I. INTRODUCTION

Vision, Goals, And Priorities

The City of Rockville has bicycling in its future. The combination of interested and energized citizens, responsive and responsible elected officials, and City managers and committed City staff, are working together to create a livable community in which people have a range of safe and convenient travel choices, including bicycling.

This Bikeway Master Plan was developed for the Mayor and Council and supersedes the 1981 Bicycle Master Plan. Changes in local conditions and increased interest in bicycling, both as a form of recreation and mode of transportation, warrant an update of the Cityís policy and progress toward creating a more bicycle-friendly community.

The project goal that was established by the City of Rockville stated the following:

"Employing a citizen driven process, the Bikeway Master Plan Study will develop recommendations designed to make the City of Rockville a bicycle-friendly community, in which bicycling is accepted as a comfortable alternative to other modes of transportation and recreation."

Based on this and through the study process, this plan provides a framework in which the City can achieve the following vision:

Rockville will be a place where people have the convenient and comfortable option of traveling by bicycle - for recreation and transportation. Citizens will be able to access all public services, as well as recreational, cultural, commercial, and employment areas by bicycle.

The National Bicycling and Walking Study, published by U.S. Department of Transportation outlines two major goals for bicycling in the United States:

• To double the percentage of trips taken by bicycling and walking; and
• To simultaneously reduce the number of bicycle related injuries and fatalities by ten percent.

These goals provide direction on what improvements need to be made in order to create more, and safer, opportunities for bicycling in the City of Rockville.

During the public involvement process, and the planning charrette in particular, several priorities for physical improvements were identified:

• Improve access to the Rockville City Center, including municipal, cultural, and shopping locations;
• Improve access to local and regional recreation opportunities;
• Provide for the safe crossing of major highways and interstates; and
• Provide access to key inter-modal transit centers.
• In addition to these physical improvements, several programmatic recommendations were noted:
• Improvement in bicycle and motor vehicle operator education;
• Consideration of the needs of bicyclists in the regular maintenance programs, and new development; and
• Promotion of opportunities for bicycling in the City.

These priorities can be translated into goals, as a way of channeling efforts to improve conditions for bicycling in the City of Rockville.

How This Plan Should Be Used

This Bikeway Master Plan is designed to be used by citizens, public policy decision-makers, and City staff. It introduces the broad issues in bicycle planning, and applies these concepts to the physical environment within the City of Rockville. It also provides information, guidance, and recommendations for improvements.

Appendices containing additional information have also been included for the interest and use of citizen advocates, policy makers, and City staff.

Changes In Policies And Orientation

The Intermodal Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA) marked a significant shift in the focus of federal transportation policy. New flexible funding, along with increased public involvement in transportation planning processes, created opportunities to improve conditions for bicyclists. The Maryland State Legislature passed Bike/Ped Access 2000, which outlines strategies to increase travel by those two modes. Montgomery County and the Maryland National Capital Parks and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) also have policies that positively affect bicyclists and the communities that provide for them, including the retrofitting of Ride-On buses with bicycle carrier racks.

The development of this report reaffirms the City's commitment to recognize and accommodate citizens who choose to travel by bicycle and to provide all citizens with the option of traveling by this mode safely and comfortably.

Benefits Of Integrating Non-Motorized Considerations

According to the Nationwide Personal Transportation Study, bicycling produces multiple potential benefits, both for the individual and their community, and there is a great potential to increase the number of trips taken by bicycle. Approximately sixty percent of all daily trips are less than five miles, fifty percent are less than three miles, and twenty five percent are less than one mile; well within the range of an average cyclist. Rockville’s compact scale, traditional development areas and its downtown make bicycling an attractive travel option. Taking short trips, from home to the town center, brings with it manifold benefits, including reduced road congestion and air pollution, decreased requirement for motor vehicle parking, and increased quality of life within the City of Rockville.

The physical built environment can create opportunities for, or barriers against, the choice to travel by bicycle. According to the 1990 census data, a full two-thirds of people commuting to work from Rockville drove alone. Often, the process of delivering public roadway facilities focuses on accommodating this "demand," while limiting the choices of its users. Yet only twenty percent of the total trips made are work commutes; the remaining eighty percent are trips to school, for recreation, and errands (Nationwide Personal Transportation Study). The potential for increasing use of bicycles is dependent on taking a more comprehensive and inclusive approach to developing or retrofitting public roadways.

Providing Rockville with transportation choices allows citizens the option of biking or driving, putting the "livability" of Rockville in the hands of its citizens. Bicycling and walking are clean modes of transportation, requiring no fossil fuels. Errands around town often consist of several short trips within a few blocks of each other, requiring an automobile to be turned on and off emitting excess exhaust. Trips made on a bicycle produce no air pollution, contribute less to road congestion, and may take less time, especially if convenient bike parking is provided.

Biking to the store, school, or work is also a time-efficient way of attaining an acceptable level of fitness. In addition to the health benefits, personal benefits may include improved productivity, self-image, greater sense of independence, and improved social relationships.

The integration of bicycle facilities extends far beyond the needs of just the bicyclist. These facilities can simultaneously benefit the motorist by enhancing the safety and attractiveness of the road. For example, roads with wide paved shoulders have been shown to reduce automobile accidents and decrease road degradation, thus lowering maintenance costs. Construction measures taken to reduce speed on roads will benefit both the motorist and bicyclist in that the road is safer for all users, and it encourages greater use of non-motorized modes of transportation.

The creation of trails and greenways can have a positive effect on the value of properties adjacent to and near a proposed trail route. Recent studies of the preferences of new homebuyers indicate that there is a demand for more livable communities in general, and better bicycle and pedestrian facilities specifically. Multiple-use pathways generate more "recreation hours" per dollar of investment than any other type of recreation facility. Regional trail systems demonstrate the demand for these opportunities, among many users and for many purposes.

How Bicycles Are Accommodated For Transportation And Recreation

Bicycle network planning requires an integrative approach to improving public facilities. Bicycles are used for transportation, recreation, and leisure trips; by a wide range of users, including adults, seniors, and children. Bicycle facilities take three basic forms; separate facilities, designated roadway facilities, and shared public roadways. Traditionally these facilities have been known as Class I, II, and III.

Bicycle Paths (Class I): A bicycle facility separate from motorized vehicular traffic. A bicycle path may be located within a highway right-of-way (with adequate separation) or on an independent right-of-way. A bicycle path is not a sidewalk but may be designed to permit shared use with pedestrians.

Bicycle Lanes (Class II): A lane designated for exclusive or preferential bicycle use through the application of pavement striping or markings and signage.

Bicycle Routes (Class III): Roadways designated for bicycle use through the installation of directional and informational signage.

Most bicycling takes place on ordinary streets, and all public roadways shall be made more accommodating for bicyclists by removing common hazards (i.e. unsafe drainage grates) and by following regular maintenance procedures (i.e. smooth pavement free from defects). However, compatible, but undesignated roadway accommodations, may not be the most appropriate for all types of bicyclists.

Designated roadways may be signed as "Bicycle Routes" (Class III), or marked with special striping to create "Bicycle Lanes" (Class II). These designations have been shown to encourage increased use of the roadway by bicyclists. Designation criteria and design standards in use by other communities have been provided within this report.

Public open space and greenways can create separate opportunities for a wide range of activities, including bicycling. Designing separate pathways (Class I) with all users in mind, with adequate width and clearance, makes them more successful. Brief sections of pathway can also create important links between communities separated by land use or other physical barriers.

Providing these facilities requires the cooperation of many City departments, including, but not limited to Recreation and Parks, Public Works, Police, and Community Planning and Development Services. These departments, as well as the citizen-led Bicycle Advisory Committee, have worked together to develop this report. Continued coordination will be necessary as further planning and facility construction move forward.