Minneapolis provides evidence of the power of robust bike infrastructure to attract additional bike riders.
"Minneapolis recorded a slight increase in bike use [in 2014], but officials saw a dramatic surge of usage on the city’s first protected bike lanes," reports Steve Brandt.
A bike count from September "found bike traffic up sharply on the Plymouth Avenue Bridge after where the city installed bike lanes separated by plastic tubes from traffic lanes."
"Bike traffic on the bridge is up 81 percent since the city installed the protected lanes during a bridge repair project in 2013. During five years when the bridge offered only shoulders or sidewalks for bikes, the city recorded an average of 350 bikes a day in its annual count. Bike traffic jumped to 720 estimated bikers in its Sept. 11, 2014, count."
Brandt provides more data from the bike count, made timely by the city's funded, but not approved, plans to spend $790,000 to build an additional 30 miles of protected bike lanes in 2015.
FULL STORY: Traffic spikes on protected bike lanes in Minneapolis
Bike Lanes Help Sidewalks, Too
A growing body of evidence shows that bike lanes put more people on bikes while also helping those people on bikes stay off sidewalks. The latest example: Honolulu.
Minneapolis Getting Bike Friendlier
The city of Minneapolis will add 30 miles of protected bike lanes to its city, especially around Downtown.
The United States' Top Large City for Biking Is...
Portland (top city in 2012)? Minneapolis (top city in 2010)? No, it's the Big Apple! New York City leaped from #7 in 2012 to the top spot this year for cities with populations of 100,000 or greater.
Four ‘Low-Hanging Fruit’ Zoning Reforms
An excerpt from the latest book on zoning argues for four approaches to reform that can immediately improve land use regulation in the United States.
San Francisco Just Ended Single-Family Zoning
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted to Tuesday to eliminate single-family zoning, but pro-development advocates say additional changes are needed to unleash a wave of construction.
The State of the Nation’s Housing: 2022 Report
An annual report from the Joint Center for Housing Studies (JCHS) reveals that a growing number of American households face housing insecurity and spiking costs of living.
Oklahoma City Begins Work on its First Bus Rapid Transit System
The BRT line has been in the works since 2005, when the city created a plan to focus on regional transit solutions.
Atlanta One Step Closer to Bus Rapid Transit
The city’s transit agency says bus rapid transit will be cheaper and faster to build than light rail.
Sacramento Households Hit Hard by Evictions
With pandemic-era renter protections ending and rents rising by close to 20 percent, renters in Sacramento are finding it harder to afford housing in the region.
City of Bothell
Town of San Anselmo
Palm Beach Transportation Planning Agency (TPA)
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Harvard Graduate School of Design Executive Education
Harvard Graduate School of Design Executive Education
City of Apache Junction
City of Helena
Gallatin County, Montana
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.
Hand Drawing Master Plans
This course aims to provide an introduction into Urban Design Sketching focused on how to hand draw master plans using a mix of colored markers.
