Browsing by Author "Villwock-Witte, Natalie"

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3

Bicycle & Pedestrian Infrastructure Improvements Realized in Communities of Less Than 10,000 People: Final Report
(2018-12) Villwock-Witte, Natalie
The objective of this study was to better define underlying factors that have allowed communities of less than 10,000 people within three states (Maine, Minnesota, and New Hampshire) to successfully implement bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure. These factors were defined by first conducting a thorough literature review along with general information gathering, as there is little published knowledge about communities of less than 10,000 people. Based on the information collected and synthesized from the literature review, interview questions were developed to ask leadership (planners, town administrators, elected officials) and advocates within communities of less than 10,000 people. Interviewees were targeted from two types of communities: those that have successfully implemented bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, and those that have shown potential to implement bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure. As an outcome of a series of in-depth interviews with key members in chosen communities, the following characteristics surfaced as being influential in whether or not bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure can be found within these smaller communities within Maine, Minnesota, and New Hampshire: • The speed limits, particularly adherence to speed limits within a community, • Having many champions for bicycle and pedestrian modes, • Having programs to teach or support bicycle and/or pedestrian modes, • Having bicycle and/or pedestrian groups, and • The community approval process.
In Search of Simultaneous Benefits of Infrastructure Provisions on Freight & Bicycle Movements
(Western Transportation Institute, 2023-10) Villwock-Witte, Natalie; Clouser, Karalyn; Kack, David
The United States has three million miles of rural roadways (U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, 2000). Some bicyclists enjoy recreating on low-volume rural roadways because they are looking for long rides to physically challenge themselves. Some rural Americans commute to work by bicycle or travel by bike for other trips (e.g., to the grocery store), whether they are driven by environmental motivators (they do not want to further pollute the environment) or practical purposes (they have limited or no vehicles in their households but still need to make trips). Regardless of the reason, bicyclists can be found on rural roadways. While many riders may self-select onto lower-volume roadways and roadways where there are fewer large vehicles, the limited redundancy of some rural roadway networks may force bicyclists to travel on roadways with higher traffic volumes, with higher posted speed limits, and with large vehicles. With extensive miles in the rural context, the question then becomes: can providing additional pavement in the form of wide shoulders benefit both motorists, particularly those in large vehicles carrying freight, and bicyclists on roadways used by both, or should a separated facility, like a cycle highway, be considered instead? Thus, the purpose of this project is to consider whether wider road shoulders could benefit both freight and bicyclists traveling along rural roadways. Through a literature review focused on the crash experience of bicyclists, the impact of the road design on a bicyclist’s crash experience, the impact of the vehicle type and vehicle technology on a bicyclist’s crash experience, and policies impacting how and where a bicyclist may travel, recommendations and conclusions are made regarding if benefits can be had by both bicyclists and freight (a.k.a., large vehicles) within a corridor.
Supporting Employment Transportation in Southern Georgia
(Western Transportation Institute, 2023-10) Clouser, Karalyn; Villwock-Witte, Natalie; Kissel, Carrie; Allphin, Bret
The Southern Georgia Regional Commission (SGRC) is a regional planning agency that conducts economic development, regional transportation and environmental planning, local government services, aging programs, workforce development, geographic information systems (GIS), and other services for an eighteen-county region. The region includes Atkinson, Bacon, Ben Hill, Berrien, Brantley, Brooks, Charlton, Clinch, Coffee, Cook, Echols, Irwin, Lanier, Lowndes, Pierce, Tift, Turner, and Ware Counties. Within its rural regional transportation program, SGRC develops rural transit development plans (TDPs) under contract to the Georgia Department of Transportation. SGRC also administers coordinated human services transportation for clients of agencies within Georgia’s Department of Human Services. In the summer of 2021, SGRC began to operate rural public transit services on a regional basis called SGRC Regional Transit, providing a mobility option for 15 of the 18 counties in the region. One of the region’s goals in establishing region-wide rural public transit is to address economic development, including providing mobility to existing and potential employment sites. The region’s 2020 update to the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) notes: “While some growth has been experienced within the region, persistent poverty, underemployment, and unemployment continue to plague the area.” Several goals and strategies in the CEDS relate to these issues of addressing poverty and employment. These include encouraging the establishment of transportation systems and facilities that support residents and visitors to broaden mobility options. In addition, some employers have already begun transportation services at their own expense. Others, including food processing business, have expressed to area workforce development and economic development professionals that they could create additional jobs if they had access to additional workers.