Bike Count Wrap-Up
That was amazing. Neighbors, commuters, retirees, students, cycling
enthusiasts from other cities, and one city council member joined
forces to do real work to make Tempe a more safe, friendly place.
A lot is happening in Tempe right now. Tempe in ten years is going to
look very different. University Drive from Ash to Priest is being
redone, largely in response to influence from the surrounding
neighborhoods:
http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.
(the design has changed since then). Likewise, Broadway, http://www.tempe.gov/index.aspx?page=492, and Hardy are
set for renovations. The city is looking into executing plans to put
in an overpass over I-10 connecting Tempe to south Phoenix.
Currently, bicycles must ride on Southern to make the trip.
We’re interested in seeing how new and improved infrastructure affects
cycling. We expect to learn a lot next year about the impact it has
on cycling volume and habits.
Every one of the 56 intersections were selected for some reason and helps us tell something — how much people are riding under some condition, the degree that they don’t ride in other conditions, the degree that they don’t or can’t ride safely under different conditions, and much more. Some give us raw numbers and help us track trends.
In a fit of optimism, we added a new count site this year — University and McClintock. Something happened this year that almost, but never quite happened last year — volunteers picked up all of the assignments. Previously, we had to decide which handful we’d have to do without. More people turned out to help. I want to continue this trend. Thank you very much to those of you who took two, three, or even four or more count shifts to make this happen. One of the best things that could happen is for this to continue to grow so that we don’t over tax our volunteers.
