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automobile must pass a bicyclist, they should be patient when passing, only pass when it is safe, and pass at a reduced speed. However, it should be noted that a 1996 FHWA study of bicycle and pedestrian crashes found that about half of bicycle crashes with vehicles are the fault of the bicyclist, which demonstrates the need to educate both bicyclists and drivers about safety. Equally important is the quality and maintenance of the bicycle facilities. Bikeway facilities must be planned, implemented, and maintained at a level that does not put the users at risk. In order to grow the population of bicycle commuters, the facilities must be safe and inviting. Ease of Implementation Identification of projects that can be implemented relatively quickly and /or at a lower cost than most projects should be given some priority. The difficulty in identifying large amounts of funding, and obtaining necessary rights -of -way, often slows the development of the regional bikeways network. By picking the "low- hanging fruit" improvements will be implemented at a more rapid pace, which will contribute to a more complete and convenient bikeway system. Multimodal Connections In order for bicycle commuting to be an option for some Orange County residents, they would need to utilize transit services for portions of their commutes. According to a study reported in the 2007 Transportation Research Board Journal' - people are willing to bicycle about five miles each way of their commute. Based on this assumption, the use of transit can greatly expand the distance a bicycle commuter is willing to travel, making bicycle access to transit facilities a priority issue. Transit facilities are designed to accommodate the flow of automobiles, but they do not always meet the needs of bicyclists. Measures need to be taken to ensure that Orange County transit stations can be easily accessed and utilized by bicycle commuters. Parking Et Amenities Another issue for the regional bikeways network is the need for bicycle parking and amenities. This is particularly important at regional destinations to encouraging bicycle commuting. Access to showers and lockers at employment centers allows bicycle commuters to clean up and change for work. Not having access to these kinds of facilities creates a difficult challenge for commuters who would like to bicycle to work. Bicycle parking at transit stations is necessary due to the limited capacity for bicycles on transit vehicles. These parking facilities should be safe for long -term (all day) parking, and consist of bicycle lockers and /or monitored parking areas, both of which are described in more detail later in this chapter. Additionally, adequate bicycle parking is necessary at employment centers, and at colleges and universities. 2 Modeling Analysis and Regional Improvement Opportunity Prioritization OCTA coordinated a modeling effort to identify regional commuter bikeway priorities. The analysis identified the following key regional employment centers: Irvine Spectrum, The Irvine Business Complex, Newport Center, South Coast Metro Area, Downtown Santa Ana, Main Street Area (Santa Ana /Orange), The Anaheim Resort, Anaheim Canyon Business Center, and the Brea Mall. These regional employment centers were analyzed for their trip generation characteristics. The trip generation analysis was based on OCTA's 2035 growth forecast model, OCTAM 3.3. Maps were produced that show the areas with the highest concentration of demand for trips to each of the 1 Hagelin, Christopher. Integrating Bicycles and Transit Through Bike-to-Bus Strategy. Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting Paper, 2007. OCTA Commuter Bikeways Strategic Plan