It is assumed that installation of bicycle facilities will result in an increase in the number of bicyclists. However, it is rare that any kinds of before and after counts are performed and reported in the literature. This report focuses on the before-after change in the amount of bicycle riding associated with the installation of bicycle lanes along two corridors, 31st and 37th streets in St. Petersburg, Florida, with low levels of bicycling. For all data collection locations, model results showed a 17.1% increase in the bicycles per day after installation of the bike lanes (from 9.06 to 10.49 bicycles per day using the raw count data). When 31st and 37th streets were examined separately, 31st Street experienced almost no change in counts (10.43 to 10.22 bicycles per day using the raw count data). This 3% reduction was not statistically significant. After bicycle lanes were introduced, 37th Street experienced a statistically significant 42% increase in counts, although the change in the raw counts from before to after was only 7.59 to 10.74 bicycles per day. Bicycle average speeds were approximately 11-12 mph before and after the bike lane installation. This study shows that the addition of bicycle lanes alone on a street will not guarantee an immediate increase in bicycle volume. Other factors, including adjacent land use, convenient origins and destinations, and connectivity of a bicycle lane to other bicycle facilities within the street system are just as, or perhaps more critical, in terms of encouraging bicycling. (Author/publisher)
Abstract