Active Transportation Accounting: Developing Metrics for Project Prioritization

2019Final ReportPDFTech ReportFHWA-NH-RD-26962R26962R, A004(536)BicyclingData analysisData collectionGeographic information systemsMetrics (Quantitative assessment)Nonmotorized transportationStrategic planningStress (Psychology)Travel patternsbicycletravelactive transportationmetricsdata displaysUnited StatesPlymouth State University. Department of Environmental Science and PolicyVillamagna, AmyGetts, LauraYoung, RaeganPlymouth State University. Department of Environmental Science and PolicyNew Hampshire. Bureau of Materials and ResearchUnited States. Department of Transportation. Federal Highway AdministrationUS Transportation CollectionDespite growing interest and momentum in enhancing active transportation, little weight is currently given to active transportation projects. This is largely due to the lack of sufficient data. In order to identify key areas for active transportation enhancement, to justify investment, and to measure success, it is necessary to understand where and when people are participating in active transportation (e.g. bicycling). This project leveraged a) existing datasets (New Hampshire Department of Transportation (NHDOT) roadways, Strava bicycling data, and crash reports), b) statewide on-the-ground bike counter, c) efforts to develop and apply a Level of Traffic Stress (LTS) model for bicycling and incorporate novel public participatory geographic information systems (GIS) approaches to assess patterns of current bicycle activity and identify potential barriers to access and participation throughout New Hampshire. More specifically, the project assessed the reliability of Strava data to reflect biking activity in New Hampshire, evaluated the ability of Level of Traffic Stress to predict biking patterns and barriers to active transportation, evaluated perceived barriers to active transportation (e.g. safety concerns) against objective physical barriers as reflected in LTS model, and evaluated the accuracy of current LTS model using public participatory GIS. In addition, the project produced a suite of tools to be used in ArcGIS (10.3 and greater). The report offered recommendations to NHDOT for future data collection and management in order to improve and standardize statewide efforts to monitoring bicycling patterns and to map the level of bicycling traffic stress on all roadways.92