STRATEGIES FOR INCREASING LEVELS OF WALKING AND BICYCLING FOR UTILITARIAN PURPOSES

This paper reports the results of an extensive survey of motorized and nonmotorized travel. The survey was conducted in connection with a study to (a) identify problems associated with walking and bicycling, (b) identify a wide range of incentives to promote the use of walking and bicycling for utilitarian trip purposes, and (c) establish the cost-effectiveness of the incentives identified. This paper limits itself to an analysis of the survey results as they relate to the topics of (a) trip and trip-maker characteristics, (b) mode choice and mode preference, and (c) changes in preference for alternative modes of travel in response to the implementation of selected scenarios. The scenarios tested were (a) provision of bicycle and pedestrian facilities, (b) fee on automobile use during peak periods, (c) compact land-use setting with provision of pedestrian and bicycle facilities, and (d) increases in fuel prices. The survey responses indicate that a compact land- use arrangement, combined with the provision of pedestrian and bicycle facilities, has the greatest potential for creating a shift from the automobile to walking and bicycling. Bicycle and pedestrian facilities alone follow in importance. A fee on automobile use during peak periods has the effect of reducing automobile use; however, one-third to one-half of the trips diverted go to transit rather than to nonmotorized modes. Finally, doubling the price of fuel appears to be the least effective of the strategies analyzed for increasing walking and bicycling. (Authors)