Browsing by Author "Lindsey, Greg"

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Assessing the Economic Impact and Health Benefits of Bicycling in Minnesota
(Minnesota Department of Transportation Research Services and Library, 2016) Lindsey, Greg; Quian, Xinyi; Linscheid, Neil; Tuck, Brigid; Schoner, Jessica; Pereira, Mark; Berger, Aaron
This project estimated the economic impact of the bicycling industry and events in Minnesota, estimated bicycling infrastructure use across the state, and assessed the health effects of bicycling in the Twin Cities metropolitan area.
Assessing the Economic Impact and Health Effects of Bicycling in Minnesota
(Minnesota Department of Transportation, 2016-12) Qian, Xinyi; Lindscheid, Neil; Turk, Brigid; Lindsey, Greg; Schoner, Jessica; Pereira, Mark; Berger, Aaron
This project estimated the economic impact of the bicycling industry and events in Minnesota, estimated bicycling infrastructure use across the state, and assessed the health effects of bicycling in the Twin Cities metropolitan area (TCMA). A survey of bicycling-related manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers, non-profit and advocacy groups found the industry produced a total of $779.9 million of economic activity in 2014. Using data from multiple sources, The number of bicycle trips in Minnesota was estimated to be between 75.2 and 96 million annually. The TCMA accounts for 69%-72% of the total number of trips and miles traveled in Minnesota. Bicycling events, including races, non-race rides, fundraising events, mountain bicycling events, high school races, and bicycle tours, produced a total of $14.3 million of economic activity in 2014. All six types of bicycling events mainly attract white, non-Hispanic male participants. “Riding my bicycle” was the most frequently identified reason to attend an event (except for fundraising event participants), and there is a variety of enjoyable attributes that differed across event types. Overall, respondents were satisfied with the events. Bicycle commuting prevents 12 to 61 deaths per year, saving $100 million to $500 million. Bicycle commuting three times per week is also linked to 46% lower odds of metabolic syndrome, 32% lower odds of obesity, and 28% lower odds of hypertension, all of which lower medical costs. Project findings tell a compelling story for the positive effects of bicycling and provide direct evidence that supports the efforts of promoting bicycling-related industry, infrastructure, events, and activities.
Assessing the Economic Impact and Health Effects of Bicycling in Minnesota
(Minnesota Department of Transportation, 2016-12) Qian, Xinyi; Linscheid, Neil; Tuck, Brigid; Lindsey, Greg; Jessica, Schoner; Pereira, Mark; Berger, Aaron
This project estimated the economic impact of the bicycling industry and events in Minnesota, estimated bicycling infrastructure use across the state, and assessed the health effects of bicycling in the Twin Cities metropolitan area (TCMA). A survey of bicycling-related manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers, non-profit and advocacy groups found the industry produced a total of $779.9 million of economic activity in 2014. Using data from multiple sources, the number of bicycle trips in Minnesota was estimated to be between 75.2 and 96 million annually. The TCMA accounts for 69%-72% of the total number of trips and miles traveled in Minnesota. Bicycling events, including races, non-race rides, fundraising events, mountain bicycling events, high school races, and bicycle tours, produced a total of $14.3 million of economic activity in 2014. All six types of bicycling events mainly attract white, non-Hispanic male participants. “Riding my bicycle” was the most frequently identified reason to attend an event (except for fundraising event participants), and there is a variety of enjoyable attributes that differed across event types. Overall, respondents were satisfied with the events. Bicycle commuting prevents 12 to 61 deaths per year, saving $100 million to $500 million. Bicycle commuting three times per week is also linked to 46% lower odds of metabolic syndrome, 32% lower odds of obesity, and 28% lower odds of hypertension, all of which lower medical costs. Project findings tell a compelling story for the positive effects of bicycling and provide direct evidence that supports the efforts of promoting bicycling-related industry, infrastructure, events, and activities.
Bicycle and Pedestrian Data Collection Manual
(Minnesota Department of Transportation, 2017-01) Minge, Erik; Falero, Courtney; Lindsey, Greg; Petesch, Michael; Vorvick, Thor
The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) launched the Minnesota Bicycle and Pedestrian Counting Initiative in 2011, a statewide, collaborative effort to encourage and support non-motorized traffic monitoring. One of the objectives of the Initiative was to provide guidance related to monitoring bicycle and pedestrian traffic. This manual is an introductory guide nonmotorized traffic monitoring. The manual describes general traffic monitoring principles; bicycle and pedestrian data collection sensors; how to perform counts; data management and analysis; and the next steps for bicycle and pedestrian traffic monitoring in Minnesota. The manual also includes several case studies that illustrate how bicycle and pedestrian traffic data can be used to support transportation planning and engineering.
The effects of pedestrian and bicycle exposure on crash risk in Minneapolis
(Journal of Transport and Land Use, 2021) Tao, Tao; Lindsey, Greg; Cao, Jason; Wang, Jueyu
Exposure to risk is a theoretically important correlate of crash risk, but many safety performance functions (SPFs) for pedestrian and bicycle traffic have yet to include the mode-specific measures of exposure. When SPFs are used in the systematic approach to assess network-wide crash risk, the omission of the exposure potentially could affect the identification of high-risk locations. Using crash data from Minneapolis, this study constructs and compares two sets of SPFs, one with pedestrian and bicycle exposure variables and the other without, for network-wide intersection and mid-block crash models. Inclusion of mode-specific exposure variables improves model validity and measures of goodness-of-fit and increases accuracy of predictions of pedestrian and bicycle crash risk. Including these exposure variables in the SPFs changes the distribution of high-risk locations, including the proportion of high-risk locations in low-income and racially concentrated areas. These results confirm the importance of incorporating exposure measures within SPFs and the need for pedestrian and bicycle monitoring programs to generate exposure data.
Efficient Pedestrian and Bicycle Traffic Flow Estimation Combining Mobile-Sourced Data with Route Choice Prediction
(2023-12-08) Barman, Simanta; Stern, Raphael; Levin, Michael W.; Lindsey, Greg; rstern@umn.edu; Stern, Raphael; University of Minnesota CAVe Lab
Accurate estimate of traffic flow measures like annual average daily traffic (AADT) is vital to making decisions about roadway planning, safety, maintenance, operation etc. Methodology to inexpensively obtain an accurate estimate of traffic flow especially for pedestrian and bicyclist traffic is lacking in the literature. High expenses of conducting household surveys and setting up traffic monitoring stations to collect data motivated us to look for cheaper solutions. In this study, we develop a methodology to inexpensively obtain a good estimate of pedestrian and bicyclist traffic flow from mobile data sources while avoiding the privacy issues associated with models based on household survey data. However, the accuracy of mobile data is unknown and may vary in different locations. To deal with erroneous data sources we use different techniques to estimate and keep improving an origin-destination (OD) matrix from the observed link flows to ultimately get the actual link flows. In our model, we enforce the consistency between the number of productions and attractions of trips for different regions with the OD-matrix. Using the network topology, we use trip distribution based on the gravity model to generate an initial OD-matrix. Then we use an optimization formulation to improve the initial OD-matrix so that the link flow obtained using the improved OD-matrix matches with the partially observable link flows. Furthermore, we present the performance of the solution algorithm for the Twin Cities' bicycle and pedestrian networks. We also compare the accuracy of our estimate with manually collected traffic flow data for the real networks.
Factors Associated with the Gender Gap in Bicycling Over Time
(2014) Schoner, Jessica; Lindsey, Greg; Levinson, David M
Bicycling has grown in popularity over the past decade, but the gap in rates of bicycling between men and women in the United States (US) persists. This paper uses regional travel behavior study data from the Minneapolis-St. Paul Metropolitan Region in 2000 and 2010 to measure and model the gender gap in bicycling over time. Findings from a series of statistical tests show that in aggregate, women bike less than men, and that growth in bicycling has been slower for women than for men over the past decade. However, stratifying the sample shows that women who live with at least one other adult bicyclist participate in bicycling at an equal rate as men. Similarly, frequency of bicycle trips among people who participate in bicycling differed by gender only slightly in 2000, and not at all in 2010. Binary logistic modeling results show that several factors, such as age and trip purpose, are associated with different bicycling outcomes for men and women, but some commonly hypothesized explanations, such as having children, were declining in effect or altogether insignificant. These findings and conclusions are important for practice and research because understand- ing the nuances of the gender gap, such as the apparent gap in participation but not in frequency or the contagion effect of living with a cyclist, is essential for targeting programs effectively. This paper also identifies several travel behavior data collection limitations that complicate studying the gender gap, and offers recommendations for further study.
Feasibility of Using GPS to Track Bicycle Lane Positioning
(Intelligent Transportation Systems Institute, Center for Transportation Studies, University of Minnesota, 2013-03) Lindsey, Greg; Hankey, Steve; Wang, Xize; Chen, Junzhou; Gorjestani, Alec
Researchers have shown that GPS units in smartphones can be used to identify routes taken by cyclists, including whether cyclists deviate from shortest paths to use bike lanes and other facilities. Researchers previously have not reported whether GPS tracking can be used to monitor whether and how bicyclists actually use lanes on streets, where these lanes have been provided, or other types of facilities. The objective of this research was to determine whether smartphone GPS units or enhanced GPS units could be used to track and map the location of cyclists on streets. The research team modified an open-source smartphone application (CycleTracks) to integrate with a higher-quality external GPS unit. Cyclists then mounted the smartphone with route-tracking applications to bicycles and repeatedly rode four different routes. The routes for the field tests were chosen because each included a striped lane for bicycle traffic and because the routes bisected a variety of built urban environments, ranging from an open location on a bridge over the Mississippi River to a narrow urban street lined by tall, multi-story office buildings. The field tests demonstrated that neither the smartphone GPS units nor the higher-quality external GPS receiver generate data accurate enough to monitor bicyclists’ use of bike lanes or other facilities. This lack of accuracy means that researchers interested in obtaining data about the propensity of cyclists to ride in lanes, when available, must rely on other technologies to obtain data for analyses.
Guidance for Separated/Buffered Bike Lanes with Delineators
(Minnesota Department of Transportation, 2021-05) Hourdos, John; Duhn, Melissa; Dirks, Peter; Lindsey, Greg
Separated bicycle lanes (SBLs) are bicycle facilities that employ both paint and a vertical element as a buffer between vehicle traffic and bicycle traffic. In recent years, the installation of SBLs has increased in the U.S. as planners and engineers seek to reduce crash risk, increase safety and foster demand. In turn, public demand for these facilities has continued to grow. This project conducted a thorough literature search to identify knowledge gaps and aspects of design not addressed in depth in existing guides. In collaboration with the Local Road Research Board and MnDOT, the study identified which design elements were of the greatest local interest or missing from the guidance altogether. The identified subject areas were explored with the help of three major knowledge gathering approaches: interviews of industry professionals from local agencies currently operating SBLs, interviews with leading bicycle advocates representing the local cycling community, and an ambitious and lengthy online survey of people who cycle in Minnesota. As noted by several existing guidance documents and corroborated by the information collected and analyzed in this project, the SBL is one of the highest quality bikeway facilities available. This report adds to the existing guidance regarding the planning and operation of SBLs by refining the discussion and taking into account individual aspects of separate design elements and their implementation alternatives, as well as their influence and limitations on maintenance needs, especially in winter. The guidance identifies multiple considerations for each of the selected structural elements and maintenance considerations to inform the choices made during the design process.
Is Bikesharing Contagious?Modeling its effects on System Membership and General Population Cycling
(Transportation Research Board, 2016) Schoner, Jessica E; Lindsey, Greg; Levinson, David M
This paper presents new evidence about the role of bike share systems in travel behavior using a diffusion of innovation framework. We hypothesize that bike share systems have a contagion or spillover effect on (H1) propensity to start using the system and (H2) propensity to bicycle among the general population. We test the first hypothesis by modeling membership growth as a function of both system expansion and the existing membership base. We test the second hypothesis by using bike share activity levels near one’s home in a model of household-level bicycle participation and trip frequency. Our study shows mixed results. Bike share membership growth appears to be driven, in a small part, by a contagion effect of existing bike share members nearby. However, we did not identify a significant relationship between proximity to bike share and cycling participation or frequency among the general population. The findings hold implications for marketing, infrastructure investments, and future research about bike share innovation diffusion and spillover effects.
The Minnesota Bicycle and Pedestrian Counting Initiative: Implementation Study
(Minnesota Department of Transportation, 2015-06) Lindsey, Greg; Petesch, Michael; Hankey, Steve
The Minnesota Bicycle and Pedestrian Counting Initiative: Implementation Study reports results from the second in a series of three MnDOT projects to foster non-motorized traffic monitoring. The objectives were to install and validate permanent automated sensors, use portable sensors for short duration counts, develop models for extrapolating counts, and integrate continuous counts into MnDOT traffic monitoring databases. Commercially available sensors, including inductive loops, integrated inductive loops and passive infrared, pneumatic tubes, and radio beams, were installed both as permanent monitor sites and used for short-duration counts at a variety of locations in cities, suburbs, and small towns across Minnesota. All sensors tested in the study produced reasonably accurate measures of bicycle and pedestrian traffic. Most sensors undercounted because of their inability to distinguish and count bicyclists or pedestrians passing simultaneously. Accuracy varied with technology, care and configuration of deployment, maintenance, and analytic methods. Bicycle and pedestrian traffic volumes varied greatly across locations, with highest volumes being on multiuse trails in urban areas. FHWA protocols were used to estimate annual average daily traffic and miles traveled on an 80-mile multiuse trail network in Minneapolis. Project findings were incorporated in a new MnDOT guidance document, “DRAFT Bicycle and Pedestrian Data Collection Manual” used in statewide training workshops. A major challenge in implementing bicycle and pedestrian traffic monitoring is data management. Years will be required to institutionalize bicycle and pedestrian traffic successfully.
The Minnesota Bicycle and Pedestrian Counting Initiative: Institutionalizing Bicycle and Pedestrian Monitoring
(Minnesota Department of Transportation, 2017-01) Lindsey, Greg; Petesch, Michael; Vorvick, Tohr; Austin, Lisa; Holdhusen, Bruce
The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) launched the Minnesota Bicycle and Pedestrian Counting Initiative in 2011, a statewide, collaborative effort to encourage and support non-motorized traffic monitoring. This report summarizes work by MnDOT and the University of Minnesota between 2014 and 2016 to institutionalize bicycle and pedestrian monitoring. The project team established a new statewide bicycle and pedestrian traffic monitoring network with 25 permanent monitoring locations and a new district-based portable counting equipment loan program. Other key accomplishments included Minnesota’s first Bicycle and Pedestrian Annual Traffic Monitoring Report, a new MnDOT website for reporting annual and short-duration counts, and a new Bicycle and Pedestrian Data Collection Manual that local jurisdictions and consultants can use to design manual and automated non-motorized traffic monitoring programs. The project team also included provisions in MnDOT equipment vendor agreements that enable local governments to purchase bicycle and monitoring equipment; established new annual training programs for bicycle and pedestrian monitoring; and contributed provisions in the Statewide Bicycle System Plan and Minnesota Walks that call for bicycle and pedestrian traffic monitoring and creation of performance measures based on counts. Despite this progress, challenges in implementing monitoring remain and continued investment in and support for bicycle and traffic monitoring is needed.
The Minnesota Bicycle and Pedestrian Counting Initiative: Methodologies for Non-motorized Traffic Monitoring
(Minnesota Department of Transportation, 2013-10) Lindsey, Greg; Hankey, Steve; Wang, Xize; Chen, Junzhou
The purpose of this project was to develop methodologies for monitoring non-motorized traffic in Minnesota. The project included an inventory of bicycle and pedestrian monitoring programs; development of guidance for manual, field counts; pilot field counts in 43 Minnesota communities; and analyses of automated, continuous-motorized counts from locations in Minneapolis. The analyses showed hourly, daily, and monthly patterns are comparable despite variation in volumes and that adjustment factors can be used to extrapolate short-term counts and estimate annual traffic. The project technical advisory panel made five recommendations: (1) MnDOT should continue and institutionalize coordination of annual statewide manual bicycle and pedestrian counts; (2) MnDOT should improve methods for reporting results of field counts and explore web-based programs for data reporting and analysis; (3) MnDOT should lead efforts to deploy and demonstrate the feasibility of new automated technologies for bicycle and pedestrian counting, focusing on new technologies not presently used in Minnesota; (4) MnDOT should begin integration of non-motorized traffic counts from existing automated, continuous counters in Minneapolis into its new databases for vehicular traffic monitoring data; and (5) MnDOT should work with local governments and explore institutional arrangements for (a) establishing a network of permanent, automated continuous monitoring sites across the state and (b) sharing and deploying new technologies for short-duration monitoring to generate traffic counts that provide a more comprehensive understanding of spatial variation in nonmotorized traffic volumes.
Minnesota Bicycle Counting
(University of Minnesota Tourism Center, 2017) Lindsey, Greg
This research estimates the number of bicycle trips and miles traveled in Minnesota. One approach based on a Metropolitan Council travel survey and estimates from the Census journey-to-work indicates Minnesotans take 85 to 96 million bicycle trips annually. A second approach based on a MnDOT population survey indicates Minnesotans take approximately 75.2 million bicycle trips annually. Minnesotans travel between 150 and 200 million miles by bicycle annually.
Mobile-device data, non-motorized traffic monitoring, and estimation of annual average daily bicyclist and pedestrian flows
(Minnesota Department of Transportation, 2024-06) Barman, Simanta; Levin, Michael W.; Lindsey, Greg; Petesch, Michael; Scotty, Suzy; Stern, Raphael
People who walk and bike are the most vulnerable road users. However, understanding where they walk and bike requires continual data monitoring. Traditional methods rely on physical sensors in the infrastructure to detect the presence of pedestrians and bicyclists. However, these are expensive to deploy and only detect road users at the specific locations they are deployed. Instead, this study develops methods to use mobile phone based GPS data to estimate the number of bicyclists and pedestrians, and applies this methodology to the Twin Cities Metro area in Minnesota. The developed methodology is able to estimate average pedestrian and bicyclist volumes with relatively high accuracy.
Modeling Bicyclist Exposure to Risk and Crash Risk: Some Exploratory Studies
(Center for Transportation Studies, University of Minnesota, 2018-07) Lindsey, Greg; Wang, Jueyu; Hankey, Steven; Pterka, Michael
This report presents models for estimating bicyclist exposure to risk and crash risk. Direct demand models for estimating weekday PM peak-period bicyclist exposure to risk are estimated from a database of PM peak-period bicycle counts in Minneapolis and used to estimate exposure for the street network. Bicycle crashes in Minneapolis are described and crash risk is assessed. Probability models to assess crash risk at both intersections and along segments show that both bicyclist exposure and vehicular exposure are associated with the likelihood of a bicycle crash. Estimates of exposure at 184 roadway-trail crossings are used to apply warrants for traffic controls. The results show that warrants for traffic signals and pedestrian hybrid beacons are most likely to be met using weekend peak-hour traffic flows. Most locations that meet warrants already have controls, but site specific safety investigations may be warranted at 9% of all crossings. Count-based models of bicyclist exposure are estimated for Duluth using origin-destination centrality indices as explanatory variables. Although these indices correlate positively and significantly with bicyclist volumes, estimates of exposure do not correlate with bicycle crashes. Together, these analyses illustrate how measures of bicyclist exposure to risk can be used in assessments of safety and crash risk. The approaches can be used in planning-level studies where consistent measures of exposure or risk are needed. These results underscore the need to continue bicycle traffic monitoring and make available estimates of exposure for safety assessments.
Nice Ride Minnesota Program Evaluation Bemidji Bike Rental System
(2015-03) Levinson, David M; Schoner, Jessica; Lindsey, Greg
Nice Ride Minnesota Program Evaluation: Minneapolis-St. Paul Bike Share System
(2015-05) Schoner, Jessica; Lindsey, Greg; Levinson, David M
Pedestrian and Bicycle Crash Risk and Equity: Implications for Street Improvement Projects
(2019-06) Lindsey, Greg; Tao, Tao; Wang, Jueyu; Cao, Jason
Transportation managers need information about crash risk and equity to prioritize investments in street networks. This case study uses data from Minneapolis, Minnesota, to illustrate how estimates of pedestrian and bicycle crash risk and assessments of inequities in the distribution of that risk can inform prioritization of street improvement projects. Crash numbers and frequencies for pedestrian and bicycle crashes at intersections and mid-blocks in Minneapolis are determined for the 2005-2017 period. New models of pedestrian and bicycle crash risk at both intersections and mid-blocks that control for exposure are introduced and used to predict crashes at all intersections and mid-blocks in the city. Statistical tests are used to assess the equity of distribution of estimated crash risk between areas of concentrated poverty with majority-minority populations and other areas in the city. Crash indexes based on predicted crashes are used to illustrate how increased emphases can be placed on pedestrian and bicycle safety in street improvement rankings. Results show that pedestrian and bicycle crash risk is correlated with exposure, that different factors affect crash risk at intersections and mid-blocks, and that these factors differ for pedestrian and bicycle crashes. Results also show that mean crash risk is higher in neighborhoods with lower incomes and majority-minority populations. For street improvement projects in the city, different rankings result when segments are ranked according to modeled pedestrian and bicycle crash risk in addition to total crash rates based on historical numbers of crashes at particular locations. Results generally affirm efforts by the Minneapolis Department of Public Works to increase emphases on pedestrian and bicycle safety and equity in its prioritization of street improvements.
Pedestrian Crossings and Safety on Four Anishinaabe Reservations in Minnesota
(Minnesota Department of Transportation, 2020-11) Lindsey, Greg; Hourdos, John; Dirks, Peter; Duhn, Melissa; Qi, Yunlei; Singer-Berk, Lila; Petesch, Michael
The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) has identified Native American as one of six priority populations in the state that face disproportionate risks as pedestrians. This report summarizes results from observations of pedestrian crossing behaviors on four Anishinaabe reservations in northern Minnesota. The University of Minnesota Traffic Observatory (MTO) video-taped and classified pedestrian crossings at 10 intersections identified by Tribal transportation managers as high priority because of perceived risks. Across the intersections, pedestrian crossing volumes during daylight hours ranged from 3 per day to 136 per day. The percent of pedestrian crossings that involved interactions with vehicles ranged from 9% to 54%. Tribal transportation managers from the Bois Forte, Fond du Lac, Grand Portage, and Mille Lacs Bands, MnDOT, county engineers, and the investigators collaborated to identify countermeasures to address risks to pedestrians. Proposed countermeasures varied by intersection and included vegetation removal and line-of-sight improvements, new lighting, crosswalk improvements, Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons with advanced warning signs, ADA-compliant ramps, pedestrian education programs, realignment of intersections, and at one intersection a Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon. Prospects for implementation of countermeasures vary by intersection and reservation and are contingent on Tribal and transportation agency budgets, state and county plans for roadway improvements, and categorical grant programs such as Minnesota's Transportation Alternatives Program. Some countermeasures are being implemented, and MnDOT is extending the approach to additional reservations.

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