
This guidebook is intended to help communities develop performance measures that can fully integrate pedestrian and bicycle planning in ongoing performance management activities.
by Federal Highway Administration
As more agencies plan, fund, and implement transportation projects that enhance walking and bicycling, they are seeking methods to aid in objectively planning and prioritizing their investments. In a constrained funding environment, it is critical to be able to identify the projects and investments that will provide the highest level of benefit. More agencies are using multiple transportation performance measures to track progress, develop effective solutions to needs, and prioritize needs and investments.
Transportation agencies use performance measures to assess the effectiveness of a wide range of activities, and all are fundamentally oriented toward understanding how a transportation system works and impacts users. No single measure can fully describe the nuances of transportation experience across all travel modes, so many agencies consider multiple measures throughout the transportation planning process.
Performance measures can be used in a variety of applications and at a variety of scales. Some performance measures are targeted at prioritization. For example, a local jurisdiction could use bicycle level of service to identify the designated bicycle routes with the greatest need for improvements. State agencies may use performance measures to benchmark annual progress towards statewide policies and goals. For example, “pedestrian fatalities” are often monitored annually to determine whether statewide policies are improving pedestrian safety.
This guidebook is intended for practitioners and is designed to help local, regional, and State agencies select and apply performance measures for a variety of purposes. Many of the transportation performance measures included are useful for tracking and measuring progress towards complimentary goals such as health and economic development. The performance measures are organized in a toolbox that includes definitions, data sources, context, and examples of applications.
Published March 2016
posted Sep 26, 2023
Adults living within a half mile of a park visit parks and exercise more often, but according to the 2014 State Indicator Report on Physical Activity, less than 38 percent of the U.S. population lives within a half mile of a park.
Highway-Rail Crossing Handbook
posted Feb 14, 2022
The purpose of the Highway-Rail Crossing Handbook, 3rd Edition is an information resource developed to provide a unified reference document on prevalent and best practices as well as adopted standards relative to highway-rail grade crossings.
PedNet is Making a Difference on the Ground in Missouri
posted Nov 13, 2020
American Trails contributor Josh Adams recently interviewed Lawrence Simonson, who serves as the Chief Strategy Officer of the PedNet Coalition, to talk pedestrian safety, projects and obstacles, and making a difference in Missouri.
Strategic Agenda for Pedestrian and Bicycle Transportation
posted Aug 6, 2020
The 2016-2021 Strategic Agenda for Pedestrian and Bicycle Transportation builds on 25 years of progress toward increasing walking and biking safety and activity throughout the United States. The 1994 National Bicycling and Walking Study: Transportation Choices for Changing America set the stage for advancing safe, accessible, comfortable, and well-used pedestrian and bicycle transportation networks, with a focus on increasing trips and reducing injuries and fatalities.