Bicycle and Pedestrian Planning
Bicycle Planning
The bicycle, as a means of transportation and a form of recreation, offers many benefits for individuals, families and the community. Yet many people who would gladly bicycle for various trips in their communities find little or no accommodation for bicycles on area roads. Roads and highways that are designed to accommodate bicycles provide greater mobility for an increasing number of road users at low capital and environmental cost.
The typical length of bicycle trips (two to six miles) and the location of a significant share of bicycle destinations along the arterial network, suggest that arterial roads play an important role in bicycle mobility. Yet suburban arterial streets and highways are often the most stressful for the average bicyclist. Poor roadway service quality from the bicyclist's perspective is a major impediment to increased bicycle use in suburban areas.
DVRPC works with the New Jersey Bicycle Advisory Council and the Southeastern Pennsylvania Bicycle Task Force to advance the use of bicycles.
Pedestrian Planning
Although everyone benefits from walking, walking isn't always safe and easy -- particularly in Delaware Valley communities which have developed over the last half-century with a focus on automobile travel. With help from the counties, DVRPC staff identified several small areas with clear potential for pedestrian travel, including residential neighborhoods surrounding schools, rail stations, or commercial strips; and looked closely at the pedestrian environment. What staff found was that the needs of pedestrians have typically been overlooked throughout years of roadway improvements, new development and redevelopment. This initial examination of the pedestrian environment will be followed by consultation with county and municipal planning staffs to work through design and implementation issues.
DVRPC works with the New Jersey Pedestrian Task Force, Philly Walks, and numerous municipalities to promote a safer pedestrian environment.
Mercer County Interactive Bikeability Map
DVRPC has launched a new web site for Mercer County residents and bicyclists, to help them plan bicycle-friendly routes to ride. The site will also help planners identify priority bicycle corridors and facilities to be considered in the future. We are looking for stakeholders' ideas on priority bicycle routes, and their opinions on the routes submitted by others. We also welcome any knowledge they have about the bikeability ratings shown: are they too high, too low, or do they not reflect a specific local issue? Proposed routes and comments will be accepted until Friday, March 12th.