[sustran] Local Economic Development Impacts of Pedestrian and Cycling Improvements

[Todd Alexander Litman]

Here is information on walkability impacts local economic development impacts from the "Walkability" chapter of our Online TDM Encyclopedia (www.vtpi.org/tdm/tdm92.htm )

 

Pedestrian Malls and Districts

==============================

Pedestrianized commercial districts can support urban revitalization and economic development by creating a lively and friendly environment that attracts residents and visitors, although they must be carefully implemented to be effective (Rodriguez 2010). Some are closed to motor vehicle traffic altogether, at least during certain time periods such as evenings or weekends, while others allow automobile traffic but use traffic calming design strategies to control traffic speeds and volumes. Success varies depending on specific conditions. Many pedestrian-only commercial streets created in North American towns and cities during the 1970s failed to attract customers, and many were subsequently reopened to automobile travel, but others thrived, particularly in resort communities or as part of overall downtown redevelopment. Below are guidelines for creating successful pedestrianized streets and districts:

 

•     It is generally better to calm vehicle traffic and improve non-motorized conditions throughout an area, than to let high speed and volume motor vehicle traffic dominate except on a token pedestrian street.

 

•     Pedestrian areas require a critical mass of users. They should be both a destination and a thoroughfare that connects diverse attractions (housing, shops, offices, etc.). Encourage development that attracts a broad range of customers and clients, including retail, housing, education and employment. Apartments and offices can often be located over shops.

 

•     Develop a pleasant environment, with greenery, shade and amenities. Building features and street furniture should be pedestrian scale and attractive. Maintain high standards for security, cleanliness and physical maintenance. Minimize blank building walls.

 

•     Allow motor vehicles as required for access, with appropriate restrictions based on need, time and vehicle type. This may include unrestricted motor vehicle traffic during morning hours, transit vehicles, resident and hotel pickup, service and emergency vehicles, or other appropriate categories. 

 

•     Pedestrian streets should be located in pedestrian-friendly areas with good access to public transit and parking. Slow and restrict vehicle traffic on cross-streets.

 

•     Develop a variety of artistic, cultural and recreational amenities (statues, fountains, playgrounds) and activities (concerts, fairs, markets). Highlight historical features.

 

Mark Byrnes (2012), “The Uncertain Legacy of America's Pedestrian Malls,” Atlantic Cities (www.theatlanticcities.com); at www.theatlanticcities.com/neighborhoods/2012/05/uncertain-legacy-americas-pedestrian-malls/1929

 

Luis Rodriguez (2011), Pedestrian-Only Shopping Streets Make Communities More Livable, Planetizen (www.planetizen.com); at www.planetizen.com/node/47517. 

======================================================================================

 

Here is information on car-free streets impacts local economic development impacts from the "Car-Free Planning" chapter of our Online TDM Encyclopedia (www.vtpi.org/tdm/tdm6.htm )

 

 

Pedestrian-Oriented Commercial Areas

---------------------------------------

Pedestrianized commercial districts can support urban revitalization and economic development, although they must be carefully implemented to be effective (West 1990; Robertson 1990; “Pedestrian Malls,” Wikipedia). They can help create a lively and friendly environment that attracts residents and visitors (Rodriguez 2010). Some are closed to motor vehicle traffic altogether, at least during certain time periods such as evenings or weekends, while others allow automobile traffic but use Traffic Calming design strategies to control traffic speeds and volumes (Boyd 1998). Success varies depending on specific conditions. Many pedestrian-only commercial streets created during the 1970s in North American towns and cities failed to attract customers, and many were subsequently reopened to automobile travel. However, some pedestrian-only streets succeeded, particularly in Resort communities or as part of appropriate downtown redevelopment (Rodriguez 2010). 

 

Retail areas often subsidize vehicle parking on the assumption that customers need to drive to make large purchases. This may sometimes be true, but not always. Many cities find that a significant portion of shoppers arrive without a car and those who arrive by alternative modes are good shoppers. A study of Prince Street (Schaller Consulting 2006), a commercial street in SoHo, New York City found that:  

•     89% of Prince Street users arrive by subway, bus, walking or bicycle. Only 9% arrive by car.

•     By a ratio of 5:1 shoppers said they would come to Prince Street more often if they had more space to walk, even if it meant eliminating parking spaces. This ratio was nearly identical for visitors and those who live and work in the area. 

•     Most shoppers would rather see space taken away from parked cars rather than street vendors. 

•     The shoppers who value wider sidewalks over parking spent about five times as much money, in aggregate, as those who value parking over sidewalks.  

 

 

Similarly, a study of downtown San Francisco shoppers that found less than one-fifth drive to shop, and that they spend less money in aggregate than shoppers using other transportation modes (Bent 2006). The study indicates drivers spend more each trip than transit riders, but visit less often and account for far fewer total visits and therefore spend less in total. Walkers average eight downtown shopping trips a month, spending $36 per trip and $291 per month. Motorists average four downtown shopping trips a month, spending $88 per trip and $259 per month. Transit riders average seven shopping trips per month, spending $40 per trip and $274 per month. Overall, 60% of shoppers arrive by public transit, 20% arrive by walking, 19% by automobile and 1% by bicycle, yet downtown merchants surveyed in the study estimated that 90% of their customers arrive by car.

 

A study of consumer expenditures in British towns found that customers who walk actually spend more than those who drive, and transit and car travelers spend about the same amounts. 

 

Business and residents should be involved in planning and managing pedestrian commercial streets. Often, a downtown business organization or Transportation Management Association will oversee Streetscape development, as well as parking management and promotion activities. Below are recommended guidelines for creating a successful pedestrian commercial street or district:

•     Pedestrian streets are only successful in areas that are attractive and lively. They require a critical mass of users. They should serve as both a destination and a thoroughfare by forming a natural connection route between diverse attractions (housing, shops, offices, etc.).

•     Develop a pleasant environment, with greenery, shade and rain covers. Use brick, block pavement or textured cement instead of asphalt, if possible. Street-level building features and street furniture should be pedestrian scale and attractive. Minimize blank building walls.

•     Encourage the development of diverse pedestrian-oriented activities that attract a broad range of customers and clients, including retail and commercial services, housing and employment. Apartments and offices can often be located over shops.

•     Allow motor vehicles as required for access, with appropriate restrictions based on need, time and vehicle type. This may include unrestricted motor vehicle traffic during morning hours, transit and HOV vehicles, pickup and drop-off for residents and hotels, service and emergency vehicles, or other categories deemed appropriate. 

•     Pedestrian streets should have good access to public transit and parking. They should be located in pedestrian-friendly areas. Mid-block walkways and buildings open to through public traffic should be developed and enhanced as much as possible.

•     Develop a variety of artistic, cultural and recreational amenities (statues, fountains, playgrounds) and activities (concerts, fairs, markets). Highlight historical features.

•     Pedestrian streets should generally be small and short, typically just a few blocks in length, although this may increase over time if appropriate.

•     Security, cleanliness and physical maintenance standards must be high.

•     Vehicle traffic on cross-streets should be slowed or restricted.

 

======================================================

Here is information on bicycle facility impacts local economic development impacts from the "Cycling Improvements" chapter of our Online TDM Encyclopedia (www.vtpi.org/tdm/tdm93.htm )

 

 

"In a survey of business owners in an urban retail district, Drennen (2003) found that 65% consider arterial bike lanes to provide overall economic development benefits, compared with 4% that consider it overall negative, and 65% support expansion of the program in their area."

 

Emily Drennen (2003), "Economic Effects of Traffic Calming on Urban Small Businesses," Masters Thesis, San Francisco State University (www.emilydrennen.org); at www.emilydrennen.org/TrafficCalming_full.pdf.

 

 

"Merchants on a particular street often object to parking-to-bike-lane conversions out of fear that they will lose customers who use on-street parking. This is often untrue or inappropriate. In many cases, on-street parking serves only a small portion of their total customers, alternative parking is available nearby, and some of their customers who currently drive will shift to cycling if suitable facilities are available (Sztabinski 2009). This is actually a debate between very local costs (the merchants who lose a few parking spaces) versus widely distributed benefits (businesses throughout the area who will benefit from reduced automobile parking demand, travelers who benefit from financial savings and health benefits, and all residents who benefit from reduced traffic congestion, accident risk and pollution emissions)."

 

Fred Sztabinski (2009), "Bike Lanes, On-Street Parking and Business A Study of Bloor Street in Toronto’s Annex Neighbourhood," The Clean Air Partnership (www.cleanairpartnership.org); at www.cleanairpartnership.org/pdf/bike-lanes-parking.pdf.

 

=============================================================

 

>From my report, "Evaluating Transportation Economic Development Impacts" (www.vtpi.org/econ_dev.pdf )

 

"Walkability can affect retail area attractiveness and therefore economic success (Hass-Klau 1993). Retailers sometimes favor automobile access (traffic and parking lanes) over non-motorized access (such as wider sidewalks, bike lanes and traffic calming) because they assume motorists spend more than customers who travel by other modes, but in many urban areas a majority of customers arrive by alternative modes, and although motorists tend to spent more per trip, pedestrians and cyclists shop more frequently and spend more per capita over a month or year (Transportation Alternatives & Schaller Consulting 2006; Sztabinski 2009; Malatest & Associates 2010). Because bicycle parking is space efficient it generates about five times as much spending per square meter as automobile parking (Lee and March 2010).

 

Although tourism requires transport, excessive emphasis on motor vehicle access (for example, expanding highways, parking facilities and airports) can spoil the attributes that attract visitors. Unique transport activities, such as walking, cycling and train travel, can help attract tourists (Tourism Vermont 2007)."

 

 

European Commission (1999), "Cycling: The Way Ahead For Towns And Cities: A Handbook for Local Authorities," Environment DG, European Commission (http://europa.eu.int/comm/images/language/lang_en3.gif).

 

C. Hass-Klau (1993), “Impact Of Pedestrianisation And Traffic Calming On Retailing, A Review Of The Evidence From Germany And The UK,” Transport Policy, Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. 21-31.

 

Alison Lee and Alan March (2010), “Recognising The Economic Role Of Bikes: Sharing Parking In Lygon Street, Carlton,” Australian Planner, Vol. 47, No. 2, pp. 85 - 93; at http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/07293681003767785; also see http://colabradio.mit.edu/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Value_of_Bike_Parking_Alison_Lee.pdf.

 

Malatest & Associates (2010), "Victoria Regional Rapid Transit: Survey Of Businesses, Property Owners, And Customers," BC Transit (www.transitbc.com); at www.transitbc.com/vrrt/displaypdf/Business_Survey_Results.pdf.

 

TA (2006), "Curbing Cars: Shopping, Parking and Pedestrian Space in SoHo," Transportation Alternatives & Schaller Consulting (www.transalt.org); at www.transalt.org/files/newsroom/reports/soho_curbing_cars.pdf. 

 

Tourism Vermont  (2007), "Travel and Tourism Industry in Vermont: A Benchmark Study of the Economic Impact of Visitor Expenditures on the Vermont Economy," Vermont Department of Tourism & Marketing, Vermont Partners (www.vermontpartners.org); at www.vermontpartners.org/pdf/Research_Brochure_2007.pdf; methodology at www.uvm.edu/~snrvtdc/publications/implan_method.pdf. 

 

 

Also see:

 

CPF (2008), "Economic Benefits of Cycling for Australia," Cycling Promotion Fund (www.cyclingpromotion.com.au); at www.cyclingpromotion.com.au/images/stories/downloads/CPF_CyclingBenefits.pdf. 

 

 

 

Sincerely,

Todd Litman

Victoria Transport Policy Institute (www.vtpi.org)

litman at vtpi.org

facebook.com/todd.litman

Phone & Fax 250-360-1560

1250 Rudlin Street, Victoria, BC, V8V 3R7, CANADA

“Efficiency - Equity - Clarity”

 

 

 

Sincerely,
Todd Litman
Victoria Transport Policy Institute (www.vtpi.org <http://www.vtpi.org/> )
litman at vtpi.org

facebook.com/todd.litman
Phone & Fax 250-360-1560
1250 Rudlin Street, Victoria, BC, V8V 3R7, CANADA
“Efficiency - Equity - Clarity”

 

From: WorldTransport at yahoogroups.com [mailto:WorldTransport at yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Richard Layman
Sent: June-23-12 6:34 AM
To: WorldTransport at yahoogroups.com; Sustran-discuss at list.jca.apc.org; NewMobilityCafe at yahoogroups.com; LandCafe at yahoogroups.com; UTSG Mailing List (Z UTSG Mailing List -)
Subject: Re: WorldTransport Forum local businesses suffer financially when a zone is pedestrianized

 






1.  Well, in the US, there were a number of pedestrianized malls created in the 1960s and 1970s.  With a couple of exceptions, most have been removed.  They weren't successful for multiple reasons: (1) cities were depopulating; (2) locally-owned stores in downtowns were decamping to the suburbs; (3) community mental health facilities weren't created as a part of the deinstitutionalization movement and so center cities became a kind of holding place for "street people" (people with health and substance abuse issues that made it difficult for them to live "normally"); (4) locally owned department stores failed, further reducing the impact of downtown as a commercial destination.

 

So basically, streets were pedestrianized simultaneously with a severe decrease in the number of pedestrians, and an increase in other problems.  As someone said on a now defunct Project for Public Spaces e-list on public space (maybe it's another list topic to pick up and run with as part of the New Mobility Agenda), plants don't animate places, people do.  And so having motorized traffic has been considered to be an important albeit not lovingly component of place activation.

 

The places in the US where pedestrian malls continue to be successful are limited, but are in places where there are great numbers of pedestrians, either as college students (Boulder, CO; Burlington, VT; to some extent Charlottesville, VA--there are vacancies there) or in tourist areas (Santa Monica, CA; Miami Beach, FL [I think]).  I wrote a blog entry about Boulder's pedestrian mall a few years ago, which is cited within this entry: http://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2009/04/todays-trends-with-pedestrian-malls.html

 

Boulder's mall in fact is highly managed to be active, which is key to its success.

 

2.  David Feehan, formerly director of the Intl. Downtown Assn., co-authored a journal article on the topic (I don't know if it was accepted), and I can ask him if I can forward it to the list.  He also distinguishes between "transit malls" like Nicollet Mall in Minneapolis and 16th St. in Denver, where transit is part of the mall, just not motor vehicles.  (There is also the bus mall in Portland, OR, although cars do go on it too.  It has been recently redesigned.  When I was there in 2005, I thought it was grim.)

 

A professor, Kent Robertson, wrote a bunch of articles on the topic in the 1990s.  E.g., http://uar.sagepub.com/content/26/2/250.abstract

 

3.  As far as one way streets go, interestingly, I read an article in the Ann Arbor Observer more than 20 years ago about the impact of making Glen St. one way in the late 1960s.  The gas station located on the street had a 50% drop in business.  In fact, the IRS audited them because they didn't believe it.

 

4.  When I was in Montreal for vacation in July 2010, some merchants on St. Catherine Street had a campaign against the Art Festival on the street, which banned cars for many blocks (from the Rue Berri-UQAM station pretty far down but not all the way (I think) to the Papineau Station.

 

http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/story.html?id=bc8e730d-3ee8-46bd-8e7f-2073b0102417

 

And Montreal has a number of other pedestrian street initiatives--near McGill U, and in the Old City.  I bet Zvi Leve could offer some insights as to what merchants think today.

 

Richard Layman

 

 

  _____  

From: eric britton <eric.britton at ecoplan.org>
To: Sustran-discuss at list.jca.apc.org; NewMobilityCafe at yahoogroups.com; worldtransport at yahoogroups.com; LandCafe at yahoogroups.com; UTSG Mailing List (Z UTSG Mailing List -) <utsg at jiscmail.ac.uk> 
Sent: Saturday, June 23, 2012 4:37 AM
Subject: WorldTransport Forum local businesses suffer financially when a zone is pedestrianized

 

  

Has anyone here ever run across a solid report or study showing that local businesses suffer financially when a zone is pedestrianized or made bike accessible? 

 

Or that real estate prices take a nose dive when such improvements are made?

 

Most of us here know about the other side of this coin, but it occurred to me that this such references might be useful to us all, given that these local conflicts and claims come up time and time again in cities around the work..

 

Kind thanks/Eric Britton

 

 

 

 

PS.  Please note new addresses and phone numbers as of 24 April 2012

 

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