Saturday, May 25, 2013

Bike Lane$ Mean Buck$

 Laguna Beach relied on a transportation system spawned from roots in 1913 New York City, that system is dominated by the private car as a single mode of mobility and worked well till now. Today our transport infrastructure is fixed by space and cost of building new roads, yet the demand for parking and single occupancy vehicles (SOV) increases with no relief. The solution is a balanced mobility plan that removes SOV's and increases mode-share of alternative transport.

Laguna Beach needs to set new goals for its streets if we are to meet the needs of flexible demand in mobility  and address the danger of vehicle collisions, traffic congestion, non-existent bike networks, and environments that are inhospitable for pedestrians. New York City and Portland have transformed their  streets by balancing their transportation plan  with an economic benefit for businesses located along new transportation routes, see the summary by CoExist.com.

From a DOT NY study: "Built in 2007, it was controversial at the time (like everything else bike-related in the city). But a study by the Department of Transportation  finds that it’s paid dividends economically. Local stores between 23rd and 31st streets have seen a 49% increase in sales, compared to an average of 3% for Manhattan as a whole."

From a Portland Oregon study: "People drove to a convenience store an average of 9.9 times per month and spent $7.98 per visit for a total monthly expenditure of $79.73 while people who biked made 14.5 convenience store visits, spending $7.30 per trip for a total of $105.66 per month. A study by Kelly J. Clifton, Portland State University here"

Want to make some money? Build your business on a bike-lane, see the summary article by FastCoExist here. 

No comments:

Post a Comment