Bending The Culture Curve

There's been a lot of news since the last post about complete streets and safety at this site.

Traverse City leaders are making traffic safety a priority and released a Bicycle Safety Rules PDF.

Also See IPR: Bike-Car Crashes Concern City Leaders In T.C.

There was a study released on the most dangerous cities for pedestrians in the U.S.
See NYT: On Wide Florida Roads, Running for Dear Life

And the University of Michigan did a study that concluded Michigan traffic accidents have a higher external cost to society than crime.
See DetNews: Traffic crashes cost Michigan $9.1B, more than crime

These reports gave me the impetus to mention something that I neglected in The Mandate Of Complete Streets.

That is Culture. What makes walking part of a culture and why are some areas safer? Is there a culture of safety?

When I think of a walking culture I think of the U.K. Specifically, The Ramblers. Walking is so important to the fabric of English society that the Ramblers ensure that at least once per year every foot path in the U.K. is traveled in order to maintain the public's right-of-way.

Can we have that? How do we make walking safely part of our culture when for the last 50 years the United States has been expanding roadways and making roads safer for vehicles but dangerous by design (Transportation for America PDF report) for everything else? How does the culture buy into the idea that more than vehicles move?

While Complete Streets are a new thing in the U.S., the similar concept of Living Streets has been in England since 1929.

So we could wait 80 years and let the ideas of Complete Streets filter through the culture, or we could use data to drive our decisions.

At my job I analyze data sourced from across Michigan and establish baselines of how many Internet problems per number of devices is normal and then look for areas with abnormal trouble rates and search for ways to lower that baseline rate.

When I read the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute study: Societal costs of traffic crashes and crime in Michigan: 2011 update, I realized similar data was available in the study's data source: 2009 Transportation Data Center
Data Set Codebook

We had accidents per county and the census can give us population. Perhaps I could apply them?

I found some Michigan web sites with traffic crash data:
-Michigan Traffic Crash Facts
-Michigan State Police Traffic Crash Statistics
-Michigan State Police Traffic Crash Reporting Information

They had the reports I was looking for as PDF's:

-2010 Michigan Traffic Crash Facts for County/Communities
-MICHIGAN STATE POLICE CRIMINAL JUSTICE INFORMATION CENTER CRASH STATISTICS NUMBER OF CRASHES REPORT STATEWIDE TOTALS FOR 01/01/2010 THROUGH 12/31/2010 (all caps is the original format)

Methods

I used the 2010 Census to get population numbers.

I exported the crash data from the PDF's to a spreadsheet.

I then calculated median accident rates per number of people in the community and also plotted these on a graph to look for trends.

I did not expect to see any trends or correlations as there seemed to be so many different variables that can have an effect on traffic accidents. But that is not what I found.

Results

The calculated median accident rate for Michigan in 2010 is 32.2 accidents per 1000 people. And it all fit on a trend line (which surprised me):



Next I uploaded the tables to OpenHeatMap to see if there was any pattern to which counties were above this 32.2 accident rate and which were safer. Green is a lower accident rate and red is a higher accident rate by population.

Link to larger version: Michigan County Accident Rate (You can hover over each county to see its Accident Rate score)


It appears to me that rural counties have a higher rate of accidents when weighted for population.

I then applied the same methods to Bicycle Accidents and Pedestrian Accidents.

The calculated median bicycle accident rate for Michigan in 2010 is 0.13 accidents per 1000 people.



Full size Map: 2010 Michigan Bicycle Accident Rate



The calculated median pedestrian accident rate for Michigan in 2010 is 0.15 accidents per 1000 people.



Full size Map: 2010 Michigan Pedestrian Accident Rate


The Bicycle and Pedestrian Accident rates do not show as strong a correlation as total accidents but there is still a pattern.

When looking at the county maps it appears to me that the counties with a strong biking culture have the highest rate of bicycle accidents. These would be counties hosting large Universities where many students use bikes out of necessity and Grand Traverse County where people choose to ride.

It is harder to make sense of the Pedestrian Accidents map. It could be suburban walkers who don't have access to sidewalks are in greater danger.

To explore this possibility I made a map of the Walk Scores Of Michigan's 65 Most Populous Cities with data from WalkScore:



What you see is that city cores have higher walk scores and the suburbs get progressively worse (clearly evident in Wayne County). But is this related to safety?

At MichiganTrafficCrashFacts.org there is a Data Query Tool that lets you build specific maps and tables for defined areas. I used it to look at Traverse City and Grand Traverse County.

2010 Crashes in Grand Traverse County involving pedestrians:

You can see that though many pedestrian accidents were reported within Traverse City proper these usually did not result in injury. But the pedestrian accidents in Grawn, Kingsley, and Williamsburg while fewer in number resulted in serious injury and fatalities.

2010 Crashes in Grand Traverse County involving bicycles:

What I see on this map is more bike accidents downtown, but worse injuries outside of downtown.

What do we do?

Based on these maps and tables I believe that implementing design concepts such as Complete Streets can make roads safer for people, whether they are walking, riding a bike, or driving a car. And I believe that if we make the roads safer for all forms of transportation then more people start using those other forms of transportation. The economy, freed from the burden of unnecessary accidents, grows.

By bending the accident trend lines we can change the arc of our culture.

There are still many questions though and I hope that the research here can serve as a baseline for the future. Two big questions I look forward to having answered are:

-do communities that implement Complete Street designs see their Accident Rate decline?
-do communities with better WalkScores have lower accident rates?

For anyone who wants to do their own research I have uploaded my spreadsheet to Google Docs from there is it easily exportable.

News For Bicyclists

Here are a couple of recent items that may be of interest to bicyclists:

PhysOrg: Preliminary study suggests frequent cycling could affect male fertility

A study of men attending fertility clinics has found bicycling for five or more hours a week was associated with low sperm count and poor sperm motility

TH: Bike Glow. If You're on The Go, Let Cars Know

Complete Education For Complete Streets

Via the StateNews: Bill could increase bike education if passed

The bill, which passed by a 74-30 margin, would amend the Driver Education Provider and Instructor Act to require more education about laws pertaining to bicycles during the classroom instruction of segment 1 driver’s education. Emphasis also would have to be placed on bicycle awareness.

Importing Ideas

Saw two European transportation related things today that caught my attention.

1. A friend posted to Facebook this picture with the comment of "Typical Amsterdam bike rack.":



2. Originally from France, via GOOD: The Merits of the Diverging Diamond Interchange

“A bike in New York City is sort of what a convertible is in Los Angeles"

The bifurcated nature of the pro/con debate regarding trails, bikes, parking decks, roundabouts, tourists, politics, etc. in northern Michigan makes me think a bike in Traverse City is sort of what a snowmobile is in Traverse City.

Via NYT: Bicycle Chic Gains Speed

USBR 35 Meeting Tonight

Can't believe this isn't getting more attention.

Via Twitter/FB since nowhere else is it mentioned:
There is a public input meeting for Bike Route 35 on Tuesday, Sept 28, 6pm – 7pm in the MI Works! Conference Room, 1209 S Garfield Rd Public.

Official site: USBR

Another Reason Women Don't Bike - Men

The conventional wisdom is that more women don't ride their bikes because they don't feel safe.

But another reason appears to be that men can let their idiotic side come out when they see a woman on a bicycle. See The Guardian: Record and ridicule: Female cyclists expose sexist idiots online

When Will Traverse City Get A U.S. Bicycle Route 35 Meeting?

Good job EUP. This is what is so vexing about Sault Ste. Marie - they'll do something ridiculous like ban city chickens but then have a public meeting for the U.S. Bicycle Route 35. (4 p.m. on September 9 at Kinross Charter Township Hall, located at 4884 W. Curtis, Kincheloe)

Via the SooEveningNews: Public hearing set for U.S. Bicycle Route 35

The Corridor Committee is made up of representatives of the Cities of Sault Ste. Marie, Petoskey, Traverse City, Manistee, Ludington, Muskegon, Holland, South Haven and Saint Joseph. The role of the Corridor Committee is to propose a route to the Michigan Department of Transportation, which will consider the route, and if acceptable, apply for national recognition as a United States Bicycle Route.

I have an email in to see if Traverse City will host a meeting.

Sleepy Bike Tours

Via Leelanau.com: Regular bike tours scheduled for Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

This is a great idea and I am happy to see the NPS add it to their services.

If successful then perhaps it could lead others to start full-fledged bicycle touring businesses?

It's Funny Because It's True

You didn't know U.S. Mayors signed on to an evil U.N. bicycle sharing plan did you?
Count your lucky stars that Colorado wingnut Republican has the inside info on this insidious plot to get people biking.

What say you Mayor Bzdock? Are you a car driving American or a bike riding socialist?

Via MSNBC: Colo. GOP candidate peddles U.N. bike theory

If it bends it's funny, if it breaks, it isn't. This wacko idea about bicycle sharing breaks I'm afraid though I am trying to be funny about it.

There's No Pleasing Of Bicycle Advocates

No, you cannot please them.


It isn't a Travesre City thing. Or a Portland thing. Because it happens in London too.

The mayor there had the good idea of giving cyclist a bike lane by painting a blue stripe on the streets as an indicator to people on bike and in vehicles.

But the London cyclists call it a "gimmick".

See Grist: London builds bike ‘superhighways’ with groundbreaking blue paint

Bicycle Lockers At The Old Town Parking Deck

The new Old Town Parking Deck will include Bike Lockers. They will cost $15/month or $1/day. Apparently these have been available at the downtown Hardy Parking Deck. Yeah, I didn't know that either.

See DowntownTC: Bike Lockers In The Old Town Parking Deck

How Seattle Adds Bike Lanes

See BikingBis: Arterial street in Seattle to become more bicycle friendly

Biking Safety

"Get a bicycle. You will not regret it. If you live." -Mark Twain

When people (women predominantly) are asked why they don't bike more they respond that it is because it is not safe. See Infrastructurist: Why More Women Don’t Ride Bikes (And What We Can Do About It)

In NYC one person decided to try something novel on their bicycle in the interest of safety - obeying traffic laws: Braking Away

But in the last few years, bicycling has become an accepted and much safer way to get around the city. Bike lanes abound, putting cars, trucks and vans at least a couple of feet farther from me. On the many paths along the rivers I can find breezy quiet and truly fresh air.

Perhaps looking for a new challenge, I’ve been attempting something unexpected in New York City bike-riding behavior: I stop for red lights.

And Vancouver has found that by protecting bicyclists it leads to more people on bikes. See: Protected Bike Lanes Increase Cycling by 30% on Vancouver's Burrard Bridge (Video)

What this means to Traverse City is that the bicycle advocates are right. For a safe and healthy community we need bike lanes wherever we can get them.

US Bike Route 35

The Adventure Cycling Association has proposed a network of bicycle routes across the United States. USBR 35 is a north-south bicycle corridor that will eventually go from Sault Ste Marie to Mississippi. In Michigan the proposed route will parallel Lake Michigan then cut through Traverse City.



For more on the Michigan section see: Meet Paul VandenBosch: Developing USBR 35 Along Lake Michigan

Bicyclist Have A Posse

[I'm reposting this from another site of mine]

It is the Federal Department of Transportation.

See FC: Transportation Secretary Announces "Sea-Change" for American Transport: Bikes!

LaHood's announcement... is backed by a set of eight guidelines, which will be sent to state DOT's and communities:

* Treat walking and bicycling as equals with other transportation modes.
* Ensure convenient access for people of all ages and abilities.
* Go beyond minimum design standards.
* Collect data on walking and biking trips.
* Set a mode share target for walking and bicycling.
* Protect sidewalks and shared-use paths the same way roadways are protected (for example, snow removal)
* Improve nonmotorized facilities during maintenance projects.

Which frankly all sounds rather dull, but here's the important thing: LaHood, as Transportation Secretary, is essentially saying, "If you want federal DOT dollars, you better think more seriously about adding bike paths to the projects you propose."

From Here To There By Bike

Look what Google has done: Biking directions added to Google Maps

and as The Atlantic explains: Why Google Maps' New Biking Directions Could Be Huge

I tested it to see if it would put me on the Leelanau Trail for a trip from Traverse City to Suttons Bay:

Urban Mountain Bike Park

Grand Rapids is doing it. See MLive: Urban mountain bike park makes Grand Rapids that much cooler

Could Hickory Hills ski area be used in this way during warmer weather and thus became a year-round destination and thus stop being a money losing operation for the city?

More Trail Economics

In Michigan, hunters spend $916 million. Snowmobilers have a $245 million impact. Anglers and bird watchers are estimated to inject $1.6 billion each. But no one knows how much non-motorized trails are worth.

See Mlive: State leaders miss mark by ignoring economic impact of non-motorized trail recreation

For comparison, a recent study in Wisconsin showed bicycling had a $1.5 billion economic impact plus possibly millions of dollars more in health care costs due to a healthy biking population.

See TheNorthWestern.com: UW study: Bicycling has huge economic impact

Making Bicycle Touring A Bigger Draw

The Traverse City area is a great biking area and hosts some well known events such as the Iceman Cometh Challenge; Twin Bays Cyclocross races; the Cherry-Roubaix Old Town Criterium; the Tour de Leelanau (which had to be canceled in 2009 due to the economy).

Races are one thing - what about the big city tourist looking for a weekend ride on quiet roads? Go to the nationally advertised tourist booking first stop, michigan.org, and search for Traverse City bike tours and you just get a list of places to bike.

The same search at Traverse City's Visitor's and Convention web site gives similar results.

A google search leads you to the Cherry Capital Cycling Club - but it is for locals.

Has no one thought of establishing European style bicycle tours of the northern Michigan wineries? Has no one thought of turning the city owned ski hill Hickory Hills and the surrounding park area into a summer freeriding destination?

Like so many other recreational opportunities, Traverse City can look at a similar Colorado town for guidance. See: Efforts in motion to promote Steamboat as cycling destination

A study by the Western Canada Mountain Bike Tourism Association found that the economic impact of mountain biking in southern British Columbia is substantial. The study found that visitors to Whistler Mountain Bike Park spent nearly $16.5 million in summer 2006 and supported an estimated 384 jobs paying $12.8 million in wages and salaries.