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CHAPTER 1. Introduction 1.1. Purpose Et Need This Commuter Bikeways Strategic Plan (CBSP) has been developed by the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) to encourage the enhancement of Orange County's regional bikeways network, in order to make bicycle commuting a more viable and attractive travel option. There are a number of challenges that must be overcome for Orange County to excel as a bicycling region, including improving safety, access to key destinations, coordination of plans, and support facilities. Furthermore, there are also opportunities, such as increasing congestion, climate change, and oil dependency that bicycling can play a large role in mitigating. The goal of the CBSP is to help address these many challenges by providing: A strategy for improving the regional bikeway network; Eligibility for state Bicycle Transportation Account (BTA) funds; Identification of roles and responsibilities for OCTA regarding bikeways; and Documentation of existing and planned Orange County bikeways. The projects described in this plan are a compilation of projects planned by Orange County Cities and the County of Orange. The CBSP is a long range, financially unconstrained planning document. Funding for these projects will not be limited to the OCTA Call for Projects. It will be the responsibility of each implementing agency to identify funding sources for the projects within their purview. 1 Setting According to the 2005 American Community Survey (U.S. Census Bureau), less than 1 percent of Orange County's population commutes by bicycle. The vast majority of commuters (77.3 %) commute to work by driving alone. This shows how automobile dependent Orange County currently is, and why many of the streets and freeways are at, or close to, maximum capacity. The Orange County Projections, produced by the Center for Demographic Research (out of California State University, Fullerton), estimates Orange County's 2005 population of 3,059,950 to grow by nearly 600,000, more than 19 percent, by 2035, which will only put more demand on transportation infrastructure. Much of the early suburban development took place in Northern Orange County, and infrastructure facilities were geared towards commutes into Los Angeles. The Pacific Electric rail cars served much of this area, until their service was stopped in the early 1960s. It was at that time that Orange County residents began to be more dependent on automobiles for their commutes. North Orange County was designed with grid- pattern road networks, much like Los Angeles. The grid - pattern, along with the relatively level topography, is beneficial to bicycle commuters, as it allows them to maneuver through short blocks, for more direct routes. Unfortunately, many of these streets were not designed to support the demand that we see today. They are often narrow, and not designed to safely accommodate automobiles together with bicycles. However, these roadways, along with some of the watersheds and abandoned rail rights -of -way, retain opportunities to make bicycling more viable. Much of South Orange County was developed as planned communities over the last 30 years. The roadway networks are generally wider and more circuitous than in North County. The advantage to these roads is that many of them were designed with bike lanes along the shoulders. However, South OCTA Commuter Bikeways Strategic Plan