May 2020 - CalBike

Quick-Build Street Design: What It Is and Why We Need It

May 28, 2020/by Kevin Claxton

Our process for building transportation infrastructure is slow and expensive, even for bike projects. A simple protected bike lane will commonly require five years from approval to construction. Quick-build street design projects are an exception. They get bikeable and walkable infrastructure projects built fast and affordably. Quick-build is more vital than ever since the COVID-19 pandemic. California cities and towns need to reallocate street space quickly to allow businesses to reopen safely, protect workers, and meet the rising demand for safe biking and walking.

CalBike has made quick-build street design a major priority in 2020. To kick off this campaign, we are working on a toolkit that cities can use to guide them through the quick-build process.

Here’s what you need to know about quick-build street design, plus what CalBike is doing to bring quick-build street design to more California streets.

What is quick-build?

The normal timeline for projects that add Complete Streets elements or otherwise change streets to make them safer for bike riders and pedestrians can stretch for years and years. From conception, to inclusion in a community plan, project planning, community engagement, grant application, grant award, additional engagement and project amendment, grant expenditure (often many years after the award), and finally project construction, a project can easily take more than ten years.

Some projects, such as a new bike bridge, have big price tags and require longer timelines. But smaller projects, such as adding a bulb-out to reduce the width of a pedestrian crossing or adding a protected bike lane, don’t have to be costly or time-consuming.

The first part of quick-build street design is to use low-cost measures. Staffers or contractors can create pedestrian bulb-outs or a new bike lane with paint and bollards. Simple signs or heavy planters serve as traffic diverters. Most quick-build projects can be constructed in mere days or weeks. They can go from conception to reality within months. The measures are also temporary, designed to be removed or changed. Quick-build street design is literally not set in stone (or concrete), so elements can be changed in response to on-the-ground feedback.

That feedback to the actual temporary design becomes the public input process for the eventual project, if the public supports making it permanent. It is usually much better than traditional planning processes, where stakeholders are asked to imagine how it will feel to use a new street alignment based on renderings and PowerPoint presentations. It’s not surprising, under those circumstances, that many community members are resistant to implementing Complete Streets designs that will change how they navigate their environment.

Quick-build projects extend the public comment period beyond implementation. Unlike asphalt and concrete infrastructure, quick-build street designs can be easily adjusted by adding a planter box, moving bollards, or restriping a lane.

While planners design and implement quick-build projects using “temporary” materials, many end up becoming permanent. In some cases, planners add upgrades that started as quick-build to future repaving projects. It turns out, however, that the hardscape infrastructure that has been the standard for traffic engineers for decades is not always necessary. Quick-build improvements like colored paint, soft-hit bollards, or planter boxes can safely delineate projects for years.

Examples of quick-build street design

Bicycle advocates have long used the refrain, “It’s only paint” to promote quick-build projects. Paint is cheap to install and easy to undo. The secret is that, if communities get to live with new quick-build projects, they like them.

Perhaps the most famous examples of successful quick-build projects in the US are New York City’s move to pedestrianize portions of its busiest squares. These projects, which divert traffic on some of the busiest streets in the most populous city in the US, rely mainly on paint and planter boxes to create boundaries where bikes can ride through on separated paths and pedestrians can escape crowded sidewalks. These plazas include outdoor seating that provides a welcome respite for weary tourists and locals in search of fresh air. They were an instant hit.

Quick-build has arrived in California. When a pedestrian was killed by a car driver in Oakland in 2017, the city was able to quickly improve the street design with bollards and paint. After adding bike lanes and brightly-colored pedestrian refuges, OakDOT reported a small decrease in speeding and a more than 80% increase in car drivers yielding to pedestrians.

Go Human Open Streets & Safety Pop Up Events from SCAG on Vimeo.

The Southern California Association of Governments used tactical urbanism (another term for quick-build) in conjunction with its Go Human safe streets campaign. The project installed temporary bike lanes, bulb-outs and other active transportation features in cities around the region. This project used quick-build as a way to get better community feedback on potential safety improvements. The tactical urbanism approach also built engagement and support. The project made street design fun by hosting Open Streets and other events.

Amid the current pandemic, the need to respond quickly to changing circumstances is greater than ever. Many California cities have created Slow Streets to provide safe space for physically distanced outdoor recreation. Often, the only infrastructure needed is signs and portable barricades.

As California moves out of its current stay at home phase of COVID-19 response, communities will need to move quickly to adapt to the new realities of living with an ongoing pandemic. We can’t wait three to five years to plan and fund new bikeways and wider sidewalks. In addition, city and county budgets have been decimated by the crisis. Planners will need to do more with less. Quick-build is the perfect tool to help local governments deal with the changes brought by the coronavirus.

Pros and cons of building it fast

Facebook’s motto of “Move fast and break things” shouldn’t be applied to urban planning. Quick-build comes in for some justified criticism. The speedy planning and implementation process has both benefits and challenges when it comes to community engagement. Here are two of the biggest issues around community engagement.

Pro: An end-run around knee-jerk NIMBYism

If you’ve ever been to a public meeting about a streetscape project, you have heard the NIMBYs speak. They fear that the bike lane you’re advocating for is designed to drive them out of their cars. They worry that it will take them longer to drive to the store. Or they may be anxious that their neighborhood will be overrun by “those people.”

It makes sense that people fear change, particularly people who are invested in the car-centric status quo. Quick-build does an end-run around this fear. It lets planners put “temporary” improvements in place on a trial basis. With designs in place, planners and users get to see what works on the ground, rather than in theory. Residents often find that traffic nightmares don’t materialize and the safety benefits are nicer than they expected. The hard-core NIMBYs may be difficult to win over. However, the support of community members who like the change once it’s in place can help overcome objections and keep quick-build improvements in place.

Con: Limited time for community engagement

There is a downside to the limited public engagement that is a feature of quick-build projects. The short timeline rarely permits the kind of outreach needed for a truly inclusive planning process. However, planners can and should foster an inclusive evaluation process. Community engagement after installation should include people from marginalized and disadvantaged communities. The process has to address the transportation needs of people who are often shut out of planning processes.

Inclusive design takes work. The quick-build process doesn’t absolve planners from the obligation to reach out to communities whose voices are less often heard in the planning process. However, quick-build projects often respond to majority desires for safer walking and biking space. The process is less likely to allow those needs to be shouted down by a few loud voices.

CalBike’s own quick-build project

Here at CalBike, we have a quick-build project of our own. We are working with Alta Planning + Design to create a quick-build toolkit. The toolkit will give municipal planners the resources they need to use quick-build street design for their urgent projects. It will give community advocates the tools they need to win commitments from local officials to make our streets safer, quickly. It will give elected officials the encouragement and rationale for not waiting for the next round of grants. Instead, they can meet their public’s demand for safer streets right away.

Our Quick-Build Toolkit project is itself on a fast track. We expect to have it ready for distribution sometime this summer.

Finding more funding for quick-build street design

In addition to our toolkit encouraging quick-build projects, CalBike is working to increase the state commitment to this low-cost and accessible way of making our streets safer. We are working with regional agencies to help them find funding for local governments to implement quick-build projects.

We support the California Transportation Commission’s decision to set aside $7 million from the next round of ATP projects for urgent quick-build projects. The Commission delayed the next ATP round due to COVID-19 impacts, but it promises an expedited review for any project applying for the $7 million in quick-build project funding. Applications for these projects are due soon. We are also advocating for quick-build infrastructure money in federal stimulus packages.

At CalBike, we want everyone who is able to get to choose to bike to work. We want safe space for children to explore their neighborhoods on foot, scooter, bike, or skateboard. Our commitment to finding practical, workable ways to build the safe and equitable streets that California needs is stronger than ever. We believe that quick-build is one of the best tools for achieving this goal. That’s why we’re building the toolkit. It is why we plan to put the toolkit in the hands of every public works and planning department staffer in California. At the same time, we will be working with state agencies to remove any barriers to quick-build projects that might keep cities from adopting this important tool.

You can help by supporting our quick-build campaign.

Bike Match Comes to California

May 26, 2020/by Laura McCamy

For immediate release 5/27/2020

Contact: Jenn Guitart, jenn@calbike.org, 916.281.9366

The California Bicycle Coalition Lifts Up Bike Match in California

As more people turn to bikes for safe and healthy transportation and exercise during the pandemic, Bike Match services have sprung up around California. Bike Match connects people who need a bicycle but can’t afford one with those who may have an extra one sitting around. CalBike is proud to promote and lift up Bike Match in California by offering a clearinghouse website. We are also working with volunteer technology providers to connect them with local partners around the state who are interested in setting up Bike Match programs.

New York City’s Transportation Alternatives pioneered #BikeMatch, but the concept has caught on in California. Bicycle advocacy organizations, community bike shops, and individuals have all started bike matching services through online platforms. These intermediaries help connect donors and recipients so everyone gets a bike that works for them.

“Bike Match is a great way to help essential workers and others who may need a bicycle get where they need to go safely,” said Dave Snyder, Executive Director of the California Bicycle Coalition. “When someone who works in a hospital or grocery store or warehouse can get around by bike, that frees up space on public transit for those who need to ride to stay physically distanced.”

Community bike shops have an important role to play in Bike Match. Some local bicycle advocacy organizations have partnered with these nonprofit bike shops on their Bike Match programs. When a donated bike needs work before it is ready to ride, volunteers or staff from community bike shops can supply parts and do necessary repairs so the bike rides like new.

CalBike has partnered with Seven Shurygin, whose Sprocket app now provides an easy way for individuals to donate a bike or search for a free bicycle in their area. We are also partnering with Stephen Braitsch and Sam Sadle of SafeLanes, who provide an out-of-the-box platform for local organizations to set up city-specific Bike Match services. The platform connects first responders in cities across California and around the U.S. with local bike organizations that are interested in setting up Bike Match programs. Several other local bicycle advocacy partners have set up their own independent bike match websites. And Spinlister has partnered with Brompton Bikes to provide healthcare workers with free bike rentals.

Right now, there are approximately 20 people who need bikes for every bike donated. Here’s how you can help out:

Pull that old bike out of the garage and donate it to Bike Match or a community bike shop. CalBike has compiled a list of Bike Match organizations in California. Both adult and kids’ bikes are in high demand.
Donate money. If you don’t have a bike you’re not using, donate to your local bicycle coalition, any of our listed Bike Match organizations, or your local community bike shop. The money you donate can be used to pay for replacement parts and repairs to donated bikes.
Volunteer your time locally. Bike Match organizations may need volunteers to work on bike repairs, answer emails, or pick up or drop off bikes.
If there’s no Bike Match group in your area, you can start one. This helpful video from Bike Match Gilroy/Morgan Hill tells how their bike match works. It isn’t hard!

At a time when bike shops across California are selling out and even used bikes can be hard to come by, there’s no excuse to leave an old bike gathering dust in a corner. Donate to Bike Match and give someone wheels!

California Bicycle Coalition Applauds Caltrans Move to Add Complete Streets to SHOPP Projects

May 14, 2020/by Laura McCamy

For immediate release 5/14/2020

Contact: Dave Snyder, dave@calbike.org, 916-251-9433

California Bicycle Coalition Applauds Caltrans Move to Add Complete Streets to SHOPP Projects

At the May 13, 2020 meeting of the California Transportation Commission (CTC), the Director of the State Department of Transportation (Caltrans), Toks Omishakin, asked the CTC to set aside $100 million from the 2020 State Highway Operation and Protection Program (SHOPP) for bike and pedestrian safety improvements in SHOPP projects. CalBike applauds Caltrans leadership for championing the Complete Streets improvements that many California streets desperately need. Please take a moment to thank Caltrans Director Toks Omishakin.

A technicality at the CTC meeting prevented the commission from approving the whole $100 million. However, the conversation among commissioners made it clear that they intend to approve the rest of the funding at its next meeting in June.

The request came as part of the director’s stated commitment to make good on the governor’s promise that Caltrans will implement the intent of last year’s Complete Streets Act despite his veto. “While the state has a long way to go to turn the SHOPP and other state programs into funding sources for safety and sustainability and equity, this unprecedented action indicates the agency is serious about changing how it implements the SHOPP. These funds are essential to make desperately needed improvements for biking and walking safety,” said Dave Snyder, CalBike Executive Director.

Prior to the meeting, Commissioners received a letter from CalBike as part of a coalition of organizations led by Esther Rivera of California Walks. The letter commended the proposal to set aside $100 million, but expressed concern that Caltrans might not spend that money on the projects that would make the most difference because of its poor record of community engagement. Caltrans did identify 22 projects that would benefit from $50 million of the funding, but at the CTC meeting, Director Omishakin made clear that Caltrans would work with community partners to improve outreach. Several other high-ranking Caltrans staff have already reached out to CalBike offering to collaborate on outreach so that they can make the best decisions on how to prioritize that $100 million.

When Governor Newsom vetoed the Complete Streets for Healthy Living bill (SB 127 – Wiener) last year, it was a blow for the safe streets movement. The bill would have required Caltrans to consider adding Complete Streets elements to repair projects on state routes that double as local streets. It also created a public comment process if Caltrans decided Complete Streets features were infeasible. However, the governor issued a statement with his veto that made it clear that he expected Caltrans to find a way to implement the spirit of the law. With the 2020 SHOPP, we can see that Caltrans takes the need for Complete Streets seriously.

There has never been a more important time to build streets that encourage biking, walking, and taking transit. Changing our transit choices is a critical element of climate change mitigation. In addition, the current pandemic has shown us how vital California’s street spaces are to provide safe places to exercise and get fresh air. And bikes have become an even more important transportation option, to create space on public transit for those who need to ride and provide healthy and inexpensive transit for essential workers.

Bike Parking Bill Moves Forward in Sacramento

May 14, 2020/by Kevin Claxton

For bicycles to be truly useful as everyday transportation, people need secure places to park them. CalBike is sponsoring the Bike Parking Bill (AB 3153–Rivas) to encourage housing developers to provide secure bike parking in new housing developments. At the same time, AB 3153 will increase housing affordability and reduce car dependence by allowing developers to build fewer car parking spots.

The Bike Parking Bill is one of the few pieces of legislation not directly related to COVID-19 that is still on track for consideration this year. On May 12, it had a hearing in the Local Government Committee, which is now meeting by remote video conference. The Committee made some smart amendments and passed AB 3153 out of committee.

AB 3153 will not affect every development, but it will have a profound impact on the developments it does impact, if it passes and is approved by the Governor. It will represent a strong statement by the state that preserving every locally required car parking space is not more important than bike parking or affordable housing. CalBike is working with stakeholders to continue to improve this bill as it moves forward. We’ll keep you posted on its progress.

CalBike Joins Group Urging Community Participation for Caltrans Complete Streets Projects

May 14, 2020/by Kevin Claxton

CalBike has joined with a coalition of advocacy groups to press Caltrans to follow a transparent process when it adds Complete Streets elements to projects. The letter was signed by transportation advocacy groups, environmental organizations, a government association, and a Catholic diocese, among others.

In 2019, CalBike sponsored the Complete Streets for Healthy Living bill (SB 127). The bill, which passed both the State Assembly and the Senate, would have required Caltrans to include Complete Streets features in repair projects whenever feasible. Although Governor Newsom vetoed the bill, Caltrans has moved forward with some promising changes. Most importantly, it has delayed the 2020 State Highway Operation and Protection Program (SHOPP) funding round to reexamine projects and find places to include Complete Streets.

While CalBike supports the direction that Caltrans is taking, we want to emphasize the importance of community involvement and input into Complete Streets elements that get added to projects. The complete letter is below. You can download the pdf at SHOPP CTC Complete Streets Letter.

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May 8, 2020

Chair Van Konynenburg
California Transportation Commission 1120 N. Street, MS 52
Sacramento Ca. 95814

Re: 2020 SHOPP PERFORMANCE AND COMPLETE STREETS

Dear Chair Van Konynenburg and Members of the Commission:

Thank you for the opportunity to provide comments on the State Highway Operation and Protection Program (SHOPP) Performance and Complete Streets Item. We represent organizations in California that promote equitable access to active transportation for all Californians. Our group has been working with Caltrans over the past year to identify efficient and effective ways to fund complete streets projects, where appropriate, as well as look for pathways to create better engagement between Caltrans Districts and Local Partners.

We support the shift that Caltrans is demonstrating under the leadership and guidance of Director Omishakin. Establishing a reserve funding to incorporate meaningful complete streets elements to existing SHOPP projects is key to ensuring efficient use of funding and most

importantly advancing a transportation system that supports all modes of transportation for Californians. We understand the time and effort it has taken to get to this decision and appreciate the hard work and dedication of Caltrans staff and the Director.

While we support the shift this represents, we also encourage Caltrans Districts and headquarters to ensure that the projects which seek to access the reserve and implement complete streets are those which demonstrate community support and are identified through meaningful community engagement. In order for these reserve funds to create a meaningful impact it is of the utmost importance that there be support and a demonstrated process where community voices are heard in prioritizing projects within the SHOPP for these improvements.

We highly encourage Caltrans and the Commission to ensure that any project seeking to use funds from the reserve demonstrate the following:

Support from community groups and members for the project elements proposed that go beyond reference to an existing city, or county plan: These may include but are not limited to the following:
- Community meetings
- Support letter from community based organizations
- Reports and resources from local partners outlining community engagement efforts to inform transportation needs in a given community
Identified process where community will be involved, included, and notified of potential changes to the projects scope for complete streets

We are eager to partner with Caltrans and the districts to develop a process that creates statewide guidance and/or criteria for community engagement for projects seeking to use the funds for the reserve. If we begin institutionalizing equitable and inclusive community engagement for all SHOPP projects now, we can ensure that all future SHOPP cycles will incorporate the full breadth of multimodal and complete streets options prioritized by California’s communities, and avoid the need to hold reserves for allocation after the program’s approval.

In closing, we support the shift demonstrated by the department and look forward to the implementation of meaningful, community informed complete streets elements in the 2020 SHOPP and beyond. We’d also encourage and support linking Caltrans Districts with local partners to support alignment and execution of the engagement efforts outlined above.

Please feel free to contact us with any questions. Sincerely,

Esther Rivera, Interim-Executive Director California Walks

Jonathan Matz, California Senior Policy Manager Safe Routes Partnership

Chanell Fletcher, Executive Director ClimatePlan

Matthew Baker, Policy Director Planning and Conservation League

Marcella May Executive Director
Humboldt County Association of Governments

Emily Sinkhorn, Division Director Redwood Community Action Agency

Steve Gerhardt, AICP
Executive Director, Walk Long Beach

Carter Rubin
Mobility and Climate Advocate, NRDC

Molly Wagner, CPTED CPD, Project Manager WALKSacramento

Dave Snyder
Executive Director, California Bicycle Coalition

Julia Randolph
Policy and Outreach Associate, Coalition for Clean Air

Veronica Tovar, Program Manager Catholic Charities Environmental Justice

Colin Fiske, Executive Director
Coalition for Responsible Transportation Priorities

Begging Off Beg Buttons

May 7, 2020/by Laura McCamy

Pedestrian push buttons are the bain of walkers everywhere. You push it and wait for the walk signal. And wait. And wait. Many pedestrians assume the button is broken (or don’t know they need to push a button) and cross against the light. This unpleasant brainchild of car-first engineering is called the “beg” button for good reason: people in cars pass freely, while those on foot must beg for the privilege of crossing the road.

As we all work to stay infection-free during the coronavirus pandemic, beg buttons have become a new threat. It’s hazardous to force pedestrians to touch a surface that many others have also touched. As a result, some California cities have temporarily disabled some or all beg buttons, replacing them with light timing that automatically includes pedestrian cycles and walk signals. On the other hand, officials in some cities still refuse to turn off the buttons, despite the increased risk due to COVID-19.

The need to disable beg buttons for infection control will not be transient. As California loosens the stay at home guidelines and people begin to move around more, we will need to be even more careful not to touch surfaces in public places.

Even when the concern for infection dissipates, we should remove beg buttons from California streets. CalBike is ready to throw our support behind local and statewide campaigns to help planners understand why they should #banbegbuttons.

Beg buttons penalize people for walking

Before beg buttons were invented, city engineers would program the lights to switch from green to red and back again on a cycle that promotes the flow of traffic. Each cycle had to include a pedestrian walk phase in each direction; there was no other way for pedestrians to get the all-clear to cross the street.

In an intersection with a beg button, engineers program the traffic signals for cars without regard to people needing to walk across the street. Some green cycles may be so short that a pedestrian has no chance to cross, unless they press a button.

This presents a barrier to walking in several different ways:

Pedestrians have to wait much longer for a walk signal. If your walk includes multiple beg buttons, this can substantially increase the time it takes to get to your destination. This creates a disincentive for walking.
Pedestrians often have to wait even when the light is green for cars in the direction they want to cross. A green light for phase for cars may display a red hand for pedestrians unless you push a button. If you push the button in the middle of a green phase for cars, you usually have to wait another full cycle before getting a walk signal.
Beg buttons are often hard to access, especially for people with disabilities and mobility issues. Engineers often install a beg button on the nearest pole, which may not be near the crosswalk. Beg buttons frequently violate ADA guidelines.
People often get frustrated with beg buttons or don’t realize they need to push them. Then they cross against the light, putting themselves in danger.

Beg buttons help car drivers by inconveniencing and slowing down walkers. Every time a city installs new beg buttons, that is a physical representation of prioritization of cars and disregard for pedestrians.

Beg buttons are bad for bikes, too

Beg buttons don’t only increase the burden on walkers. They also make it many orders of magnitude harder for bikes to navigate intersections.

Bicyclists often ride on quieter streets, so they may often end up waiting through long cycles at intersections.
Loop detectors in the pavement should detect bikes, but they often don’t. Even if they were adjusted to be sensitive enough to pick up a bike, cars passing over the pavement can throw the detectors off. When that happens, bike riders either have to wait for a car to turn the light or dismount and push a beg button.
Signal detection cameras are somewhat more able to pick up bikes than in-pavement detectors, but they are prone to adjustment problems as well. Grime on the camera lens can prevent them from sensing bikes.

When cities turn beg buttons off, the light cycles from red to green and back again. Everyone gets a turn without hassle: bike riders, walkers, and car drivers.

Local advocates ask cities to #BanBegButtons

There is a small but growing movement to rid California intersections of beg buttons permanently. So far, the action has been at the city level. CalBike supports these local efforts. We will stand with our advocacy partners if a statewide effort seems appropriate in the future.

It’s time to stop penalizing pedestrians and bicyclists. California cities need to #BanBegButtons now!