Build Your Team - Identifying Team Projects

Who To Know | Identifying Team Projects

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Using The Four E's

The "Four E's" of bicycle and pedestrian programs are: engineering, education, enforcement, and encouragement. Here's how you use them in identifying potential projects.

Our example problem is traffic signals that don't turn green for bicyclists, forcing them to wait for an approaching motorist to trigger the traffic signal. If no cars are approaching to trigger the signal, some bicyclists will grow weary of waiting and will dash across against the signal, endangering themselves and others.

There are a number of "Four E's" ways to solve this problem. For instance:

Engineering solutions

1. Use signal equipment (called "loop detectors) senstive enough to be trigered by the weight of a bicycle and it's rider
- add these loop detectors to projects in the works now
- install these loop detectors now at key existing intersections
- make it a policy to use these loop detectors in all future signalization projects

2. If suitable loop detectors are already in place, use bicycle pavement markings to show sensitive locations
- use them now on popular bicycling routes
- use them in all future road projects

3. Replace signalized intersections with one-lane roundabouts
- at key intersections near bike traffic generators
- as an option in all future arterial/collector projects

4 Provide back street connections for bicyclists so they can avoid signals altogether
- install short path connections between neighborhoods

Education solutions

1. If suitable loop detectors exist, train bicyclists to activate traffic signals
- create brochures, TV, and radio spots
- raise motorists' awareness of the problem

Enforcement solutions

1. Make police aware of the problem
-  encourage a "soft" enforcement approach

Encouragement solutions

1. Make "bicycle-sensitive" intersection controls a city-wide policy
2. Encourage bicyclists to report problem locations

These examples illustrate the breadth of potential solutions to one particular problem facing bicyclists. Some of them are specific to particular locations, while others are broader and can be key parts of community-wide efforts. Some, such as painting bicycle pavement markings over the detectors, are helpful in the short-term. Others, like changing city policy, will affect the community in the long-term. By taking a "Four E's" approach, you can identify quick hit projects and projects that will take years to implement (short-term and long-term solutions). The key is to consider a variety of approaches to solving a problem, with the end result of identifying truly useful projects.