Florida Redevelopment Association 2015 Annual Conference

Transcription

1 Florida Redevelopment Association 2015 Annual Conference Reimagining State Arterials Jeff Costello, Delray Beach CRA Executive Director

2 I-95 Fed. Hwy Pairs Two blocks west of Intracoastal Waterway One-way pair system 18 blocks in each direction Lake Ida Rd George Bush Blvd Three travel lanes, with turn lanes at major intersections Atlantic Ave Only six-lane section of US 1 in Palm Beach County SW 10 th St Linton Blvd

3 US 1 was main interstate travel corridor before construction of I-95 Primarily auto-oriented uses, such as motels, diners, gas stations, auto dealers, & repair, etc. Federal road under state jurisdiction

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5 The idea of narrowing showed up in different plans, including 1980 s Visions 2000 Plan FDOT concluded downtown section of US 1 would operate at acceptable levels of service if reduced to four lanes. As a result, County s Long Range Transportation Plan was amended to show reduction from six to four lanes Downtown Delray Beach Master Plan - Calls for narrowing the Federals to allow for slower speeds, on-street parking and fewer travel lanes. o o Provides a street section that is more conducive to a pedestrian oriented environment and is beneficial for businesses. Traffic counts were reviewed and the proposal was presented to the FDOT. The Department's engineers agreed that the proposal was feasible.

6 Previous Conditions View of Southbound Federal Highway at intersection with Atlantic Avenue

7 On your marks get set. GO! Car Crashes Through Storefront

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9 Previous Conditions

10 Increase Safety o o Lower vehicular speeds Safe pedestrian crossings Overcome physical and psychological barrier between the two Federals - Beautification. Draw pedestrian traffic from Atlantic Avenue to businesses around the corner. Expand circumference of downtown to include newly constructed residential projects on US 1 and entice development of vacant parcels on US 1.

11 Vehicular Speeds o Posted speed - 35 mph o Average Speed 41mph Crash Data Atlantic & Federal Hwy Pairs o Actual Crash Rate: crashes per million vehicle miles of travel o Statewide Average Crash Rate: crashes per million miles of travel Pedestrians - Hundreds of pedestrians per hour crossing Federal Highway at Atlantic Avenue main downtown street.

12 Typical Section

13 Parking on one side, three lanes Parking on both sides, two lanes Parking on one side, two lanes, wider sidewalks Note: All have bike lanes

14 Typical Section (#3) On-Street Parking on One Side & Wide Sidewalks on Both Sides

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16 Causing gridlock along Federal highway o Perception that new residential projects would create more trips along the corridor o Increased travel times Large public investment City catering to developers at the expense of residents

17 Chevrolet dealership located 3 blocks south of Atlantic Ave, occupied one full city block Converted to 84-unit townhouse development Average Daily Trips reduced from 1,361 vehicles to 588 vehicles o A reduction of 773 trips per day

18 Temporary Trial Project Implemented to address some concerns expressed in the public meetings regarding potential for congestion & to further analyze the impacts Lane closings accomplished with pavement markings and temporary curbing (tuff curb) Collected data during peak season and off-season to study, driver speeds, signal timing and accidents rates as a result of lane closings $600,000 CRA investment

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20 Brochure Newsletter

21 Signage

22 Media

23 75% fewer accidents at intersection with Atlantic Ave. Average 6 mph decrease in speed. More pedestrian oriented uses emerge on street Intersection delays increased by average of 6 seconds Based on results, City Commission voted to move forward with permanent improvements.

24 I was under the understanding that it was a one year experiment. The thought of having to look at those horribly unsightly temporary barricades any longer turns my stomach. Please tell me the city isn't considering wasting any more of our tax money on this hairbrained scheme It has now been over 6 months since our fine City Commission voted to shove this down our throats, and we're still looking at the unsightly, crappy temporary barrier. Still disgusted-

25 CONSTRUCTION FUNDING AMOUNT State: $5,051,604 Federal: $2,189,840 (includes a $1,439,840 earmark) City Water & Sewer: $ 500,000 City Stormwater: $ 700,000 Developments: $ 178,734 City Contribution: $1,757,480 CRA Contribution: $3,614,188 (repayment of City financing) CRA - Other Construction Costs: $ 136,450 July 2013 Commenced Construction October 2015 Construction Completed $14,128,296

26 The CRA and DDA collaborated on ways to offer increased marketing and visibility for merchants, to help offset negative impacts on business (special meetings, business highlights and features, special signage) In year two of construction, the City waived the annual sidewalk café fee for nine businesses along Federal Highway, to help offset the decline in business activity during construction Despite challenges faced by existing businesses, several new businesses opened along the corridor during construction: Sequin L autret French Bakery Pineapple Grove Cleaners 504 Office Suites Mussel Beach LoveRich Boutique

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29 Traffic calming strategies are dependent on the nature of the roadway o Arterial roads vs. local streets Roads may be subject to multiple jurisdictions that require careful coordination among agencies Increase communication & public input early on into the planning process to get public buy-in o Temporary trials as necessary Long term process. May need to delay in order to participate in specific funding cycles.

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