US 19 Pedestrian and Bicycle Safe Access to Transit Corridor Study

Transcription

1 US 19 Pedestrian and Bicycle Safe Access to Transit Corridor Study DRAFT Technical Memorandum #3 Active Bus Stop Review and Observations August 2016 Prepared for: FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION DISTRICT 7 (FDOT) Contract No: C 9B41, FAP No: A, FPN: N. McKinley Drive Tampa, FL PINELLAS COUNTY METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION (MPO) Contract No: ARA87 FPN: Court Street Clearwater, FL 3375

2 Introduction Based on the data collection and baseline conditions evaluation efforts, documented in Technical Memorandum #1, it was observed that the most active (highest ridership) bus stops along US 19 are those served by multiple transit routes. This occurs because these stops provide a connection to the surrounding area and also serve as transfer points between multiple routes. Examples of these stops are at transfer locations like the Pinellas Park Transit Center, Countryside Mall, and Whitney Road. Identifying high ridership stops that do not directly provide transfer opportunities allows for the identification of locations that have a higher propensity for generating transit ridership. To better understand what is driving transit ridership activity at these stops (that are only served by PSTA Route 19), a series of site visits were conducted for the top five non transfer ridership stops along the corridor. Each site visit included an assessment of the area, including the surrounding neighborhoods around each of the stops and an observation of where transit riders were generally coming from or going to. Based on the site reviews and observations some general assumptions about potential transit ridership generators were developed. A summary of the observations for the locations shown below is provided on the following pages. US 19 at Ulmerton Road (2 stops) US 19 at Belleair Road (2 stops) US 19 near Drew Street 1

3 US 19 at Ulmerton Road Safe Harbor ULMERTON RD Honeywell Call Center Observed Potential Generators Honeywell, a major defense contractor and among the largest employers in the Tampa Bay area, is located on the southwest corner of US 19 and Ulmerton Road. It is possible that this large facility is a significant draw for ridership. A call center that is part of an industrial park just under a mile from the stop on the southeast corner may have also been a ridership generator, as several people were observed walking east along Ulmerton Road from the bus stops at US 19. Another potential generator located several miles to the northeast could be the Safe Harbor shelter facility.., Based on input from people knowledgeable about the area, many of the shelter residents walk to the bus stops along US 19 during the day when they cannot stay at the shelter. Based on the observed activity it does not appear that many of the other uses surrounding the intersection are large transit ridership generators. Summary of Observations The near side stops along US 19 at Ulmerton Road were among the busiest non transfer stops in the area. These stops are close to Ulmerton Road, which offers transit service on PSTA Route 59. Some of the ridership at this stop may be connecting to Route 59, and to a lesser extent Route 79, which has a connection to Route 19 north of the intersection near Whitney Road. The northbound near side stop has a shelter, bike racks, and waiting area, while the southbound near side stop does not have a shelter. From observations it appears that there may be limited right of way at the southbound stop location, which may be why it does not currently have a transit shelter. During the site observation, it was noted that the small parcel on the northwest corner of Ulmerton Road and US 19 was for sale. It may be possible to move this stop closer to the intersection, and get space for a shelter should this parcel be redeveloped at some point in the near future. This need should be communicated to the City of Largo or other agencies having jurisdiction over land development review in this area. 2

4 US 19 at Belleair Road BELLEAIR RD Plasma Center US 19 Observed Potential Generators Potential contributors to transit ridership at this location are the higher density residential uses along the east side of US 19 and the mix of commercial retail and medical uses along the west side. There is a blood plasma center located along the west side of US 19 south of Belleair Road with a bus stop directly in front of it that may be contributing to the higher ridership activity in this area. Also in the area are several office buildings and retail establishments that could be generating some ridership. Additionally, in interviews with PSTA Route 19 bus operators, it was noted that a social services agency had recently relocated to be near the Belleair Road intersection. However during the site visit this facility could not be located. Summary of Observations The bus stops along US 19 north and south of Belleair Road are higher ridership stops, but during the review it was not initially apparent what was generating the ridership in this area. One possible explanation could be that the closest crossing opportunities are Whitney Road approximately one mile to the south of the intersection and Seville Drive approximately 1.2 miles north of the intersection. Prior to the recently completed reconstruction of US 19 there were additional signalized crossing opportunities. Since many of the crossing opportunities were removed, transit users may be drawn to this intersection where they feel safer crossing at a designated US 19 crossing. Other than the bus stop sign and concrete boarding and alighting area, the only amenities at these bus stops are third party benches. 3

5 US 19 at Drew Street Bright House Field SPC DREW ST US 19 Observed Potential Generators Ridership for this stop appeared to be from two primary sources. A number of families with young children under the age of 10 were waiting for the bus at this stop during the time of observation. These families appeared to come from nearby residential developments within the northeast quadrant of the intersection. Other riders appeared to be heading in the general direction of St Petersburg College, which is south of Drew Street and roughly a half mile from the northbound stop. This stop is also the closest one to the St. Petersburg College campus. Field observations revealed what appeared to be college students getting on and off of the bus going toward or coming from the direction of the campus. Summary of Observations South of Drew Street Route 19 deviates from US 19 to serve Clearwater Mall, as shown in Figure 1. Southbound Route 19 buses turn left from US 19 onto Drew Street and northbound buses turn right onto US 19 from Drew Street. The closest southbound bus stop is located along the south side of Drew Street east of US 19 near the shopping center. The closest northbound stop is located along the US 19 frontage road just north of Drew Street. The northbound stop is the only one that was reviewed at this location due to it being the only one the main line of US 19. This stop currently does not have a shelter or a bench. It is also located behind a curb drainage inlet. Bus stops near inlets are problematic for bus passengers during rain events, as the inlets occasionally back up causing storm water to pond near the inlet. When traffic drives through this ponded water there is a chance that people waiting for the bus at the stop may get splashed. 4

6 Source: PSTA System Map Figure 1: Route 19 Deviation to Serve the Clearwater Mall 5