Meeting Information Overview The public workshop for the Mount Holly Comprehensive Bicycle Plan occurred on September 25, 2018. The drop-in workshop allowed attendees to participate in a series of interactive stations. Nearly 40 people attended the workshop. This document summarizes the event. Date: Location: Time: Agenda Tuesday, September 25 th Mount Holly Municipal Complex 400 East Central Avenue 5:30pm to 7:30pm Information Stations o Sign-In o Project Background Activity Stations o Where do you Live? o o o o o One Word Thought Wall Strong Places/ Weak Places Mapping Exercise Street Builder Visual Preference Survey Survey & Exit Questionnaire 1
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Activity Results Summary Project Overview This station was the first area that attendees visited after signing in. They were directed to a board that described the purpose of the Comprehensive Bike Plan and planning process. Where do you live? Participants were asked to identify where they live on a map using a dot sticker. The results inform which areas of Mount Holly were represented by meeting participants. 3
One Word The One Word activity captured existing sentiments and future hopes about biking in the City of Mount Holly. Participants were asked to write down one word that describes biking in Mount Holly today and one word that describes their vision for biking in Mount Holly in the future. The following word clouds illustrate the responses, placing more emphasis on repeating themes. Unsafe was the most popular term for describing existing conditions for biking in Mount Holly, followed by potential. When envisioning the future of biking in Mount Holly, accessible, connectivity, and inclusive were the most popular terms. Biking in Mount Holly today Ideal vision for biking in Mount Holly 4
Thought Wall Participants at the Thought Wall station were given five pieces of paper and asked to write one issue, concern, topic, need, or challenge on each sheet. Participants were asked to write their most important thought on the blue sheet, and other subsequent thoughts on the yellow sheets. They then hung them on the designated Thought Wall for others to see. This exercise collected numerous thoughts that will inform the plan s understanding of existing conditions and community priorities. In general, the comments were very supportive of and eager for a more active biking culture and safe, connected network of biking trails and greenways in Mount Holly. Several comments mentioned the importance of education for cyclists and drivers, as well as the desire for a bike/pedestrian crossing over the Catawba River. The comments are listed below. Biking in Mount Holly Need bike paths so can safely use for transportation without cars! Connecting MH to other towns/cities in Gaston County in a safe and feasible way. Make cycling safer on the roads by increasing public awareness. Make biking a safe and healthy event Safe and convenient access for bicycling throughout the City How can we make biking more affordable and more access to more people? Safety of cyclist & bikers must be #1. Drivers are uneducated/unaware of even basic laws of sharing the roads let alone common-sense etiquette. How can we get more students to SAFELY ride their bike to school? Get something done soon. Not 10 years from now. Love the potential of greenway connections & a bike/ped bridge crossing! Coordinating safe bicycling with existing motor vehicle traffic will be a great challenge How can we create a cycling culture in Mount Holly? How can we make traveling by bikes be safer? I would like to see bike trails only, safety for cycles. Trails that lead into other trails with mile markers. Make Mount Holly a destination. Give cyclists incentives. Greenway Finish greenway plan! Some natural or pea gravel? Like at NC arboretum. Some paved Biking: A Family Affair Bike parks for kids, bike trails,, programs for kids & beginners, biking events for all ages, rental bikes. My name is Maddie and I would like to see the above in Mount Holly. Bike/ped bridge across the Catawba! Potential stops/info along trails. Ways to communicate to all if by yourself with no phone. Need to bring families and bikers into Mt. Holly from all over. This will help build the town and grow. Get the word out that Mt. Holly is a healthy town to visit. More connections to parks & greenways Culture!!! Keep roads and/or bike lanes clean and clear! No bike lanes with man holes, grates, etc. in them 5
Branded as a cycling town. League of American Cyclist "Bicycle Friendly City". Space allocation on as many roads as possible. Political will! Innovative bicycle accommodations. Buffered bicycle lanes. Completed greenway CTT. Connection Belmont & Mecklenburg County. Bike access across river to USNWC and Long Creek Thread Trail corridor. Fully accepted mode of transportation by all ages & abilities. 1) Education! On both sides. Drivers must know that bikers are legal vehicles and have rights! 2) Proper bike infrastructure. Simply having a wider shoulder is not a bike lane. Having bike lanes in "door zones" of parking is not good. 3) Signage and marking need to be clear and taught to all. 4) Cyclists/bikers need to follow proper stopping to show "drivers" that we aren't arrogant. 5) Do not confuse older drivers by trying to reinvent the wheel. 6) Biking to the schools - if no bike lane or even sidewalk. How? Example: to Pinewood - a separate path would be ideal since 273 is fast moving and small - children just can t there. Safer roads Charity or town-sponsored events Really excited about biking on the greenway! More greenways There's great potential for increased use of bicycles in Mount Holly! For recreational enjoyment, between parks/greenways and less trafficked neighborhoods - it'd be good exercise! It'd be great to connect a bike route to the Whitewater Center also they have great cycling routes too. For commuting, shopping and errands, it'd be convenient and healthier if there were safe bicycle routes around Mount Holly. 6
Strong/Weak Places Mapping Exercise For this activity, participants viewed a large map of Mount Holly and placed green dots to denote strong places and red dots to denote weak places. Strong places were locations that are desirable, special, safe, or reflected well on Mount Holly related to biking. Weak places were locations that are undesirable, or reflected poorly on Mount Holly related to biking. Post its were also provided for participants to describe why an area was considered a strong or weak. The result of this exercise yielded areas and corridors in Mount Holly that are perceived by the public as strengths to be leveraged and concerning areas to be evaluated further. Strong Places Downtown Mount Holly Tuckaseege Park Riverfront Belmont Abbey College Greenways Weak Places Kids cannot bike safely to schools NC 27 bridge is a difficult crossing for cyclists NC 27 & NC 273 lack adequate bike accommodations Poor connection between Mountain Island Park to Downtown Mount Holly Connectivity within and from residential neighborhoods can be improved 7
Street Builder For this activity, participants used pre-cut foam game pieces to build their preferred street cross section for one or more of four pre-selected corridors in Mount Holly. Participants were asked to select one of these corridors or another street in the City and build their ideal street cross section. They did so by choosing from a variety of design feature cutouts that represented elements such as travel lanes, medians, bike lanes, sidewalks, and landscaping. Once their ideal street was built, the design was photographed. Participants could then select another corridor to build or move on to another activity station. The following corridors were pre-selected. This exercise showed the design features for Mount Holly s critical transportation corridors. It also revealed priority multimodal features that could be applied to other locations in the city with similar design and operational characteristics. The exercise ultimately will inform the strategic corridors and recommendations that will be developed. Of the four options, participants most frequently chose to rebuild Main Street and NC 273/Beatty Drive. Photos of the participant-designed street sections are provided below. 8
Main Street: E Charlotte Avenue: 9
NC 273/Beatty Drive: 10
W Catawba Avenue: Other Corridors: 11
Visual Preference Survey A large board with a variety of pictures of different types of bike infrastructure was placed on an easel for participants to see. Participants were given green stickers to place on pictures of bike infrastructure that they like and would want to see in Mount Holly, and red stickers on pictures that they do not like. The activity provided insight into the participants preferences relating to bike infrastructure. The most popular picture was of a striped shared-use path running parallel but separated from the road. The responses are detailed below. Image No. of Green Dots No. of Red Dots Comments 19 0 Good for 273, especially going to Pinewood for kids Great for major roadways 13 1 Best option shown; still has issues when cyclists need to take the lane Barrier preferred 12
12 1 Ripe for collisions At least separate from cars 5 4 Sharrows aren't universally known by drivers; education & signage! Good as a heads up to motorists & to make cyclists feel welcome Like striping on road (sharrow) 5 6 Dangers! Road seam - no! Storm drain - no! Debris - no! Only good for a tiny percentage of users/skill level 5 8 Will confuse most people, especially non-bikers Too confusing Requires public education 13
4 4 Not ideal; cars wouldn't understand where bikers take the lane Nice wide lane markings would help indicate for bikers 2 9 Be careful with this concept. Need for etiquette. Lawless peds v. bikers At least no cars Too chaotic with cyclists vs pedestrians 14