City of O'Fallon, IL - Chapter 1<br />Existing Conditions and Analysis

This report describes and analyzes existing conditions in the City of O’Fallon, Illinois, as they relate to bicycling, and the establishment of bicycle facilities in the city. The data and analysis in this report will be used as a foundation to subsequently draft a Bicycle Facilities Plan, as well as an implementation strategy to put the plan in place. For reference purposes, two base maps showing existing conditions in O’Fallon have been included at the end of this report.

The purpose of this section is to provide an overview of population and demographic characteristics as they relate to conditions and needs for bicycling in O’Fallon, Illinois. The population and demographic data from the City’s last Comprehensive Plan will be reviewed here, as part of the baseline for the analysis which will be undertaken in the Phase I Report.

O’Fallon is characterized in the 2001 Comprehensive Plan as a fast-growing suburban activity center. Between 1990 and 2000, its population grew by more than 36% to 21,910 persons, as more than 2,200 residential building permits were issued. Household and family size in 2000 averaged 2.62, and 3.13 persons respectively. Over the next decade-and-a-half, the city’s population is projected to be between 37,000 and 39,000, an increase of 69-78%. If this level of growth is attained, O’Fallon will have an increasingly diverse population with a multiplicity of cycling needs – both practical and recreational.

Illustration 1 shows the city’s age distribution using population data from the city’s 2001 Comprehensive Plan. Significantly, almost 25% of O’Fallon’s population is made up of children and young adults - individuals between the ages of 5 and 19 years. In other cities, many individuals in these age cohorts typically use bicycles for recreational and transportation purposes, and field reconnaissance in O’Fallon during the course of this study suggests that bicycle usage here is significant as well. During weekdays, for example, many bicycles are observed on racks at local schools. (See Illustration 2.) In addition, older bicyclists are frequently observed on city streets at this time as well.

The construction of Interstate 64 has stimulated extensive commercial development in and around O’Fallon. This base is anchored by St. Clair Square Mall. Between 1990 and 2000, more than 160 commercial building permits were issued in the city. Commercial growth is expected to continue at and around highway interchanges, and along commercial corridors. This growth, coupled with current design requirements for shopping areas, presently limits accessibility by bicycle to many commercial/retail developments.

Commercial development obviously has had a positive effect on O’Fallon’s economy, as it has elsewhere. However, such development, coupled with the typically low vehicle occupancies that are found in most cities, results in significantly higher traffic levels on the street system. Traffic, and how it is affected by single mode-dominant transportation systems, will be more closely examined in section B1.

O’Fallon’s streets are functionally classified as local, collector, arterial, and interstate/freeway (refer to Illustrations 3,4, and 5). The lowest classification is the local street, which has relatively low traffic volumes. The higher functional classifications have correspondingly higher traffic volumes, speeds and, frequently, greater truck and bus traffic. Presently, the entire street system totals more than 120 miles, and this is being increased as development continues. With the exception of a short length of Lincoln Avenue, which is an arterial with a marked bicycle route, there are presently no designated bicycle facilities on the road system.

The lack of designated bicycle facilities is not as significant within the eighty-five square block central portion of the city. This area, roughly bounded by U.S. 50, Smiley, Cambridge/old rail corridor, and Madison/Fountainbleau, comprises the city’s historic core, which was built on a street grid concept (straight streets, no cul-de-sacs) that was a benchmark of nineteenth century city planning. It occupies roughly 15-20% of O’Fallon’s present land area. The old street grid is essentially intact today and, aside from the lack of signage and minor additional improvements, provides ample opportunity for efficient bicycle movement. Refer to Illustration 5a.

Bicycle (and automobile) movement becomes more challenging on streets that are laid out in the typical subdivision pattern that has characterized development in O’Fallon over the past 30-40 years. Here, the presence of curving streets and numerous cul-de-sacs results in the need to take more circuitous routes to destinations than would otherwise be possible on a typical street grid. This suburban pattern, which represents about 80-85% of the city’s present land area, would particularly benefit from a series of selected improvements to facilitate bicycle movement. Irrespective of location and as with many urban areas, the entire city has many intersections with moderate-to-heavy traffic and extensive turning movements.

The city has programmed the construction of two new roads in the immediate future. These are shown in Illustration 5b. Additional streets will be subsequently constructed to support continued residential and commercial development. In particular, this new activity will occur in the northwest quadrant of the city where rapid growth is anticipated.

Even with new roads, however, greater traffic demands will be placed on O’Fallon’s street system in the future as the city continues to grow. This is primarily due to the fact that transportation systems both here and throughout the country are dominated by one mode – the automobile – instead of several that could include walking, bicycles, transit and local shuttle systems. Multi-modal systems enable the movement of larger numbers of people on paved surfaces that are not significantly different from their single-mode counterparts. This is reflected in the actual experience of other cities in managing the dynamic of development, population growth, and road building activity: The use of multiple modes of transportation along with congestion management tools is often an efficient and more environmentally-friendly way to move large numbers of people. Examples of cities that are developing multi-modal transportation systems include Madison, Wisconsin; Chicago, Illinois; Portland, Oregon; and Palo Alto, California.

Traffic volume is an important consideration in the assessment of bicycle facilities. For an on-street cyclist, average daily two-way traffic (ADT) of 1,000 vehicles is often considered the threshold between low and moderate traffic. ADT of 3,000 to 5,000 is the threshold range between moderate and heavy traffic. ADT’s are daily (24 hour) measures.

If these counts were to be compressed into a 12 hour timeframe (7 a.m. to 7 p.m., the time when most people ride bicycles) this would provide a very conservative estimate of the traffic activity likely to be encountered by an on-street cyclist. Using this 12-hour period, the average daily two-way traffic likely to be experienced by a cyclist in “low” traffic conditions is therefore slightly more than 1 vehicle per minute (1.38 vehicles). The ADT likely to be encountered by a cyclist in moderate traffic (using the high end of the threshold range, or 5,000 vehicles, is about 7 vehicles per minute. Heavier traffic conditions for a cyclist, then, would be in excess of 7 vehicles per minute.

Using these values coupled with actual traffic counts from the city as of March 19, 2004, two locations, Lincoln south of Highway 50, and State Street east of Green Mount Road, are considered to be high traffic volume streets for cyclists (using the high end of the threshold range of 5,000 ADT). Other streets are close to reaching this high-traffic threshold, including: Lincoln north of Highway 50, and Hartman Lane. Many of these streets, in addition to having generally high traffic volume, also have considerable commercial traffic (trucks and buses), which is another important issue in bicycle facility planning.

Streets with moderate traffic for cycling purposes include State Street east of Lincoln, North Smiley Street, Seven Hills Road, 3rd Street, Milburn School Road, Kyle Road, Simmons Road, and Central Park between Green Mount Road and Hartman Lane. These streets also have some truck traffic.

Low-traffic roads include E. Wesley Road between North Smiley Road and Seven Hills Road, Pierce Road east of Green Mount Road, and Regency Park south of Highway 50 and east of Porter Road. In addition to having low traffic volumes, there is very little commercial (truck/bus) activity on these streets.

Because the city samples traffic counts at selected locations over a multi-year period, this data is selective. However, it will provide guidance in helping to identify recommended bicycle treatments on other roads and streets as well, in the subsequent plan chapter of this report.

In addition to traffic volume, busy intersections are another issue in assessing a street system for bicycle accommodations. All of the city’s major roads – State, U.S. 50, Lincoln, Green Mount, Hartman, North Smiley, Seven Hills, Milburn, Kyle, and Porter – have intersections where traffic volume and turning movements present specific challenges to bicycle circulation.

The Hesse Park Trail is linear in configuration. At its south end (shown in Illustration 6), a trailhead provides connectivity to one of the city’s older core neighborhoods. At its northern terminus, it provides a convenient connection to newer subdivisions that are somewhat distant from the city’s historic core (Illustration 6a). The Hinchcliffe school is located immediately west of the park. The Hesse Park Trail has become a popular faciity in O’Fallon. It is an excellent example of the role that a linear trail can play in linking neighborhoods to parks, schools and urban centers. Such linkages, if master-planned and coordinated in future residential and commercial development, can provide critically important recreational amenities. Of equal or greater importance is the fact that they can provide alternative transportation assets that can eliminate some motor vehicle trips.

The Rock Springs Park Trail is also a well-used facility, and serves residents in the eastern and southeastern portion of the city. It is a loop trail which - with no current connections to other bikeways - addresses recreational interests only. (Refer to Illustration 7.)

An extensive sidewalk system is present in O’Fallon, beginning with an essentially complete system in the city’s historic core. Subdivisions often have a partial sidewalk system, usually on one side of each street. Typical widths in the older sections of the city are 5 feet, while subdivisions often have 4 foot widths. However, many areas of the city have sidewalk gaps, as the following graphic indicates (Illustration 8 ). The city is planning to fill these gaps in future years as development continues.

In the first half of the 1900’s, urban sidewalk systems served populations with very low motor vehicle ownership who patronized readily-accessible neighborhood stores. The sidewalk also served as a conveyance to nearby bus stops for intermediate and longer trips. Walks were also used by milkmen, other delivery services, as well as a variety of itinerant merchants. Walking was a central component of urban life, and sidewalks were therefore a core element of the urban transportation infrastructure.

During the last half of the century, as motor vehicle usage increased, neighborhood businesses declined, and walking became less-dominant as a form of transportation. As a result, sidewalks became somewhat vestigial – an appendage from an earlier period. They were used primarily by children who played and walked to school on them, by residents for occasional strolls, and by letter carriers. Also during this period, subdivisions began to be a prominent part of the urban landscape, and sidewalks – perhaps perceived to be less important – were constructed to narrower widths, often 4 feet or less.

More recently, however, sidewalks are being increasingly used for a variety of exercise-motivated activity including liesurely walking, power-walking, and jogging, and to socialize with neighbors. Younger children, who have always used sidewalks for bicycle-riding, continue to do so especially as streets have become busier. (See Illustrations 9 and 10.)

O’Fallon has many public facilities and institutions which are an important part of the city’s community fabric. Examples include parks, government centers, post offices, schools, libraries, and other facilities. There are four principle municipal parks: O’Fallon Community Park, located near the center of the city; Hesse Park at the northwestern corner of the central portion of the city; Rock Springs Park, located near the eastern end of O’Fallon, and Rohr Park, near the western edge of the city. Ogle Creek Park, a new municipal facility, is located in the far northeast corner of the city. The City Cemetary is also a significant open space and historical asset. Non-municipal open space facilities are also present in and near O’Fallon, including the large St. Clair Recreation Complex west of the city, and the O’Fallon Sportsmen’s Club to the south.

Government and other institutions include the O’Fallon Government Center, Public Library, post offices, churches, several elementary and parochial schools, and O’Fallon High School. The bicycle is used by a significant number of children as a transportation device to most of the elementary schools, as Illustrations 10 and 10a indicate.

All community facilities provide services that are essential to community health, safety and the quality of life. Together with the commercial development previously described, they are also activity centers that comprise an important part of the city’s physical environment. Collectively, they make up most of the local trip destinations in the city, and this fact is significant for purposes of planning bicycle facilities. Although the automobile obviously is and will continue to be the most predominant transportation mode for accessing these destinations, it is possible for the bicycle to provide a significant means of alternative local transportation for some of these trips. This will be further examined in Section C.

One active rail line, the CSX, bisects the city running on an east-west axis at State Street, through the downtown core area. The corridor is very active, with approximately 12 trains per day. Although this rail line will probably remain active for years to come, the city should monitor its status with the Illinois Bureau of Railroads (an office of the Illinois Department of Transportation – IDOT). Were the corridor to cease its economic usefulness as a railroad, it would be prudent to investigate other replacement uses. A rail-to-trail conversion of a portion of the corridor could establish another important trail in the city and would help to provide an economic stimulus in the form of recreation tourism to the historic downtown core. Illustration 11 provides a view of the CSX line and its proximity to downtown.

Railroads are regulated by the federal Surface Transportation Board (STB), and must file any status changes with a designated state authority, in this case the Bureau of Railroads. Typically, when a railroad elects to cease operation of a line, it will first designate its status as ‘inactive’ with the state agency. At this stage, property control still rests with the railroad. The subsequent step toward disposition is a filing for abandonment, for which it must also notify the state office. At this critical juncture and before the raillroad is given permission to dispose of the property, federal law provides a brief window of opportunity for an entity such as a unit of government or a not-for-profit corporation to file a petition under another provision of federal law referred to as Rail Banking, to convert the corridor to a trail.

Although the purpose of the Rail Banking law is to ‘mothball’ old rail corridors for possible re-activation to rail use, re-activations have been virtually non-existent. Over the past fifteen or more years, the rail banking provision has stimulated development of hundreds of trails across the country, virtually all of which are still operating as trails. Moreover, many of those that were developed close to historic commercial districts or other appealing destinations have become popular tourism attractions, providing an important new economic stimulus to local economies. Examples include the Katy Trail segments in Downtown St. Charles, and in Rocheport, Missouri; the Loveland-to-Morrow Trail (Ohio); and the I&M Canal Trail in suburban Chicago, among many others. Railbanking and subsequent conversion to trail use should not be overlooked for any active rail line, however economically sound the line may appear to be, as the rail industry has been in a period of contraction and consolidation.

Remnants of another rail corridor, now abandoned but essentially still intact, extend roughly from Kyle Road north through the Madison County line. This corridor would be a logical extension of the Hesse Park Trail (which itself was part of the original railroad corridor). However, because the corridor has already been abandoned and parcels are now owned by several parties, acquisition would involve multiple negotiations. As an undeveloped corridor, it has limited economic value in its present condition. Were this facility to be developed into a trail, an on-street bicycle route would have to be established on Illini Drive from the north terminus of the existing Hesse Park Trail, to Kyle Road.

Several natural features help to define the physical makeup of O’Fallon. The topography of the city is generally flat to rolling. The city’s current comprehensive plan describes the majority of land area as having gentle to moderate slopes of up to 10%. This topography lends itself well to cycling and walking, both as a recreation and an alternative transportation activity.

Streams are the second defining natural feature in the city. O’Fallon is tri-sected by three stream corridors running generally from the southwest to the northeast. These include Ogles Creek on the far north, Engle Creek on the near north, and Rock Spring Branch on the south. Together, these streams (principle channels only) total approximately fifteen miles, and are a part of the Silver Creek and the Richland Creek Watersheds. Two of the three – Engle, and Rock Spring - form a connection near the the city’s eastern boundary. Slopes adjacent to the creeks are classified as moderate-to-steep. The comprehensive plan calls attention to the potential for increased difficulty and expense related to intense development close to these corridors, and that these factors impose significant limitations on development.

As development in O’Fallon continues and open lands are converted to residential and commercial uses, it is critical for the edges of these streams and their corridors to be preserved as natural greenways to protect their multiple roles in natural storm drainage, air pollution control (the extensive tree canopy provides important air filtration), and as ecological corridors. The ecological corridor concept is recognized by animal and plant biologists as a critically important mechanism that protects animal and plant habitat by facilitating movement and promoting healthy species diversity.

While the protective imperatives of the greenway corridors preclude residential and commercial development, they are quite compatible with a variety of passive and semi-active open space uses. They are ideal sites for a linear trail system with semi-active park nodes. A fifteen mile long greenway-based trail system is possible here, and would expand the city’s existing trail mileage by a factor of at least six.

The park nodes arranged along the greenways would provide new close-to-home park opportunities for future residential developments, and could pay significant dividends in terms of the per capita cost of park development. This is because a given amount of small park node acreage, arranged on a linear greenway, will be in closer proximity to a larger number of residents, and therefore more accessible, than the same acreage arranged as one large, centrally-sited park.

This section will define a variety of bicycle facility terms as used by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), the national association that disseminates guidelines for the development of such facilities. Some or all of these facility types will be incorporated into the bicycle facilities plan to be developed in a later phase of this study.

Bikeway. Another generic term for any road or path which in some manner is specifically designed as being open to bicycle travel, regardless of whether the facility is designated for the exclusive use of bicycles or is to be shared with other transportation modes.

Bicycle Route. A segment of a system of bikeways designated by the jurisdiction having authority, with appropriate directional and informational markers, but without striping, signing, and pavement markings for the preferencial or exclusive use of bicyclists. Sometimes referred to as a Class III bikeway.

Bicycle Lane. A portion of a roadway which has been designated by striping, signing, and pavement markings for the preferential or exclusive use of bicyclists. Usually couplets, each one in a different direction and adjacent to the outside through travel lane. Sometimes referred to as a Class II bikeway.

The Metro East area has a growing number of major bicycle facilities. Within St. Clair County, the principal facility is the Metro Bike Link, a 4 mile long bicycle path that extends from Southwestern Illinois College to North End Park in Belleville. Another facility is the Metro East Levee Trail (7.6 miles) Total trail mileage in St. Clair County is more than 12 miles.

Madison County has eight major bicycle paths including the Bluff Trail (1.7 miles); Confluence Trail (17.1 miles); the Nature Trail (10.6 miles); the Nickel Plate Trail (4.7 miles); the Schoolhouse Trail (11.4 miles); the Watershed Trail (4.7 miles); the Delyte Morris Trail (2.3 miles); the Glen Carbon Heritage Trail (6.9 miles); and the Vadalabene River Road Trail (approximately 11 miles). The total present trail mileage in Madison County is more than 70 miles. Refer to Illustration 12. Several of the trails are interconnected either directly or indirectly through designated bicycle routes, to form a substantial bikeway system that affords long-distance recreational and bicycle commuting opportunities. The southeastern portion of this system is located only about 6 miles from O’Fallon’s facilities planning area. Many of Madison County’s larger cities also have trails

The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), has underwritten the development of many Metro East facilities, through the federal Transportation Efficiency Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21), and its predecessor program, ISTEA. This program is expected to be re-authorized late in 2004 or early in 2005.

IDOT also has a policy of bicycle accommodation on its road system, meaning that it tries to facilitate bicycle movement by posting Share the Road with Bicycles signs, and replacing dangerous drainage grates with bicycle-safe grates. Metro East roads have significantly benefitted from this program.

The formation of the Metro East Park and Recreation District (MEPRD) represents a major new trail/greenway development asset for the area. Created as a special taxing district, MEPRD plans and funds major park and greenway efforts in both St. Clair and Madison Counties.

The St. Louis area also has a growing number of major bicycle facilities including: The Katy Trail in St. Charles and other counties along the Missouri River corridor (230 miles); the Riverfront Trail (11 miles); the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge (1 mile); Grant’s Trail (6 miles) and its proposed extension to Kirkwood (2 miles); the Creve Coeur Lake Park Trail (3 miles) ; and the Page Connector bike facility (2 miles). Excluding portions of the Katy Trail which are not located in St. Charles County, and proposed projects, St. Louis’s major bicycle facilities total more than 50 miles. This system includes two important regional bicycle facility connectors: The Old Chain of Rocks Bridge, which connects the 11 mile long Riverfront Trail to most of the Metro East trails; and the Page facility, which links St. Louis County bicycle facilities with the KATY Trail. Expansions or other improvements to many of the St. Louis facilities are being funded through MEPRD’s St. Louis counterpart, Great Rivers Greenway.

The State of Ohio’s Buckeye Trail system is approximately 800 miles in length. It really consists of a series of individual trails and bicycle route connectors throughout the state which are blanketed by the Buckeye Trail designation and marketed as a single trail asset by the state’s tourism office. One of the trail elements is the Loveland-to-Morrow segment of the Little Miami Scenic Trail, which joins towns of the same name. Approximately 11 miles in length, this trail is heavily used by both residents and tourists, and is now an important regional and local economic asset. The facility – built on an old rail corridor - was developed with state resources and extensive support from both communities. A portion of Loveland’s old downtown commercial district is located on the trail, and contains a number of prospering businesses – including the ice cream shop shown in Illustration 13 -- that cater to trail users.

The relationship between trails and recreational tourism has been demonstrated in these and many other project examples. The data suggest that a stronger economic future can exist for O’Fallon’s historic downtown core if it were to be enhanced with a comprehensive bikeway system that includes extensive trails, coupled with a coordinated tourism marketing effort.

Hard data on existing bicycle usage in O’Fallon is limited, due to the absence of a local survey that would measure such usage. However, indirect sources for the assessment of existing demand do exist, which enable the development of a reasonable estimate of bicycle activity and other related activities likely to be undertaken in and around the city. This will be examined below.

Participation in Activities Likely to be Undertaken on a Trail or Greenway. The Metro East Park and Recreation District (MEPRD) completed its Long Range Development Plan in 2003. Through a detailed and statistically valid survey, it measured rates of regular participation by households in St. Clair and Madison Counties in a wide range of activities. Included in this survey were activities that are very likely to be undertaken on a trail or a greenway. For example, the results indicated that 65% of the households walked or jogged regularly; 47% regularly visited nature areas; 27% regularly engaged in bicycling and/or BMX activities; 20% hiked regularly; and 16% regularly ran.

From MEPRD’s multi-county household survey data and using the given percentages, estimates of probable regular participation by O’Fallon households in activities likely to be undertaken on a trail/greenway can be made. These estimates are shown in the table below. O’Fallon’s Year 2000 population and average household size were 21,910 and 2.62 persons respectively. Therefore, the estimate was based on 8,363 O’Fallon households.

Leisure Activity	MEPRD’s Multi-County Percentage of Households who Regularly Participate	Probable O’Fallon Participation Events in Activities Compatible with Trail Facilities
Walking/Jogging	65%	14,242
Visiting Nature Areas	47%	10,298
Bicycling/BMX	27%	5,916
Hiking	20%	4,382
Running	16%	3,506
Total Participation Events	n.a.	38,345

The MEPRD survey also measured the leisure activies in which the respondent households participated most often. Of the activities that are very likely to be undertaken on a trail or a greenway, respondents participated most often in the following (in descending order): walking/jogging, bicycling/BMX, and visiting nature areas.

The actual number of O’Fallon residents participating in these events is unknown. However if it were conservatively assumed that an individual would participate in such events about six times per year, then this represents approximately 6,400 O’Fallon residents who regularly participate in leisure activities that are likely to be undertaken on a trail or greenway.

Because of the present lack of substantial trail mileage in O’Fallon, the majority of these individuals could be undertaking trail related leisure on existing trails and greenways outside of O’Fallon, including the Metro Bike Link Trail in St. Clair County, and the Schoolhouse, Confluence, and Nature Trails in Madison County. It is not unreasonable to assume that this “market” of users could become patrons of a trail system in O’Fallon.

Elementary and Secondary School Children Likely to Use Bicycles on Streets and Sidewalks for Transportation and/or Recreational Activity. From field reconnaissance at local schools, it has been shown that bicycle usage is readily apparent, even without improved bicycle facilities. An estimate of this usage can be made based on the existing population of elementary and secondary school-age children in O’Fallon, and by making assumptions of how many children are likely to ride bicycles regularly, either to school or for other practical purposes.

Elementary and secondary school children between the ages of 10 and 14 are believed to be the group using bicycles most intensively. They are most likely to consider the bicycle as a practical transportation option for school or other local trips. Children in this grouping are often considered by their parents to be old-enough to ride bicycles without supervision. The 10-14 age cohort also matches the age grouping reported in the Census population count and is therefore readily measurable.

The 2000 Census reported 1,855 children in the 10-14 year old age category who reside in O’Fallon. For purposes of this study, it is assumed that 20% of the cohort – 370 children – may either occasionally ride bicycles to school or occasionally use them for other local transportation trips, such as going to a friend’s house, shopping, or other practical trips. This percentage is believed to be conservative, and reflects the fact that areas outside of O’Fallon’s 86 square block urban core have lower population densities, non-grid street systems, and higher traffic levels which, together, present an imposing set of limitations on the safe movement of children who ride bicycles.

Older children are also a part of the bicycling picture in O’Fallon. However, while 15 and 16 year olds may ride bicycles, it is probable that their riding activity begins to decline as they approach driving age. In the Census of Population, these 15 and 16 year-olds are also part of a wider age cohort reported in the 2000 Census (age 15 to 19). While some 15 to 16 year olds may ride bicycles, it is highly probable that the older portion of them (age 17-19) has very little interest in using bicycles for transportation. The 15-16 year-old portion of this age grouping is estimated to number approximately half of the 1,823 who make up the cohort, or about 900 individuals. Among these 15-16 year olds and because we believe they ride bikes substantially less than their younger counterparts, it will be assumed that 10%, or about 90 individuals, occasionally ride bicycles either to school or for other practical transportation purposes.

Likely Adult Bicycle Usage on City Streets. There is no quantifiable local data on adult bicycle usage in the area. While there may be some overlap between the MEPRD data that estimates adults who presently ride bicycles on existing area trails, and on city streets, it is believed that these are not widely overlaping groups. This is because many of the adults who ride bicycles on trails in the Metro East area or the wider St. Louis region are doing so as part of a recreational, social, or excercise activity usually with family or friends, while those who ride bikes on the street system tend to do so as individuals either for excercise, practical (transportation) purposes, environmental reasons, or combinations of these purposes. The number of O’Fallon adult residents who use bicycles as a mode of travel to work is assumed to be insignificant due to the fact that, nationwide, bicycle commuting rates are very low. This is discussed in more detail below.

To gain an understanding of the level of adult bicycle usage on the streets of O’Fallon, a brief review of national travel mode and trip purpose data will be useful. Transportation planners measure travel activity in terms of five transportation modes, in order of prominence: car, public transit, walking, bicycle, and ‘other’. In 1997, the percentage of Americans who regularly rode a bicycle as a travel mode was 1%, according to one source. “Travel” refers to any trip purpose including shopping, errands, recreation, and getting to work.

Data on commuting to work is also available. The U.S. Census transportiaton to work data indicates that in 2001, .7% of the American work force regularly rode a bicycle or a motorcycle to work. In another study of eight cities known to have high bicycle usage rates (Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Phoenix, Boston, Sacramento, and Seattle), from .3% to 1.4% of the population rode bicycles to work in the year 2000. Although the data sources span several years, they are still useful in gaining an understanding of local on-street bicycle activity. Accordingly, the mode percentages reviewed above will be conservatively standardized to .3% in order to develop an estimate of adult on-street bicycle usage for any trip purpose in O’Fallon. Therefore, using O’Fallon’s Year 2000 adult population of 14,911, it is probable that there are at least 450 adult cyclists who currently use city streets on a regular basis.

Activity	Event	Number
People Engaging in Activites Likely to be Undertaken on Area Trails and Greenways	38,345*	6,400**
Elementary/Secondary School Children (10-14) Regularly Riding Bicycles on Streets/Sidewalks	n.a.	370
Older School Children (15-19) regularly Riding Bicycles on City Streets/Sidewalks	n.a.	90
Adults Regularly Riding Bicycles on City Streets/Sidewalks	n.a.	450
Total	n.a.	7,310

These estimates are based on assumptions that the consultant team believes to be conservative, with a strong probability that new bikeway facilities are likely to be used by a greater proportion of O’Fallon’s existing population, as has occurred on many other bicycle faciities, particularly trails. These usage levels will further increase as the city’s population continues to grow.

Multipurpose Trail Needs. The National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) publishes standards for a variety of open space-related facilities, including three types of trails: Walking/jogging trails, bicycle paths, and nature trails. Its benchmarks are .5 miles of each type of trail facility per 1000 population. (It does not have standards for a relatively new type of bicycle facillity, the ATB/mountain bike trail.)

Since the scope of this study is limited primarily to bicycles, it will focus on this type of facility. From a practical and cost-efficiency perspective, however, if bicycle paths are designed to national standards for such facilities (including wide asphalt or concrete surfaces with soft mulch or gravel shoulders, and long turn radii), then they would also be more than sufficient for most walking/jogging needs, for people with disabilities, for roller-blading, and for many other non-bicycling trail activities as well. Moreover, there has been a major external funding source for the development of facilities designed according to bicycle path standards, whereas grant opportunities for walking/jogging trails and for nature trails are somewhat limited. (Funding sources will be more closely examined in a subsequent chapter of this study.)

In terms of projected trail needs for O’Fallon, therefore, two of the three NRPA facility categories should be combined and examined as one facility type: Multipurpose trails or paths that accommodate both bicycles, walking/jogging, and other related activities. According to the present NRPA standard of .5 miles of each type of multipurpose trail per 1000 population (1.0 miles total), and using the city’s Year 2000 population of 21,910, there was a need for almost 22 miles of multipurpose trails at that time.

Because O’Fallon has been and continues to be a rapidly growing city, and because a comprehensive trail development program would require a multi-year effort, trail needs should be projected out to a future point. Accordingly, this study identifies 2010 as the horizon year. The city’s current population projection for that year is 31,000. Using this projection coupled with the NRPA standard of 1.0 miles of trail per 1000 population, approximately 31 miles of multipurpose trails will be needed in order to provide an adequate level of service. Presently, the city has about 2.5 miles of trails in existing parks. Therefore, 28.5 additional miles of multipurpose trails should be developed over the next six years in order to meet the NRPA guideline.

Specialized Nature Trails and Mountain Bike Trails. In terms of nature trails (the third type of trail defined in the NRPA standards), no such trails presently exist. Nature trails are narrower paths paved with natural materials such as packed earth or soft gravel and sited in more rustic and environmentally sensitive areas where any activity other than walking would inflict environmental damage. Nature trails are intended primarily for walkers or hikers who desire a pristine natural experience, and are not suitable for any type of bicycle usage. Applying the NRPA standard (.5 miles of nature trail per 1,000 population), O’Fallon will need approximately 15.5 miles of nature trails by the year 2010.

Mountain, or off-road, bicycling is another branch of the cycling market not addressed above. Mountain bikes have become a major part of the bicycling market. However, most mountain bicycles are not substantialy ridden on off-road MTB trails. They are ridden on conventional bicycle facilties and on the street. This may relate to the fact that there is a general shortage of specially designated trails for MTBs, and this lack of facilities is reflected both in O’Fallon and in the region. Therefore, it is probable that more off-road riding of MTBs would increase if more facilities existed for them. For this study, .1 mile of MTB trail per 1000 population is assumed to be adequate. A 3+ mile network of MTB trails in O’Fallon is therefore an appropriate goal for the city.

On-Street Bicycle Facility Needs. In order to establish a functional, efficient, and usable on-street bikeway system, most of the city’s streets should have some level of bikeway treatment. This would result in the creation of an overlay of key bicycle streets, bicycle routes, and bike lanes accessible to all residents and connecting to most activity centers. Such an approach would not necessarily be cost-prohibitive. (This will be covered in a subsequent chapter.)

This system would be intended for residents who use a bicycle for commuting or for short-distance utilitarian trips (to the store, library, etc.); and for recreational or workout riders who like the convenience of getting on their bike at the house and using the street system for a ride. It would also help to make selected streets safer for the many school children who already use them, and for increased anticipated usage.

These improvements to establish an on-street bikeway system would require at least some level of treatment for a significant portion of the city’s existing 120 miles of streets. In many locations it could involve improvements as basic as the placement of signage, while in others it would require the establishment of bicycle routes and perhaps bicycle lanes. At other locations cut-throughs at key cul-de-sacs might be appropriate in order to provide route continuity or a significantly more direct route.

This chapter has provided a description of existing conditions as well as an analysis of issues and opportunities as they relate to the establishment of a comprehensive bikeway system in the City of O’Fallon. Specific plan recommendations and approaches to accomplish this will be presented in the next chapter.