ROCHESTER- OLMSTED BICYCLE MASTER PLAN

Transcription

1 ROCHESTER- OLMSTED BICYCLE MASTER PLAN Public Input Meeting May 18, 2011

2 Rochester-Olmsted Bicycle Master Plan Vision Create a welcoming environment that fosters bicycle travel as a healthy, environmentally sustainable transportation mode Provide a network of facilities along with complementary services that will encourage persons to reduce vehicular travel and improve the quality of life Provide bicyclists with safe and convenient access to all areas of the community

3 Key Policy Areas and Objectives Draft Policies and Objectives Developed From: Review of Existing Plans and Polices including City Comprehensive Plan Downtown Master Plan Key Comments from Focus Groups League of American Bicyclists Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee Comments/Input welcome on current bike issues and need related to bicycling

4 Maintenance and Preservation of Bicycle System Key Objectives COMMENTS Develop/Maintain a list of priorities for overlay and reconstruction Identify bikeway corridors where year round accessibility will be provided Establish guidelines for maintenance of bikeways to guide future M&P activities Develop a dedicated funding stream(s) to maintain bikeway system at desired level of service Identify new or innovative methods to more effectively and efficiently maintain system Create a process for community residents to report maintenance issues or suggest improvements Lack of street cleaning and potholes discourage use of bicycle for day to day trips Shoulder rumble strips discourage biking and is a critical issue on roads without wide shoulders. Seams in concrete gutters and storm grates also discourage riding Pavement on 4th Avenue NW from 7th Street to West Center St is too rough Crack sealing & plowing needed on Zumbro River Trail from Silver Lake to City Hall.

5 Bicycle System Development / Enhancements & Amenities (Cont.) Key Objectives COMMENTS Improve options for integrating bicycle travel with transit service Identify measures that could reduce delay to bicycle travel such as sensor-equipped intersections Provide secure and/or covered bike parking at major destinations Include bicycle parking requirements in local land development ordinances Consider community Bike Station in high bike traffic area Provide in-route amenities such as information kiosks, rest areas, water, etc. It s more comfortable to ride on trails / Need greater comfort riding in traffic Signs don t tell you where you re going / Signs with directions absent. Develop more bicycle parking, particularly downtown, and provide information that is available Need for secure parking Need Bike Share programs Showers at key workplace/destinations When online I can pick out routes, but they are not connected with road route numbers Should designate bike routes like bus routes Add bike lane or signage on 2 nd ST SW from St Mary s to Broadway.

6 Bicycle System Development / Enhancements & Amenities Key Objectives Produce regularly updated bike maps with info on parking, repairs, rentals Establish bike sharing programs and expand bike rental options Develop bicycle tourism information packages COMMENTS Need more places to stop/rest, i.e., benches, covered areas, drinking fountains Encourage local businesses to contribute to bike system by giving them opportunity to advertise / promote their contribution Very few shopping destinations have bike parking or racks that are not sturdy Not sure bike lanes are helpful they infer that cyclist s can t ride on other roads Develop a series of short (2-5 mi.) loop rides around the community and provide appropriate way-finding signage. Integrate these rides into local bike map Add covered bicycle parking in the Center Street Ramp; Expand and cover the existing bike parking in front of the Rochester Public Library; Install covered bike parking at the Rochester Government Center

7 Safety through Education (Cont.) Key Objectives COMMENTS Promote ongoing messaging to cyclists and motorists regarding sharing the road Promote education & training opportunities for adults regarding bicycling Focus areas include bicycle laws, bicycle operations, equipment needs, etc There is a cultural attitude that bikes don t belong on a road Should use billboard space to educate motorists about cyclist s right to use the road Need to address lack of understanding about bikes and right turn lanes General need for more driver and bicyclist education (to educate drivers that bikes belong, and to create culture where cycling viewed as transportation, not recreation)

8 Safety through Education Key Objectives COMMENTS Ensure age-appropriate education materials and opportunities are provided for children on cycling techniques and use of bicycle facilities Focus areas include school curriculum, print materials, events such as bike rodeos, and on-line materials. Improve the reach of the community s bicycle safety campaigns. Continue to expand public education campaigns to promote the Share the Road message and the rights and responsibilities of all users. Work to get education messages targeting bicyclists and motorists added to materials such as tax renewal forms, drivers licensing and testing, or as inserts with utility bills. The community should work to increase bicycling education opportunities for children and adults. Having local League of American Bicyclists instructors will enable the community to expand cycling education, to serve as cycling ambassadors, to provide cycling education to adults, and to make available experts to assist in encouragement programs.

9 Promote Bicycling through Education (Cont.) Key Objectives COMMENTS Provide age appropriate events for children to learn about benefits of bicycling Provide adult bike commuters information on skills and techniques related to bike commuting Google Maps, Twitter, Rochester Active Cycling Bulletin Board, and the City web site as sources of information. Maps are not up to date some information is incorrect / Also noted that map posted on Kiosk along on Mayowood Trail is faded / general lack of kiosks along trails / maps are hard to find Would like to see more advertising for what Rochester has in terms of bike infrastructure

10 Promote Bicycling through Education Key Objectives Develop a brand identity for the bicycling program in Rochester area Provide information for adults on benefits of bicycling Options include online info, media campaigns, print materials COMMENTS Need to advertise which roads are upgraded / maintained for cyclist use also get word out about number of miles of paths, routes, lanes Promote bicycling as green transportation advertise routes and time/distance to destinations Work with Post Bulletin and bike shops to promote a route every week, for example Conduct more local bike rides Consider offering a Ciclovia or Summer Streets type event, closing off a major corridor to auto traffic and offering the space to cyclists, pedestrians and group exercise events

11 Injury and Crash Reduction Key Objectives COMMENTS Identify primary factors contributing to bicycle crashes and identify potential countermeasures Establish an ongoing inventory process to identify roadway features that can contribute to potential safety problems Develop a process to identify critical safety locations where detailed safety audits or other detailed evaluation is warranted to identify potential safety upgrades Concerns that It s not very safe (riding) on the road Default speed limit of 30 MPH is higher than in many places (25 MPH more typical outside of Minnesota)

12 Enforcement Key Objectives COMMENTS Increase level of compliance with bicycling laws through education and targeted enforcement Disseminate information regarding sidewalk riding policies Secure funding for ongoing bicyclist and motorist education campaign to promote understanding of the rules of the road Work with law enforcement staff to identify potential bicycle enforcement issues and develop program to address the issues. Make strong connections between bicycling community and law enforcement. Ensure that police officers are aware of the Share the Road message and are trained regarding traffic law as it applies to bicyclists. The city should consider hosting an Enforcement for Bicycle Safety seminar. This is a great continuing education opportunity for law enforcement.

13 Encouraging Bicycle Mode Share Increase (Cont.) Key Objectives COMMENTS Increase share of journey to work trips made by bicycle by Work with employers to provide incentives to employees to consider use of bicycle for commute trip Disseminate information directly to local area residents about using a bicycle for commute trip Work with employers to put in place end of trip infrastructure needed to encourage employees to consider biking to work Financial incentives would be good Use mechanisms such as contests More efforts to combine modes bike and buses Encourage people to think about financial cost savings associated with biking More local bike rentals Promote by pointing out it is faster to get to many destinations by bike than looking for car parking

14 Encouraging Bicycle Mode Share Increase Key Objectives COMMENTS Increase share of utilitarian trips made by bicycle by working with retailers to offer convenient parking and promotions targeting bicyclists Develop and distribute through various media informational materials about the bikeway network to encourage family use of trails and paths for recreation Increase the share of children who bike to school Do more to highlight benefits such as exercise, cost saving, stress reducing, fresh air, time savings Address land use practice, i.e., layout of town that makes it hard to live without car; problem of sprawl development that is not bike friendly, Consider passing an ordinance or local code that would require larger employers to provide bicycle parking, shower facilities, and other encouragement tools. The city could be the model employer for the rest of the community, Launch a bike buddy or bicyclist mentorship program for inexperienced riders

15 Your Input Is Needed On Bicycling Issues And Needs Issues & Needs Issues or Needs You See in Regards To: Bicycle Safety? Promotion & Encouraging Bicycling? Injury and Crash Prevention? Enforcement of Traffic Rules? Increasing Bicycling Mode Share? Bicycling Infrastructure Needs What roadways would you like to see improved for bicycling? Where are there problems crossing streets at intersections?

16 Maps of Key Origins and Destinations and Bike Facilities Review maps of existing bike facilities Comment on bicycling issues and needs Identify gaps or missing links where bicycling should be accommodated

17 Map of Ward 1&2 Willow Creek Area and Country Club Manor Area

18 Map of Ward 3&4 Northwest Rochester Area and Southeast Rochester Area

19 Map of Ward 5&6 Northeast Rochester Area and Elton Hills-Essex Park Area

20 Best Practice Ideas What practices are used in other communities to address bicycling needs? Which of these practices could adapt for use in our community?

21 Best Practice Ideas

22 Best Practice Ideas

23 Best Practice Ideas

24 Best Practice Ideas

25 Best Practice Ideas

26 Best Practice Ideas Bicycle Share Stations placed at regular intervals throughout the city provide a way for employees, commuters, and residents to make short trips by bike instead of by car. Bicycle share programs have been effectively implemented worldwide. A bicycle can be checked out with a membership card that can be purchased on-line or with a credit card at a payment kiosk. Bicycle sharing is a unique opportunity to convert non-bicyclists to cycling and to increase the visibility of bicycles. Seattle Children s Hospital developed a very aggressive transportation management plan to reduce auto travel and promote active transportation. In 2008, fewer than 38 percent of day-shift staff drove alone to work. To achieve this, Children s offers a variety of transportation options, which include Guaranteed Ride Home, bicycle parking and shower/ locker facilities, and commute bonus incentives for alternative commuters To encourage employees to give up driving to campus, Children s developed a personalized commute program called MyCommute, which provides each employee a personalized intranet page where they can track their commute behavior and receive instant feedback about their projected month end parking cost or cash-out benefit. As part of the MyCommute implementation all employee parking was priced at $5 per day, where previously some employees paid for parking and many physicians and tenured employees did not. An equitable commute bonus is credited for each day the employee does not drive. At month s end the fees and benefits are tallied and either credited or debited from the employees paycheck. MyCommute also offers a dashboard to employees to interested in tracking the impacts of their commute activities. This conscious-raising feature has been a hit with employees and helps the hospital to further its goals of bettering human health and reducing environmental impacts. There is currently only one largescale bicycle share system in operation in North America, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. However, the success of these systems in Europe has spurred strong interest in the United States. Currently, Arlington, VA, Boston, MA, Minneapolis, MN, Denver, CO and Miami, FL are planning or have recently launched bicycle sharing systems.

27 Small Cities and Regional Trails Review maps of existing bike facilities in small cities and in regional area Comment on bicycling issues/needs Identify gaps or missing links where bicycle needs exist

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29 Byron Bike/Pedestrian Facilities

30 Highway 42 2 nd St SW Eyota Bike/Pedestrian Facilities W 5 th Street W 6 th Street Jefferson Ave Madison Ave S Knowledge Road

31 Highway 63 Highway 63 Stewartville Bike/Pedestrian Facilities 1 st St NE 2 nd St SW 3 rd St SW 6 th St SW 6 th St SE

32 Regional Trails Stagecoach Trail (Douglas Trail to Owatonna) East leg Oxbow Park to Douglas Trail

33 Regional Trails Chester Woods Trail (Eyota/Dover/St Charles)

34 Regional Trails Stewartville to Rochester Future Bluestem Trail

35 Regional Trail Connections Oronoco Vicinity Shoulder Bikeways Trail Connection