The Return of the Bike:UWEC Bike Rack Assessment Project

December 20, 2012

IntroductionAdam King

Michaela LeachTaren Leitzke

Welcome

• Class Introduction: – Name– Major

• Guest Introduction: – Name– Profession/Background/Area of Study– When was the last time you biked?

Cars, Culture, and Environment

“[To] examine the breadth and depth to which the car shapes and is shaped by our physical and social environments.”

Why Bike?

• Cost efficient • Decreases congestion• Improves

– Heart health– Coordination– Stamina– Muscle tone– Air quality

Source: http://www.healthcaremanagementdegree.com/biking-and-health/

Bikes on the Rise

• In the last ten years:– Bicycle commuting

increased 63% in 70 largest US cities

• 54% of bicycle trips for transportation

Bikes on the Rise

Why Infrastructure is Important

• 1.5 million bikes stolen per year– Lack of proper

infrastructure

• Infrastructure needs to:– Be visible, accessible and

convenient– Support the entire frame

of the bike– Meet space demands

5 E’s of Bicycle Planning and Support

• Engineering– Bike paths/trail– BIKE PARKING!!

• Education• Encouragement• Enforcement• Evaluation and Planning

League of American Bicyclists, http://www.bikeleague.org/programs/bicyclefriendlyamerica/bicyclefriendlyuniversity/bfu_five_e_s.php

Overview of Bike Rack Study

• Purposes: – Test the feasibility of a campus bike rack

assessment – Determine the location and usage of bike

racks– Create a photo-map of bike parking areas

using GPS-labeled pictures and Google Maps

MethodsDavid Cifaldi

Justin KohlbeckRachel Olson

Methods: Data collection• Student teams• 5 x 75 minute shifts to

capture use during the day

• 7:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.• Lower campus only

Recorded observations on data sheet adapted

from University of Washington bike rack

assessment study

Date Time Bike rack site number

Total No. of bike racks in area

Bike rack type: WB or IUP or other

Rack conditionGoodAdequatePoor

Rack surface

No. bike slots

No. of bikesin slots

No.bikes poorly parked in rack

No. bikes tipped/ fallen over

Number illegally parked bikes (not in rack)

What are Illegal bikes parked to?

Observations/notes

Name: ________________________________________Shift: ________________________________________

Data collection form

Types of Bike Racks

Wave

Grid-type

Inverted U

Post

Bike Rack Surfaces

Concrete Brick

Grass Gravel/dirt

Bike Rack Conditions

• Good: usable, little no wear, rusting, or damage

• Adequate: some rust or damage (e.g. bent tines) but still usable

• Poor: conditions make bike racks unusable

Counts• Number of bike racks per site• Number of parking slots per site• Number of bikes parked in racks/site

– Number of poorly parked bikes– Number of tipped bikes– Number of illegally parked bikes

• Object to which illegally parked bike is parked

Poorly Parked

Tipped

Illegally Parked

Photomapping• Used GPS camera to photograph bikes and racks at

each site and to link to Google Maps using latitude/longitude coordinates

• Allows quick link of photo to map to visually compare bikes and racks at different sites

+

Photo

UWEC

GPS Camera Google Maps

Data entry and processing

• Each student entered their findings into a web-based Excel spreadsheet

• The data was reviewed for errors and inconsistencies between paired observers

Data and AnalysisKevin BrooksLucy Pepin

Megan Place

What we observed:Bike racks serve different purposes

Commuter racks in front of Nursing

Storage racks in front of Putnam Hall

What we observed:New Davies Inverted-U bike parking: (1) Aesthetically appealing(2) Does not visually interfere with newly landscaped mall

What we observed:Some parking areas are under-utilized

Underground library parking

Parking behind Hibbard

What we observed:Some parking areas are heavily-utilized or overcrowded.

Schofield parking

Library entranceparking

What we observed:Some parking areas are mis-utilized

Library entranceparking

Long-term storage under library

Bike parking and use by the numbers

• Number of bike racks: 80• Number of bike parking spaces: 1549

Percent of bike racks by type

Inverted U Grid Post Wave0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

35%31%

23%

12%

Percent bike racks by type and by parking spaces per rack type

Inverted U Grid Post Wave0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

35%

31%

23%

12%14%

51%

26%

8%

% rack % slots

Rating of bike rack conditions (%)

69%

31%GoodAdequate

77%

12%

8%4%

ConcreteBrickDirt/gravelGrass

Percent of bike rack parking by surface material

Mean number of bikes per shift

7:45-9:00 9:15-10:30 10:45-12:15 12:30-1:45 2:00-3:150

200

400

600

800

498

640 659 639590

Num

ber o

f Bik

es

Shift

Mean number of bikes and usage rate for all racks per shiftN

umber of bikes

7:45-9:00 9:15-10:30 10:45-12:15 12:30-1:45 2:00-3:15

-20%

0%

20%

40%

60%

0

200

400

600

800

32%

41% 43% 41%38%

498

640 659 639590

Usa

ge R

ate

(#bi

kes/

#par

king

slot

s)

Shift

11/111 Library (UB)

15/115 Schofield

11/111

15/115

11/111 Library (UB)

15/115 Schofield

11/111

15/115

High use High parking

11/111 Library (UB)

15/115 Schofield

11/111

15/115

Low use Low parking

11/111 Library (UB)

15/115 Schofield

11/111

15/115

High UseLow parking

11/111 Library (UB)

15/115 Schofield

11/111

15/115

Low UseHigh Parking

Mean number of tipped, poorly or illegally parked bikes per shift

7:45-9:00 9:15-10:30 10:45-12:15 12:30-1:45 2:00-3:1540

60

80

100

120

74

80

89

80

102

Num

ber o

f bik

es

Percent of total illegally and poorly parked bikes and tipped bikes by rack type

Grid Wave Post Inverted-U0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

72%

7%

18%

3%

Percent of illegally and poorly parked bikes and tipped bikes by rack type and parking spaces per rack type

Grid Wave Post Inverted-U0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

72%

7%

18%

3%

51%

8%

26%

14%

Rack type

Slots per rack type

photo map

Implications, Recommendations, and LimitationsErin Hanegraaf

Phil SchumacherChris Reinoos

A practical assessment approach

• Data collection is “doable” in a relatively short amount of time

• Additional training and a published guide can improve reliability

• Real data from real users– Prevents unsupported speculation about bike

parking• Can track changes in bike travel over time based

on bike parking

Recommendation #1

• Facilities staff should conduct bike rack assessment two times every year– ½ day in early fall (10AM-2PM)– ½ day in late spring (10AM-2PM)– Choose good weather and high use times to

ensure measurement of peak use

Rack type matters

• Larger proportion of illegally or poorly parked bikes and tipped bikes occur in grid-type bike rack

• In areas with multiple rack types, Inverted-U’s appear to be preferred

Recommendation # 2

• Consider purchasing more rack types that protect bikes from tipping or being stolen

• Smaller strategically placed sets of racks may meet biker needs without impairing campus aesthetics– Inverted U’s easily accommodate this design

Signage and biker behaviors

• Few areas on lower campus provide bike rack signage, specifically– No updated bike rack signs or maps are available

to indicate where other racks are located• This could reduce illegal parking and highlight available

parking capacity – No signage exists to explain how to properly use

the various types of bike racks• This could also reduce illegal or poor parking practices,

as well as reduce bike loss and damage

Recommendation #3

• Convene a campus committee or work with the current campus bicycle committee to design and implement updated signage throughout campus

• Include educational information about proper use of bike racks

• Determine potential funding sources for signage– Facilities, Student Office for Sustainability, etc.

Rack demand and usage

• Methods allowed identification of over- and under-utilized parking

• Identification of poorly or illegally parked and tipped bikes—areas where educational signage could help

• Actual behaviors of bikers could inform strategic location for future racks, rack types, and signage

Study limitations

• Data were collected during a single day• Study was conducted during cooler weather in

late fall—likely missed high use time• Bike rack use was obstructed by campus

construction• Bikers were not yet aware of newer racks

(such as inverted U’s between Phillips and Davies)

Inter-observer variability

• Variability in counts among paired observers indicates that reliability of the assessment survey needs to be improved– Highest variability occurred when counting poorly

parked versus tipped bikes

Study limitations

• Due to class time constraints, data were not collected across the entire campus– Omitted across the river and upper campus

Acknowledgements

• University Campus Community• Bob Eierman, Director, Center for Excellence in

Teaching and Learning, Eau Claire Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee

• Martin Goettl, Geospatial Technology Facilitator

• Dani Bronshteyn, Honors TA

Thank you!!Questions