Finding a Safer Solution to Bike and Pedestrian Friendly Cities

In the transportation industry, there has been a movement in the last decade to increase bike and pedestrian-friendly roads and there’s a number of reasons why:

• Many see it as key to building healthy communities and addressing public health issues, like obesity. Stakeholders range from government agencies, like NIH, to urban planners to state health officials.
• As a pollution-free mode of transportation, walking and biking are good for the environment – lowering emissions and reducing the use of fossil fuels.
• Transportation officials realize it can reduce traffic congestion with fewer cars on the road and improve mobility with more commuting options for citizens in dense urban areas.
• Riders find it a more affordable means for getting around with savings on gas, car ownership, auto insurance, and regular maintenance.

Certainly, there are many benefits that come from walking and biking, but at the same time, with the addition of bike lanes in urban areas, there has, unfortunately, also been an increase in cyclist injuries and fatalities.

“Designating part of the road as a bike lane right next to cars is not the best solution,
from a safety perspective. With all the advancements in transportation,
the solution is likely not far away. I’m optimistic about automated vehicles,
which can improve safety on roads, including bicyclist and pedestrian safety.”
– Paul Schroeder, Chief Business Officer, EurekaFacts

Let’s band together as an industry to find a safer solution to bike and pedestrian-friendly roads. EurekaFacts will be onsite at the Transportation Research Board’s Annual Meeting. We look forward to seeing the latest innovations in transportation and welcome conversations on this topic.

Reach out to EurekaFacts when you need to conduct transportation research and gain insights on cyclist and pedestrian safety. Read more on our Maryland Transportation Institute collaboration combining big data and survey data for new insights on our national highways and transit systems. Read more on our Examining WMATA Transit Ridership Habits for Improved Mobility for new insights on how to maximize efficiencies in an urban/suburban bus system.

 

About EurekaFacts

EurekaFacts is a market research firm with focus group facilities, usability and cognitive labs, multilingual call centers, multinational interviewing and vast data collection. Headquartered in Rockville, EurekaFacts is a leading insights provider for transportation research and urban planning. Partners enjoy our innovative quantitative and qualitative research methods and effective use of the latest technologies, like artificial intelligence (AI), geographic information systems (GIS) and advanced analytics. We pinpoint the insights and data you need to shape your transportation initiatives for a better, safer, healthier world.

About Maryland Transportation Institute

Maryland Transportation Institute is a research institute at the University of Maryland (UMD) advancing transportation innovation for enhanced economic development and quality of life across Maryland and the Mid-Atlantic. It focuses on key challenges related to automated vehicles, infrastructure safety, security, nextgen freight and logistics, smart cities and future mobility. It collaborates with 10 UMD colleges and is affiliated with the largest US transportation big data center, Center for Advanced Transportation Technology Lab and the DOT-designated National Transportation Center.