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Federal Highway Administration Research and Technology
Coordinating, Developing, and Delivering Highway Transportation Innovations

Report
This report is an archived publication and may contain dated technical, contact, and link information
Publication Number: FHWA-HRT-05-120
 Date: July 2006

Lesson 18: Bicycle and Pedestrian Connections to Transit

Picture shows two men loading their bicycles onto the front bicycle rack of a city bus.

Lesson Outline

  • The importance of integrating pedestrian and bicycle transportation with transit.
  • Pedestrian connections to transit services.
  • Bike-on-bus programs.
  • Bike-on-rail programs.

Picture shows a large, attractive bus stop shelter in front of a townhouse/apartment complex.

Why Integrate Pedestrian and Bicycle Transportation with Transit?

  • Significant amounts of the population live near transit stations in urban areas.
  • Improvements for pedestrian and bicycle access lead to increased transit ridership.
  • Providing bicycle accommodation on transit vehicles increases the catchment area for transit riders.
  • Vehicle and station modifications can be made at modest cost.

Pedestrian Connections to Transit

The first picture shows a woman sitting on the curb of the road waiting for a bus. There is no sidewalk, only a paved shoulder.

 

The second picture shows a bus stop with a sidewalk and a bench between two trees. The bench was placed there by the Lion’s Club. There is a bus stop sign in the grass strip between the sidewalk and the curb.

  Pedestrian waiting for the bus   Bus stop with sidewalk and bench

How Bicycles Should Be Integrated with Transit

  • Bike racks on buses.
  • Transporting bikes on light and heavy rail, commuter rail, and intercity rail vehicles.
  • Bike parking.
  • Station design improvements.
  • Links to transit stops.
  • Bicycle-ferry programs.

Picture shows a bike rack with bikes parked outside a historic train depot.

Bicycle-on-Bus Programs

  • Front-mounted racks.
  • Inside bus.
  • Successful programs.

Picture shows a man loading a bicycle onto a front rack of a city bus.

Transit Agency Concerns

  • Schedule adherence.
  • Safety and protection of transit property.
  • Equipment procurement.

Bicycle-on-Rail Programs

  • Bring bike inside rail car.
  • Time restrictions.
  • Rail car design constraints.
  • New rail car design to accommodate bikes: "California Car."

Picture shows a man with a bicycle riding in a subway car.

Elements of Successful Bike-Transit Programs

  • Demonstration project.
  • Advisory committees.
  • Marketing and promotion.

Lesson Summary

  • Providing good links to transit for pedestrians and bicyclists is essential.
  • Providing good facilities for pedestrians and bicyclists at transit stations is essential.
  • Linking pedestrians and bicyclists with transit can increase transit ridership.

 

FHWA-HRT-05-120

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