About Green Lane Project

Cities across the country are remaking streets to help people move more efficiently, more safely, and with less energy use while improving the quality of life in commercial districts and neighborhoods alike. One key strategy is making room for bicycles, as the density and compact character of urban environments make riding a bike an incredibly effective transportation option. Leading cities are combining innovative new designs and traditional approaches to transform their streets.

 

The Green Lane Project The Green Lane Project (GLP) is a two-year campaign to catalyze the creation of world-class protected bicycling networks on American streets. The Green Lane Project facilitates a partnership between six cities that are national leaders: Austin, Chicago, Memphis, Portland, San Francisco and Washington, DC. The GLP provides strategic and technical support to the focus cities, while expanding the national knowledge base, sharing lessons learned and tracking emerging best practices.

Focus cities: The six focus cities were selected by the Green Lane Project team in April, 2012. These cities have a vision for bicycle transportation that is supported by elected officials, leading staff, and the community.

Engaged cities: All sizes and types of cities across the country The work of the six focus cities will be shared through events and communications to support and inform the many other cities across the country that are also making room for people on bikes. This Project website will provide updates on progress in the six cities, best practices as they are developed, and links to other resources. All interested cities are invited to share their plans and progress on the website as well.

Safer, cheaper, faster, smarter: The Project builds on the expanding toolbox, which includes the NACTO Urban Bikeway Design Guide, models from European cities, and the growing body of U.S. experience in applying innovative approaches to on-street bicycle transportation. Research elements will build the knowledge base about the safety of these innovative treatments, understanding how local businesses are affected, and quantify how many more people ride bikes when good networks are available. On a broader scale, the Project will further the understanding of the scale of improvements and the size of a network that is needed to create a significant change in how people travel. This information could prove invaluable in preparing for future scenarios that may involve significantly higher oil prices, with an accompanying need for communities to transform rapidly to a new transportation paradigm.

Goals: The Project has clear and achievable goals:

• Track and publicize the installation of new facilities
• Understand their impact
• Identify and address obstacles to implementation 
• Expand the national knowledge base through research and best practices

Partners: The project builds on the strong work of NACTO and its Urban Bikeway Design Guide and a host of other agencies and organizations that have been advancing these ideas. The project is an initiative of the Bikes Belong Foundation, and is providing a strong focus for the organization’s grants, research, communications, and workshops and study tours. Core funding is provided by Volkswagen of America, Interbike, Taiwan Bicycle Exporters Association, and the Bikes Belong Coalition. Vital additional foundation and corporate support is actively being recruited.

For more information, contact Green Lane Project Director Martha Roskowski.