Document Type

Report

Publication Date

1-2012

Abstract

Over the last decade, there has been a surge in bicycle and pedestrian use in communities that have invested in active transportation infrastructure and programming. While these increases show potentially promising trends, many of the cities that have shown the highest growth are geographically concentrated in the northern tier of the country. Communities in the South have tended to lag behind the northern and western cities in terms of active transportation use.

The Active Transportation Measurement and Benchmarking Development: New Orleans Case Study aims to improve the policy making and planning framework by creating a comprehensive set of active transportation indicators on current usage and safety trends in New Orleans. New Orleans is significantly expanding the scope of active transportation facilities, moving from under 5 miles of bicycle facilities before Katrina to over 40 miles in 2010. This project will

The research in this report by the Pedestrian Bicycle Resource Initiative (PBRI) at the University of New Orleans uncovers for the first time the growing demand and use of active transportation in New Orleans. Analysis of bicycle and pedestrian count data shows that New Orleans is emerging as a regional leader in active transportation. In addition to analyzing the trends uncovered through the Census data, this report analyzes primary bicycle and pedestrian count data collected at 17 locations around New Orleans, including data on pedestrian and cyclist behaviors and demographics, as well as seasonal fluctuations in facility use, revealing several key hurdles that must be addressed for New Orleans to become a recognized national leader in active transportation.

Comments

The preparation of this report has been financed by the Gulf Coast Research Center for Evacuation and Transportation Resiliency, a University Transportation Center collaboration between Louisiana State University and the University of New Orleans, using U.S. DOT research funds, and in part by the by the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development Highway Safety Department.

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