CHAPTER 4 VISION, GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

Transcription

1 CHAPTER 4 VISION, GOALS AND OBJECTIVES Defining a visin, gals, and bjectives creates the structure fr a plan. T develp the visin fr this Plan, the team reviewed the 2012 MPO Cmprehensive Pathways Plan and ther similar plans and cnsidered public, Bard, cmmittee, and stakehlder grup input. The fllwing visin statement was used t guide the develpment f the Plan s gals, bjectives and strategies. Visin T prvide a safe and cmprehensive bicycle and pedestrian netwrk that prmtes and encurages cmmunity use and enjyment. Safety and a cmprehensive r cnnected netwrk are the tw crnerstnes f the Plan. Public feedback indicated that safety and making biking and walking mre accessible and intercnnected shuld be primary emphasis pints. This interest is supprted by travel trends and by current research shwing that if there are safe and accessible facilities, whether fr walking r fr biking, peple will use them. With this and the future in mind, the visin fr this Plan was develped. The visin and the gals and bjectives are cnsistent with the pririties identified in the 2040 Lng Range Transprtatin Plan (LRTP) and will be incrprated int the 2045 LRTP. Gals The gals (Table 6) were develped by reviewing lcal, state and natinal Best Practices, gals in similar plans, including the 2012 MPO Cmprehensive Pathways Plan, and with cnsideratin f public and cmmittee input. Althugh similar t the previus plan, the imprtance f safety, equity (Envirnmental Justice) and cmmunity health have been increased in this Plan. The gals became the basis fr the develpment f strategies, plicies and prject priritizatin criteria which are discussed later in Chapter 7. Table 6: Gals and Strategies Gal Safety Cnnectivity Health Envirnment Equity/Livability Ecnmy Strategy Increase safety fr peple wh walk and bicycle in Cllier Cunty. Create a netwrk f efficient, cnvenient bicycle and pedestrian facilities in Cllier Cunty. Increase ttal miles f bicycle and pedestrian facilities and encurage lcal gvernments t incrprate Cmplete Streets principals in rad planning, design and peratins Prtect the envirnment by supprting mde chice. Increase transprtatin chice and cmmunity livability thrugh the develpment f an integrated multimdal system. Prmte turism and ecnmic pprtunities by develping a safe, cnnected netwrk f biking and walking facilities. 1

2 Objectives and Strategies Gals can be general and lfty, but bjectives and strategies need t specific enugh t help make measurable prgress twards meeting the gals. The fllwing bjectives and strategies were identified t help achieve the gals develped fr this Plan and t prvide sufficient flexibility in the implementatin f the Plan. 1. Safety Increase safety fr peple wh walk and bicycle in Cllier Cunty. Reduce the number and severity f bicycle crashes. Reduce the number and severity f pedestrian crashes. Identify high crash lcatins fr RSAs. Prjects identified in RSAs will be a high pririty fr funding. Cllabrate with law enfrcement t develp and deply enfrcement/educatin campaigns. Wrk with FDOT and law enfrcement agencies t seek funding fr High Visibility Enfrcement (HVE) fr Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety. Adpt a Cmplete Streets Plicy (see page XX fr a descriptin f Cmplete Streets) and wrk with lcal gvernments and the Cunty t develp and adpt their wn cmplete streets plicies. Wrk with FDOT, MPO member entities and ther transprtatin agencies t reduce the number f crashes, particularly thse with severe r fatal injuries. 2. Cnnectivity Create a netwrk f efficient, intercnnected and cnvenient bicycle and pedestrian facilities in Cllier Cunty. Fill in gaps in the existing bicycle and pedestrian netwrk. Prvide a variety f bikeways and pedestrian facilities cnnected t transit stps and alng transit rutes. Prvide a variety f bikeways and pedestrian facilities cnnected t parks, schls, dwntwns, and emplyment centers. Actively pursue multiple surces f funding t implement Plan. Use Transprtatin Management Area (TMA) funds fr a widerange r prject types Crdinate with MPO member entities and FDOT t cmplete netwrk gaps that may be cmpleted during radway widening r recnstructin, r infrastructure prjects. TMA funds are distributed frm State DOTs t MPOs with ppulatins ver 200,000. TMA funds are priritized by the MPO in cnjunctin with the State DOT. 2

3 Crdinate with MPO member entities and FDOT t cmplete gaps during resurfacing prjects. Priritize bicycle and pedestrian prjects in areas that will impact the greatest number f peple. 3. Equity/livability Increase transprtatin chice and cmmunity livability thrugh the develpment f an integrated multimdal system. Prvide safe biking and walking cnditins in areas f Cllier Cunty that are underserved r transit dependent. Prvide a variety f bikeways and pedestrian facilities cnnected t destinatins. Prvide a variety f bikeways and pedestrian facilities cnnected t transit. Supprt Cllier Area Transit (CAT) by crdinating bicycle and pedestrian facilities and ADA imprvements with bus rutes and transfer centers Identify and select prjects that supprt the safe, cnvenient and accessible use f transit. Priritize bicycle and pedestrian prjects in areas that will impact the greatest number f peple. Identify and select prjects that allw safe, cnvenient access t areas f high emplyment. Identify and select a prprtin f prjects that address the needs in EJ cmmunities/areas. Adpt a Cmplete Streets plicy. 4. Health Encurage health and fitness by prviding a safe, cnvenient netwrk f facilities fr walking and biking. Being either bese r verweight increases the risk fr many chrnic diseases (e.g., heart disease, type 2 diabetes, certain cancers, and strke). Reversing the Cllier Cunty besity epidemic requires a cmprehensive apprach that uses plicy and envirnmental change t transfrm cmmunities int places that supprt and prmte healthy lifestyle chices fr all Cllier Cunty residents. Lack f access t safe places t play and exercise cntribute t the increase in besity rates by inhibiting r preventing healthy active living behavirs. The bjectives and strategies listed belw are supprted by the Flrida Department f Health and are based n the Centers fr Disease Cntrl and Preventin, Recmmended Cmmunity Strategies and Measurements t Prevent Obesity in the United States. 1 Increase physical activity r limit sedentary activity amng children and yuth Create safe cmmunities that supprt physical activity 1 Centers fr Disease Cntrl and Preventin. Recmmended Cmmunity Strategies and Measurements t Prevent Obesity in the United States. July 24, Suggested measurements #17, #18, #23 3

4 Increase ttal miles f designated shared use paths and bike lanes relative t the ttal street miles (excluding limited access highways) maintained by a lcal jurisdictin. Increase ttal miles f paved sidewalks relative t the ttal street miles (excluding limited access highways) maintained by a lcal jurisdictin. Lcal gvernment has a plicy fr designing and perating streets with safe access fr all users which includes at least ne element suggested by the Natinal Cmplete Streets Calitin ( In all user street design plicies, such as the Cmplete Streets prgram, lcal gvernments incrprating at least ne f the fllwing elements in a plicy will enhance traffic safety and prmte healthy lifestyle chices: specifies that "all users" includes pedestrians, bicyclists, transit vehicles and users, and mtrists f all ages and abilities; aims t create a cmprehensive, integrated, cnnected netwrk; recgnizes the need fr flexibility: that all streets are different and user needs will be balanced; is adptable by all agencies t cver all rads; applies t bth new and retrfit prjects, including design, planning, maintenance, and peratins, fr the entire right f way; makes any exceptins specific and sets a clear prcedure that requires high level apprval f exceptins; directs the use f the latest and best design standards; directs that Cmplete Streets slutins fit within the cntext f the cmmunity; and establishes perfrmance standards with measurable utcmes. 5. Ecnmy Prmte turism and ecnmic pprtunities by develping a safe, cnnected netwrk f biking and walking facilities. Imprve bikeability t destinatins. Supprt bicycle and pedestrian access t jbs. Imprve cnnectins t lively pedestrian envirnments. Crdinate with lcal agencies t develp a wayfinding and directinal signage prgram. Identify and select prjects that allw safe, cnvenient access t areas f high emplyment. Wrk with lcal agencies t identify prjects that facilitate pedestrian access t areas f emplyment and recreatin. Cllabrate with lcal agencies t identify pprtunities fr amenities (e.g., bike parking, benches, street trees). 4

5 6. Envirnment Prtect the envirnment by prmting walking and bicycling fr transprtatin t reduce cngestin, reduce the need fr cstly expansin f rad and highway systems and reduce ur natin s dependence n freign energy surces Prvide an accessible, cnnected netwrk. Cnnect t destinatins such as retail r service, making shrt distance trips n ft r by bike appealing. Plan, design and cnstruct bicycle and pedestrian facilities in a manner that minimizes any negative envirnmental impacts and maximizes psitive impacts Fill gaps in the netwrk t create better cnnectins and t minimize the disruptin in travel. Wrk with agencies t imprve intersectins and create safe crssing pprtunities. 5