LIB Municipal Bicycle Resource Guide

The League of Illinois Bicyclists (LIB) has produced a Municipal Bicycle Resource Guide (as a printed pamphlet or a PDF file) to offer ideas for improving biking conditions for your residents. Several topics, listed below, are summarized in the guide. The next level of detail, and links to other references, are available on this webpage.

• How bicycle-friendly is your town? Can adults and kids bike safely from their homes to places they want (or need) to get to by bicycle? The presence of bicyclists and pedestrians is one indicator of a community's livability. What can be done in your town?
• Why should towns plan for bicycling?
• Is bikeway planning more than providing trails for recreation?
• Not all bicyclists are the same - what's appropriate for each category?
• What are some of the options for making a road more bike-friendly?
• What about the liability for on-street bikeways?
• What about the safety concerns of encouraging bicycling on or along busy roads?
• Instead of on-street bikeways on busy roads, why not use sidewalks or trails along the roads?
• What factors are necessary for a successful trail?
• Often, residents raise concerns about a proposed trail's effect on crime and property values. What has happened elsewhere?
• What are some good urban trail locations?
• What funding sources are available for bike trails and other projects?
• What other "bike infrastructure" is needed?
• Is there bike safety information available?
• Why is it useful to have a bike plan?
• What destinations are good places to start?
• For my agency, what steps can be taken to start?

How bicycle-friendly is your town? Can adults and kids bike safely from their homes to places they want (or need) to get to by bicycle?

The presence of bicyclists and pedestrians is one indicator of a community's livability. What can be done in your town?

The Bikeability Checklist from the national Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center can help you find the answers. Take a sample bike ride in your town, answer some questions, and see how your route rates. The checklist provides both immediate answers and long-term solutions to your town's potential problems.

LIB is available as a resource to towns on the bike issues listed in this guide, and more.
As part of our mission, we offer free technical assistance to towns. We also do contract work for more involved, time-consuming projects. A few examples of how we have helped:

• Bike planning presentations in Kankakee, Kane, South Suburban, DuPage, Rockford, Decatur....
• Help Geneseo, Evergreen Park, and Geneva choose where and how to implement bike routes
• Bicycle suitability analysis of roadways in Kane, Lombard, CATS (Chicago area)
• Funding advice for Morrison, Kankakee, Vienna...
• Bike plan for North Aurora, with follow-up grant writing
• Bike safety information for Kane County bike map

We can also identify local cyclists who may want to help. Contact us at 630-978-0583 or lib@bikelib.org
We find that many cyclists are very eager to attend a brainstorming session, or otherwise participate to improve their local biking conditions.

Why should towns plan for bicycling?

Bicycle improvements are popular with residents.

• Naperville Park District (1998) found 91% of residents expressed moderate or strong interest in biking/walking paths that link with other area paths, far exceeding the amount of interest in other park district facilities.
• Almost half of the respondents to a 2003 Gallup poll said they are very or somewhat dissatisfied with how their communities are designed for bicycling.
• 53% of Americans support increased federal spending on bicycle facilities, even if it means less gas taxes go to construction of new roads.(2003 Belden Russonello and Stewart poll).

Many Illinois towns use bicycling as an economic development tool to attract tourism and new business.

• The presence of bikes and pedestrians is often seen as an indicator of a community's livability and quality-of-life, a key factor for businesses in location decisions.
• Bicycling and trails play a significant role in state and local tourism efforts and in the Governor's "Opportunity Returns" regional economic development reports.
• A substantial and ever-increasing collection of studies support the conclusion that trails and greenways improve local economies, stimulating tourism and recreation-related spending. ( Rails-to-Trails Conservancy)

Biking should be a viable option for short trips around town.
Half of all trips nationally are 3 miles or less, with many under 1 or 2 miles - a "bikeable" distance for much of the population. Bike planning efforts focus on these short trips: school, errands, train station, and (for some) the work commute.

Cycling provides benefits for traffic congestion, environment and clean air, health and physical activity, and overall quality-of-life.

• Short car trips disproportionately pollute the air, due to "cold start" emissions. Bicycling can play a role in reducing these trips.
• Bicycling is a moderate physical activity, providing significant physical and mental benefits for people of all ages. ( Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center, Ken Kifer, Pedalling Health)

Don't forget the obligation to provide safe transportation for those who bike by necessity, including kids/teens, some seniors and others, and those who can't afford cars!

• 8.3% of American households do not own cars, including 26.5% of those with incomes under $20,000. (2001 National Household Travel Survey)
• Safe bicycling conditions can help increase mobility and independence of children and young teens, which also reduces the chauferring burden of parents!

Is bikeway planning more than providing trails for recreation?

Yes, a broader view - with a combination of trails and bike-friendly roads - can better serve a wider range of people.
Look beyond a common view of biking as an optional activity done only at specific locations (e.g., trails) in town. While 52% of bike travel is for recreation/exercise, 43% is to get to destinations. (2001 National Household Travel Survey) Also, most bicycling takes place on roads (USDOT 2002 National Survey of Pedestrian and Bicyclists Attitudes), partly because trails don't go everywhere that people need to go - like roads do.

Not all bicyclists are the same - what's appropriate for each category?

Sidewalks are generally adequate for young kids.
However, as kids get older and start to bike faster, conflicts at intersections become more of an issue (see below). Parents should monitor their kids' readiness to ride on quiet and then busier roads, based on their age and skills. (Not adding bike lanes on busier roads, for fear of attracting underskilled child cyclists, is an invalid reason that contradicts results elsewhere.)

Teens and casual adult cyclists are typically served by quieter residential roads, trails, and dedicated on-road space such as bike lanes and paved shoulders.

Experienced cyclists - the 20% who bike 80% of the miles - are like motorists, preferring direct routes without lots of stops but with access to destinations anywhere in town.
Because of their higher skills and confidence, they are more willing to share lanes with traffic - when better options are absent. All roads should be "bikeable" for at least these cyclists.

What are some of the options for making a road more bike-friendly?

The vast majority of roads (residential, minor collectors) don't need anything special.
Some believe that bicyclists need special provisions (extra width, sidepath trail, etc.) on all roads - including quiet rural and residential roads. This is NOT true! Non-designated "shared roadways" are fully accepted and described by the AASHTO Guide for the Development of Bicycle Facilities - the industry standard.

Wide outside lanes (nominally 14') allow a car to pass a bike within the same lane, with at least 3' clearance. On lower-speed, (space-constrained?) urban roads, wide lanes are welcomed especially by experienced cyclists. However, these are often inadequate for faster roads.

Bike lanes (urban arterials and major collectors) or paved shoulders (major rural or urban roads) are often better options. The lane stripe defines space for cars and bikes, while improving motorist safety, traffic capacity, road maintenance, and more. See Reasons for paved shoulders, and benefits of urban bike lanes to other road users.

Bike lanes have worked well around the country for over 30 years.

• Sample results from Corvallis (OR): large increase in bike use, crashes slightly down, bad bicycling habits decreased. (Michael Ronkin, Oregon DOT Bike/Pedestrian Program, 2002)
• Chicago "before/after" results for roads with bike lanes: 25-100% increase in cycling, accident rates (predominantly car-car crashes) decreased by 9.9% at intersections and 15.4% at mid-block. (Chicago DOT Bicycle Program, 2004)

Best resource: AASHTO Guide for the Development of Bicycle Facilities
Includes guidance on bike planning, on-road bikeway and trail design issues. Order in book or CD format.

Objective measures like Bicycle Level of Service rate the on-road comfort level of adult cyclists, based on a roadway's traffic conditions and geometry. These can be useful in both planning and policy.

• BLOS and Pedestrian Level of Service are gaining acceptance in Illinois, used by IDOT (in their bike maps), Kane County, Chicago Area Transportation Study (CATS), South Suburban Mayors & Managers Association, Lombard, and more.
• Applications include picking routes for a community bike network, identifying "weak links" in the bike or ped network, developing a suitability map to help individuals with route selection, prioritizing projects, and evaluating alternate design treatments to achieve a particular goal.
• Policy uses can range from a simple calculation to raise awareness (Some agencies now require a "before-and-after" calculation to gauge road design impact on bikes/peds), to incentives in project selection, to requirements to meet a certain level.
• In our experience, BLOS of "C" or better is appropriate for more experienced, confident cyclists - this is a good goal for all roads. More casual cyclists prefer "B" or better - an appropriate goal for roads frequented by these cyclists. Striping extra width (bike lanes, shoulders, etc.) is the easiest way to achieve better scores.

What about the liability for on-street bikeways?

This has been an issue in Illinois since a 1998 State Supreme Court ruling (Boub v. Wayne) established a unique liability disincentive for adding bike lanes or signage ("Share the Road", "Bike Route", etc.) This is poor public policy, and the Illinois State Legislature has been working on a solution.
This issue has been exaggerated in scope, as many agencies have refused to consider such on-road bike routes because of it. However, the case history of injured cyclists suing because of road conditions has been minimal in Illinois and around the country. And, the policy implications should bear more weight than a small increase in exposure. Adding bike lanes and signage for cyclists is like adding sidewalks for pedestrians - serving a municipal function of improving safety for its citizens. Cities such as Naperville, Chicago, and others consciously recognize this and have aggressively added bike lanes and designated routes in town.

Bicycling on roads - and on-road bikeways - are recognized by federal and state policies and professional guidelines.
Your best protection is to follow the nationally (and court)-accepted industry standards such as the AASHTO guide and MUTCD.

What about the safety concerns of encouraging bicycling on or along busy roads?

Especially in newer, non-grid style development, these roads may provide the only possible route between points A and B in town. Also, many destinations (and jobs) are along these roads, with no alternatives.
Until 30-40 years ago, towns were developed using a road grid. These older areas give cyclists the option of using parallel side streets, with frequent cross-streets to access destinations along the main road. Now, distinct subdivisions and other developments interconnect much less, and all traffic is forced onto the main roads. This increases the need to include bike/ped accommodations with these roads.

There will be some level of bike usage regardless. Instead of doing nothing because of safety concerns, provide space for those who must bike that road - motorists benefit, too.
Sometimes, the desire to NOT "encourage" cyclists and pedestrians on/along a busy road is the reason given for not accommodating these modes. However, that ignores those who MUST bike or walk that road - often by necessity. A disproportionate number of bike fatalities come from low-income workers forced into travel lanes on these roads (often at night) to get to/from retail or service jobs.

Crossing busy roads can be difficult for bicyclists and pedestrians. Intersections or mid-block crossings can be improved using design features such as: crosswalks, median refuge islands, slip lane islands, etc. (Oregon Bicycle Pedestrian Plan). See the Florida's Trail Intersection Design Handbook for more.
For trails and sidepaths, do not always assume that a signalized crossing at intersectionos is safer than a mid-block crossing - particularly for busy, multi-lane road intersections with continuous turning motions and large turning radii (faster turns).

Instead of on-street bikeways on busy roads, why not use sidewalks or trails along the roads?

For roads with very few crossings (driveways, streets, entrances), these "sidepaths" can be great options, appealing to a wide range of cyclists.
LIB has developed a "Sidepath Suitability Score" on-line calculator to determine how appropriate a sidepath may be (or already is) along a particular road. A bad score may indicate that an on-road facility (bike lanes, paved shoulders) may be a better choice.

Where there are many crossings, the intersections make sidewalk or sidepath riding more dangerous than riding on the road!! Lack of expectation and visibility, plus questions about right-of-way, lead to these higher accident rates. And, it's much worse for cyclists riding against the flow of adjacent traffic.
Kane County's bike map includes a diagram (page 10) illustrating these points, which may be very counter-intuitive to non-cyclists. A further discussion of sidepath issues, including those described by the AASHTO guide, is here.

There are ways to reduce these risks, but sidepaths are still not recommended where there are frequent intersections.
Crossings may be improved with:

• Bringing the sidepath closer to the parallel road at the crossing
• High visibility crosswalks
• Tighter radii to slow down turning motorists crossing the sidepath
• Warning signage for both crossing motorists, and motorists turning across the sidepath from the parallel road.

See pages 3.2-3.7 of Florida's Trail Intersection Design Handbook for more detail.

What factors are necessary for a successful trail?

Traffic separation, scenic, connected to land uses, well-designed street crossings, shorter (or same) distance than on-road, visibility, good design, proper maintenance. [more]

Often, residents raise concerns about a proposed trail's effect on crime and property values. What has happened elsewhere?

A nationwide study found that rates of major crime along trails are dramatically lower than the overall rates for the towns through which they pass. (Rails-Trails and Safe Communities: The Experience on 372 Trails, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, 1998).

People who use trails tend to be the same demographically as the people living near the trail. (Ibid.)

In general, trails have a neutral to slightly positive effect on nearby home property values. (Rails-to-Trails Conservancy; also Seattle Engineering Department - 1987)

Many who originally oppose a new trail change their mind after it is built.
Before Bloomington-Normal's Constitution Trail was built, 48% of adjacent landowners opposed it. 54% of these people changed their minds and had positive attitudes after the trail was built. (Douglas Turco, IPRA/IAPD Conference, 1996).

Resources are available for towns encountering opposition.
The Rails-to-Trails Conservancy has fact sheets and resources covering these topics and trail benefits.

What are some good urban trail locations?

Small short cuts (including cul-de-sac connections), places that bridge obstacles, good connections to land uses, along protected corridors with links to the street systems, and along busy and faster roads with a minimum of intersections. Not: adjacent to expressways with several exit ramps.

What funding sources are available for bike trails and other projects?

See a funding overview article.

IDOT and the MPOs (Metropolitan Planning Organizations) administer federal sources including Transportation Enhancements (ITEP), CMAQ ( Chicago and St. Louis areas only), and others including some STP funds.
These are federal grants paying 80% but generally having stricter requirements and longer time frames.

IDNR administers the State Bike Path Grant Program (50% local and state shares) and the federal Recreational Trails Program (80% federal/state, 20% local).

Your federal and state legislators could provide another source of funds, through their earmarked funding in annual federal transportation appropriations bills, the multi-year federal transportation legislation, and state member initiatives.
LIB and others have had success using this approach.

IDNR also has a program to help fund county/regional trails plans.

What other "bike infrastructure" is needed?

Providing bike parking, like racks and lockers, encourages bike use and reduces theft.

• Newer rack styles like inverted-U racks are better than the old "schoolyard" fence- style racks.
• More communities are adopting bicycle parking ordinances that specify a minimum level of bicycle parking for different building types and land uses. Illinois examples include Schaumburg (Title 15, Chapter 154, Section 125) and Naperville.

Improving the bike-transit connection can increase the range of transit and help ease parking and congestion issues at stations.

• Many of Illinois' transit agencies have added bike racks to their bus fleets, and St. Louis' Metrolink permit bikes on their trains.
• In recent years, bike parking and usage at Chicago suburban Metra stations have increased. Several towns have focused on bike routes to these stations. Naperville has installed many racks and designated routes, and now have summer peaks of over 100 people biking to Metra.

Traffic signal detection loops can be designed for bike activation.
The 2003 MUTCD now includes pavement marking and signage helping bicyclists activate detectors at stoplights.

Is there bike safety information available?

Education improves both cycling rates and safety by providing both the skills and confidence needed to bike around town.
Learning proper techniques - and ways to avoid common crashes - can help overcome much of the fear of riding with a moderate amount of traffic. See our list of recommended books, videos, websites, and classes.

Wearing properly-adjusted helmets is important, and safe riding techniques are a must. Several resources exist, like free IDOT booklets for both kids and adults.
The "Eyes, Ears, and Mouth" helmet fit test is described here.

Why is it useful to have a bike plan?

A bike plan assesses current conditions, outlines a vision for the future, and guides implementation by prioritizing improvements and recommending specific policies. Including residents and other stakeholders in the process grows support for the plan.

• More and more towns and counties have recently developed local bike plans. The Kane County plan is very comprehensive, with useful policies, guidelines, and examples that could be used elsewhere.
• A possible vision statement might be "making the choice to bike more inviting while better serving those who bike by necessity".

Having an adopted plan can help obtain grants, improve coordination among towns, and require developers and others to follow its recommendations.
The criteria of the main funding sources emphasize inclusion in an adopted plan.

If in-house resources are insufficient, consultants can create bike plans, apply for grants, and design bikeways.
E-mail LIB to get contact info for consultants specializing in these projects.

What destinations are good places to start?

Train station or transit centers, town centers, areas with lots of retail/commercial (for customers and employees), major recreation areas including pools and community centers.
First consider destinations that already attract bikes - and would attract more with some improvements.

A Safe Routes to School program can be initiated. A useful toolkit is available.
Safe Routes to School includes both infrastructure improvements near school, and education/encouragement programs. As of May 2004, it appears that there may soon be a federal Safe Routes to School grant program, likely to be administered by IDOT.

Road projects and new developments are great opportunities. Plan for bicycling from the start, when it's most cost-efficient.
Make sure someone is "looking out for bicyclists" in the process - whether a staff member or a citizens' advisory committee. Or, officially mainstream bicycling through policy or ordinance (for example, DuPage County's Healthy Roads Initiative).

For my agency, what steps can be taken to start?

Consider starting a bicycle advisory committee of a few local cyclists. LIB can suggest ideas and help find candidates.
Tasks may include review of roadway designs and developments for impact on bicycling, guiding implementation (or development) of a local bike plan, encouragement/promotion efforts, and more.

Designate a staff member to learn about and to be the contact for bikeway issues. That person would regularly review projects and developments for their impact on bicycling.
We can point you to some good resources and seminars. An increasing number of cities have either partial-time or full-time bike/pedestrian coordinators.

Look through the League of American Bicyclists' application for its Bicycle Friendly Community recognition program. It gives ideas for improvements that could be made in engineering, education, encouragement, evaluation and planning, and enforcement.
Even for towns not intending on applying, just going through the application itself is very educational.

Develop a consciousness about bicycles being a part of the transportation system. Try riding around town yourself to help develop that intuition.
Many professionals who haven't biked much since their youth find this to be very enlightening. In Chicago and Kane County, bike/ped staff have led on-bike tours for other staffers. Also, ask us about LAB's "Road 1" classes that are available.

If you have further questions on bicycle issues, contact us at lib@bikelib.org or 630-978-0583.

Print out a PDF file of our Municipal Bicycle Resource Guide pamphlet