Bicycle and Pedestrian Plans and Improvements Presented to the City Council By Randle Harwood, Planning and Development, and Richard Zavala, Parks and Community Services September 24, 2013
Purpose Review bicycle and pedestrian plans and improvements. Answer questions and receive comments. 2
USDOT Policy Statement on Bicycle & Pedestrian Accommodation Every transportation agency, including DOT, has the responsibility to improve conditions and opportunities for walking and bicycling and to integrate walking and bicycling into their transportation systems. Announced March 15, 2010 by Ray LaHood 3
What are Complete Streets? Complete Streets are streets for everyone, no matter who they are or how they travel. City of Fort Worth Master Thoroughfare Plan accommodates complete streets through context-sensitive design options. (2009) US DOT policy statement on Bicycle and Pedestrian Accommodations, Regulations and Recommendations. (2010) TxDOT policy statement and guidance Emphasizing Bicycle and Pedestrian Accommodations. (2011) FHWA policy statement on Bicycle and Pedestrian Design Flexibility (2013) 4
Complete Streets Means: High-level policy direction Part of everyday decision-making processes and systems Incremental approach Long-term results Park Place (Before) Park Place (After) 5
Complete Streets Does NOT Mean: One special street project A design prescription A mandate for immediate retrofit A silver bullet; other issues must be addressed: Land use (proximity, mixed-use) Environmental concerns Strategies and policies to reduce travel demand (e.g. roadway congestion) 6
Sample Complete Street (Principal Arterial) Source: City of Fort Worth Master Thoroughfare Plan, Adopted 2009 7
Sample Complete Street (Major Arterial) Source: City of Fort Worth Master Thoroughfare Plan, Adopted 2009 8
Recent Plans Addressing Bike/Ped 2000-2013 Comprehensive Plan 2003 Trinity River Vision Master Plan 2004 Parks, Recreation and Open Space Master Plan 2007 Urban Village Master Plans 2009 Neighborhood Recreation Enhancement Plan 2009 Master Thoroughfare Plan 2010 Bike Fort Worth Plan 2011 Lake Arlington and Lake Worth Master Plans 9
Bike Fort Worth Network 10
U.S. New and Used Car/Truck and 25 Bicycle Sales Units Sold (in Millions) 20 15 10 5 Bikes Car/Truck 0 Sources: Bicycle Manufacturers Association & Wards Auto; does not include private sales 11
Four Types of Bicyclists 12
Bike Fort Worth Implementation Motorist/bicycle education (on-going) Bike Fort Worth website (2010) Bicycle Parking Zoning Ordinance (2010) Safe Passing Ordinance (2011) Honorable Mention, League of American Bicyclists (2012) 13
Bike Fort Worth Implementation First green bike lane installed in North Texas (2012) Bike Share launch (2013) City of Fort Worth received Bicycle Friendly Business Designation, League of American Bicyclists (2013) 14
On-Street Implementation 2010 miles 2013 miles % Increase Bike Lanes 4.8 19.7 411% Bike Routes 34.0 47.0 28% Bike Lane Bike Route (Shared Lane) 15
Off-Street Trail Implementation Discuss trail implementation over time Review development partners 16
Off-Street Trail Implementation Trails Developed in the 1970s (4.0 Miles) Trinity Park Overton & Foster Parks 17
Off-Street Trail Implementation 1970s (4.0 Miles) Trails Developed in the 1980s (9.0 Miles) Marine Creek Corridor Clear Fork Trail North University Ave to Trinity Park 18
Off-Street Trail Implementation 1970s - 1980s (13 Miles) Trails Developed in the 1990s (12.8 Miles) Bryant Irvin to Memorial Oak Park North University to NAS JRB - West Fork Founders Bridge to Samuels Ave Gateway Park 19
Off-Street Trail Implementation 1970s 1990s (25.8 Miles) Trails Developed in the 2000s (15.8 Miles) Samuels Ave to Gateway Park Quanah Parker Park Memorial Oak Park to City of Benbrook Sycamore Creek Corridor 20
Off-Street Trail Implementation 1970s 2000s (41.6 Miles) Trails Developed in the 2010s (5.4 Miles) Benbrook to Hwy 377 Marine Creek Lake (Under Construction) Trail Drivers 21
Off-Street Trail Implementation 1970s 2010s (47 Miles) In Design 2009 STEP Funded Trail 2012 STEP Funded Trail Lake Worth Trail 2014 CIP Trail Highlights: 47 Miles of Trinity Corridor Trails 18.7 Miles of Neighborhood Trail Systems 22 Miles of Planned Trinity Corridor Trails 6 Miles of Planned Neighborhood Trail Connections 22
Trail Development Partners Streams and Valleys, Inc. Tarrant Regional Water District North Central Texas Council of Governments Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Texas Department of Transportation Cities of Benbrook, Haltom City, Watauga, Arlington Tarrant County Citizens of Fort Worth 23
Connectivity and Funding Review regional and local trail connectivity Discuss existing and proposed funding Review five-year plans 24
Regional Veloweb 25
On/Off Street Bicycle Connections 26
On-Street Funding Sources to Date 27
Next 5 Years: Off-Street Trails Complete design and construction of 5 neighborhood trail connection projects ($5.5M, 2009 State Transportation Enhancement Project) Execute agreement with TXDOT for design and construction of the Downtown Connector ($2.6M, 2012 State Transportation Enhancement Project ) Update the 2009 Neighborhood Recreation Enhancement Plan (NREP) Trail mitigation for Southwest Parkway ($3.3M) Proposed Fort Worth Arlington trail connection ($1.5M, proposed 2014 Bond Program Alignment Study for Lake Worth Trail ($.3M Lake Worth Gas Well Revenue) 28
Next 5 Years: On-Street Bond Request $2.7 million requested for 2014 bond program: $2.5 million: bike lanes, routes, intersection enhancements, signs $100,000 grant matching $100,000 future bike share expansion $20,000 bike rack program 29
1 Vision For Future Trail Development 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 30
Walk Fort Worth Plan Why do we need a pedestrian plan? High pedestrian fatality and crash rates Poor air quality Mobility for all residents and visitors Encourage physical activity through built environment 31
One in four traffic fatalities in Fort Worth is a pedestrian. TxDOT reportable crashes 2005 2010 Pedestrian/Vehicle Crashes Density of Pedestrian/Auto Crashes 2003-2011 Source: MedStar 32
High Priority Sidewalk Inventory High Priority Corridors Linear Miles Existing Sidewalk 698 No Sidewalk 1,064 Repair Needed 19 Repair 1% Existing Sidewalk 39% No Sidewalk 60% Existing Sidewalk (Fair Good Condition) Existing Sidewalk (Repair Required) No Sidewalk 33
Walking Trips in Southern Climates 6% 5% 4% 3% 2% 1% 0% American Community Survey, 2012 34
Plan Vision. To promote and provide a safe, efficient, equitable and accessible comprehensive pedestrian network to facilitate healthy behaviors and community building. 35
Pedestrian Plan - Goals Increase walking trips Decrease pedestrian crashes and fatalities Increase physical activity opportunities through recreational walking Achieve Walk Friendly Community designation 36
Pedestrian Plan - Purpose Recommend appropriate pedestrian infrastructure Improve design standards Direct limited funding to highest priority needs Recommend targeted policies Berry Street at Bright 37
Responses from Online Survey What factors limit you from walking in Fort Worth? (ranked) 1) No sidewalks and/or poor sidewalk surface qualities 2) Heavy/high speed traffic 3) Places I need to go are beyond walking distance 4) Dangerous or inattentive drivers 5) Drivers not yielding or stopping for pedestrians 6) Weather (heat, rain, wind etc...) 7) Worries about personal safety 8) Intersections are too wide and/or not enough time to cross intersections 9) Inadequate accommodations for people with mobility limitations 10) Physical ability 38
Proposed Plan Recommendations Complete the sidewalk network Improve pedestrian connectivity Promote safe behavior for road users Install pedestrian wayfinding in targeted areas 39
Needs and Resources Needs $108.5 million citywide over next 20 years for sidewalks and curb ramps Proposed Resources 2014 Bond Program $10 million sidewalk projects $9 million in Urban Village improvements $7 million Transit Oriented Development projects Sidewalks included in arterial and neighborhood street construction Future grant programs Urban Village and Transit Oriented Development funds provide local match 40
Return on Investment Reduce pedestrian fatalities and injuries Increase accessibility of neighborhoods to commercial areas Foster opportunities for increased physical activity Increase the economic vitality neighborhoods through walkability 41
Questions/Comments