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. New flexibility in funding under the Intermodal Surface Transportation Act (ISTEA) of 1991 and the requirements of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments offers new opportunitiess 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 non-motorized transit access, but many major problems and opportunities have not yet been addressed. This report highlights some of these efforts and opportunities.