The San Francisco Department of Parking & Traffic (SFDPT) and Alta Planning + Design have released the landmark Shared Lane Pavement Markings: Improving Bicycle Safety study. The study has already caught the attention of bicycle planners nationwide, prompting inquiries from Texas, Virginia, Massachusetts and elsewhere.

Shared Lane markings encourage bicyclists to share the marked travel lane with motor vehicles. They are also intended to encourage cyclists to ride outside of the "door-zone" in urbanized areas. Although many cities around the world already use such markings with varying degrees of effectiveness, the only formal assessment undertaken until now had been a 1998 study in Florida. The new San Francisco study compared motorist and cyclist reaction to two previously developed markings, the bike-in-house (used in Gainesville and Denver) and the bike-with-chevrons (used in Chicago and Paris).

Researchers observed over 2,400 cyclists and 2,400 motor vehicles in different locations both with and without one of the two markings. They found that, overall, both markings resulted in a significant increase in the distance between cyclists and vehicles in the travel lanes (2 feet), and cyclists and parked vehicles (8 inches). Both also significantly decreased sidewalk cycling, and the bike-with-chevrons decreased wrong-way riding.

Researchers also surveyed 103 cyclists about their understanding of the markings. 45% said they felt the markings signified a bike route, gave bikes priority, or permitted bikes to use the entire lane. 60% felt that the markings increased their sense of safety.

As a result of these and other findings, the project team recommended that the bike-and-chevron marking be used as a standard marking in San Francisco. The study is available online at www.altaplanning.com.

  The State of New Hampshire owns over 300 miles of abandoned railroad corridors in various areas throughout the state, from the dense residential areas in the south to the scenic rural areas of the White Mountains. Most of the corridors are owned by the Department of Transportation (NHDOT) and leased to the Department of Resources and Economic Development (DRED), which manages the corridors primarily as snowmobile trails.

These rail corridors offer unique opportunities for developing shared-use paths for cyclists and pedestrians within and between towns. Alta Planning + Design and the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy are helping NHDOT develop a State Trails Plan which will address long-term development of these abandonded rail corridors, as well as 200 miles of non-state-owned corridors. Other state agencies, regional planning agencies, and the public are also involved in Plan development.

The undeveloped Presidential Range Rail Trail (pictured) is an example of a corridor in the White Mountains that may have great economic development potential associated with tourism. A project advisory committee is assisting the State in evaluating trail development options including how various levels of development, design and trail surfaces will affect different users including bicyclists, pedestrians, snowmobilers and in some cases all terrain vehicles. Members of diverse user groups are represented on the advisory committee. Public meetings are scheduled in May 2004 to discuss a draft State Trails Plan including recommendations for trail development.

For more information, contact Alta Principal Paul Smith in our Massachusetts office.

  The San Francisco Bay Trail is one of the oldest and largest regional trail systems in the United States, initiated in 1987 with a State mandate and managed by the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG). The regional system totals over 400 miles and connects 47 cities, with over 240 miles completed to date. The trail includes a diversity of settings, from urban waterfronts such as San Francisco’s Embarcadero, to numerous toll bridges, to quiet wetlands far removed from any development.

Alta staff have been involved with the Bay Trail almost since its inception, when Alta founder Michael Jones provided technical expertise in 1988 to the Bay Trail while with the WalkWays center in Washington, D.C. Since that time, Alta has been involved in the planning and design of the Bay Trail in over half of the cities on the Bay Trail. As the years go by, the most difficult gaps in the system remain, and Alta is playing an important role in helping to overcome those barriers.

Alta has been involved in numerous planning and design projects, including the Central Marin Ferry Connector, CalPark Tunnel, SMART Bikeway, Shoreline Trail, Cerrito Creek Trail, Carquinez Straight Trail, Union City Trail, Coyote Point Trail, Menlo Park Bay Trail, and many other projects. Alta has helped integrate the Bay Trail into County bicycle plans in five of the nine Bay Area Counties. Working with ABAG staff such as Laura Thompson, Alta has been proud to be a part of a system that provides such obvious benefits to the community and environment, and is truly the premier system of its type in the country.

For more information, contact Alta Principal Michael Jones in our San Rafael (CA) office.

Bicycle guide maps are an invaluable tool for agencies seeking to promote bicycling. Guide maps are typically utilitarian in nature, come in all shapes and sizes, and serve both experienced and inexperienced cyclists. The most common format contains select routes which are rated for their ease or difficulty of riding. These ratings are derived from current conditions such as existing bicycle facilities, lane widths, traffic volumes, traffic speed, topography, etc. Adding to their utility, they may also contain transit information, educational tidbits such rules of the road and bicycling tips, emergency numbers, and contact information for reporting maintenance issues. Guide maps are often provided by the sponsoring government at civic locations, bike shops, and tourist kiosks free of charge. Across the nation, guide maps have become so popular that jurisdictions often find it difficult to keep them in print.

Alta has worked with the Solano Transportation Authority (STA) in partnership with several of its neighboring entities to produce the BikeLinks Map, a bicycle guide map that covers all of Solano County and portions of Napa and Sacramento Counties. Since 1997, the BikeLinks map has been updated five times. Over 70,000 BikeLinks maps have been distributed free of charge to the public. The map can be found online at www.solanolinks.com.

  Between the nationally-recognized Springwater Corridor Trail and the newly opened and exceedingly popular "Springwater on the Willamette" trail lies a gap. At just over three-quarters of a mile, the gap contains the remaining undeveloped portion of the Springwater interurban railroad. Connecting the trail through this little-used rail corridor will complete nearly 22 continuous miles of trail, linking Gresham to downtown Portland and serving a number of neighborhoods and communities in between.

Alta Planning + Design was hired to analyze the gap corridor, develop opportunities and constraints maps, and provide cost estimates for three potential trail alignments. Issues in the corridor included private property issues, invasive vegetation, transient populations, illegal dumping, slope/retaining issues, transmission tower relocation, and crossing a major roadway. For more information on this project, contact Alta Planner Allison Wildman Allison Wildman.

• Pro-Bono Assistance: Alta staff are available to help community groups and agencies on a pro bono basis, whether it is answering questions or assisting with research. Every year we donate hundreds of hours to help our colleagues in a variety of areas. Call an Alta professional today to find out more about this, or come into one of our offices and use our library of resources.
   
• Conference Support Program: Alta offers help to deserving individuals who wish to attend conferences in fields related to bicycles, pedestrians, and trails. This may include plane tickets, other travel costs, and conference costs. Contact Alta Principals Michael Jones or Mia Birk to find out more about this program.