The Rocky Mountain PBS Blueprint America project culminates next week with the airing of "Beyond the Motor City" on Rocky Mountain PBS. As we bring to a close our discussion of pedestrian and cyclist safety, and the infrastructure opportunities and obstacles, we hear from the Colorado Department of Transportation on innovative plans to make our roadways safer for everyone.
People ride bicycles and walk for any number of reasons: exercise, recreation, transportation, or simply for the fun of it. On Oct. 22, 2009, Colorado took another step forward in improving biking and walking for everyone.
On that date, the
Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) adopted a
groundbreaking policy that states: "The needs of bicyclists and pedestrians shall be included in the planning, design, and operation of transportation facilities, as a matter of routine."
On the surface that may not mean much to the general reader, so look closer – "shall be included...as a matter of routine." Simply put, that single sentence declares that in all areas of transportation planning, programming, design, construction, operation and maintenance, biking and walking must have a role.
So what does this mean in general? It means that when a construction project is designed, it has to include accommodations for biking and walking. It means we have to include biking and walking into our maintenance plans. It means bicycling and walking must be integrated into the planning process. You get the picture.
Now keep in mind this type of policy isn't executed over night. The requirements for implementing the policy need to be defined, and other action items need to be completed (such as developing design specifications that explain how to build a bike lane, the way we have design specifications that tell us how to build a bridge or widen a road, etc.)
There also are exceptions to the policy, such as when the law prohibits bicyclists and pedestrians from using a roadway; or the cost is exorbitantly high in proportion to the overall project; or when the scarcity of population identifies a lack of need. But the policy is in place and the directives are in the works. We'll get there.
Today the bicycle is more than a recreational conveyance. It has become an acceptable mode of transportation. With increasing public interest in the environment, personal health and energy conservation, bicycling and walking offer viable alternatives to the car, particularly for local trips or those that are combined with another mode such as transit.
For this reason, CDOT recognizes the safety and mobility of bicyclists and pedestrians needs to be an integral part of everything it does.The challenge comes in balancing the needs of all roadway users and developing transportation infrastructure that provides connectivity and access for all, opportunity for modal choice, and safety for each mode of travel.
-Betsy Jacobsen,
bicycle and pedestrian unit manager of the Colorado Department of Transportation
She's also a frequent bicycle and transit commuter.
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