Case Study: Using Pop-Up Protected Bike Lanes to Encourage Community Support for Safe Streets

Abstract

Problem, research strategy, and findings: Protected and separated bike lanes create low-stress, family-friendly bicycle infrastructure and community connectedness, increasing rider safety and parental acceptance of bicycling to school. However, the creation of such infrastructure is often beset with difficulty due to public perception and transportation priorities. In this case study, we examined the creation of widespread community support toward protected bike lane projects by combining a Bike to School Day event with a tactical, urbanism pop-up bike lane as a Bike Lane to School Day, based on advocacy efforts by the University of Miami BikeSafe Program at Coconut Grove Elementary School in Miami (FL). With the support of local stakeholders, including school district personnel, local community members, and transportation officials, these events resulted in more than 120 family participants riding to school, concurrent with a reduction in automotive drop-off traffic of up to 30% during the intervention. A total of 73 parents completed a post-event online survey, which provided feedback regarding the role such infrastructure improvements could provide for their children. Takeaway for practice: The combination of Bike to School Day with a pop-up, protected bike lane—a Bike Lane to School Day—can lead to an increase in the number of families and youths riding bikes to school, a decrease in automobile traffic, and favorable community and leadership support for providing permanent bicycling facilities to benefit youth mobility.