The City of Hilliard Sustainability Plan

Hilliard Sustainability PlanECON. EXECUTIVELAND USE DEV.SOCIAL SUMMARY& URBAN EQ.ECOLOGYhave easy access to bike paths or roads with bike lanes from theirhomes, and there are convenient neighborhood retail services orwork options within three miles, some individuals may choose toride their bike instead of driving a car. In Hilliard, the longest stretchof bike path currently is the Heritage Trail bike path, which is mostlyused for recreation. Thus, a key sustainability indicator for Hilliard isto measure bike path connectivity.MeasureBike path connectivity measures how robust the bicycle infrastructureis in Hilliard. The indicator is measured using GIS data comparingthe number of bicycle network links to the number of nodes.Links are the bike path or bike lane segments between intersectionsand nodes are the actual intersections. The unit of measurefor segments is not relevant because the calculation is just usingthe total number of segments available, not the measured lengthof each segment. 6 A higher index means there are more routechoices or more routes available with dedicated bicycle infrastructure.A score of 1.4 is the minimum recommended for a walkablecommunity, 7 so the goal for this indicator is that Hilliard will maintaina bike connectivity index of 1.4 or greater.DescriptionCurrently, the City of Hilliard has 24.65 miles of bicycle or multi-usepaths, consisting of 3.52 miles of shared lane markings (sharrows)and 21.13 miles of multi-use paths. Using the City’s GIS data, thecurrent connectivity index is 1.17, which is less than the targetmeasure. This analysis can be seen in Map 3.1 and includes all ofthe current streets with bike lanes, multi-use paths, and sharrows.The City GIS Coordinator can conduct this analysis using data thatthe City currently maintains in conjunction with community plan updatesto monitor the progress towards achieving the goal of improved bike pathconnectivity.Percent of Streets with Pedestrian InfrastructureBackgroundLike bicycling, walking provides a healthy alternative mode of transportationthat reduces reliance on automobiles. However, in 2010 only 2.3% ofthe Ohio population walked to work. 8 People are more willing to walk if50» Map 3.1: Existing Bike Facilities in HilliardData Source: City of Hilliard, 2011