Report on Walkability Survey and Workshop for ZIP Code 73111 Hosted by the Oklahoma City-County Health Department April 13, 2013 On April 13th, the Oklahoma City-County Health Department hosted a community walkability workshop with assistance provided by the City s Sustainability Office. The purpose of the workshop was to assess the walkability of the area, engage community stakeholders, and increase awareness of walkability as a contributor to public health. The 73111 ZIP code was selected by the City-County Health Department due to health outcomes in the area. The walkability workshop included three main components: Two presentations to define the concept of walkability and to place it in a familiar context; Walking surveys to document existing conditions and behavior observations in two assessment areas; Group discussion and planning exercise to determine consensus. Assessment Teams Following the presentations, two groups were formed to assess two different areas within the 73111 ZIP code. Attendees selected a group depending on their own interests. Each group member volunteered for a specific task to form the assessment team. The assessment team included the following duties: Vehicle speed monitor using radar gun Measurement collector Street sketch Intersection sketch General comment scribe Photographer Neighborhood locals Tools and Process The walking survey teams used portions of the Walking Audit Survey Tool developed by the Walkable and Livable Communities (WALC) Institute as the primary document for recording observations and conditions during the on-site walking assessment. The tool asks participants to consider specific aspects of a street or intersection including: Streets: sidewalks, bike lanes, vehicle travel lanes, driveways, and parking Intersections: complexity, width, visibility, exposure Crossings: type, width, condition, maintenance Signals: type, placement and timing ADA compliance: curb cuts, ramp placement, grade, obstructions User comfort: lighting, street furniture, landscaping, safety features and land use Page 1 of 7
Team members recorded observations of these elements using street and intersection sketches, answering user comfort questions, and taking photos. The information collected and reported during the group discussion and planning session was consolidated by the Oklahoma City Sustainability Office to create the summary of observations and comments below. Observations, comments, and recommendations included in this report reflect the knowledge, opinions, and attitudes of a group of community members with an interest in walkability. This summary of observations and comments does not necessarily constitute recommendations by City of Oklahoma City. Summary of Observations and Comments Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary Team Assessment Area: NE 50 th St between N Prospect Ave and Everest Ave and south to 48 th Street The participants started along NE 48 th Street in front of Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School and noticed nice wide sidewalks, accessible curb cuts, and good lighting for pedestrians. However, the sidewalk and pedestrian-level lighting ended at the school property lines to the east and west. The participants noted six driveway cuts, averaging 28-feet wide each, in an approximate 200-yard stretch of sidewalk in front of the school. Curb cuts for vehicle traffic introduce potential points for conflict or collision between vehicles and pedestrians. Group members suggested Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary Team reducing these conflicts by striping crosswalks to make drivers aware they are crossing a pedestrian walkway, or by continuing the sidewalk north to connect with the sidewalk in front of the building for student access. Additionally, participants agreed that painting the edge of the curb along 48 th Street to define vehicle travel lanes could help slow traffic, especially as vehicles crest a steep hill just east of the school. Curving the sidewalk around the loading zone can reduce chances of vehicle-pedestrian conflict. pg. 2
E.W. Perry Park is located immediately to the east of the school, and team members identified issues of access to the park. There are no sidewalks connecting it to neighborhoods or arterials. Only one house across 48 th street is facing the park. The principles of Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) state that the community, homeowners, planners, developers and architects can help protect the community from crime by integrating CPTED concepts into the design and management of the physical environment. i Adding eyes on the park, particularly effective by designing neighborhoods so that houses face the park, increases actual safety and perceived safety of residents and park users and can reduce chances of vandalism or other criminal activity. Team members also wanted to explore adding access from NE 50 th (approximately 300 feet away) or Prospect Ave. (approx. 350 feet away) via a pleasant walkway to connect important parts of the neighborhood. On seven of the eight approaches to the intersections, pedestrians must walk in grass or the street. A 7-foot wide crosswalk outlines the intersection of NE 48 th Street and N Prospect Ave. and leads to accessible curb cuts at each of the four corners. This intersection, however, only has one out of eight potential sidewalks along adjacent streets (see diagram). Walking north from NE 48 th Street on the east side of N Prospect, participants expressed concern about a bus stop with no sidewalk connection or shelter. The group noted a new development underway on the SE corner of the intersection of NE 50th and N Prospect. Because the City s zoning code requires sidewalks for all new construction on major or minor arterial streets, this may set the stage for additional development of pedestrian facilities. The group discovered a number of issues while attempting to walk NE 50 th Street between N Prospect and Everest. Neither side of NE 50 th has sidewalks and is currently designed with four lanes with no safe pedestrian access to any residence or business. Steering Committee members of the Bicycle Transportation Plan published by the City s Planning Department in 2008 rated this stretch of NE 50 th as Very Poor. ii According to the WALC Institute iii, motorists appear to become more attentive and existing right of way can often be allocated to support more modes when lanes are narrowed to 10-12 foot travel lanes. Following this guidance, group members measured the travel lanes and determined there was adequate space to potentially repaint the street and reduce vehicle traffic to one narrower lane each direction with dedicated bike lanes from Lincoln Blvd to Walking west along the south side of NE 50 th Street Martin Luther King Blvd. One possibility would be 10-foot travel lanes and 4-foot bike lanes. The group also discussed a road diet to effectively reduce four lanes to three, including a two way center turn lane or a median with pedestrian refuge islands in certain locations. Road diets pg. 3
have been successfully implemented on streets carrying a wide variety of average daily traffic (ADT) volumes, but ranges from 8,000 to 15,000 ADT are generally considered to be good candidates for road diets. iv ADT counts range from 6,826 to 3,351 along this stretch of NE 50 th street which indicate a road diet may work well. Given the relatively low traffic count data, the group discussed the possibility of installing a roundabout at the intersection of NE 50 th and N Prospect to replace a four-way stop and improve pedestrian access and traffic flow. The group noticed one small sign marking the entry to a neighborhood just south of NE 50 th ; a roundabout project could incorporate neighborhood gateways both the north and south sides of NE 50 th to reinforce the sense of arrival in these residential areas. The lack of a sidewalk network continues along N Everest Ave south from NE 50 th to NE 48 th and north into Wildewood neighborhood. Pedestrians, especially the elderly and disabled, seeking to cross NE 50 th at N Everest Ave face a timing challenge. A dangerous blind spot exists for east and westbound drivers and north and southbound pedestrians as this intersection sits at the crest of a hill. Group members suggested adding sidewalks, crosswalks, and flashing pedestrian crossing signs to warn drivers to exercise caution. A pedestrian refuge area as part of the aforementioned road diet could also help mitigate risk of pedestrian-vehicle conflict. The group stopped to comment on apparently underutilized gravel parking lots on the SE corner of NE 50 th and N Everest Ave. Crest of hill on NE 50 th St. Participants assumed the land was owned by a nearby church and was used for overflow parking. The group speculated that a partnership to redevelop this lot could be beneficial for the school and church, as well as nearby residents and business owners. While standing in the lots, group members suggested a number of alternatives to the extra parking spaces, including retail development, additional entry to the school parking lot to ease peak congestion at the pick-up area, green space, or an extension of E.W. Perry Park. Underutilized lot pg. 4
MLK and NE 23 rd Team Assessment Area: NE 23 rd and Martin Luther King Boulevard Team Assessment Area: Along NE 23rd St between N Rhode Island Ave and N Fairmont Ave; Along MLK Blvd. from NE 21 st Street to NE 25 th Street. The participants met at a plaza in front of Ralph Ellison Library on the southeast corner of MLK and NE 23 rd Street. The plaza had the potential to serve as a community gathering place, but it lacked features that would entice members of the community to linger. Shade trees, landscaping, seating, adequate lighting, and protection from the street were discussed as potential remedies that could help activate this underutilized space. As the group walked a few hundred feet east, participants voiced concern about the angled parking that interrupted the sidewalk and noted the style of street lighting may not provide optimal light level for pedestrian travel. On-street parking could be a major asset to the street because of the ability of such parking to visually narrow streets and bring down traffic speeds, while providing affordable parking and avoiding land use issues associated with surface parking lots. Additionally, on-street parking only takes up one-third of the land of off-street parking v. Instead, current parking conditions interrupt the walkway and force pedestrians into a dangerous situation. One participant noted the close proximity of Katy Trail, a 7.3-mile paved walking and biking trail that follows portions of an abandoned railroad through northeast Oklahoma City, directly east of the assessment area. The trail starts near Deep Fork Creek at I-44 and Grand Blvd and runs south to Washington Park at NE 4 th Street and High Ave. The group agreed that establishing a bicycle and pedestrian connection on NE 23 rd with the Katy Trail would link residents of the NE 23 rd and MLK Blvd area with nearby attractions as the Omniplex, Oklahoma City Zoo, Remington Park, Railroad Museum, Firefighters Museum, Lincoln Park Golf Course, Stewart Golf Course, and National Softball Hall of Fame. At present, Katy Trail dips below a bridge on NE 23 rd with no sidewalk or bicycle access. After measuring the travel lanes and building set-back distance, participants discussed various street treatments for NE 23 rd to improve bicycle and pedestrian access and to naturally calm aggressive driving behaviors. One idea was widely popular among the group and included three major components: Re-stripe the street to include three narrower vehicle travel lanes (one in each direction and a center turn lane); Scoot the parking spaces toward the street to create a buffer using on-street parking; and Add bike lanes in both directions and connect to Katy Trail. The group stopped to discuss the building placement of a retail store along the north side of NE 23 rd St. The building has an ideal setback from the street to encourage active transportation and to invite pedestrians into the business, especially when compared to the buildings immediately to the west. Recent streetscape improvements have improved accessibility in the area by adding sidewalk ramps with bump strips and completing sidewalks along NE 23 rd Street. The participants noted, however, that the sidewalks do not continue north on MLK Blvd from the assessment intersection. Steering Committee members of the Bicycle Transportation Plan published by the City s Planning Department in 2008 pg. 5
rated this stretch of MLK Blvd in the assessment area as Extremely Poor. vi The noticeable paths in the grass indicated to the group that pedestrians use this route, but the existing infrastructure does not provide for a safe connection to the assessment intersection or nearby businesses. Connections between the commercial spine of an area and the neighborhood it serves are vital. Group members commented on a noticeable disconnect between retail and residential lots. One idea discussed was the potential to add the missing legs of street grid in the NE corner of the assessment intersection to improve residents access to existing retail establishments, while spurring new development on the vacant lots scattered throughout the assessment area. The group agreed that reducing the number of abandoned/boarded properties, vacant lots, and unsecured structures would increase the number of eyes on the street and foster a greater sense of safety for pedestrians and a greater feeling of visibility for those considering criminal activity. The WALC Institute describes urban sidewalks as composed of three zones in urban areas: Shy zone (2-3 feet closest to a building s edge); Walk-talk zone (central section of a sidewalk 5 feet is recommended); and Furniture zone (2-3 feet closest to the road). Facing south on west side of MLK Blvd. While sidewalks exist on both sides of NE 23 rd throughout the assessment area, participants were able to identify other characteristics that impede on this optimal sidewalk design and may discourage or prevent walking altogether. One group member stopped to stress the importance of allowing wheelchair clearance around transit stops. Some other issues discussed include the number and width of driveway cuts, parked vehicles and other obstacles in walkway, inconsistent traffic buffers, tall curbs, and missing crosswalks over side streets. Installing way-finding signage, redirecting lighting to illuminate sidewalk along with the street, and painting high-intensity crosswalks along the NE 23 rd St corridor were other ideas suggested by the team to improve the pedestrian environment and encourage active transportation. More than 300 consecutive feet of driveway and unprotected sidewalk on both sides of NE 23 rd Street pg. 6
Conclusion Walkability surveys can serve as a useful tool for engaging a community in understanding how the built environment affects people. The ideas generated by community stakeholders during a walkability survey can serve as a useful starting point for further discussion, data to inform an existing planning process, or a means of soliciting feedback on a strategy. The ideas generated during a walkability survey generally cross the spectrum from projects that must be completed by government, such as streets and drainage; to activities that can be coordinated by business districts, neighborhood associations, and community groups, such as tree plantings and streetscape beautification; to efforts that can be made by private landowners and residents, such as property maintenance illustrating that everyone has a role to play in making our communities more walkable. i Gardner, Robert, (1995). Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design, http://www.crimewise.com/library/cpted.html ii City of Oklahoma City Planning Department (2008, April). Oklahoma City Bicycle Transportation Plan, http://www.okc.gov/planning/documents/bicycle%20transportation%20plan%20final%20adopted.pdf iii Walkable and Livable Communities Institute (2012, June). A Vision for Active Living Oklahoma City, OK iv Tan, D. C. (2011, October 1). Going on a Road Diet - FHWA Publication: FHWA-HRT-11-006. http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/publicroads/11septoct/05.cfm. v A Vision for Active Living Oklahoma City, OK. Report prepared by the Walkable and Livable Communities Institute. June 2012. vi City of Oklahoma City Planning Department (2008, April). Oklahoma City Bicycle Transportation Plan, http://www.okc.gov/planning/documents/bicycle%20transportation%20plan%20final%20adopted.pdf. pg. 7