NATIONAL BICYCLING AND WALKING STUDY. CASE STUDY NO. 9: LINKING BICYCLE/PEDESTRIAN FACILITIES WITH TRANSIT

This report deals with how people get to and from public transportation by bicycling or walking, a subject which has not been extensively studied in North America. Pedestrian and bicycle access to transit has been taken for granted in many communities, and frequently neglected in planning, design, and operations. However, without good pedestrian and bicycle access to transit, the only way passengers can be attracted out of their cars is to provide parking at transit stations and stops. New flexibility in funding under the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA) and the requirements of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments offers new opportunities and strong encouragement for transportation agencies to work together in improving pedestrian and bicycle access to transit. Action in this area offers the potential of highly cost-effective reductions in air pollution emissions, increased transit ridership, alleviation of chronic capacity shortages at many park-and-ride lots, and reduced traffic congestion near transit stations. A number of transit agencies and local and State Governments have initiated efforts to improve nonmotorized transit access, but many major problems and opportunities have not yet been addressed. This report highlights some of these efforts and opportunities.