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NATIONAL
NCHRP REPORT 552
COOPERATIVE
HIGHWAY
RESEARCH
PROGRAM
Guidelines for Analysis of
Investments in Bicycle Facilities
OCR for page R2
TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE 2005 (Membership as of November 2005)
OFFICERS
Chair: John R. Njord, Executive Director, Utah DOT
Vice Chair: Michael D. Meyer, Professor, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology
Executive Director: Robert E. Skinner, Jr., Transportation Research Board
MEMBERS
MICHAEL W. BEHRENS, Executive Director, Texas DOT
ALLEN D. BIEHLER, Secretary, Pennsylvania DOT
LARRY L. BROWN, SR., Executive Director, Mississippi DOT
DEBORAH H. BUTLER, Vice President, Customer Service, Norfolk Southern Corporation and Subsidiaries, Atlanta, GA
ANNE P. CANBY, President, Surface Transportation Policy Project, Washington, DC
JOHN L. CRAIG, Director, Nebraska Department of Roads
DOUGLAS G. DUNCAN, President and CEO, FedEx Freight, Memphis, TN
NICHOLAS J. GARBER, Professor of Civil Engineering, University of Virginia
ANGELA GITTENS, Vice President, Airport Business Services, HNTB Corporation, Miami, FL
GENEVIEVE GIULIANO, Director, Metrans Transportation Center, and Professor, School of Policy, Planning, and Development,
USC, Los Angeles
BERNARD S. GROSECLOSE, JR., President and CEO, South Carolina State Ports Authority
SUSAN HANSON, Landry University Professor of Geography, Graduate School of Geography, Clark University
JAMES R. HERTWIG, President, CSX Intermodal, Jacksonville, FL
GLORIA JEAN JEFF, Director, Michigan DOT
ADIB K. KANAFANI, Cahill Professor of Civil Engineering, University of California, Berkeley
HERBERT S. LEVINSON, Principal, Herbert S. Levinson Transportation Consultant, New Haven, CT
SUE MCNEIL, Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Delaware
MICHAEL R. MORRIS, Director of Transportation, North Central Texas Council of Governments
CAROL A. MURRAY, Commissioner, New Hampshire DOT
MICHAEL S. TOWNES, President and CEO, Hampton Roads Transit, Hampton, VA
C. MICHAEL WALTON, Ernest H. Cockrell Centennial Chair in Engineering, University of Texas, Austin
LINDA S. WATSON, Executive Director, LYNX--Central Florida Regional Transportation Authority
MARION C. BLAKEY, Federal Aviation Administrator, U.S.DOT (ex officio)
JOSEPH H. BOARDMAN, Federal Railroad Administrator, U.S.DOT (ex officio)
REBECCA M. BREWSTER, President and COO, American Transportation Research Institute, Smyrna, GA (ex officio)
GEORGE BUGLIARELLO, Chancellor, Polytechnic University, and Foreign Secretary, National Academy of Engineering (ex officio)
J. RICHARD CAPKA, Acting Administrator, Federal Highway Administration, U.S.DOT (ex officio)
THOMAS H. COLLINS (Adm., U.S. Coast Guard), Commandant, U.S. Coast Guard (ex officio)
JAMES J. EBERHARDT, Chief Scientist, Office of FreedomCAR and Vehicle Technologies, U.S. Department of Energy (ex officio)
JACQUELINE GLASSMAN, Deputy Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, U.S.DOT (ex officio)
EDWARD R. HAMBERGER, President and CEO, Association of American Railroads (ex officio)
DAVID B. HORNER, Acting Deputy Administrator, Federal Transit Administration, U.S.DOT (ex officio)
JOHN C. HORSLEY, Executive Director, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (ex officio)
JOHN E. JAMIAN, Acting Administrator, Maritime Administration, U.S.DOT (ex officio)
EDWARD JOHNSON, Director, Applied Science Directorate, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (ex officio)
ASHOK G. KAVEESHWAR, Research and Innovative Technology Administrator, U.S.DOT (ex officio)
BRIGHAM MCCOWN, Deputy Administrator, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, U.S.DOT (ex officio)
WILLIAM W. MILLAR, President, American Public Transportation Association (ex officio)
SUZANNE RUDZINSKI, Director, Transportation and Regional Programs, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (ex officio)
ANNETTE M. SANDBERG, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administrator, U.S.DOT (ex officio)
JEFFREY N. SHANE, Under Secretary for Policy, U.S.DOT (ex officio)
CARL A. STROCK (Maj. Gen., U.S. Army), Chief of Engineers and Commanding General, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (ex officio)
NATIONAL COOPERATIVE HIGHWAY RESEARCH PROGRAM
Transportation Research Board Executive Committee Subcommittee for NCHRP
JOHN R. NJORD, Utah DOT (Chair) MICHAEL D. MEYER, Georgia Institute of Technology
J. RICHARD CAPKA, Federal Highway Administration ROBERT E. SKINNER, JR., Transportation Research Board
JOHN C. HORSLEY, American Association of State Highway MICHAEL S. TOWNES, Hampton Roads Transit, Hampton, VA
and Transportation Officials C. MICHAEL WALTON, University of Texas, Austin
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NATIONAL COOPERATIVE HIGHWAY RESEARCH PROGRAM
NCHRP REPORT 552
Guidelines for Analysis of
Investments in Bicycle Facilities
KEVIN J. KRIZEK
GARY BARNES
GAVIN POINDEXTER
PAUL MOGUSH
KRISTIN THOMPSON
Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs
University of Minnesota
DAVID LEVINSON
NEBIYOU TILAHUN
Department of Civil Engineering
University of Minnesota
DAVID LOUTZENHEISER
DON KIDSTON
Planners Collaborative Inc.
Boston, MA
WILLIAM HUNTER
DWAYNE THARPE
ZOE GILLENWATER
Highway Safety Research Center
University of North CarolinaChapel Hill
RICHARD KILLINGSWORTH
Active Living by Design Program
University of North CarolinaChapel Hill
S UBJECT A REAS
Planning and Administration · Highway and Facility Design
Research Sponsored by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials
in Cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration
TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD
WASHINGTON, D.C.
2006
www.TRB.org
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NATIONAL COOPERATIVE HIGHWAY RESEARCH PROGRAM NCHRP REPORT 552
Systematic, well-designed research provides the most effective Price $36.00
approach to the solution of many problems facing highway
Project 7-14
administrators and engineers. Often, highway problems are of local
ISSN 0077-5614
interest and can best be studied by highway departments
individually or in cooperation with their state universities and ISBN 0-309-09849-1
others. However, the accelerating growth of highway transportation Library of Congress Control Number 2006922678
develops increasingly complex problems of wide interest to © 2006 Transportation Research Board
highway authorities. These problems are best studied through a
coordinated program of cooperative research.
In recognition of these needs, the highway administrators of the
American Association of State Highway and Transportation COPYRIGHT PERMISSION
Officials initiated in 1962 an objective national highway research Authors herein are responsible for the authenticity of their materials and for obtaining
program employing modern scientific techniques. This program is written permissions from publishers or persons who own the copyright to any
previously published or copyrighted material used herein.
supported on a continuing basis by funds from participating
member states of the Association and it receives the full cooperation Cooperative Research Programs (CRP) grants permission to reproduce material in this
publication for classroom and not-for-profit purposes. Permission is given with the
and support of the Federal Highway Administration, United States
understanding that none of the material will be used to imply TRB, AASHTO, FAA,
Department of Transportation. FHWA, FMCSA, FTA, or Transit Development Corporation endorsement of a
The Transportation Research Board of the National Academies particular product, method, or practice. It is expected that those reproducing the
was requested by the Association to administer the research material in this document for educational and not-for-profit uses will give appropriate
program because of the Board's recognized objectivity and acknowledgment of the source of any reprinted or reproduced material. For other uses
of the material, request permission from CRP.
understanding of modern research practices. The Board is uniquely
suited for this purpose as it maintains an extensive committee
structure from which authorities on any highway transportation
subject may be drawn; it possesses avenues of communications and NOTICE
cooperation with federal, state and local governmental agencies, The project that is the subject of this report was a part of the National Cooperative
universities, and industry; its relationship to the National Research Highway Research Program conducted by the Transportation Research Board with the
Council is an insurance of objectivity; it maintains a full-time approval of the Governing Board of the National Research Council. Such approval
research correlation staff of specialists in highway transportation reflects the Governing Board's judgment that the program concerned is of national
importance and appropriate with respect to both the purposes and resources of the
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The members of the technical committee selected to monitor this project and to review
The program is developed on the basis of research needs
this report were chosen for recognized scholarly competence and with due
identified by chief administrators of the highway and transportation consideration for the balance of disciplines appropriate to the project. The opinions and
departments and by committees of AASHTO. Each year, specific conclusions expressed or implied are those of the research agency that performed the
areas of research needs to be included in the program are proposed research, and, while they have been accepted as appropriate by the technical committee,
to the National Research Council and the Board by the American they are not necessarily those of the Transportation Research Board, the National
Research Council, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation
Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. Officials, or the Federal Highway Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation.
Research projects to fulfill these needs are defined by the Board, and
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according to procedures established and monitored by the Transportation Research
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contracts are the responsibilities of the National Research Council Council.
and the Transportation Research Board.
The needs for highway research are many, and the National
Cooperative Highway Research Program can make significant
contributions to the solution of highway transportation problems of
mutual concern to many responsible groups. The program,
however, is intended to complement rather than to substitute for or
duplicate other highway research programs.
Published reports of the
NATIONAL COOPERATIVE HIGHWAY RESEARCH PROGRAM
are available from:
Transportation Research Board
Business Office
NOTE: The Transportation Research Board of the National Academies, the 500 Fifth Street, NW
National Research Council, the Federal Highway Administration, the American Washington, DC 20001
Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, and the individual and can be ordered through the Internet at:
states participating in the National Cooperative Highway Research Program do http://www.national-academies.org/trb/bookstore
not endorse products or manufacturers. Trade or manufacturers' names appear
herein solely because they are considered essential to the object of this report. Printed in the United States of America
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The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished schol-
ars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology
and to their use for the general welfare. On the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in
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respectively, of the National Research Council.
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COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAMS STAFF FOR NCHRP REPORT 552
ROBERT J. REILLY, Director, Cooperative Research Programs
CRAWFORD F. JENCKS, Manager, NCHRP
CHRISTOPHER J. HEDGES, Senior Program Officer
EILEEN P. DELANEY, Director of Publications
KAMI CABRAL, Associate Editor
NCHRP PROJECT 7-14
Field of Traffic--Area of Traffic Planning
RICHARD HAGGSTROM, California DOT (Chair)
DARRYL ANDERSON, Minnesota DOT (AASHTO Monitor)
JOHN C. FEGAN, FHWA
MARTIN GUTTENPLAN, Florida DOT
CHRISTOPHER J. JOHNSTON, Delta Development Group, Inc., Mechanicsburg, PA
ELLEN JONES, Downtown DC Business Improvement District, Washington, DC
SCOTT E. NODES, City of Goodyear Public Works Department, Goodyear, AZ
ANN DO, FHWA Liaison
RICHARD PAIN, TRB Liaison
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This report presents methodologies and tools to estimate the cost of various bicy-
FOREWORD cle facilities and for evaluating their potential value and benefits. The results will help
By Christopher J. Hedges transportation planners make effective decisions on integrating bicycle facilities into
Staff Officer their overall transportation plans and on a project-by-project basis. In the past, plan-
Transportation Research ners and stakeholders have been faced with considerable challenges in trying to esti-
Board mate the benefits of bicycle facilities. The authors have developed criteria for identi-
fying benefits that will be useful and effective for urban transportation planning, and
they have provided a systematic method to estimate both direct benefits to the users of
the facilities and indirect benefits to the community. The research described in the
report has been used to develop a set of web-based guidelines available on the Inter-
net at http://www.bicyclinginfo.org/bikecost/ that provide a step-by-step worksheet
for estimating costs, demands, and benefits associated with specific facilities under
consideration.
Transportation decision makers at the federal, state, and local levels are examining
the role of bicycling in response to traffic congestion, increased travel times, and envi-
ronmental degradation. Through federal highway legislation, funding has been made
available to develop bicycle facilities, both on and off road; however, greater public
investment in bicycle facilities warrants a more comprehensive analysis of the costs and
benefits. The U.S. DOT National Bicycling and Walking Study (1994) called for dou-
bling the percentage of trips made by bicycling and walking to 15 percent of total trips.
To make the best use of transportation funds, there is a need for better information on
(a) the effects of bicycle-facility investment on bicycle use and mode share and (b) the
resulting environmental, economic, public health, and social benefits. Under NCHRP
Project 07-14, "Guidelines for Analysis of Investments in Bicycle Facilities," a research
team led by the University of Minnesota conducted an extensive analysis of the costs
and benefits associated with bicycle facilities and developed a methodology that can be
applied by transportation planners to assist with decision making in their own jurisdic-
tions. The research results were used to develop web-based, step-by-step guidelines for
evaluating the cost, demand, and potential benefits for bicycle facilities in support of
investment decisions. These guidelines are available on a website maintained by the
Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center (PBIC) at www.bicyclinginfo.org/bikecost/.
The PBIC is a clearinghouse for information about health and safety, engineering, advo-
cacy, education, enforcement, and access and mobility. The interactive guidelines lead
the user through a series of questions, starting with the geographic location and the type
of facility under consideration, and working through more specific issues to an estimate
of the costs, demand, and potential benefits of the proposed facility.
PBIC is funded by the U.S. DOT and the Centers for Disease Control and Preven-
tion. The PBIC is part of the University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research
Center.
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CONTENTS 1 SUMMARY
Background, 1
Estimating Bicycle Facility Costs, 1
Measuring and Forecasting the Demand for Bicycling, 2
Benefits Associated with the Use of Bicycle Facilities, 3
Benefit-Cost Analysis of Bicycle Facilities, 3
Introduction, 4
7 CHAPTER 1 Estimating Bicycle Facility Costs
Identifying Costs, 7
Methodology for Determining Costs, 9
21 CHAPTER 2 Measuring and Forecasting the Demand for Bicycling
Introduction, 21
Literature Review, 21
A Sketch Planning Methodology, 26
28 CHAPTER 3 Benefits Associated with the Use of Bicycle Facilities
Previous Approaches, 28
Overview of Issues, 28
Proposed Benefits and Methods, 30
Conclusions, 36
38 CHAPTER 4 Benefit-Cost Analysis of Bicycle Facilities
Introduction and Purpose, 38
Translating Demand and Benefits Research into Guidelines, 38
Benefit-Cost Analysis Tool, 40
Application to Pedestrian Facilities, 42
47 CHAPTER 5 Applying the Guidelines
Federal Funding Sources, 47
Non-Federal Funding Sources, 48
51 ENDNOTES
53 BIBLIOGRAPHY AND SOURCES
A-1 APPENDIX A: Estimating Bicycling Demand
B-1 APPENDIX B: Bicycling Demand and Proximity to Facilities
C-1 APPENDIX C: Literature Researching Bicycle Benefits
D-1 APPENDIX D: User Mobility Benefits
E-1 APPENDIX E: User Health Benefits
F-1 APPENDIX F: User Safety Benefits
G-1 APPENDIX G: Recreation and Reduced Auto Use Benefits
H-1 APPENDIX H: Community Livability Benefits
I-1 APPENDIX I: Field Testing
J-1 APPENDIX J: Primer on Designing Bicycle Facilities
