Analytical Tools for Identifying Bicycle Route Suitability, Coverage, and Continuity

This report presents new tools created to assess “bicycle suitability” using geographic information systems (GIS). Bicycle suitability is a rating of how appropriate a roadway is for bicycle travel based on attributes of the roadway, such as vehicle volumes, shoulder width, and bike lane width. The new GIS tools are based on the Bicycle Level-of-Service method in the 2010 Highway Capacity Manual (HCM). The Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) can use the new tools to assess state highways when conducting corridor planning. The tools can be used to prioritize improvement strategies, such as wider bike lanes or new shared-use paths. Local planners, perhaps working with ITD, can use the tools to evaluate the “bikeability” of their community, i.e. the ability to access important destinations by bicycle. Example output is provided for three case study communities. This report also summarizes a literature review on bicycle suitability and presents the results from a survey that was conducted to determine data availability and GIS skills throughout Idaho. Over 100 responses were received from engineers and planners across the state. The results suggest many Idaho communities already have key data to calculate bicycle suitability and most communities have access to GIS software and personnel with GIS skills.