bridging the gap: a bike route to culturally connect greater providence

Bridging the Gap: A Bike Route to Culturally Connect Greater Providence

Galia Deitz, John Goncalves, Jason Steinbach

The East Coast Greenway

“The East Coast Greenway vision is for a long-distance, urban, shared-use trail system linking 25 major cities along the eastern seaboard between Calais, Maine and Key West, Florida.”Similar to EuroVelo and Trans Canada Trail

RI Bike CoalitionMission: “The Rhode Island Bicycle Coalition exists to promote and enable bicycling as a healthy, enjoyable, efficient and environmentally friendly mode of transportation in and around the State of Rhode Island.”Founded in the Fall of 2007 to promote communication/organization between cycling groups

Eric Weiss, East Coast Greenway Trail Coordinator

The RI Bike Coalition Stake in the East Coast Greenway

Catering to Bicycles and Pedestrians: To develop and maintain a bike path that ensures and encourages biking as an energy efficient, environmentally friendly, economically beneficial, healthy, and safe mode of transportation and recreation.

RI Bike CoalitionWe need a way to

connect the existing Washington Secondary

bike path and the Blackstone River

Bikeway. Specifically, we need a route extending from Cranston, through

Providence, to Pawtucket. The proposed

path needs to be safe, enjoyable, and good for

the Providence community.

Eric Weiss, East Coast Greenway Trail Coordinator

What We Heard:

Integrate bicycling, walking, and public transit to attract bike and pedestrian commutersImprove bicycle access (connectivity) in surrounding neighborhoods, to encourage longer trips Designate a route to ensure user safetyProvide low cost mobility options for those who don’t have access to transportation modes

Ideally we would:

Our Research Plan:Goal/Aims:

To improve upon the existing broken bike paths that connect the Washington Secondary Bike Path and Blackstone River Pathway, while ensuring the safety and enjoyment of route users, and providing a survey of the different cultures that contribute to the city of Providence

Methodology:Historical contextDemographicsTraffic analysisCrime analysisEthnographic survey

“Our” Providence…

Neighborhoods of

Providence

Cranston

East Providence

Pawtucket

North

Provid

ence

• 25 official neighborhoods, that are grouped together as the following:• The East Side• The Jewelry District

(“The Knowledge District”)

• The North End• The South Side• West Broadway• The West Side

Silver Lake: A Brief History1710 Plainfield RoadRural area with sparse agricultural development through 18th and much of 19th centuryRapid urbanization beginning at 20th century due to industrial growthDivision of northern and southern communities

St. Bartholomew's Church on Laurel Hill Avenue

Silver Lake: DemographicsLargest proportion of residents are Italian

23.2% is Italian 11.9% is Irish9.1% is Asian8.6% is English7.4% is French1.8% is Armenian5.0% is Portuguese

68.7% of households speak English17.5% born out of the country

37.9% of commuters spend under 15 minutes commuting one-way to work

80.7% of residents drive alone in private automobile11.8% carpool

Neighborhoods of

Providence

Cranston

East Providence

Pawtucket

North

Provid

ence




Hartford: A Brief HistoryRural, agricultural region in 17th and 18th centuriesIndustrialization began with Mill Merino in 1812

“Merino cloth”

Hartford Park Public Housing Project and Manton Heights Housing ProjectConstruction of Route 6 Connector Site of soapstone quarry used by

Narragansett Indians

Hartford: DemographicsLargest proportion of residents are Italian

17.6% is Italian 16.2% is Puerto Rican9.9% is Dominican5.9% is Irish5.3% is Asian4.0% is Portuguese

44.9% of households speak Spanish27.7% born out of the country35.7% of commuters spend under 15 minutes commuting one-way to work


20.4% of neighborhood households are run by single mothers

A Block Group in Hartford

We were able to extract interesting demographic data from the map on different "block groups" or sections of neighborhoods. Using the housing area just south of Merino Park, we find that more than half of households make less than $15,000 a year. It is unsurprising that this area is underserved in terms of public amenities such as safe bike paths.

More than half of residents are younger than 24. (left)

The vast majority of households have 0-1 vehicles available. (right) It seems that biking for the sake of mobility would make sense in an urban area like this, where mostly young, physically capable people are poor and lack access to affordable, reliable transportation.

Neighborhoods of

Providence

Cranston

East Providence

Pawtucket

North

Provid

ence




Olneyville: A Brief History

One of Providence’s oldest neighborhoods

Part of the Providence Colony that Roger Williams acquired from Narragansett Indians in 1636

Larger settlement began in 1785 after Christopher Olney founded a grist mill and a paper mill

Providence Dyeing, Bleaching and Calendaring Company

Thoughts on the Olneyville Community

Olneyville: DemographicsLargest proportion of residents are Italian

17.6% is Italian 16.2% is Puerto Rican9.9% is Dominican5.9% is Irish5.3% is Asian4.0% is Portuguese

45.5% of households speak Spanish

32.9% born out of the country

35.8% (majority) of commuters spend under 15 minutes commuting one-way to work


20.3% of neighborhood households are run by single mothers

3.6% of individuals have earned a bachelor’s degree

A Block Group, in Olneyville

This is another block group further along the bike path, across Rt. 6 into Olneyville. Average number of vehicles available: 0.7. The vast majority of this housing area makes less than $15,000 a year.

Crime in Providence

Source: Providence Police Department

• Providence property crime statistics report an overall downward trend in crime based on data from 11 years

• Providence violent crime has fluctuated, and does not seem to follow any positive or negative data trend

Actual vs. Projected Crime Totals

Larceny and Theft 5,088Motor Vehicle Theft 1,077

Larceny and Theft 4,060Motor Vehicle Theft 561


Larceny includes shoplifting, pickpocket, pursesnatch, from building, bicycles, motor vehicle parts or accessories, and

other.

Traffic in Providence65 of all road crashes in 2008 resulted in fatalities83 of all road crashes in 2009 resulted in fatalities

This is a 28% increase over 1 year

In 2009, there were 0 reported cyclist deaths in the entire state of Rhode Island

Compare to 6 in Massachusetts and 1 in Connecticut

17 deaths on "local roads" in Rhode Island in 200945-54 is age group with highest number of deaths due to road crashes

Ages 16-20 are second highest

The Google Earth data also helped us to identify the streets along our path that have the most average daily traffic. Hartford Avenue, which seems to be the most troublesome spot on (in this case crossing) the path, has 9,700 AADT (as of 1996). For reference, compare this to the graph at left of the AADT of each interchange on I-95. We may want to advise cyclists of trouble spots along the path, especially where there is traffic and/or no sidewalk.

Class II - Bike lane: A dedicated exclusive bike path meant for bike and pedestrian traffic.

Class I - Shared use path: A marked lane exclusively for bike travel on roadways.

The Three Classes of Bikeways:

Class III - Bike Route: Sometimes marked, Class III Bike Routes offer advantages compared to alternative routes. Bicycle riders must share the roadway with other vehicles.

The Three Classes of Bikeways:

Bike Path Inventorya.) Bicycle Crimes/Violations

Ease of bike thefts can be a significant factor that discourages bike use

Problem: Most of the individuals who have had their bikes stolen, often failed to license them. Thus, it’s difficult for the police department to trace back the ownership of the bikes.

Solution: More uniform process for reporting lost or stolen bicycles and encouraging licensing of the bikes and increasing the security

Bike Path Inventoryb.) Bicycle Crashes

While bicycling is a fairly safe activity, incidents leading to serious accidents and injuries are not uncommon

As a result of the small injury rate of crashes/accidents, many go unreported. Hence the data and the analysis is not always accurate.

Bike Path Inventory:c.) Police Involvement and Security

Has particular relevancy to District 5 More officer patrol is an effective way of crime preventionOfficers on bicycles are in close contact with residents, increasing public relations.Visibility of bike patrols encourages bicycle use

Noted concernsBike and Pedestrian Impediments:

CarsDisinterest in bicycle path Pedestrians walking along pathLitter

Signage Issues

Limited signage and directional signage for bicycles. Citizens were very specific about having improved signage if bike path was instituted.

Noted Concerns (Cont.)Connectivity Issue

Intersection at Heath Street poses a problem to potential bikers, especially childrenA majority of the interviewees expressed views regarding better connectivity of the existing network Providing proper separation marks for cars, bikes, and pedestrians

Maintenance Needs

Weather (rain, snow, debri from high-winds)Concerns about how regularly the potential bikeway need to be maintained, cleaned and made safe/usable

Noted Concerns (Cont.)Education Issues

There were concerns about educating both the motorists and bicyclists to understand and practice the valid traffic rules in order to co-exist safely down Merino Park

Promotion Issues

The final concern was promoting bike and encouraging bike use

Our Research Plan: InterviewsRevisiting the Mission:

To develop and maintain a bike path that ensures and encourages biking as an energy efficient, environment friendly, economically beneficial, healthy and safe mode of transportation.

Hypothesis: That bicycle demand will be low in the surrounding areasThat people living in our proposed bike path area would be generally unreceptive to the idea

Given the concerns and issues surrounding safetyDue to the fact that alternative modes of transportation aren't adequately encouraged and promoted

How?We approached individuals with a set of questions regarding their background, what they thought about the building of the proposed bike path, and if they thought that they, personally would use itThese individuals were approached at Merino Park, Rhode Island Hospital, at Riverside Park, at Olneyville Playground, and on Manton Avenue

Interview Results (so far):

Have completed 72 interviews thus far...Survey group is fairly diverse:

30 women42 men8 in the 0-18 age group33 in the 19-29 age group19 in the 30-40 age group9 in the 41-51 age group3 in the 52-up age group43 are Hispanic24 are African American5 are Caucasian

Selected Data...

72% of survey population owned a bicycle; 28% did not78% said they did not think they would use the bike path; 18% said they might; 4% said they definitely would

Of those that said they would use the bike path: 22% said they would use it for commuting, 59% said they would use it for walking, and 19% said jogging

Of those that volunteered comments afterward: 48% expressed concerns regarding crime; 33% expressed concern regardin traffic crimes; 12% expressed concern specifically for safety of children

Their Voices“The cars drive too fast down the [Merino] park entrance”“There needs to be police on bike patrols”“I might use it to go to friends if I had a bike”“No one would like it because people litter everywhere here [Merino Park]”“I couldn’t ride to work because there’s no showers there [place of work]”“There isn’t enough light on the path”

Specifically…32 year old, Hispanic, female, 3 children, divorced

Interviewed at Merino Park during child’s soccer practiceFelt bike path would be too dangerous for children aloneThink that path would attract gangs, and other crimes

When we explained what the East Coast Greenway was, she still didn’t think that all the bike traffic would drive away crime

Didn’t think she needed a bike for anything because she doesn’t have time for exercise and she drives to work

…27 year old, Black, male

Interviewed at Rhode Island Hospital during business hours

I knew this man on a more personal basis – he delivers the mail to the lab that I work in (was more comfortable than most interviewees because of this)

Thought bike path could be a good idea, but didn’t think that he would ever use it Thought that the people that used the bike path would be “rich and probably white” because, when the function of this bike path was explained (as part of the East Coast Greenway) he didn’t think that any other type of person would have the time to use itThought that if too many people started using it, it could get crowded due to lane width

…29 years old, Black, femaleInterviewed at Olneyville Playground while she was watching her children play

Didn’t foresee personal use, but did think that other people “from other areas” would use itWhen asked to elaborate on where exactly these people that would use it would be from, she only said that they would be from outside of the Olneyville-Hartford areaSaid she might let her kids walk on it to school, since their school is close enough to walk, but she worries about them handling traffic

…30 year old, Hispanic, male, 2 children, marriedInterviewed at Merino Park basketball court

Didn’t ride a bike but mentioned that his son didFelt bike path would not be an idea because cars drive by too fastMentioned that the lack of park signs would make it extremely dangerous

…19 year old, Black, male, singleInterviewed in Merino Park parking lot

Mentioned that it’s not a perfect place for a bike path because cars come in and out, and kids are always running aroundIf crime was going to happen on the bike path no one would be able to stop itPeople would be able to do their work and get away

…24, Hispanic, female, three children, singleInterviewed in Merino Park playground

Thought it wouldn’t be a bad idea to institute the bike pathThought the bike path would be good idea for her kids as long as the area was cleaned and clearly marked

Findings (so far):The majority of the survey population does not own a bike, nor are they interested in buying/renting/sharing oneMost people said they would not use the bike path for specific reasons (to follow)As we hypothesized, and as our data reflected, the demand for a bike path is low and most people are not receptive to the idea

Galia Deitz, John Goncalves, Jason Steinbach

Bridging the Gap: The Planning of a Bike Route

for Greater Cultural Understanding

Recommendations for Planning…

a.) Maintenance and ProtectionCreate appropriate route signage system Ensure good connectivity Provide access to rest rooms, water fountains, bike racks and other facilities at regular intervalsMaintain and develop aesthetics of bikewayImprove signage facilities, especially at intersectionsImprove pathway lightingEnsure adequate police patrol or other courtesy patrols along bike system

Blue-light safe phonesMaps at intervalsEncourage registration of bicyclesProvide adequate facilities for maintenance of bikewaysEncourage local jurisdictions to adopt policies on maintnance of the path

…Recommendations for Planning

a.) Maintenance and Protection

Recommendations for Planning

b.) Education Inform public of bike path development Educate motorists on appropriate bike and pedestrian interactionEducate cyclists on use of sidepath vs. sidewalksPromote bike safety education in schools

Bike helmet usage programs, advocacy

Develop and distribute promotional material encouraging employers to provide incentives for biking or walking to work

Restaurants/businesses in area offer incentives to customers

Bike incentive programs for people in surrounding communityWork in coordination with media to increase public awareness and create positive images of bikingPromote public health benefits Encourage design elements to change perceived bike and car conflictsDesignated “bike days”

Recommendations for Planning

b.) Encouragement

If you build it they will come? “The Field of Dreams Hypothesis”

An important aspect of this comparison is that sprawl growth, while having emergent properties, is largely dictated by

documented man-made laws

Thank you!

Website!!

From the path we plotted on Google Earth, we were able to generate a flyover video where you can see the makeup of different neighborhood and places along the path in more detail.

http://youtube.com/v/xnSpfxUIUWk

The Google Earth data also helped us to identify the streets along our path that have the most average daily traffic. Hartford Avenue, which seems to be the most troublesome spot on (in this case crossing) the path, has 9,700 AADT (as of 1996). For reference, compare this to the graph at left of the AADT of each interchange on I-95. We may want to advise cyclists of trouble spots along the path, especially where there is traffic and/or no sidewalk.

bridging the gap: a bike route to culturally connect greater providence

Documents

bike route

east coast greenway

existing broken bike

east coast greenwaycatering

ri bike coalition stake

cycling providence

enjoyment of route users

surrounding neighborhoods