Characteristics and reported bicycle & pedestrian infrastructure for communities of less than 10,000 people in Maine, Minnesota, & New Hampshire

Abstract

The implementation of bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure has increased in recent years, in part due to community interest in encouraging more active transportation. However, much of the existing research on this topic has focused on large, metropolitan areas. With regard to the smallest of American communities (those with populations less than 10,000), little research has been done to understand: 1) what, if any, bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure has been implemented, and 2) what characteristics enable or facilitate its implementation. This paper seeks to answer these questions and consequently provide a foundation on which future research can build that focuses on small U.S. communities. It presents examples of implemented infrastructure and identifies commonalities found among communities that have reported greater levels of implementation of bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure. Interviews were conducted with eighty-two individuals who were bicycle and/or pedestrian advocates, planners/community administrators, or elected officials from thirty communities within Maine, Minnesota, and New Hampshire with populations of less than 10,000. Seventeen interview questions aimed to uncover commonalities among communities that have successfully implemented bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure. The perception of adherence to speed limits, having numerous bicycle and pedestrian champions, having programs that teach community members how to bike or that arrange walking groups, having bicycle and pedestrian groups within the community, and an easy project approval process were all characteristics commonly associated with small communities that have been successful in implementing bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure. The most commonly identified bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure within communities were sidewalks and multi-use pathways.