PSU Study: Cyclists Feel North Williams is Safe but has Too Much Traffic Why North Williams Avenue? North Williams Avenue runs north from Rose Garden Stadium through the heart of Albina. Along with North Vancouver Avenue, the couplet was designated a “major city bikeway” in 2010, with more than 3,000 cyclists using the street each day during the summer months. Members of the community reported issues of crosswalk safety, auto speeding, bus/bike conflicts, and overcrowding of bike lanes. In collaboration with PBOT, PSU surveyed North Williams’s cyclists last Fall to find out if cyclists use the street for more than getting home from work or school. The survey also asked for cyclists’ opinions about safety on the street.
Study Findings Road Use Q: Are those riding their bike on North Williams commuters?
Safety Q: Do cyclists feel North Williams is a safe and stress-‐free bicycle route? A: Yes. The majority of commuters and non-‐ commuters agree it is safe and easy to use. Percent of cyclists who agree N. Williams is…
Commuters
Non-‐commuters
Safe for cycling
73%
84%
Easy, stress-‐free
61%
64%
Q: How do cyclists feel about speed and the amount of car traffic on North Williams? A: Commuters feel more strongly than non-‐ commuters that there is too much traffic and that it moves too fast. Percent of cyclists who agree or disagree that there is too much traffic on North Williams 5% 4%
Key
30%
Empty: Non-‐commuters Filled: Commuters
A: Yes, the majority are commuters.
Over 88% of those surveyed were traveling to or from work or school. Non-‐commuters were going to local businesses or exercising.
Q: Do commuters use local businesses?
Gray: Agreement Black: Disagreement
61%
A: Yes, but much less than non-‐commuters.
Conclusions & Impact of Study
Q: Do commuters think the road is important for buses and cars?
The findings show that commuters are primarily concerned with traffic on the street and use local businesses much less than non-‐ commuters. As PBOT includes cyclist stakeholders in their planning process, they should distinguish between these two groups.
Almost no commuters report using locals businesses daily, however a large number use them weekly: 21.2% use Restaurants/cafes, 16.1% use bars, and 8.6% use shops.
A: Yes. They value these road uses as much as non-‐commuters do. 66% of commuters and 67% of non-‐commuters agree North Williams is an important car route, and 72% of commuters and 66% of non-‐ commuters agree it is an important bus route.
PSU will submit reports to PBOT that analyze the survey for a wide variety of trends and findings. PBOT’s project manager, Ellen Vanderslice, may draw on this information during the remainder of the North Williams Traffic Operations Safety Project.