A national philanthropic program designed to help cities produce more bike infrastructure has been a resounding success, according to recent analysis.
A team of researchers—Wilton Olver, Yonah Freemark and Yipeng Su—at the Urban Institute published findings of an examination of the Final Mile Program, launched in 2018 with philanthropic funding to jump-start municipal bike infrastructure improvements. According to the source article, the program "supported a combination of advocacy, communications, and engineering support in Austin, Denver, New Orleans, Pittsburgh, and Providence."
According to the research, cities involved in the program built more, higher quality bike infrastructure than other cities. "By the end of 2021, all Final Mile cities except New Orleans reached the ambitious cycling infrastructure mileage goals set by local officials: Austin and Denver completed at least 100 miles of improved bikeways during the program, significant expansions in investment compared with previous years," according to the article.
The research team conducted interviews in each funded community to discover the keys to the program's success. "Three explanations stand out: local government leaders committed to an ambitious, public mileage goal; they were continuously held accountable for achieving that goal, thanks to the active involvement of nonprofits and media campaigns; and they received new technical assistance for engineering," according to the article.
The article opens with the suggestion that the program might reveal general conclusions about the ability of U.S. cities to get more of their residents to ride bikes instead of driving everywhere, but the connection between infrastructure expansion and mode share increases isn't made in the article. Evidence from New Zealand, published in 2014, suggest that robust bike infrastructure contributes to higher bike mode share.
FULL STORY: How Can Cities Rapidly Expand Access to Cycling Infrastructure?
11 Most-Improved Bike Networks in the US
PeopleForBikes has evaluated bike networks in thousands of cities across the United States and identified several that have achieved “incredible increases” in just a few years.
Regional Bikeway System Planned for Sacramento Area
The proposed network would improve connectivity between the area's existing bikeways and increase access to regional job centers.
The Best New Bike Infrastructure of 2017
PeopleForBikes surveys the best new additions to bike networks around the country, and finds a lot to celebrate.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.
Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.
Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.
MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.
Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie