Bicycle Links

National Bicycle Tour Directors Association--a complete listing of bicycle tours in the U.S. 3 days or longer.

Bike Grant's Trail--"the most thorough, accurate, and detailed site for information on Grant's Trail!" Grant's Trail is an eight-mile rail-to-trail project in St. Louis County.

The Chicagoland Bicycle Federation's page on "benchmarking", or collecting statistics and data about bicycling.

Bob Wooldridge's Cycling Log--Bob is a St. Louis-area cyclist

BEST PRACTICES FOR BICYCLE ACCOMMODATION IN PALO ALTO [PDF]--a very useful explanation of ideas and practices.

The Ozark Off Road Cyclists is a Arkansas-based, non-profit, IMBA affiliated mountain bike club dedicated to promoting responsible mountain biking, trail maintenance, and preservation of green spaces.

Statewide Safety Study of Bicycles and Pedestrians on Freeways, Expressways, Toll Bridges, and Tunnels--"Based on the literature and investigations done as part of this study, highway bicycle collision rates per mile of
bicycle travel are an order of magnitude higher than collision rates for motor vehicle traffic. Bicycle collisions
are no more frequent on bridges and in tunnels than on the approaches to the bridges and tunnels. Overall
vehicle collision rates are no higher on freeways open to bicycles than they are on adjacent highways open to
bicycles."

Statewide Safety Study of Bicycles and Pedestrians on Freeways, Expressways, Toll Bridges, and Tunnels--"Based on the literature and investigations done as part of this study, highway bicycle collision rates per mile of
bicycle travel are an order of magnitude higher than collision rates for motor vehicle traffic. Bicycle collisions
are no more frequent on bridges and in tunnels than on the approaches to the bridges and tunnels. Overall
vehicle collision rates are no higher on freeways open to bicycles than they are on adjacent highways open to
bicycles."

Statewide Safety Study of Bicycles and Pedestrians on Freeways, Expressways, Toll Bridges, and Tunnels--"Based on the literature and investigations done as part of this study, highway bicycle collision rates per mile of
bicycle travel are an order of magnitude higher than collision rates for motor vehicle traffic. Bicycle collisions
are no more frequent on bridges and in tunnels than on the approaches to the bridges and tunnels. Overall
vehicle collision rates are no higher on freeways open to bicycles than they are on adjacent highways open to
bicycles."

An analysis of nationwide bicycling fatalities (involving motor vehicles), 1975-2002.

US Bicycle Traffic Fatalities: Trends & Characteristics, by Riley R. Geary, Institute for Traffic Safety Analysis, Arlington, Virginia--"Using the Fatality Analysis Reporting System database maintained by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, nearly 4000 bicycle fatalities recorded on American roads during the period 1994-98 are examined with respect to a number of demographic and environmental variables."

The Center for Disease Control's Active Community Environments Initiative (ACES) "promotes walking, bicycling, and the development of accessible recreation facilities. It was developed in response to data from a variety of disciplines, including public health, urban design, and transportation planning. These data suggest characteristics of our communities such as proximity of facilities, street design, density of housing, availability of public transit and of pedestrian and bicycle facilities play a significant role in promoting or discouraging physical activity."

FHWA bicycle and pedestrian regulations. These have some pretty strong language to support bicycle and pedestrian accommodation on construction projects that involve federal money. As of June 2004 the FHWA web site has this note about these regulations:

"23 CFR Part 652 is outdated and will be revised after reauthorization of surface transportation programs."

The new revision will be even stronger in support of bike/ped facilities than the old version. The FHWA also suggests going to FHWA Bicycle and Pedestrian Program legislation and guidance.

Kansas City area traffic count maps. These are very useful for planning bicycle routes:

• Kansas-side 2001 traffic counts (arterials, highways and interstates)
  
• Kansas-side 2002 traffic counts (highways and interstates)
  
• Missouri-side traffic counts for the Metro Area
  

Links to these pages can be found at the MARC web site (transportation maps).

Kansas City American Public Works Association (KCAPWA) Bicycle Facility Guidelines (this is the draft version which is essentially identical the final approved version which, unfortunately, is not yet online anywhere). These very good and detailed guidelines should be followed by public works departments in the Kansas City metro area. Some cities have formally adopted these guidelines, but whether or not formal adoption has taken place, they are very influential.