptions in Different Stages of Change.” Transportation Research Part A 41, no. 4 (2007): 416-31.
Haislip, Laura D. “An Examination of Utilitarian Bicycle Trip Route Choice Preference in San Diego.” Master’s Thesis, San Diego State University, 2011.
Heinen, Eva, Bert van Wee, and Kees Matt. “Commuting by Bicycle: An Overview of the Literature.” Transport Reviews 30, no. 1 (2009): 59-96.
Krizek, Kevin J., Gary Barnes, and Kristin Thompson. “Analyzing the Effect of Bicycle Facilities on Commute Mode Share over Time.” Journal of Urban Planning and Development 135, no. 2 (2009): 66-73.
Pucher. “Bicycling Boom in Germany: Revival Engineered by Public Policy.” Transportation Quarterly 51, no. 4 (1997): 31-46.
Pucher, J., C. Komanoff, and P. Schimek. “Bicycling Renaissance in North America? Recent Trends and Alternative Policies to Promote Bicycling.” Transportation Research Part A 33, no. 7/8 (1999): 625-54.
Pucher, John. “Cycling Safety on Bikeways Vs. Roads.” Transportation Quarterly 55, no. 4 (2001): 9-11.
Rietveld, Piet, and Vanessa Daniel. “Determinnats of Bicycle Use: Do Municipal Policies Matter?” Transportation Research Part A 38, no. 7 (2004): 531-50.
Stinson, M. A., and C. R. Bhat. “Frequency of Bicycle Commuting: Internet-Based Survey Analysis.” Transportation Research Record 1878, (2004): 122-30.
U.S. Census Bureau. “2005-2009 American Community Survey: County of San Diego, California.” (2011).
Wright, Kathryn M. “An Federal Funding Create Bicycle Friendly Cities? A Comparative Study of Bicycle Planning in Sacramento and Amsterdam.”. Davis, California: University of California,, Davis, 2007.
Xing, Yan, Susan L. Handy, and Patricia L. Mokhtarian. “Factors Associated with Proportions and Miles of Bicycling for Transportation and Recreation in Six Small U.S. Cities.” Transportation Research Part D 15, no. 2 (2010): 73-81.

Links:

San Diego County Bicycle Coalition — http://www.sdcbc.org/
League of American Bicyclists — http://www.bikeleague.org/
Alliance for Biking & Walking — http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/
National Center for Bicycling and Walking — http://www.bikewalk.org/
Safe Transportation Research and Education Center (SafeTREC) — http://www.safetrec.berkeley.edu/
Walk San Diego — http://www.walksandiego.org/
California Air Resources Board (AB32)—http://www.arb.ca.gov/cc/ab32/ab32.htm
California Air Resources Board (SB375)—http://www.arb.ca.gov/cc/sb375/sb375.htm

Fall SRP Proposal Abstract

Current research indicates that transportation policies and access to bicycle facilities are two key determinants in bicycle trip making. However, it is unclear which of these has a greater impact in the near-term. The greenhouse gas reduction targets set by SB 375 point California regions toward sustainable modes of transportation and a better understanding of the impact of these factors will enable governments to increase bicycle transit en lieu of the automobile more rapidly. This proposal outlines a research strategy to answer the following question: Which has a greater impact on bicycle trip making, bicycle policies or bicycle facilities? Research methods will include surveys, interviews, and documentary analysis. This study will contribute to the literature on transportation policies, bicycle use, bicycle facilities, and sustainable transportation. The results will also be shared with local and regional officials in the hope that the findings will contribute to an increase in bicycle transit percentages.

Winter Senior Research Project (SRP) Abstract

The greenhouse gas reduction targets set by Senate Bill 375, requires the California Resources Board to develop regional greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction targets for passenger vehicles.  As regions look toward sustainable modes of transportation, bicycle transportation is considered an option that will have a significant impact if used en lieu of automobiles.  This study focuses on bicycle use and the key factors of bicycle trip making and policies that if implemented, could significantly increase mode share and consequently reduce GHG emissions.  Evidence form surveys and documentary analysis show that bicycle transportation mode share increases with improved bicycle facilities.  Key factors include access to facilities, maintenance of facilities, and safety on roads shared with motor vehicles.  This study will provide local and regional policymakers with detailed information that will assist in formulating transportation policy that will effectively increase bicycle mode share.

Study's Major Findings and Contributions

This study examined bicycle user decisions and behavior through survey and documentary analysis focused on answering the question: What are the key determinants of bicycle trip making?

The survey data (all collected during November 2010) had the most significant impact on this study.  These data made it possible to compare local and current opinion on the key determinants of bicycle trip making to those found in the existing literature.

This research allowed me to break down the factors of bicycle trip making into a table of three major categories: Environmental, Psychological, and Socio-Economic.  Each major category was broken down into subcategories, each of which included the specific factors (E.g., Category: Environmental >> Subcategory: Infrastructure/Built Environment >> Factor: Objective (actual) safety / shared lanes with motorized traffic).

Key findings:
• Safety, in one form or another, appeared in each major category of the key determinants of bicycle trip making.
• Top three motivators to riding: health/fitness, pleasure/enjoyment, and to protect the environment.
• The most important factors influencing route choice and whether or not to ride are safety related.
• Factors related to safety are the priority when people consider bicycle transportation. 
• Design, development, and maintenance of bicycle facilities make the roads safer. 
• Promoting the idea that more cycling can save the environment will not increase mode share.
• Mode share will not increase significantly without investment in facilities.
• “If you build them, they will ride.”

Paradoxically, in order for the creation of more pro-bicycle policies, policymakers want to see a greater mode share before providing more facilities, but the mode share will not increase until more facilities are provided.

Evidence

Evidence for this project will come from face-to-face surveys, interviews, documentary analysis, and participant observation.

Surveys will be conducted at Westfield’s Mission Valley Center. A team of five surveyors will survey at least five people each, targeting those standing in line for movies, or in the food court. Surveys will take place December 17, 18, and 26. Days and dates have been selected in order to take advantage of longer movie lines associated with holiday movie releases, and volume of shoppers. Coffee partner, Café Moto, will provide coupons for participation.

Semi-structured interviews will take place with significant players in San Diego’s bicycle transportation education, advocacy, and policymaking. Interviewees include: Dr. Sherry Ryan, Associate Professor at SDSU School of Public Affairs; Kathy Keehan, Executive Director of the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition; Chris Kluth, Associate Regional Planner with SANDAG; and Jim Lundquist from the City of San Diego. Questions will include: How important is bicycle transportation in the future? What causes people to use bicycles for transportation? What can be done to increase bicycle transportation mode share?

Documentary evidence will be collected from a variety of sources. Peer reviewed journals will be accessed through UCSD’s Sage web portal. Bicycle modal share figures will acquired through the Department of Transportation, US Census, California Highway Patrol, and SANDAG. Bicycle infrastructure and facilities information will be collected from CalTrans, SANDAG, and the City of San Diego. Current survey data from the Bicycle Route Choice Preference Study will be acquired from the SDSU School of Public Affairs.

My internship at the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition places me in the unique position as a participant observer in the field and collecting data through my experience and exposure to the bicycle policy making and infrastructure funding processes in the region.

Spatial Dimension

The spatial element of my study will look at locations and types of bicycle facilities (bike paths, bike lanes, bike routes) in San Diego County. The City of San Diego has a Bicycle Master Plan that incorporates other municipalities in the county. This plan provides specific priority recommendations to the City on priorities for infrastructure investment in order to increase bicycle transportation safety and mode share. These locations will be highlighted on maps. Also incorporated into the map will be crash data showing where high volumes of bicycle crashes (with motor vehicles) occur.

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