Case Study No. 22: The Role of State Bicycle / Pedestrian Coordinators

Federal Highway Administration1993PDFTech ReportWilliams, JohnMcLaughlin, KathleenBikecentennial, Inc.Bicycle Federation of AmericaUnited States. Federal Highway AdministrationClarke, AndyUnited States. Federal Highway AdministrationUnited StatesProgram managementCoordinationBicycle travelPedestrian trafficGovernment agenciesFHWA-PD-93-019State bicycle and bicycle / pedestrian programs have existed for approximately 20 years in the United States. For the most part, they have been and continue to be small one- to four-person offices in large transportation agencies. the small size of such programs and limited resources devoted to them makes it imperative that staff give their attention to those tasks that do the most to further bicycling and walking. The most important of those tasks is to help institutionalize the positive treatment of bicycle and pedestrian considerations within all relevant parts of State Government. The philosophy of the program should embrace the "4-E" concept: that success requires a combination of engineering and planning, enforcement, education, and encouragement. Successful State programs combine a motivated and skilled staff with a clear sense of direction and purpose, a positive mandate, support from inside and outside the agency, and projects that further the purpose. The best program have been able to work out a balance between tasks that are best handled "in-house" and those that should be spread to other divisions and State agencies.104