2007 Benchmarking Report - Alliance for Biking & Walking

all and included recommendations for the city to improve the
score. According to the SFBC, the report card is “an instrument
to hold (our) local decision makers accountable for their stated
commitments to boosting bicycling rates and safety and making
biking a mainstream transportation mode.” The SFBC plans to
publish an updated Report Card on Bicycling every two years.
BTA’s Bicycle Friendly Communities Report Card
The Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA), Oregon’s
state-wide bicycle advocacy organization, produced its first
Bicycle-Friendly Community Report Card in 2002. Grades
were given to twenty of Oregon’s largest communities based
on such things as quality and quantity of bicycle facilities, encouragement
of bicycling, established safety programs, and
feedback from community bicycle riders. The twenty communities
received a letter grade ranging from A- to D-. A discussion
highlighted the good, the bad and the opportunities to increase
cycling in various Oregon regions. According to the BTA, their
report was “designed to help communities assess their commitment
to bicycling as both recreation and transportation.”
How Thunderhead’s Benchmarking Project Fits In
All of the benchmarking-like efforts described in this
section can compliment or contribute in some way to Thunderhead’s
project. European benchmarking efforts provide
examples that can be modeled and inspire the evolution of this
project. LAB’s Bicycle Friendly Community (BFC) program encourages
competition among cities. Thunderhead’s Benchmarking
Project compliments this program by providing data to the
public, officials, and advocates so that they can see where their
strengths and weaknesses are prior to a BFC application. Cities
will also see what communities they can look to as models.
The Bikeability and Walkability checklists are excellent
educational tools for communities. These surveys, along with
the local surveys and report cards, compliment Thunderhead’s
Benchmarking Project with a subjective evaluation from community
stakeholders. A standardized version could be collected and
results aggregated to compare these evaluations across cities
and states. Thunderhead sees great potential for more meaningful
data on levels of cycling and walking for all trips through the
National Bicycle and Pedestrian Documentation Project. As this
project grows with more communities participating, this information
will be valuable for ongoing benchmarking efforts for
bicycling and walking in North America.
Primary Objectives
Promote Data Collection & Availability
Government officials and advocates need data to measure
their progress and evaluate their efforts. Little data is currently
available on bicycling and walking trips, demographics,
policies and provisions. Thunderhead’s Benchmarking Project
attempts to fill the gap by measuring the following indicators:
• Bicycling and walking levels and demographics
• Bicycle and pedestrian fatalities
• Bicycle and pedestrian policies and provisions
• Funding for bicycle and pedestrian projects
• Bicycle and pedestrian staffing levels
• Written policies on bicycling and walking
• Bicycle infrastructure including bike lanes,
paths, signed bike routes, and bicycle parking
• Bike-transit integration including presence of
bike racks on buses, bike parking at
transit stops, and hours per week that bicycles
are allowed on trains
• Public health indicators including levels of obesity,
physical activity, diabetes, and high blood pressure.
This report includes additional data on factors that may influencing
cycling and walking including weather, residential density,
levels of car ownership and the capacity of Thunderhead
member organizations.
Unlike other efforts where data is collected and never
made public, this Benchmarking Project makes data readily
INTRODUCTION
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Bicycling & Walking in the U.S./ Thunderhead Alliance 2007