Environmental Sociology The College of William and Mary Students and Prof' Timmons Roberts Spring, 2

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Environmental Sociology The College ofWilliam
and Mary Students and Prof. Timmons
Roberts Spring, 2005
The Williamsburg Accessibility Project Steps to
an Accessible Active Williamsburg
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THE PROBLEM

• Reliance on automobiles causes a multitude of
  problems including environmental and health
  problems.
• The Greater Williamsburg Area is heavily reliant
  on automobiles.
• We have great potential to improve non-automotive
  means of transportation.

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HEALTH CONCERNS OBESITY

• In 2005, Virginia was ranked as the worst state
  in the U.S. for obesity.
• One in three children in the United States is now
  overweight.

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IN ONLY 15 YEARS
To This
We Went From This
No data
More than 25 Obese
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WHAT IS IT LIKE TO WALK IN AMERICA TODAY?
Corner of Lafayette and Wythe, Williamsburg, VA
Anytown, USA
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Strawberry Plains Road, Williamsburg, VA Where
the Sidewalk Ends
Anytown, USA
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SAFETY

• Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of
  injury death in the United States.
• About 13 percent of all traffic fatalities are
  pedestrians or cyclists, although less than 6
  percent of all trips are made by foot or bicycle.
• Pedestrian injury remains the second leading
  cause of death among children ages 5 to 14.
• Accident rates drop when there are more
  pedestrian and bicyclist present.

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POPULATION AND VEHICLE REGISTRATION GROWTH IN THE
GREATER WILLIAMSBURG AREA
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SURVEY OF CITIZEN ATTITUDES Conducted in Spring
of 2005

• Goal To provide practical solutions to overcome
  the problem of car dependency in Greater
  Williamsburg
• Survey Methodology
• Student interviewers
• Respondents Homeowners, Students, Retirees,
  Townhomes/Apartment Dwellers, Tourists, Seasonal
  Workers/Migrant Workers, and Low Income Residents
  in James City County, York, Williamsburg
• Data Analysis
• Qualitative use of quotations
• Presentation of Results press, academic,
  community forum

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SURVEY QUESTION RESPSONSE What improvements are
most important to you?

• make roads safer for bicyclists
• more bus routes
• more bus stops
• more curb cuts
• more street crossings
• reasonably priced, conveniently scheduled,
  flexible destination public transportation
• road maintenance
• sidewalks
• street crossings
• wider shoulders
• wider sidewalks

• access to public transportation
• access to school, shops, work, etc.
• bike lanes
• bus service
• fill potholes
• education on bike traffic rules
• improve sidewalks
• landscape beautification
• less traffic
• lighting
• make it safe to walk

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SURVEY QUESTION RESPONSESWhat would it be like
for you to get around without a car?

• awful
• bad-I need my car for work
• I can't imagine
• I could not survive
• difficult, but options are available
• difficult
• extremely difficult
• fine to stores, hard for anything else
• hard to keep my job
• horrible
• very difficult
• I couldn't go anywhere
• I would be immobilized
• I wouldn't be able to live

• I couldnt get my kids places
• Id learn to use other transportation.
• impossible
• I'd rely on the bus
• life-changing
• not easy
• not feasible
• sad affair
• terrible
• too hard
• very difficult
• I would be very isolated
• it would hinder activity
• this community requires a car

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HOMEOWNER IMPROVEMENT SUGGESTIONS

• Increase bike lanes
• More crosswalks
• More lighting

• Better bus system
• Encourage carpooling

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HOMEOWNERS RATE BUS SERVICE
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STUDENTS

• Survey results show that
• Bus service around campus is very good, but
  getting around off campus is very difficult
• The greatest number of people walking or biking
  in any area surveyed was found on campus.
• The main complaint from numerous students was the
  bus system, which they stated was not efficient
  and lacked well-stated, available bus schedules.

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STUDENT IMPROVEMENT SUGGESTIONS
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RETIREMENT CENTERS
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RETIREES SURVEY RESPONSES
QUESTION Are you satisfied with the
accessibility in your neighborhood/area for
walking, biking and utilizing other means of
public transportation?
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RETIREE IMPROVEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS Chambrel,
Patriots Colony, Williamsburg Landing

• Continue maintenance and upkeep of the walk paths
• Promote an active healthy lifestyle for those
  who are physically able ? encourage the use of
  the already existing walk paths
• Utilize the Chambrel retirement community as a
  mini example for the cities as a whole for the
  positive results of well built walk/bike paths

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RESULTS FROMTownhome/Apartment Dwellers

• Surveys conducted at
• Blayton Building
• Conway Garden Apartments
• Governors Square Apartments
• King and Queen Apartments
• Merrimac Trail Apartments
• The Midlands
• Steeplechase Apartments
• Stonehouse Apartments

• Mode of transportation most used was the car
• Most Apartment Complexes
• Had sidewalks but many did not connect
• Had very few curb cuts or crosswalks
• Contained few, if any, bike lanes or walking
  lanes

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TOURISTS RATE BUS SERVICE
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TOURIST IMPROVEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS

• Improve bus service to and from the major
  attractions
• City expand routes
• Hotels provide shuttles
• Private cooperative company
• Give tax breaks, hotels would not have to charge
  much for shuttle services, making people more
  likely to take the shuttle even if the service is
  infrequent

• Better publicized bus routes
• Stroller rental services in Colonial Williamsburg

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SEASONAL MIGRANT WORKERS RATE ACCESSIBILITY
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IMPROVEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS FROM LOW INCOME
RESIDENTS

• Two types The Blayton Building (in mixed
  development) vs. others (more isolated)
• Implement Carpooling or specialized routes of
  neighborhood vans (instead of indirect,
  impractical and underused bus routes)
• Community planning to promote non-car options!
• Make biking safer and easier (more lights, wider
  lanes)

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Williamsburg Accessibility Project, Percent of
Trips by Foot or Bicycle
Campus
Campus
King and Queen Apartments
Conway Garden Aparments
Virginia Ave.
Richmond Road
616 Scotland Street
Stonehouse
Wiliiamsburg Landing
Skipwith Farms
First Colony
Holly Hills
Seasonal workers
York Terrace
York County
Jamestown 1607
Steeplecase Apartments
Seasonal workers
Merrimac Trail
Wiliamsburg Landing
Longhill
Chambrel Retirement Community
Mobile Home Estates
Governor's Land
Chambrel Retirement Community
Longhill
Old Mooretown Road
0.0
10.0
20.0
30.0
40.0
50.0
60.0
percent
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Imagine if we took your car away from you. What
would it be like for you to get around without
it?
Impossible! You definitely need a car.
It would be frustrating, demoralizing. Id stay
at home.
A disaster. Id be scared to walk around.
I would be immobilized. Im not in good enough
shape to walk to all the places that I need to go
or even to the nearest bus stop, which is quite a
distance from my home.
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Of all the improvements that could be made, what
is, by far, the most important to you?

• Better access to where I need to go
• Better access to public transportation
• Better bike paths and bus service
• Bike lanes
• Safety for biking or walking
• More street crossings, wider road shoulders,
  wider sidewalks

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EXAMPLES ELSEWHERE Lexington, VA
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EXAMPLES ELSEWHEREBoulder, CO
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Policy Proposals

• Solutions should address the following needs
• Buses and bus routes to attract users, with
  visible routes and stops
• Accessible buses that are pedestrian and cyclist
  friendly
• Areas not serviced directly by bus are still
  reachable for pedestrians and cyclists
• Designate a committee representing area districts
  to determine needy neighborhoods for
  retro-fitting, including new sidewalks, bike
  lanes, crosswalks, curb cuts, and lighting.

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NEXT STEPSThe Short Term Approach

• Goal focus on simple, cost-effective tools
• Improve public transportation
• (bus routes, bus shelters, bike lanes,
  publicity) Beautification and benches for
  pedestrian paths
• Improve quality of outdoor recreation/transportati
  on
• (connect paths, beautification and maintenance,
  GIS links)

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Next StepsThe Long Term Approach

• Goal comprehensive development, research, and
  implementation
• Increase presence/voice in the community
• (expand membership, community events, forge
  alliances)
• Increase presence in local government
• (Best Practices for zoning, funding for 2002
  Greenways Master Plan, retrofit neighborhoods)
• Continue to research and assess community
  transportation needs
• Ultimate Goal bring together all stakeholders to
  promote healthy, safe, environmentally-friendly
  community

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SoWhat Can I Do?

• Be active! Take note of areas in need of
  improvement and of possible future linkages
  between places you want to go.
• Communicate your needs to VDOT and local
  officials.
• Adopt a trail, path, or sidewalk.
• Organize a walking, running, or biking club or
  other group to get out together and go places, or
  contact the local recreation center to join an
  already existing group.
• Join a group thats working on these issues, such
  as the Active Williamsburg Alliance.