HOUSTN BIKEPLAN 0 Ci on This Page Intentionally Left Blank Houston Bike Plan i Executive Summary ES-1 T Acknowledgments AF Introduction 1-1 2-1 Goals and Community Engagement 3-1 Bicycle Toolbox 4-1 D Network Plan and Map R Existing Conditions and Opportunities Implementation Strategies 5-1 6-1 Detailed Bicycle Network Maps are available through the City of Houston Bikeways Program at www.houstonbikeways.org or through the Houston Bike Plan website at www.HoustonBikePlan.com. This Page Intentionally Left Blank Acknowledgements City of Houston Sylvester Turner, Mayor Annise D. Parker, Former Mayor CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS - 2016 District I District J District K At-Large 1 At-Large 2 At-Large 3 At-Large 4 At-Large 5 Robert Gallegos Mike Laster Larry Green Mike Knox David Robinson Michael Kubosh Amanda Edwards Jack Christie District I District J District K At-Large 1 At-Large 2 At-Large 3 At-Large 4 At-Large 5 Robert Gallegos Mike Laster Larry Green Steven C. Costello David Robinson Michael Kubosh C.O. “Brad” Bradford Jack Christie T Brenda Stardig Jerry Davis Ellen Cohen Dwight Boykins Dave Martin Steve Le Greg Travis Karla Cisneros AF A B C D E F G H R District District District District District District District District CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS - 2015 A B C D E F G H Brenda Stardig Jerry Davis Ellen Cohen Dwight Boykins Dave Martin Richard Nguyen Oliver Pennington Edward Gonzalez D District District District District District District District District i Project Funding Partners City of Houston Houston Galveston Area Council BikeHouston Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Houston Parks Board Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) City of Houston Staff Planning & Development Patrick Walsh, Director T Amar Mohite Matthew Seubert Monique Johnson Dale Rudick, Director Jeff Weatherford D Ian Hlavacek R Public Works & Engineering AF Cathy Halka Anita Hollman Parks & Recreation Joe Turner, Director Rachael Die ii Bicycle Advisory Committee Isabel Longoria Houston – Galveston Area Council Alief Independent School District Sue Page Houston Independent Leo Bobadilla School District BikeHouston Michael Payne Mary Blitzer Houston Parks Board Chip Place Roksan Okan-Vick Bike Barn Neil Bremner Management District Energy Corridor Clark Martinson City of Houston – Health Department Stephen Williams Management District Houston Downtown Lonnie Hoogeboom City of Houston – Mayor’s Office of Sustainability Lisa Lin METRO Jason Morgan City of Houston – Police Department Captain Larry Satterwhite Neighborhood representative Cedric Douglas Critical Mass Fab Ordonez Neighborhood Centers Matt Starr Joey Sanchez Super Neighborhood Alliance Steve Parker Houston B-cycle Will Rub TxDOT – Houston District Ana Ramirez Huerta Houston Complete Streets Coalition Jay Blazek Crossley Urban Land Institute (ULI) Ann Taylor AF R D Greater Houston Partnership T AARP Chelsea St. Louis iii Study Team Traffic Engineers, Inc. Geoff Carleton Brad Eaves Shaida Libhart James Llamas T Alex Weinheimer Morris Architects AF Christof Spieler Armandina Chapa Amy Westermeyer R Mel Fuentes Asakura Robinson Company Tara Mather iv D Zakcq Lockrem HOUSTON BIKE PLAN . .1 . s" - :4 BIKEPLAN ff?" . 1/ a 7" i .4694? . . 3 ?v AF T EXECUTIVE SUMMARY INTRODUCTION D R Houston is a thriving, diverse, and vibrant city. New residents and businesses continue to move to Houston. New projects continue to be developed, from master-planned communities to higherdensity, mixed-used use neighborhoods. Much of this growth is driven by the affordable, attractive quality of life that is available in the city. With this growth, more people are moving about the city, and an increasing number are doing so by bicycle. People bicycling in Houston match the diversity of the city and the types of bicycle trips people take are just as varied. The city and region have made great strides to support people bicycling. The Bayou Greenways Initiative is expanding rapidly to provide attractive, comfortable paths for people of all ages on the major bayou corridors in the City and beyond. The bike share system, Houston B-cycle, is in the process of a major expansion to connect more neighborhoods with more destinations. Bike connections on METRO’s transit system continue to grow and more people of all backgrounds are riding in events like Tour de Houston and Critical Mass. The city has installed its first separated on-street bikeway on Lamar Street in Downtown and has adopted new context-sensitive infrastructure design approaches to integrate safe, comfortable bikeways into more streets in the City of Houston. PlanHouston, the City’s first general plan, was adopted in 2015 and identifies a goal of Connecting People and Places including the development and maintenance of a citywide bicycle plan. Existing + Programmed Projects Long Term Vision 298 miles 50 miles 32 miles 380 miles The City and region have made great strides in supporting the growing number of people bicycling, but without some organization and Existing + Programmed Projects + framework the efforts risk being disconnected Short-Term Opportunities or missing opportunities to complement 299 miles each other in ways that maximize return on 183 miles 227 miles the investments. In 1993 the City adopted 709 miles a Comprehensive Bicycle Plan. This was Existing + Programmed Projects + the last time the City of Houston developed Short-Term Opportunities + a Bicycle Plan and the cityKeyhas changed Connections 371 miles significantly in the twenty-three years since. 191 miles Off-Street Off-Street Dedicated On-Street Shared On-Street Total Shared On-Street Outside COH IH 45 City of Houston US 29 US 59 BW 8 0 T IH 10 233 miles 795 miles IH 10 SH 225 U S 59 AF IH 610 Source: City of Houston; Team Analysis & Site Visits 45 R SH 288 BW 8 IH The 2015-2016 Houston Bicycle Plan is a year-long planning effort developed with the Houston community and many partners. The plan sets out a clear Vision and Goals that identify a transformative opportunity for the City of Houston, and establishes a framework for how to achieve that vision by building on the many successful efforts underway. A Bicycle Toolbox has been developed detailing bikeway project elements, potential policy changes, and programmatic approaches to help make Houston a more bicycle-friendly city. The plan includes Implementation Strategies to move from plan to action and a Long-Range Bikeway Network Map (Figure ES.1) has been developed with opportunities for short-term improvements to move toward the ultimate vision. Dedicated On-Street 616 miles 786 miles 254 miles 1,656 miles EXECUTIVE SUMMARY HOUSTON BIKE PLAN THE HOUSTON BIKE PLAN 0 2½ 5 Miles 10 Figure ES.1: City of Houston Long-Range Bikeway Network Map D (detailed maps available at www.houstonbikeways.org) The City of Houston Planning & Development Department, in coordination with the Public Works & Engineering Department and the Parks & Recreation Department, lead the Plan update. The City has greatly benefited from the support of the project funding partners: • • • BikeHouston; The Houston Parks Board; Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC) with the Federal Transit Administration (FTA); Federal Highway Administration (FHWA); and Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) ES-2 AF 1. Provide a safer, more comfortable environment for the growing number of people riding bicycles in Houston. • More people are bicycling in Houston. Census data and counts, check outs of bike share bikes, participation in organized rides, and bike boardings on buses all show positive trends in ridership. D • Over one third of trips by all modes in Houston are under three miles, ideal to be made on a bicycle in under 15 minutes. Even with recent growth, bicycle ridership remains small. Commute mode share is at approximately 0.5%, leading to more vehicles on the road and people getting less exercise. ES-3 designated bikeways, but many are below best practice standards and only half provide a comfort level that is likely to attract anyone besides the most confident riders. • There have been 25 bicycle fatalities and over 1,500 reported bicycle crashes over the past 5 years. 2. Provide affordable opportunities. T The Houston Bike Plan presents a transformative opportunity for the City and its implementation has the potential to create great value in areas like mobility and access, health and safety, equity and opportunity, and economic development. While many positive elements are working together to make Houston more bicycle-friendly, there are still significant challenges to achieving that outcome across Houston’s 640 square miles. The plan sets out an approach to address the following challenges. These are detailed in Chapter 2: Existing Conditions & Opportunities of the Houston Bike Plan. R HOUSTON BIKE PLAN EXECUTIVE SUMMARY THE OPPORTUNITY • The existing bikeway network (Figure ES.2) has nearly 500 miles of access to • Bicycles provide a cost-effective mobility alternative for families that can’t afford the annual cost of car ownership (estimated by AAA at over $8,600) or choose not to own a car. This is particularly true when integrated with the region’s transit options. • The Existing Bikeway Network (Figure ES.2) provides a bikeway within one half mile of 61% of Houston residents and 71% of jobs but many of these are narrow bike lanes or signed routes on arterials with significant traffic volumes and higher speeds. Many neighborhoods do not have existing bikeways. • Only 38% of people and 41% of jobs are within one half mile of a highercomfort bikeway, those routes that are likely to be attractive to a broad range of cyclists. • This rate drops to 32-33% when population of color or those that are High Comfort SharedUse Paths Bike Lanes Low Comfort Bike Lanes Shared Lanes/Signed Bike Routes Shared Sidewalks 29 Outside COH 0 IH City of Houston 45 IH 10 SH 225 US 59 AF IH 610 T IH 10 8 R BW BW 8 Source: City of Houston; Team Analysis & Site Visits 0 2½ 5 Miles 10 Figure ES.2: Existing City of Houston Bikeways - 2016 D • 32% of children in Houston are obese, a leading indicator of future health issues, and about 50% do not live within one half mile of a park space. Neighborhood Bikeways US US • Bicycles provide an opportunity to exercise, improving health outcomes and reducing vehicle emissions that contribute to poor air quality. • Low activity levels contribute to an adult population in which 28.7% are obese, 8.5% are diabetic and 29.8% have high blood pressure. Separated Bike Lane BW 8 3. Improve community health and wellness. • Only 51.1% of the adult population in Houston gets the recommended amount of weekly aerobic physical activity. Shared-Use Paths 221 miles 109 miles 165 miles 495 miles 59 Off-Street Dedicated On-Street Shared On-Street Total SH 288 • Bikeways connect close to many activity centers like Downtown, the Texas Medical Center and Uptown but last mile connections that would connect people to more jobs are often missing. Existing Bikeway Network EXECUTIVE SUMMARY HOUSTON BIKE PLAN living in poverty are analyzed. 616 miles 786 miles 254 miles 1,656 miles 4. Compete with peer cities who are setting the bar. meaning there are many choices for where to locate and the benefits reach more people. • Quality of life indicators such as access to safe, comfortable opportunities to bicycle are strong factors when people and businesses are making decisions about where to locate. • Peer city average mode share for bicycling commutes is 1.8%; Houston is at 0.5%. Meeting the average mode share would represent over a 300% increase in bike commuting in Houston. • A citywide network creates more opportunities in more neighborhoods • Peer cities have increased mode share for biking by employing a wide variety ES-4 HOUSTON BIKE PLAN EXECUTIVE SUMMARY of strategies beyond infrastructure improvements to serve a range of skill levels. • Cities with dedicated funds and annual spending targets for bicycling have made significant strides in improving their bicycle networks. D R AF T 5. Benefit everyone, not just people who bike. Peer City Bike Lane Harlem, NY ES-5 • Studies have shown that bicycle infrastructure investments can reduce commercial vacancy rates and increase retail sale volumes. For retail, people biking spend more overall because, while they spend less in a typical trip, they visit stores more often. • Every person biking reduces the number of potential cars on the road. In travel lanes and parking areas, bicycles are more space efficient. • Dedicated bikeway facilities on thoroughfares reduce conflicts between people biking and driving. • Safe, abundant bicycle access to the bayou and utility corridors will maximize the return on these significant community investments and allow more people to enjoy them. By 2026 Houston will be a Safer, More Accessible, Gold-Level BikeFriendly City Goals Improve Safety To provide a safer bicycle network for people of all ages and abilities through improved facilities, education, and enforcement The Vision T AF Develop & Maintain Facilities To exceed average ridership levels in peer cities by implementing policies and programs that enable more people to ride bicycles and encourage healthy, active transportation choice To develop and sustain a high-quality bicycle network, including both bikeways and end-of-trip facilities R Grow Ridership To create a highly accessible, citywide network of comfortable bike facilities that connects neighborhoods to transit, jobs, and activity centers, including schools, universities, parks, and libraries and a public survey provided several thousand comments on both the broad goals for the plan and specific locations in the city where bikeway improvements are desired. D Increase Access EXECUTIVE SUMMARY HOUSTON BIKE PLAN Figure ES.3 Houston Bike Plan Vision The development of a vision and goals for the Houston Bike Plan (Figure ES.3) required a set of community conversations to reflect the broad values and expectations of a well-connected, citywide bike plan and the supporting policies and programs that go with it. The Bicycle Advisory Committee for the Houston Bike Plan, made up of a diverse set of community leaders, served as a sounding board and helped guide the direction of the plan. Community meetings, online forums As discussed in Chapter 3: Vision & Goals The Houston Bike Plan Vision sets an aspirational outcome for Houston to become a Gold Level Bike-Friendly City by 2026, ten years from the development of this plan. Bike Friendly Communities is a rating system developed by the League of American Bicyclists to assess a community’s efforts to ES-6 BFA Rating Areas   Develop and Maintain Facilities 4 Neutral 46% + TBD League of American Bicyclists US Census 38% 32% 32% + + + US Census US Census US Census 37% + 23% 33% + + METRO/City of Houston City of Houston City of Houston 21% + US Census 0.5% 2 TBD 258,094 98,449 Neutral N/A + + US Census H-GAC H-GAC METRO Houston Bike Share 11 Neutral City of Houston 1.17 + # of “Bicycle Friendly Businesses” AF  ES-7 H-GAC, US Census TBD N/A City of Houston/Census City of Houston Population within ¼ mile of a bike share station 27,900 + Houston Bike Share Jobs within ¼ mile of a bike share station 155,600 + Houston Bike Share 4% Neutral METRO 4 Neutral City of Houston % of major transit nodes1 with secured bike parking  H-GAC, US Census + % of bikeways in good or better condition   H-GAC + N/A Miles of high comfort bikeways per capita (per 10,000 people)  - 7.4 TBD  Overall population  Minority population  Low income population % of facilities within ¼ mile of a high-comfort bike facility:  Transit nodes (transit centers, Park & Rides, and light rail stations)  Schools and libraries  Community and multi-service centers % population with comfortable access to greenways system  (bayous and other trails)  Commute mode share # of permanent count stations  % growth in bicyclists observed through permanent count stations # of bike boardings on Metro per year # of bike share checkouts per year Annual City events that support increased ridership (e.g., Sunday  Streets, Tour de Houston, Bicycle Advisory Committee meetings)  361 3.80 R     Data Source # of people who complete an approved bicycle education program D  Performance Trend (+ - or neutral) Disparity in bicycle mode share versus fatalities % jobs within 1/o mile of a high-comfort bike facility % population within 1/o mile of a high-comfort bike facility    Increase Ridership Current Performance  # of bicycle related crashes reported  # of bicycle fatalities per 10,000 commuters  Increase Access Performance Metrics T Goal Area Improve Safety Enforcement Education Engineering Evaluation Encouragement Key Outcomes HOUSTON BIKE PLAN EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Vision: By 2026 Houston will be a Safer, More Accessible, Gold Level Bike-Friendly City Dedicated city staff (FTE) for bikeway program Figure ES.4: Performance Metrics for the Houston Bike Plan Goals 72% 66% Improve safety for all road users Capture significant potential for growth in people biking 15% Improve community health and wellness 13% Better compete with peer cities who are setting the bar 12% Provide affordable access to jobs & opportunities 8% Support community benefits for everyone, not just people who bike 4% T Other 7% Participants at public meeting providing Goal and Map Feedback R To achieve these goals, the Plan sets out a comprehensive plan to improve the environment for biking in Houston, and making it inclusive to people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds. It also sets out a set of performance metrics to assess how the City is performing against its goals (Figure ES.4). Provide a well-connected, lower stress bicycle network AF To reach a Gold rating, significant progress will need to be made on a broad range of goals. These have been summarized into the four Houston Bike Plan goals outlined in Figure ES.3. These are focused on Increasing Safety, Increasing Access, Growing Ridership, and Developing and Maintaining Facilities. Figure ES.5 Priority Goals For Online Survey Responses EXECUTIVE SUMMARY HOUSTON BIKE PLAN encourage and support bicycling. The City of Houston is currently a Bronze-level Bicycle Friendly Community, largely based on the work the City and BikeHouston have done on education and the regional effort to improve the bayou trails. Achieving Gold level would be a significant step forward for the City. D To grow ridership, the plan focuses on improving opportunities for both people currently riding and also the 50-60% of the population that is “Interested but Concerned” about bicycling. This involves getting the right policies and programs in place to support access to bicycles, education of how to ride safely, end of trip facilities, and enforcement of regulations. The expansion of the high comfort bikeway network is critical to reach many more people and jobs across the city. ES-8 HOUSTON BIKE PLAN EXECUTIVE SUMMARY A High-Comfort Bikeway Network One of the key elements to improve bicycling in Houston is the expansion of safe, connected bikeways that minimize people’s interaction with high volume, high speed traffic. This is one of the key barriers that keeps more people from riding. Cities that have made investments in expanding their network of comfortable bikeways have seen increases in overall ridership. T The City of Houston has approximately 500 miles of designated bikeways including Figure ES.6 Bicycle Facility Level of Comfort Assessment AF 1 SPEED LIMIT 2 3 4 30 MPH 30 MPH 35+ MPH or less 30 MPH 35+ MPH 2 LANES 2-3 LANES 2-3 LANES 4+ LANES NARROW, CALM CALM BUSY WIDE, BUSY 1 2 3 4 SPEED LIMIT 30 MPH or less 30 MPH 35 MPH 40+ MPH LANES EACH DIRECTION 1 LANE 1 LANE 2+ LANES 2+ LANES LANES EACH DIRECTION 1-2 LANES 2 LANES 3+ LANES 3+ LANES 6 FEET 5-6 FEET 5 FEET <5 FEET CONTINUOUS SHARED SHARED NONCONTINUOUS or less non-residential NUMBER OF LANES INTERSECTING STREETS D DEDICATED BIKE LANES LESS COMFORTABLE 25 MPH residential without median with median BIKE LANE WIDTH INTERSECTION TREATMENTS SEPARATION OFFSTREET 25 MPH SPEED LIMIT R SHARED ON STREET MORE COMFORTABLE Level of Comfort Criteria based on the Mineta Transportation Institute report “Low-Stress Bicycling and Network Connectivity” published in 2015 ES-9 off-street trails, dedicated bike lanes, and shared on street bike routes. The study team assessed the existing bikeway network against the framework in Figure ES.6 to determine which of the existing facilities meet the standard of a high-comfort facility. The criteria include factors such as roadway width, travel lanes, travel speed, and traffic volumes. High-comfort facilities were those that rated a 1 or 2 on the scale and are the desirable outcome for bikeways in the proposed bikeway network. CROSSING FREQUENCY TYPE OF CROSSINGS SEPARATION MOVES A FACILITY ONE COMFORT LEVEL TO THE LEFT 1 2 3 4 RARE INFREQUENT MODERATE FREQUENT CALM & NARROW UNCONTROLLED UNCONTROLLED UNCONTROLLED OR CONTROLLED BUT NARROW WIDE OR FAST WIDE & FAST • On-Street Shared: Locations where bicyclists share the travel way with vehicles. Most appropriate for lowvolume, low-speed streets. Bike Route in Southgate Neighborhood (Dryden Street) On-Street Dedicated (Within ROW) Standard Bike Lane in Fifth Ward Neighborhood (Lyons Avenue) D R Based on this assessment, of the 500 miles in the existing bikeway network, only about 250 miles (50%) are high-comfort bikeways. The map of these facilities is shown in Figure ES.9. It shows that while there are some nice, long segments, they are discontinuous and do not form a connected network. As a result, for most longer trips a person bicycling is likely to experience at least one segment of low-comfort riding. This can often be enough to keep people from riding. AF • Off-Street Bikeway: dedicated path or trail, often shared with people walking or jogging, that is completely separated form parallel traffic. T • On-Street Dedicated (within ROW): dedicated space for bicyclist within street right -of-way. Typically a bike lane which may have a barrier or buffer between bicyclists and vehicle traffic. In some situations, a side path behind the curb may be determined as the most appropriate bikeway for a corridor. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY HOUSTON BIKE PLAN On-Street Shared Bikeways were classified into three colorcoded categories: The existing high-comfort network forms the baseline that the recommendations of the Plan build upon. Future recommended bikeways were developed through a collaborative approach with the study team, Off-Street Trail or Walk/Bike Path Buffalo Bayou Trails in Houston’s East End (Tony Marron Park) Figure ES.7 Bikeway Types ES-10 AF • Potential Short-Term Opportunities are relatively low-cost implementation opportunities that appear feasible within the existing street pavement. This includes painted lanes and shared routes, and may require reallocation of travel lanes or parking. These have the highest potential to significantly expand the high-comfort bikeway network in near term. D • Key Connections are potential capital projects that would link neighborhood areas into a network that crosses the city These are recommended as higher priorities among longer-term projects. ES-11 implement. Resource requirements and the need to reconstruct streets will likely make these long-term projects. Full build-out of the proposed bikeway network includes over 1,650 miles of bikeways, more than triple the existing mileage and six times the existing high-comfort mileage. Figures ES.9-ES.23 show how these networks build upon one another. The maps on each page show the potential bike network assuming completion of the projects in the category and all prior categories. T • Programmed Projects are those in the pipeline with dedicated funding that will expand the bikeway network. These include Bayou Greenways, City CIP and TxDOT projects, and partner projects such as those being completed by management districts and TIRZs. R HOUSTON BIKE PLAN EXECUTIVE SUMMARY key City of Houston staff, and community stakeholders. This process is detailed in Chapter 5: Network Plan & Maps. The recommended bikeways reflect public feedback collected throughout the plan and have been categorized based on the following potential implementation phases. • Long-Term Houston Bikeway Vision includes all other bikeways in the plan, including new off-street segments and new dedicated bike lanes. Many of these projects are likely to be capital-intensive or require street reconstruction to The graphs show how the recommendations change outcomes related to the Houston Bike Plan goal of increasing access to the bikeway network. They show the percent of Houston population, jobs, people in poverty, and people of color that would be served within one half mile by the bikeway network. These access metrics all start in the 30-40% range for the existing high-comfort network and steadily grow to over 70% access with programmed, short-term potential opportunities, and key connections. Full completion of the bikeway network will put comfortable bikeways within reach of over 95% of people and jobs in the city. The graphs also show quarter-mile access to key civic institutions like schools, libraries and community centers. These key destinations across the city would experience similar improvements in access as the network grows. Existing + Programmed Projects While the exiting Houston Bikeway Program map includes approximately 500 miles of bikeway facilities, only about half of those Existing + Projectsto + provide adequate separation Programmed from traffic Short-Term Opportunities feel comfortable for most adults who are 299 miles interested in bicycling. Existing High-Comfort Network Off-Street Off-Street Dedicated On-Street Shared On-Street Total Dedicated On-Street 220 miles 8 miles 31 miles 259 miles Shared On-Street Outside COH City of Houston BW 8 183 miles 227 miles 709 miles IH The vast majority of existing high-comfort Existing + bikeways are bayou and rail-trails. 45 Programmed Projects + Short-Term Opportunities + Key Connections US Some existing bikeways on neighborhood 371 miles streets meet the definition of high comfort, 191 miles 233 miles but relatively few bike lanes. 795 miles T IH 10 US 59 AF BW SH 225 8 BW 8 R 786 miles 254 miles 1,656 miles 0 IH 610 IH 10 Long Term Vision For more details on Level of Comfort, see Chapter 2: Existing Conditions & Opportunities. 616 miles 29 SH 288 298 miles 50 miles 32 miles 380 miles EXECUTIVE SUMMARY HOUSTON BIKE PLAN EXISTING HIGH-COMFORT BIKEWAYS Source: City of Houston; Team Analysis & Site Visits 0 2½ 5 Miles 10 38% Population D Figure ES.8: Existing City of Houston Bikeways - 2016 Jobs 32% Population Of Color 2011 ACS Total for City: 1,548,000 46% 2010 LEHD Total for City: 1,465,000 2010 Census Total for City: 2,062,000 Individuals In Poverty 32% 2011 ACS Total for City: 441,000 Figure People &&Jobs Jobs FigureES.9: ES.3:Half-Mile Half-MileAccess Access for for People Schools 20% Libraries 44% 64 Community Centers 30% 60 Multi-Service Centers 420 50% 12 Figure Quarter-Mile Access Access to to Civic Destinations FigureES.10: ES.4: Quarter-Mile ES-12 Off-Street Dedicated On-Street Shared On-Street Total Dedicated On-Street 298 miles 50 miles 32 miles 380 miles Shared On-Street Outside COH City of Houston IH 45 ting + grammed Projects + rt-Term Opportunities Off-Street 299 miles 183 miles 227 miles 709 miles US 29 0 ting + grammed Projects + rt-Term Opportunities + Connections This map shows funded projects that include high-comfort bikeways and are expected to be completed in the next five years, or by 2021. IH 61 0 IH 10 IH 10 T 371 miles 191 miles 233 miles 795 miles 59 S U BW 8 SH 288 616 miles 786 miles 254 miles 1,656 miles Programmed New Bikeway Mileage: Off-Street: 78 mi. On-Street Dedicated (within ROW): 42 mi. On-Street Shared: 1 mi. IH AF SH 225 g Term Vision Projects that will create additional highcomfort bikeways are already in development by the City of Houston, TxDOT, Houston Parks Board, management districts, and others. These projects will largely complete the major bayou corridors and add certain onstreet connections. BW 8 US 59 HOUSTON BIKE PLAN EXECUTIVE SUMMARY PROGRAMMED PROJECTS Existing + Programmed Projects R 45 Source: City of Houston & Team Analysis 0 2½ 5 Miles 10 Schools 30% Libraries 56% 64 Community Centers 38% 60 Multi-Service Centers ES-13 D Figure ES.11: Existing High-Comfort Bikeways and Programmed Projects 58% 12 Figure Quarter-Mile Access to Civic Destinations FigureES.12: ES.6: Quarter-Mile Destinations 420 Population 48% Population Of Color 2011 ACS Total for City: 1,548,000 Jobs 63% Individuals In Poverty 43% 2010 LEHD Total for City: 1,465,000 2010 Census Total for City: 2,062,000 43% 2011 ACS Total for City: 441,000 Figure Half-MileAccess Accessfor forPeople People& &Jobs Jobs FigureES.13: ES.7: Half-Mile Existing + Programmed Projects Off-Street Dedicated On-Street Shared On-Street Total Off-Street Dedicated On-Street 299 miles 183 miles 227 miles 709 miles Shared On-Street Outside COH City of Houston IH 45 In some cases, high-comfort bikeways can be created with relatively modest investments in signs and striping. This can involve reallocating pavement space on streets with excessively wide lanes or excess capacity, or by designating shared routes on low-speed, low-volume streets. Existing + Programmed Projects + Short-Term Opportunities BW 8 US 29 US 59 298 miles 50 miles 32 miles 380 miles 0 Existing + Programmed Projects + Short-Term Opportunities + Key Connections This map shows bikeways that appear to be feasible to implement using these retrofit strategies. Further study and design may be 371 miles 191 miles required to confirm. 233 miles IH 61 0 T IH 10 IH 10 S 59 SH 225 U BW 8 SH 288 616 miles 786 miles 254 miles 1,656 miles IH 45 R Estimated Cost to Complete: $24 - $45 million AF 795 miles Potential Retrofit Opportunity Mileage: Long Term Vision On-Street Dedicated (within ROW): 134 mi. On-Street Shared: 194 mi. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY HOUSTON BIKE PLAN POTENTIAL SHORT-TERM OPPORTUNITIES 0 Source: City of Houston; Team Analysis & Site Visits 2½ 5 Miles 10 D Figure ES.14: Existing High-Comfort Bikeways, Programmed Projects, and ShortTerm Implementation Opportunities Jobs Population 2010 LEHD Total for City: 1,465,000 2010 Census Total for City: 2,062,000 76% 82% 2011 ACS Total for City: 441,000 2011 ACS Total for City: 1,548,000 73% Libraries Community Centers Individuals In Poverty Population Of Color Schools Multi-Service Centers 59% 75% 60% 420 64 60 75% 12 74% Figure Half-MileAccess Accessfor forPeople People Jobs FigureES.15: ES.9: Half-Mile && Jobs Figure FigureES.16: ES.10:Quarter-Mile Quarter-MileAccess AccesstotoCivic CivicDestinations Destinations ES-14 KEY CONNECTIONS Existing + Programmed Projects + Short-Term Opportunities + Key Connections 298 miles 50 miles 32 miles 380 miles Off-Street Dedicated On-Street Shared On-Street Total Dedicated On-Street 371 miles 191 miles 233 miles 795 miles Shared On-Street Key Project Outside COH IH 45 ting + grammed Projects + rt-Term Opportunities Off-Street 299 miles 183 miles 227 miles 709 miles US City of Houston 8 BW 29 0 Key Connections Mileage: Off-Street: 72 mi. On-Street Dedicated (within ROW): 8 mi. On-Street Shared: 6 mi. IH 61 0 IH 10 IH 10 US 59 SH 225 616 miles 786 miles 254 miles 1,656 miles AF SH 288 BW 8 g Term Vision Estimated Cost to Complete: $68 - $110 million 45 R IH The short-term retrofit opportunities can create high-comfort bikeway networks in individual areas of the city, but connecting neighborhoods into a true citywide network will require investing in certain highercost connections. More detail on these Key Connection Projects is available in Chapter 6: Implementation Strategies. T HOUSTON BIKE PLAN EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ting + grammed Projects Source: City of Houston; Team Analysis & Site Visits 0 2½ 5 Miles 10 Schools Libraries Community Centers Multi-Service Centers D Figure ES.17: Existing High-Comfort Bikeways, Programmed Projects, Potential Short-Term Projects, and Key Connections 78% 60% 61% 420 75% 12 2010 LEHD Total for City: 1,465,000 2010 Census Total for City: 2,062,000 78% 64 60 Jobs Population Individuals In Poverty Population Of Color 2011 ACS Total for City: 441,000 2011 ACS Total for City: 1,548,000 74% ES-15 Figure FigureES.18: ES.12:Quarter-Mile Quarter-MileAccess AccesstotoCivic CivicDestinations Destinations 84% 76% Figure & Jobs Jobs FigureES.19: ES.13:Half-Mile Half-MileAccess Access for for People People & Existing + Programmed Projects Off-Street Off-Street Dedicated On-Street Shared On-Street Total Outside COH City of Houston 29 US 59 US 0 IH 10 IH 10 SH 225 U S 59 AF IH 610 Estimated Cost to Complete: $214 - $347 million* Shared On-Street BW 8 233 miles 795 miles Additional Future Bikeway Mileage: Off-Street: 245 mi. On-Street Dedicated (within ROW): 595 mi. On-Street Shared: 21 mi. Dedicated On-Street 616 miles 786 miles 254 miles 1,656 miles IH 45 This map shows the long-term vision for the Houston Bikeway Network. In many cases, installing high-comfort bikeway facilities on Existing + Programmed Projects + major streets will require reconstruction of the Short-Term Opportunities street. Much like the Major Thoroughfare and 299 miles Freeway Plan, systematically implementing 183 miles 227 miles these bikeways as streets come up for 709 miles reconstruction will eventually create a Existing + + comprehensive network thatProgrammed serves Projects nearly Short-Term Opportunities + all Houstonians and connectsKey them to many Connections 371 miles destinations. 191 miles Long Term Vision T 298 miles 50 miles 32 miles 380 miles SH 288 BW 8 IH R 45 *does not include 595 miles of on-street bikeways that would be incorporated during future street reconstruction Source: City of Houston; Team Analysis & Site Visits 2010 LEHD Total for City: 1,465,000 2010 Census Total for City: 2,062,000 95% 97% Individuals In Poverty Population Of Color 2011 ACS Total for City: 441,000 2011 ACS Total for City: 1,548,000 96% 0 2½ 5 Miles 10 Figure ES.20: Long-Term Vision of the Bicycle Master Plan D Jobs Population EXECUTIVE SUMMARY HOUSTON BIKE PLAN LONG-TERM VISION Schools Libraries 89% 92% Community Centers 85% Multi-Service Centers 92% 12 420 64 60 96% Figure People&&Jobs Jobs FigureES.21: ES.15:Half-Mile Half-Mile Access Access for for People Figure FigureES.22: ES.16:Quarter-Mile Quarter-MileAccess AccesstotoCivic CivicDestinations Destinations ES-16 Based on the relative challenge of implementation, potential short-term opportunities have been identified to add over 320 miles with an estimated cost of $24 - $45 million. This would nearly double the existing and programmed bikeway network and connect many more neighborhoods and destinations. Some of these projects may also be implementable through regular maintenance and street striping programs, mitigating the costs. Key connections, typically more challenging capital projects, would add 86 miles of comfortable bikeways to the network. But because they tend to require trail construction or, in several locations, bridges, they are estimated to cost $68 - $110 million to complete. AF T These estimated costs would need detailed refinement based on specific corridor selection, bikeway types, and engineering of specific bikeways. Longer-term recommendations of the plan tend to be more capital-intensive and therefore higher cost. Short-term opportunities focus on utilization of existing streets by reallocation of space to stripe dedicated bike lanes or by signing and striping improvements that designate a shared bike route. R HOUSTON BIKE PLAN EXECUTIVE SUMMARY For each of the project categories, planninglevel cost estimates were developed. These were based on past project costs and the 2014 H-GAC Regional Pedestrian and Bicycle Plan. The estimated miles of bikeway by type, (shared, dedicated, or off-street) are shown in Figure ES.23. These were developed to size the relative funding needs required to implement the recommendations of the plan. Strategies for funding and project implementation are detailed in Chapter 6: Implementation Strategies. Average Cost per Mile* Low-High Range ($Thousands) Miles of Bikeway D Implementation Category On-Street Dedicated On-Street Shared Off-Street Existing High-Comfort Bikeway Network 7 31 220 - - Programmed Projects 42 1 78 - - Potential Short-Term 134 194 - $90-210 $10-140 n/a $24 - $45 8 6 72 $90-210 $10-140 $600-1,700 $68 - $110 n/a** $10-140 $600-1,700 Key Connections Long-Term Vision 595 21 245 Total Network 786 254 616 On-Street Dedicated On-Street Shared Planning-Level Cost Range ($Millions) Off-Street $214 - $347 $306 - $502 Figure ES.23 Planning Level Cost Summary for Bikeway Network Implementation ES-17 * Cost per mile estimates are based on data from the 2014 H-GAC Regional Bikeway Plan, general planning estimates from comparable projects. Total cost estimates assume a 75%-25% and 25%-75% mix of low and high cost projects to develop range. Cost per miles estimates also include 20% to 40% for contingency, survey, engineering, and project management. ** On street bikeways will clearly have a cost as part of the full network build out but these would be included in the cost of street reconstruction and therefore are not included here. Travel Lane AF D R Projects: detailed design elements to help inform the design of higher comfort bikeway projects. This includes bikeway corridor alternatives, intersection treatments, and connections that form the basis for a large part of the experience of riding a bicycle safely and comfortably in Houston. It also includes wayfinding and end-of-ride amenities that are critical to consider for the entirety of a person’s trip. Examples of project design elements are shown in Figure ES.24 and ES.25. Travel Lane To support this, Chapter 4: Bicycle Toolbox outlines a set of recommendations for the city to move forward on across these three categories. T While the bikeway network map defines the corridors to be prioritized for expansion of the bikeway network, final project design will be critical to developing quality bikeways that serve the broad range of people riding in the City of Houston. And bikeway projects alone are not enough to build and sustain a bicycle-friendly city Doing so requires a complementary set of infrastructure projects, a bicycle-supportive policy framework, and a foundation of programs to help educate and encourage more people to ride. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY HOUSTON BIKE PLAN Bicycle Toolbox Policies: recommendations for the regulatory, enforcement and evaluation approaches to bicycling in Houston. Policies are complementary to Projects and Programs in that they can formalize the approach to Figure ES.24: Toolbox Examples: Intersection Treatment and Buffered Bike Lane ES-18 Bike Station T D ES-19 Figure ES.25: End of Trip Facilities AF Programs: recommendations for programs that improve education and encouragement to support more people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds to bicycle in Houston. Best practices are identified that can be employed by the public, non-profit, and private sectors to encourage more bicycling within the community. This section also identifies approaches for better data and information gathering to support decision-making related to Projects and Policies. Sunday Streets, Houston’s Open Street program, (Figure ES.27) is a great example of encouraging more people to be get out and be active on Houston streets. R HOUSTON BIKE PLAN EXECUTIVE SUMMARY consistent project development and set a framework for programs to successfully support a bicycle friendly culture. Policies can also define incentives that would improve safety, access, and amenities for people biking. Figure ES.26 shows how the lack of a standard policy for prohibiting parking in a bike lane unless “No Parking” signage exists can create challenging situations for people cycling. A new policy supported by ordinance would eliminate the need to install signs everywhere and create a consistent expectation for people cycling as well as parking. Figure ES.26: Policies No Parking in Bike Lanes Ordinance Figure ES.27: Programs Sunday Streets/Open Streets Programs T From Plan to Action The eight implementation strategies for the Houston Bike Plan are shown in Figure ES.28 on the following page. They outline steps that the City and other partners can take to implement key components of the Plan. These strategies include strategies to move programs and policies forward, prioritization and funding strategies to implement projects to expand the bikeway network, and a performance management approach to measure progress. The Plan also identifies several strategies to create positive change and show examples of what is possible to build momentum for implementing the plan. These includes conceptual pilot projects showing key components of the Bicycle Toolbox as well as an approach to link the plan to the neighborhood level. R Various departments within the City will need to lead many of the initiatives and key partnerships have been identified within each strategy, where appropriate, to help leverage the resources available to the City. The City has significant infrastructure needs creating strong competition for resources for new projects. Where possible, capturing opportunities to integrate improved bikeways into all projects will be critical. And many of the recommendations in this plan, particularly those related to policy and programmatic changes, may require changes to the current regulatory environment. Successfully implementing any of these will require political support to enact and will likely take time to advance. AF Success in achieving the Houston Bike Plan Vision will only be realized through effective implementation. An effective implementation approach builds on the recommendations of the plan to identify strategies that capture the identified opportunities, support ongoing execution, manage progress against plan goals, and allocate resources where they can have the greatest impact. Chapter 6: Implementation Strategies outlines eight key implementation strategies and supporting recommendations to help the City of Houston to move the Houston Bike Plan forward and improve opportunities for people bicycling in Houston. in personnel, capital, or operations and maintenance, to advance many additional components of the plan forward in the near term. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY HOUSTON BIKE PLAN Implementation Strategies D The Houston region has made meaningful strides in implementing projects and adopting policies to become more bikefriendly. Even with the positive momentum, the implementation environment will be challenging for City of Houston over the next several years. Challenges While a significant number of projects, such as CIP and Bayou Greenways, have dedicated funding identified for implementation over the next five years, there will be challenges in identifying additional resources, either ES-20 1. Manage Performance Against Goals • Develop annual Bikeway Program Strategic Report. • Develop approach to capture data to assess performance on a regular basis and develop performance targets. 6. Build Momentum Through Pilot Projects • Create conceptual plans for specific bikeway treatment across the city. • Implement and celebrate bikeway projects to build momentum to implement the Plan. AF 3. Project Development and Implementation • Develop packages of short-term bikeway projects that can be implemented within existing street right-of-way and seek funding to implement. • Prepare key connection recommendations as a package of projects detailing benefits and costs. This package should be utilized to recruit funding partners and apply for grants as opportunities become available. D 4. Develop Resource and Staffing Needs • Increase Bicycle Program staff in appropriate departments in the City. • Establish the Bicycle Advisory Committee as a regular standing committee that works with the City staff to implement the Houston Bike Plan. ES-21 5. Leverage Funding Opportunities • Create a spending target with dedicated funds from the City’s budget for bikeway projects and programs. • Identify and pursue funding partnerships and support from other local agencies, City departments, and private entities to leverage funds. • Pursue federal funding for short-term and key connection projects. • Develop bicycle facility maintenance prioritization criteria and incorporate bicycle facility maintenance as part of general roadway maintenance activity when possible. T 2. Prioritize and Collaborate On Policies and Programs • Develop agreed-upon roles with city departments and partners for implementation of policies and programs identified in the Plan. • Develop prioritization approach for tackling policy and program considering resources, staffing levels and partnership opportunities. R HOUSTON BIKE PLAN EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Figure ES.28 Implementation Strategies and Recommendations for the Houston Bike Plan: 7. Connect to Major Bicycle Thoroughfares (e.g., Bayous and Other Greenway Trails) • Develop specific plans for access to major greenway corridors to ensure safe access to these “bicycle highways” from neighborhoods and activity centers. • Coordinate with adjacent jurisdictions to provide a connected network across city lines. 8. Engage Neighborhoods to Translate Plan to Local Level • Develop approach and tools for neighborhood level planning to connect to citywide bikeway network. • Identify opportunities and approaches for specific policies or programs to be applied at the neighborhood level to support the growth of safe, healthy opportunities to bicycle.