Destination Doylestown Bike & Hike Path
Doylestown, Pennsylvania
Source: Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center (PBIC)
Problem
A path was needed to connect the Delaware Valley College to the central business district of Doylestown. Delaware Valley College was geographically separated from the commercial, recreational, and cultural attractions of Doylestown by the SR 611 Bypass, a major divided highway.
Background
Doylestown is among many communities in the area promoting pedestrian and bicycle paths to increase the livability of communities. Over the past 12 years, private citizens, business owners, and government representatives worked together through the Doylestown Community Bike and Hike Committee to develop over 10 miles of walking and biking trails throughout the community.
Solution
A 1.2 mile pedestrian and bicycle friendly connection through Delaware Valley College and the historic central business and cultural districts of Doylestown was completed in 2003. The construction of 0.25 miles of concrete sidewalk improved access to the bike path and increased usage. This increased pedestrian and bicycle traffic in the area enabled people to walk or bicycle rather than drive to their destination.
The city of Doylestown also implemented several traffic calming features in the area to decrease traffic speeds. A gateway island was created at New Britain Road, where SR 202 transitions from two lanes to four. The island increased safety by allowing pedestrians and bicyclists to cross one direction of traffic at a time and wait on the island for a safe time to cross. Another safety feature included in the plan was the reduction of the lane width from 12ft to 11ft on the off ramp of SR 611. The main challenges of this project were safe crossing options across the SR 611 Bypass, dealing with the high speed interchanges ramps from US 202 to SR 600, and limiting costs to $500,000.
Other design features that were included in the plan to increase pedestrian and bicycle safety included signs along the highway to warn motorists of the presence of trail users, and highly visible pedestrian crossings to make motorists aware of pedestrians in the area. These visible pavement markings are known to decrease speeds, which improves safety for pedestrians and bicyclists.
Results
Preliminary pedestrian count results showed that an average of 10 people are using various parts of the bike and hike path each day. These numbers result in about 3,000 trips per year, and it was estimated that usage of the bike and hike path eliminates over 1,000 vehicle trips per year. The project enhanced overall pedestrian mobility in the area and linked many destinations including a YMCA, a high school, athletic fields, and tennis courts. The creation of the bike and hike path also increased pedestrian and bicycle safety with the addition of a concrete barrier to the bridge over SR 611, the addition of push buttons and continental crosswalks at the traffic signal, and the creation of traffic calming areas. The traffic calming features included in this plan were estimated to have reduced the average vehicle speeds by 1 to 5 mph. The overall cost for the construction of this bike and hike path was $457,889, which was less than the allotted amount for the project.
Contact
Michael Baker Jr.
Project Director
201 Gibraltar Road, Suite 120
Horsham, Pennsylvania 19044-2331
(215) 442-5333
Image Source
ITE Pedestrian Project Award submittal. Destination Doylstown Bike & Jike Path. http://www.ite.org/awards/pedproject/Doylestown.pdf
