Waco Downtown Transportation Study Technical Memorandum 1 Prepared for: City of Waco Public Open House Michael Townes Vice President, Transit Market Leader CDM Smith April 10, 2014
Agenda Introduction of CDM Smith Purpose of Meeting Study Overview Where We Are Brief Overview of Technical Memorandum # 1 Public Outreach Discussion 2
Purpose of Meeting Brief Overview of TM1 Discuss Public Outreach Obtain Input Next Steps Discussion 3
Study Overview Recommend improvements to improve connectivity in Greater Downtown Waco for all modes of transportation. Identify areas ripe for economic development which support public transportation. Identify high-level improvements that increase livability and urban character in the Greater Downtown area. 4
Where We Are Task Downtown Transportation Study Elements 1 Review Relevant Plans/Purpose 2 Study Area Description Land Use, Population 3 Existing Conditions/Circulation: Roadway Bike/Ped Transit Economic Development 4 Develop Alternatives for Greater Waco Downtown Roadway Bike/Ped Transit Economic Development 5 Recommendations Draft/Final Report Jan 2014 Feb 2014 Mar 2014 Apr 2014 May/June 2014 5
Purpose of Study Study Area Limits o Greater Downtown 6
Review of Previous Studies Relationship with Current Studies Waco Comprehensive Plan Update Upjohn Institute Study 7
Population o Downtown population 25,800 o Daytime population 35,000 o Highest density o Near Baylor o West side of DT 8
Employment o Employment Density o Highest density o Near Baylor o Core DT area Livable community opportunities 9
Land Use Patterns o NE Quadrant o SE Quadrant o SW Quadrant o NW Quadrant 10
Major Roadways o I-35 o US 84, US 77 Business o Lake Brazos Pkwy, Herring Ave, o Washington Ave, Franklin Ave, o University Parks Drive, o 4 th St, 5 th St, 17 th St, 18 th St. 11
Roadway Characteristics o Direction of Travel - Pairs o 17 th St/18 th St o 4 th St/5 th St o Franklin Ave/Washington Ave 12
Average Daily Traffic Volume o I-35 93,000 o Waco Dr 22,000 o S University Parks Dr 20,000 o 18 th St/17 St. 20,000 o Majority of Roadways o 2,500-10,000 13
Level-Of-Service (LOS) o Majority A, B, C o LOS D - I-35 o LOS E - Waco Drive, MLK Jr. o LOS F - 4 th St/12 th St 14
Volume/Capacity o Majority less than 50% of capacity o US84/Waco Drive 80% of capacity o Potential to accommodate more 15
High Frequency Crash Locations (2010 2012) Rank No. of Crashes Location 1 111 I-35 and 18th St 2 71 Franklin Ave and 18th St 3 68 Franklin Ave and 17th St 4 63 I-35 N Frontage Rd and 5th St 5 37 US 84 (Waco Dr) and 5th St 6 36 I-35 N Frontage Rd and S University Parks Dr 7 35 US 77 Bus. (La Salle Ave) and S University Parks Dr 8 34 US 84 (Waco Dr) and 18th St 9 31 Burnett Ave and 18th St 10 29 I-35 N Frontage Rd and S MLK Jr Blvd (Lake Brazos Pkwy) 11 27 Herring Ave and 4th St 12 26 US 84 (Waco Dr) and 9th St 13 25 Wood Ave and 18th St 14 24 US 84 (Waco Dr) and Garrison St 15 23 Gurley Ave and 18th St 16 22 Herring Ave and 18th St 17 21 US 84 (Waco Dr) and 15th St 18 20 Bosque Blvd and 4th St 19 19 Colcord St and 4th St 20 17 US 84 (Waco Dr) and 6th St 16
Bicycle / Pedestrian Related Crashes o 49 Crashes o 3 Fatalities o 37 Injury related crashes 17
Sidewalks o Generally available o More Gaps on Eastside Downtown 18
Bicycle Lanes o 4th St: I-35 SB Frontage Rd to Jefferson o 5th St: Barron Ave to Cleveland Ave o Washington: University Parks Dr to 5th St o Bagby: University Parks Dr to 4th St, Baylor o 3 rd St: Dutton to W. Bagby, Baylor o 5 th St: Dutton to ML Daniel Espl, Baylor o 7 th St: ML Daniel Espl to Speight, Baylor o Speight: 3 rd to 4 th, Baylor 19
Walking Time in Minutes Between Selected Destinations in Greater Downtown Waco Baylor Baylor Baylor Stadium Brazos Commons Chamber/ Visitor's Convention Center Elm Ave Clinic Baylor Stadium 28.7 Brazos Commons 16.6 19.7 Chamber / Visitor's 30.2 33.3 13.6 Convention Center 30.4 33.4 13.8 6.0 Elm Avenue Clinic 43.8 23.5 27.2 21.5 17.6 Food Court 13.2 25.5 10.9 15.5 25.7 39.2 Hippodrome 34.4 44.8 27.0 9.5 19.5 28.9 21.1 Food Court Hippodrome Shops 26.2 29.2 9.6 2.0 8.0 19.5 15.7 13.6 Waco Transit System 30.4 44.8 23.1 9.5 19.5 30.8 17.1 3.9 11.5 Zoo 62.3 65.6 45.7 40.0 36.0 45.5 57.6 47.3 42.0 49.3 Shops Waco Transit System Walkability: o Average walking time (w/out zoo) 22 min. o Average walking time w/ zoo 26 min. o Average walking time urban core = < 17 min. * Assumed typical walking speed 3.5 ft. per sec. 20
Wayfinding 3 signs o I-35/University Parks Dr gateway o I-35 frontage road, west side o Herring Ave./5 th St gateway All clear, visible, readable Designs styles do not match Do not have travel distances 21
On-Street Parking o Marked in core area o Unmarked predominant on streets o Collector and Below o No parking busier arterial streets o Herring, Bosque, Franklin, Speight o Waco Dr, Bagby, MLK, Univ Parks 22
Surface Parking Lots o Multitude Parking Garages o 6 garages Downtown o Amer Amicable Life Ins, 5th & Washington o City of Waco, 4th & Franklin only public garage o Waco ISD, 5th & Franklin o Baylor Univ office building, 8th & Columbus o Compass Bank, 10th & Washington o Baylor Univ Clifton Robinson, Univ Parks/w of I-35 o 5 garages Baylor Campus 23
Waco Transit System o 9 routes operate from DT o 60 minute service o M-F, 5a-7p; Sat 6a-8p o 1M+ trips in FY2012 o 3,300 average daily trips o Base fare $1.50 o Flagstop System 1,000,000 900,000 800,000 700,000 600,000 500,000 400,000 300,000 200,000 100,000-2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 24
WTS Daily Boardings/Highest Activity Bus Stops o o 1M+ trips in FY2012 3,300 average daily trips o Base fare $1.50 o Stop Cross Street On Off 8th Mary 868 733 Dutton St 5th 104 113 Sanderson Farms 55 6 Richland Mall 45 31 University Park Dr. I-35 42 40 Kohl's 39 39 Flagstop System McLennan Community College 37 34 Wooded Acres H-E-B Grocery Store 35 12 Washington 3rd 33 98 New Road Walmart 27 22 New Road Memorial 24 14 Central Texas Market Place 18 17 Campus Dr. Scott Circle 14 10 Interstate Highway 35 Wal-Mart 14 10 12th Primrose Dr 13 2 State Highway 6 Fwy. Providence 12 9 Bosque Blvd Panda Express 12 4 Primrose Dr. Robinson Rd 10 10 Jack Kultgen 6th 10 1 Garden Dr. Old Robinson Rd 10 0 19th Meridian 10 1 Austin 13 th 10 9 25
1. Traffic on most roadways in Greater Downtown Waco fall within a daily traffic of 2,500 to 10,000. The exception areas include parts of 17th Street, South University Parks Blvd and Loop 484, each recording between 10,000 and 20,000 vehicles per day. Summary: Key Issues/ Challenges 2. One-way traffic flow design is confusing in areas of the downtown due to complex changing from one-way to two-way, especially for those unfamiliar with the downtown area. The one-way patterns require drivers to make circuitous navigation to their destination. 3. The one-way traffic patterns detract from the pedestrian and bicycle environment by inducing traffic to travel at higher speeds in the same direction. 4. The one-way to two-way existing street transitions are awkward with atypical one-way street spacing b/t the one-way couplet sts. 5. Pedestrian facilities are lacking on the east side of Greater Downtown Waco. Existing sidewalks within the urban core need upgraded. 6. Sufficient parking is available in Greater Downtown Waco; however signage to Free Parking is inadequate, which may lead to the perception of no parking available in the busier corridors. 7. The general bicycle environment some bicycle facilities, one-way streets, and wide street cross sections is uninviting for casual bicyclists, resulting in limited use of bicycles downtown or bicyclists using the sidewalk. 8. Larger block size in the outer areas of Greater Downtown Waco limit the number of paths pedestrians and bicyclists have in downtown, potentially contributing to longer travel times. 9. The Brazos River is a barrier from between east and west sides of Greater Downtown Waco. 10. There is inadequate wayfinding signage for vehicles, bicyclists, and pedestrians. 11. The majority of WTS bus stops are not signed, making it difficult for pedestrians to know where to catch the bus in some areas of downtown. 12. The street network must be capable of supporting Baylor University special events. 13. The uses planned for Greater Downtown Waco require good pedestrian facilities, both within the core areas and connecting to other portions of the downtown. 14. Existing WTS transit service is every 60 minutes, which does not provide frequent service to attract riders with other vehicle options. 15. WTS Route 7 East Waco has a unique nomenclature using (Route 7 East Waco (even) and Route 7 East Waco (odd), which is not easily understood and should be revisited. 26
Many opportunities for solutions 1. Land use undergoing shift to vibrant, walkable, livable community planned for the future. Successful examples such as Brazos Commons, the new Baylor stadium, Heritage Quarters, and Tinsley Place are setting the stage for new developers. 2. Current downtown infrastructure will support increased mobility for all modes, including roadway, bicycle, pedestrian and transit. Right-of-way constraints are not generally prevalent in the downtown area and will work in the favor of implementing new designs to accommodate all modes. 3. The existing WTS transit service operates at 60 minute headways. To encourage more citizens and visitors to use WTS, frequent and convenient service must operate to/from primary activity centers. 4. Roadway capacity and traffic volumes on adjacent streets to the existing one-way corridors support the conversion from one-way to two-way conversions. 5. The core urban area enjoys good quality sidewalks with 12 foot widths, access ramps, good connectivity, and a generally pleasant environment with decorative brick treatments, landscaping, and shade. 6. Sidewalk compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is an issue in which the City is addressing, as evidenced by the many textured and colored access ramps having been retrofitted to sidewalks throughout the urban core. Other ADA requirements such as width, continuity, cross-slope, and access to storefronts should also be examined in detail. As designated WTS bus stops are implemented to supplement the existing flag stop system, they must be fully ADA compliant. 7. The general lack of sidewalks on the east side of downtown Waco is evident. There is opportunity within the infrastructure to address these connections and to ensure all new facilities would be compliant with the ADA. 8. Bicycle travel is accommodated in the current downtown area, but currently not widely visible. The grid street system provides convenient alternate paths so that riders can choose routes with less auto traffic. Challenges to the bicycle system will increase as the downtown develops and traffic volumes become more intense. Additional bicycle lanes between common destinations will be necessary to maintain the downtown area s current pleasant and friendly feel. Extending the existing bicycle lanes to connect to the Baylor campus would also be beneficial. Bicycle racks and bicycle stations should be implemented to allow users to secure their bikes while still leaving plenty of sidewalk space for pedestrians. These amenities support the goals of increased bicycle use. 27
Many opportunities for solutions 9. Wayfinding is important for all visitors to the downtown area for all transportation modes. Visitors need to be able to have confidence in the directions and distances of travel to activity centers and to convenient parking. The implementation of a consistent and convenient wayfinding system which conforms to the existing pleasant feel of Greater Downtown Waco is needed for the future. 10. Parking occupancy is relatively low for the downtown area. However, parking at particular activity centers, such as the shops on Franklin Ave and Austin Ave., anticipated parking near the Brazos Commons development, and for game days around the new Baylor McLane stadium may pose future challenges. Many surface parking lots are present in downtown, which could be used as shared lots. Parking demand for retail, restaurant, and church uses each have peaks at different times or days of the week. As the downtown develops and as parking in specific areas becomes more constrained, formal agreements to share parking at specific times, and to clearly post those times, will address future parking challenges. 11. Safety is an issue of perception as well as of physical attributes. Street lighting, safely marked pathways, streetscape environment, and bright storefronts also contribute to the sense of safety. 28
Next Steps: Develop alternatives for Greater Downtown Waco Based upon goals, local input, stakeholders, baseline data, key issues Proposed Evaluation Criteria Evaluation Criteria A. Enhance Safety B. Improve Pedestrian Mobility C. Reduce Congestion D. Enhance Bicycle Mobility E. Enhance Transit Ridership F. Enhance Aesthetics G. Consistent with Imagine Waco plan H. Ease of Implementation I. Cost Feasibility 29
Public Outreach TAC Meeting: Thursday, April 10, 9a Open House #1: Thursday April 10, 12-130p Open House #2: Thursday, April 10, 430-630p Subcommittee Debrief: Friday, April 11, 830-10a Stakeholder Interviews: April 9-11, 2014 o One-on-one meetings 30
Questions for Discussion: What transportation components would you like to see in DT Waco within the next 10 years? What 2 things could we change/enhance connectivity in downtown? Do you believe there is community and political support to increase public transit in the Waco community? What local funding sources are realistic to help fund more services? What are the top 3 bicycle/pedestrian improvements needed in the DT area? Do you believe turning the 1-way streets to 2-way would improve connectivity in the DT area? THANK YOU! Michael Townes, CDM Smith Corinne Donahue, CDM Smith Charlie Sullivan, CDM Smith Madhu Narayanasamy, CDM Smith