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4 - 17th Street (University to Pine) Project C I T Y O F B O U L D E R TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY BOARD AGENDA ITEM MEETING DATE: JULY 12, 2004 AGENDA TITLE: th Staff briefing and TAB input on the 17 Street Transportation Project. PRESENTER/S: Tracy Winfree, Director of Public Works for Transportation Michael Gardner-Sweeney, Transportation Planning and Operations Coordinator Bill Cowern, Transportation Operations Engineer Marni Ratzel, Pedestrian and Bicycle Planner Teresa Spears, Neighborhood Traffic Mitigation Program Liaison EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: th The 17 Street corridor, between Arapahoe Avenue and Canyon Boulevard is scheduled for resurfacing during the 2004 construction season. In an effort to be fiscally th responsible, staff identified other transportation projects planned for 17 Street in the project area and initiated an integrated planning and public involvement process to determine what of these planned improvements should be incorporated into the overlay. Planned improvements and other needs identified in the corridor include: bicycle and pedestrian enhancements; neighborhood traffic mitigation; corridor maintenance; and, traffic safety improvements. This agenda item describes the alternatives considered, potential impacts, supporting analysis, public feedback, board recommendations, and the staff recommendation for transportation improvements to the corridor. Staff is scheduled to return to the TAB on August 30, 2004 for a public hearing and board recommendation on the preferred corridor improvements. Staff is providing this briefing in advance of the public hearing to identify any additional information the board requires prior to making a recommendation. FISCAL IMPACTS: Cost of the proposed improvements is $294,000 and lost revenue associated with the elimination of Neighborhood Permit Parking is $1,200 per year. A more detailed cost Attachment A breakdown is provided in the . All costs associated with the project will be covered through existing programmatic transportation capital maintenance, pedestrian/bike and neighborhood traffic mitigation sources and will not require any supplemental appropriation. 1 AGENDA ITEM #________PAGE________ OTHER IMPACTS: The primary impact of the recommended improvements is loss of on-street parking on the th east side of 17 Street from Athens Street to Arapahoe Avenue and on the west side of th 17 Street from Arapahoe Avenue to Walnut Street. Generally, parking will remain on the opposite side of the street with the exception of three spaces at the intersection with Marine Street and five spaces at the intersection with Grove Street required to install the median crossing treatments. Impacted parkers include residents, Boulder High students and parents, and Goss-Grove Neighborhood Permit Parking commuter permit holders. Of the existing 77 parking spaces and 7 pickup/drop-off spaces, 36 parking spaces and 4 pickup/drop-off spaces will remain. Removed on-street parking spaces identified by Attachment B street block and user are summarized in . During the day, the loss of parking south of Arapahoe Avenue will largely impact long- term parking for students at Boulder High School and the University of Colorado, who are parking on the street. The loss of 3 student pick-up/drop-off spaces adjacent to the school will negatively impact the student arrival and dismissal congestion associated with the Boulder High School. North of Arapahoe Avenue, the loss of parking will decrease the amount of short-term parking in the area (Neighborhood Permit Parking spaces being used as 2-hour parking spaces) and several long-term parking spaces, which are likely being used by either employees in the downtown area or Boulder High School students. It is anticipated that the loss of parking in these areas will relocate these parkers into the Goss-Grove neighborhood and the neighborhood south of Arapahoe and east of 17th Street. In the evenings, the spaces south of Arapahoe Avenue are infrequently used. The spaces north of Arapahoe are used by residents of the Goss-Grove neighborhood (parking in the NPP spaces) and residents outside of the Goss-Grove neighborhood (parking in the unregulated spaces). People may be parking on the street in the evenings in this area because of inadequate on-site parking for the number of residential units or current occupancy. However, staff has confirmed that all residences fronting on 17th Street in this area do have off-street parking. Public input expressed concern that city off-street parking standards are inadequate, citing that existing demand for parking by residents of the multi-family dwellings far exceeded the supply. BOARD AND COMMISSION FEEDBACK: As required by the Neighborhood Traffic Mitigation Program guidelines, consideration of the potential use of delay-inducing traffic mitigation as part of the proposed improvements was brought before the TAB in a public hearing at their November 25, 2002 meeting. The TAB recommended unanimously that delay-inducing devices could th be considered for the 17 Street project. Attachment C provides the boards and commissions review schedule. 2 AGENDA ITEM #________PAGE________ PUBLIC FEEDBACK: Staff convened five public meetings to involve, inform, gather input and evaluate options from the community on the following dates: October 29, 2002; January 30, 2003; April 2, 2003; April 30, 2003; and July 8, 2003. A summary of meetings is provided in Attachment D . The community had additional access to get information and give input via the telephone, postal mail, e-mail and the city of Boulder Web site. The public process has sought to identify opportunities as well as address issues and concerns raised by community interests. Community meetings were held to discuss what elements should be considered in the project. Potential project elements identified include: Traffic-calming measures in the Hillside and Goss/Grove neighborhoods, associated with the Neighborhood Traffic Mitigation Program (NTMP); Improvements to address documented safety concerns; Pedestrian crossing enhancements; and, On-street bike lanes There has been support for the placement of traffic mitigation and pedestrian-crossing treatments within the project area. Many residents have also expressed a desire for additional treatments beyond the staff recommendation. Neighbors living nearby, the Boulder High School administration, parents of students attending Boulder High School, business owners and the business community leaders have expressed concern over the potential impacts of the proposed bicycle facility improvements to the corridor. The two primary concerns expressed are the loss of on-street parking and impacts associated with potential roadway widening at the intersections of Arapahoe and Canyon Boulevard. Members of the bike community support the installation of bike lanes. However, they do not support major intersection widening to provide bicycle lanes at the 17th Street/Arapahoe Avenue and 17th Street /Canyon Boulevard intersections. STAFF RECOMMENDATION: City staff sought to formulate a recommendation that incorporates and balances the interests of all stakeholders, creating a balanced approach to best serve the Boulder community. Based on consideration of the benefits and impacts of the potential functional elements, staff recommends that the project: th Install on-street bicycle lanes on 17 Street between Athens Street and Walnut Street to provide a safe and connected bicycle network for cyclists in this area of the city. This will require removing on-street parking on one side of the street; thth Construct pedestrian-crossing treatments at the 17 Street / Marine Street and 17 Street / Grove Street intersections to enhance pedestrian crossing safety and address the potential traffic speed impacts that removal of on-street parking and striping 3 AGENDA ITEM #________PAGE________ bicycle lanes may produce. The Grove Street crossing treatment will also narrow Grove Street to help reinforce the one-way street restriction; th Install a raised pedestrian-crossing treatment at the University Avenue / 17 Street intersection to enhance pedestrian crossing safety. Install a median south of Hillside to address the identified safety problem with northbound vehicles traveling too fast around the curve and leaving the roadway; and, Install four speed display signs placed at strategic locations to address the potential traffic speed impacts that removal of on-street parking and striping bicycle lanes may produce. By using the city’s minimum design standards for bike and vehicle lane width, the project will not require relocating curb/gutter except on a limited basis (20 feet on the southeast th corner of the Arapahoe Avenue/17 Street intersection). City minimum standards are based on local experience and meet or exceed national standards for the design and construction of transportation facilities. Minimum design standards provide safe facilities under constrained conditions where the impact to adjacent properties and cost considerations necessitate. Use of minimum standards will minimize negative impacts and project cost. The planting strip between the street and sidewalk will be maintained and removal of existing mature landscaping will not be required. ANALYSIS: The process of assessing options has been sequenced in two steps: Step 1 - Macro level the need for and extent of improvement Step 2 - Micro level design/configuration of improvement The options were evaluated using the following criteria: Bicycling stress (street width, vehicle traffic volume, vehicle traffic speed) Bicycling activity Bicycle system continuity Impacts to on-street parking, streetscape plantings, and adjacent land use (commercial, residential, Boulder High School), and neighborhood circulation. Opportunities for other corridor enhancements such as safety improvements, pedestrian crossings, and speed mitigation. Cost Background on existing conditions and corridor maintenance/street resurfacing needs is Attachment E provided in . The assessment to determine the appropriate northern terminus for the improvement is Attachment F provided in . The assessment to determine the appropriate facility is Attachment G provided in . Replacement Parking Strategic on-street parking replacement is possible without impacting mature trees. The tradeoff is additional project cost and removal of the existing planting strip between the 4 AGENDA ITEM #________PAGE________ street curb and the sidewalk. As many as 19 of the 41 removed on-street parking spaces can be restored in this manner at a cost of approximately $115,000. A detailed discussion Attachment G of replacement parking options is provided in . Alternative Alignment ththth The Transportation Master Plan (TMP) identifies both 17 Street and 19/20 Street as secondary corridors in the bicycle system network. These two secondary corridors are th located approximately 650 feet apart. As an alternative to improving the 17 Street thth only bicycle facility, the 19 /20 Street Corridor could be developed as the secondary north-south corridor in the area. An evaluation of this alternative is provided in Attachment G . In summary, based on existing use, the circuitous nature of the corridor and discontinuities in the corridor (pocket parks and geographic barriers), staff does not thth recommend the 19/20th as a viable alternative in lieu of an improved 17 Street corridor. An in-depth description of the proposed neighborhood traffic mitigation, safety and Attachment H pedestrian crossing improvements is provided in . MATRIX OF OPTIONS: The matrix of options available for consideration is outlined below: 1.Do Nothing – proceed with only the street maintenance activities. Modify the th Transportation Master Plan (TMP) to reflect the elimination of the 17 Street bike facility enhancements. th 2.Accept the staff recommended set of improvements for the 17 Street corridor th 3.Accept the staff recommended set of improvements for the 17 Street corridor with modifications in: a.The extent of the improvements (pedestrian-crossing treatments, safety, enhanced bike facility, and neighborhood traffic mitigation) b.The extent of parking removed. Attachments A - Project Cost Breakdown th B - 17 Street On-street Parking Impacts th C - 17 Street Boards and Commissions Review Schedule D - Public Feedback Summary th E - 17 Street Existing Conditions and Corridor Maintenance Needs F - Northern Terminus Assessment G - Facility Alternative Assessment H - Proposed Neighborhood Traffic Mitigation, Safety and Pedestrian-crossing treatments 5 AGENDA ITEM #________PAGE________ Attachment A Project Cost Breakdown th 17 Street Corridor Project Costs Item Description: Cost Public Process and technical support $ 30,000 Street Overlay (overlay, ADA access ramps, restriping) $ 85,000 On-street bike lanes installation $ 45,000 th (Curb/gutter/signal modification southwest corner Arapahoe/17 Street intersection, striping and signage) thth Pedestrian-crossing treatments (17/Marine and 17/Grove) including $ 50,000 Grove Street neckdown th Raised pedestrian-crossing treatment at the University Avenue/17$ 60,000 Street intersection and median south of Hillside Four speed display signs placed at strategic locations $ 24,000 Total $294,000 Annual lost Neighborhood Permit Parking Revenues ($1,200) A- 1 Attachment B th 17 Street On-street Parking Impacts th 17 Street On-street Parking Impacts Spaces Removed Existing On- Neighborhood Two-hour Student streetSpaces Unregulated Permit Time Pickup- Street Segment Spaces Remaining ParkingParkingRestrictedDrop-off Total Athens to Arapahoe 28+7* 14 3 14+3* 14+4* Arapahoe to Canyon 36 5 16 21 15 Canyon to Walnut 13 6 6 7 Total 77+7* 25 16 3 41+3* 36+4* * - pickup/drop-off spaces at Boulder High Note: Five Neighborhood Permit Parking (NPP) spaces and three student pickup/drop-off spaces would be removed to construct the pedestrian-crossing treatments (medians) at Marine Street and Grove Street. The remaining 36 spaces would be removed as a result of the bike lanes. B- 1 Attachment C th 17 Street Boards and Commissions Review Schedule th 17 Street Boards and Commissions Review Schedule MeetingMeeting Date Available Dates nd TAB Briefing Monday, July 12, 6:00PM, Normally 2 Monday City Council Chambers st DMC Public Hearing and Monday, August 2, Normally 1 Monday Recommendation5:30PM, City Council Chambers nd DBI Briefing August 11, 7:30AM, Normally 2 Wednesday Wells Fargo 1242 Pearl St. rd BID Briefing August 19, 7:30AM, Normally 3 Thursday 1942 Broadway, Suite 301 (Southeast corner of Pearl Street Mall and Broadway) nd TAB Public Hearing and Monday, August 30, Normally 2 Monday Recommendation6:00PM, City Council Chambers strd City Council (If Necessary) September 21, 6:00PM, Normally 1 & 3 City Council Chambers Tuesday TAB – Transportation Advisory Board http://www.ci.boulder.co.us/cmo/boards/rosters/transportation.html Staff Liaison: Tracy Winfree, (303) 441-3200 Board Secretary: Robin Madel, (303) 441- 4073 DMC – Downtown Management Commission http://www.ci.boulder.co.us/cmo/boards/rosters/dmc.html Staff Liaison: Molly Winter, Executive Director, (303) 413-7300 Secretary: Donna Jobert, (303) 413-7300 BID – Downtown Boulder Business Improvement District http://www.boulderdowntown.com/ Jane Jenkins, Executive Director, (303)449-3774 DBI – Downtown Boulder Incorporated http://www.boulderdowntown.com/ C- 1 Attachment D Public Feedback Summary th 17 Street Project Public Feedback Summary Staff convened five public meetings to educate, inform and gather input and evaluate options from the community on the following dates: Oct. 29, 2002 Jan. 30, 2003 April 2, 2003 April 30, 2003 July 8, 2003 Citizens had additional access to get and give information via the telephone, postal mail, e-mail and city of Boulder Web site. Community input received expresses significant concern for several elements of the project. With the exception of the Boulder Bicycle Commuters, the general consensus voiced is in opposition to removing on-street parking to stripe bicycle lanes along the corridor. Specific concerns raised by stakeholder representatives follow. Goss/Grove neighborhood leaders have expressed their neighborhood’s lack of support for bicycle lanes on 17th Street. Issues identified to date are: Neighbors feel that staff is unconcerned with the impact of a bike lane on their neighborhood. Staff is not considering the neighborhood’s non-support of the installation of bike lanes Safety concerns Hardships due to loss of parking Loss of trees or the feel of the neighborhood Increased speed of traffic from bicycle lanes Members of the Hillside neighborhood, the Goss/Grove neighborhood group, and administrators from the Boulder High School have expressed concern about the speed and volume of traffic on 17th Street. While they generally support traffic mitigation, they are concerned that not enough mitigation will occur. There has been much discussion about the need for a balance between delay-inducing traffic mitigation and emergency response. However, this continues to be a source of concern for several stakeholder groups. Members of the bicycle community have expressed support for bicycle lanes on 17th Street. They have also expressed support for the neighborhood’s concerns. The attached Boulder Bicycle Commuters (BBC) position letter details their support of bicycle lanes. D- 1 Members of the business community in the downtown area have expressed a lack of support for any change in parking along 17th Street, and especially any change in the downtown area north of Canyon Boulevard. Concerns have included impacts on their customers and employees from a parking supply and location perspective and concerns about additional construction impacts during these difficult fiscal times. In order to address the concerns for the potential loss of metered parking along 17th Street between Walnut and Pearl streets, a meeting was convened on July 8, 2003 to receive input from Downtown business and property-owner interests. The DMC board also was represented at the meeting. Staff presented a proposal to exchange some on- street parking lost along 17th Street with increased on-street parking along Walnut Street. DMC and downtown business interests did not express support for advancing this proposal. The consensus opinion expressed was that installing angle parking along Walnut Street would compromise bicyclist safety for those who seek to continue using this segment of Walnut Street. Additionally, it was stated that the value of existing on- street parking along 17th Street between Pearl and Walnut streets exceeds the potential benefit of adding additional parking along the segment of Walnut Street. Summaries of the public meetings are available at the following link: http://www.ci.boulder.co.us/publicworks/depts/transportation/projects/17thbikelane.html D- 2 Boulder Bicycle Commuters SUPPORT 17TH STREET BIKE LANE PROJECT April 2, 2003 Boulder Bicycle Commuters supports the 17th Street bike lane project between Athens and Pine streets. This statement was adopted unanimously at our March 3 meeting. We urge the city of Boulder to proceed with this project, with the following provisions: ON-STREET BIKE LANES * Install on-street bike lanes on both sides of 17th Street from Athens to Pine streets. * Extend the southbound bike lane south past Athens, to connect with the uphill bike lane going up to University Ave. * Given existing space constraints, we support the following configuration for 17th Street: - Two regular auto travel lanes, one each direction. - Two on-street bike lanes, one each direction. - Automobile parking lane, one side only, only when space allows. - Buffer strip between parking lane and bike lane, to protect cyclists from suddenly opened car doors. - Existing detached sidewalks. - Existing verges, trees, and landscaping. * Remove existing on-street auto parking on 17th Street, as needed, to obtain the space needed for the bike lanes. * Do not widen 17th Street anywhere for the purpose of keeping parking while adding bike lanes. * Make the bike lanes straight, direct, and unobstructed. * Do not make any curves in bike lanes, as has been suggested. * Use a curb design that eliminates the seam between the bike lane and gutter pan. Also eliminate special breaks in the side slope of the bike lane that could present irregular surfaces to cyclists. * Please pave the curb-side bike lanes to full width with seamless asphalt, not concrete, all the way to the curb face. * Do not expand 17th Street at intersections. Eliminate automobile turn lanes as needed to provide space to install the bike lanes. * Paint stripes on both sides of the parking lane buffer strip. * The buffer strip will also provide some room for snow plow drifts while maintaining an open bike lane next to parking. LANE WIDTHS There are a variety of existing curb-to-curb widths on this section of 17th Street, between 36 and 50 feet. When bike lanes are installed, our preferred lane widths and configurations are as follows. In order to make clear a complex request, we present this as a set of formulas: - Bike lane next to curb: 6 feet with NO gutter seam. (Standard is 5 feet plus 1-1/2 foot gutter pan.) D- 3 - Bike lane next to parking lane: 5 feet (standard). - Auto travel lanes: 11 feet (standard). - Parking lane: 8 feet (standard). - Buffer strip: 3 feet. - Total width needed between curb faces: 44 feet. For available width from 44 to 42 feet, please reduce these dimensions as follows: - Reduce the curb-side bike lane and buffer strip widths by equal amounts as needed, down to 5 feet and 2 feet respectively. For available width from 42 to 40 feet, in addition to above: - Reduce the buffer strip alone as needed, from 2 feet to none. Below 40 feet, we urge that parking lanes on both sides of the street be eliminated. In addition, please consider reducing auto travel lane width to 10 or 10-1/2 feet where necessary to fit the desired bike lanes plus one parking lane. TRAFFIC MITIGATION * Provide traffic mitigation measures as needed over time, to deal with automobile speeding problems. We support and recommend these measures for 17th Street: - Complete striping of crosswalks across 17th Street, both sides of the intersection, at every side street. - Official regulatory signs and centerline bollards, "Stop For Pedestrians In Crosswalk". - Automatic speed sensor warning signs. - Raised crosswalks, if necessary. - Remove extra automobile turn lanes to decrease crossing distance and discourage excess automobile travel. * Please do NOT install traffic mitigation neckdowns that protrude into bike lanes. They are not appropriate for this project and would be hazardous to cyclists. * Request Boulder Valley School District, the University, and local businesses and agencies to step up their programs to ask people to find alternatives to driving, and seek jobs or homes close to each other to reduce the need for automobiles. Reasons to support 17th Street bike lanes: * Provide a high-quality north-south bicycle connection that is presently lacking in this area. * Provide good bike access from central and north Boulder to: - Boulder High School - University - Boulder Creek Path - Uni Hill commercial area * This project has been in the Transportation Master Plan since at least 1996. D- 4 * Improve pedestrian environment and safety. Bike lanes will get more cyclists, especially faster ones, off the sidewalks. * Improve safety for cyclists. Current conditions mix cyclists with auto traffic, exposing them to opening car doors due to on-street parking. * This project will encourage MORE people to use bikes and leave their autos behind. * Bike lanes will help reduce the need for the displaced parking spaces. D- 5 Attachment E th 17 Street Existing Conditions and Corridor Maintenance Needs Existing Conditions A summary of existing conditions by block including on-street parking, vehicle, bicycle, and pedestrian traffic along 17th Street between University Avenue and Pine Street is provided below. th 17 Street Existing Conditions Speed 85%tile Vehicles/Limit Speed Bikes/ PedParking Segment Day (mph) (mph) day Crossing Spaces Athens to Arapahoe 12,800 25 31 540 319** 28+7* Arapahoe to Canyon 6,000 25 29 260 212** 36 Canyon to Walnut 5,700 25 26 260 -- 13 Walnut to Pearl 4,700 25 25 220 -- 16 Pearl to Spruce 2,300 25 24 120 -- 14 Spruce to Pine 1,300 25 24 60 -- 19 ** = 4 peak hour total, * = pickup/drop-off spaces, -- = not collected Vehicle volumes shown are either actual 24-hour counts or interpolated from peak-hour count data at the signalized intersections. Bicycle volumes shown have been interpolated from 3 to 6 hours of peak-period data collection in each corridor segment. Traffic data indicates that both vehicle and bicycle traffic is greatest in the southern blocks of the corridor. Pedestrian volumes are fairly high in this section, which is attributed to the adjacent land uses of Boulder High School and CU-Boulder. Traveling north, the amount of vehicle traffic, vehicle traffic speed, bicycle traffic and pedestrian activity all decrease in each block segment removed from the southern end. A review of existing travel patterns indicates that pedestrian activity is high in the morning and afternoon peaks, during student pickup and drop-off at Boulder High School and during the noon peak when students are going to lunch. At these times, there were approximately 100 pedestrians per hour observed crossing 17th Street at the Marine Street intersection. During the same time period, there were between 135 and 150 pedestrians observed walking on the sidewalk, and crossing Arapahoe Avenue at 17th Street. Approximately 30 percent of the bicyclists observed traveling along 17th Street south of Arapahoe Avenue were riding on the sidewalk, which raises the potential for conflict between bicyclists and pedestrians. Corridor Maintenance/Street Resurfacing th The stretch of 17 Street between University Avenue and Pine Street is classified as a collector street and carries approximately 13,000 vehicles per day on the southern end E- 1 and 1,300 vehicles per day on the northern end. The purpose of a collector street is to collect traffic from local streets and provide corridors for traffic circulation through and between commercial areas and residential neighborhoods. The city resurfaces streets to provide a safe road surface for motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians. Streets are periodically patched and overlaid with new asphalt to maintain the street’s structural integrity and to provide a new driving wear surface. This preventative maintenance strategy eliminates the need for more costly total reconstruction. Typically, collector and arterial streets are overlaid on a 7 to 10 year th cycle. The pavement on 17 Street between Arapahoe Avenue and Canyon Boulevard is currently in fair to poor condition with significant surface deterioration and structural cracking. The street was last overlaid prior to 1991. An overlay is necessary to prevent further deterioration and provide a safe driving surface. In accordance with recent court rulings associated with the Federal Americans with Disabilities Act, the overlay project will also incorporate installing and upgrading curb access ramps. This includes installing new ramps where they are missing and upgrading existing ramps to meet slope and tactile identification (truncated domes) requirements. E- 2 Attachment F Northern Terminus Assessment Bicycle Facility Enhancements The 2003 Boulder Valley Transportation Master Plan (TMP) is the city’s “blueprint” for transportation. A goal of the TMP is to develop a continuous bicycle system with access to major destinations/activity centers and to maintain the bicycle system to provide safe and convenient bicycle travel. The bicycle system is envisioned as a corridor network comprised of primary and secondary corridors. Primary corridors are generally defined by the street arterial system and are spaced approximately one per mile on an east-west and north-south grid. The secondary corridors generally rely on collector streets to provide bike routes and facilities on lower volume streets. Secondary corridors provide for more rideable distances between the primary corridors. The primary and secondary corridors in this part of the city are listed below. TMP Primary and Secondary Corridors Primary Corridors North-south East-west th Broadway/13 Street University/Colorado (across campus) Folsom Arapahoe/Canyon (includes Boulder Creek Path Walnut/Pearl Secondary Corridors North-south East-west th 17 Street Pine Street thth 19/20 Street A map of the city’s bicycle system is available at the following link: http://www.ci.boulder.co.us/publicworks/depts/transportation/master_plan_new/pdfs/bike_systems_map.pd f The development of the TMP Bicycle System Plan relied on extensive public input, comment and review from a wide range of people and interests. Representatives from bicycle organizations and from the community at large were invited to a series of roundtable discussions to develop the plan. th The corridor system plan included a conceptual-level facility recommendation. For 17 Street the concept is: bike lanes from University Avenue to Canyon Boulevard; and, a signed bike route from Canyon Boulevard to Pine Street F- 1 As a master plan, it is intended that the proposed corridor alignment and identified improvements represented are conceptual and subject to further study, community review, and refinement to resolve any issues surrounding each project. Bicycle Facility Alternatives Provision of an appropriate bicycle facility in the corridor is based on determining: facility type – off-street multi-use path, on-street bike lanes, or bike route (no dedicated facility); the limits of the improvement; and, preferred or minimum design standards. Bicycle Facility Limits The TMP proposes a complete bicycle network that allows convenient and safe bicycle travel throughout the Boulder Valley as a viable alternative to the automobile. The system is intended to provide for a diverse mix of users (young and old) and trip purposes (commuting, recreation, shopping, and students going to and from CU and the public (K- 12) schools). One of the challenges in creating this system is to determine the appropriate bicycle facility for the conditions. Considerations include the volume of existing and projected bicycle traffic, the volume and speed of the vehicle traffic, physical characteristics of the street, the width of the vehicle travel lanes, and on-street parking activity. An analytical methodology developed by Northwestern University, Wisconsin Department of Transportation and the city of Madison seeks to inform this question by ranking the cycling compatibility of existing roadways based on the relative level of stress a cyclist encounters on a given route. Bicycling Stress Levels Stress Level Cyclist Skill LevelInterpretation 1Very Low (VL) Inexperienced / Beginner – street is reasonably safe for all types of bicyclists (except children under 10). 2 Low (L) Casual – street can accommodate experienced and casual bicyclists, and/or may need altering* or compensating conditions** to fit youth bicyclists. 3 Moderate (M) Casual / Experienced – street can accommodate experienced bicyclist, and/or may need altering* or compensating conditions** to accommodate casual bicyclists. Not recommended for youth bicyclists. 4 High (H) Experienced – street may need altering* or compensating conditions** to accommodate experienced bicyclists. Not recommended for casual or youth bicyclist. 5 Very High (VH) Street may not be suitable for bicycle use. * - “Altering” means that street may be widened to include wide curb-lane, paved shoulder. F- 2 ** - “Compensating condition” can include street with wide curb-lanes, paved shoulder, bike-lanes. The bicycling stress level ranking can be used to determine user compatibility and identify the need for upgrading facilities (bike route wider curb lanes bike lanes). th Applied to 17 Street, the existing conditions yield the following results. th 17 Street Existing Bicycling Stress Level and Bicycling Use Speed 85%tile Bicycling Curb Lane Vehicles/Limit Speed StressBikes/ Segment width* day (mph) (mph) Levelday Athens to Arapahoe 20 12,800 25 31 3.7 540 Arapahoe to Canyon 20 6,000 25 29 3.3 260 Canyon to Walnut 20 5,700 25 26 2.9 260 Walnut to Pearl 21 4,700 25 25 2.4 220 Pearl to Spruce 25 2,300 25 24 1.4120 Spruce to Pine 17 1,300 25 24 2.4 60 Scale => 1= very low stress, 5 = very high stress * = curb lane is the right-most travel lane, -- = not collected This analysis yields that a range of skill is required to ride a bicycle in the corridor; ranging from low to moderate on the north end to moderate to high on the south end. The other significant observation is that the higher skill levels are required on the southern end of the corridor where bike use is the highest. Bicycling Stress Level and cycling use are excellent tools to determine appropriate bicycle facilities/system development and investment. From a cycling stress level, if we wished to provide adequate facilities for all users down to an inexperienced beginner, we would need to improve the cycling environment all the way from Athens Street to Pine Street. If we were comfortable saying that it was appropriate to only expect expert-level cyclists, no improvement would be required. From a use perspective, the higher level of existing cycling is focused in the southern end of the corridor reducing as you go north. Integrating these two considerations together; bicycling stress level and bike use indicate that improvements to existing facilities should be investigated from Athens Street north to Walnut Street or Pearl Street. In considering the installation of bike facility improvements on 17th Street, staff analyzed the benefits and impacts of the potential northern terminus. The products of this analysis are provided in the evaluation matrix provided below. Based on the identified benefits, impacts and financial cost, staff recommends that the bicycle facility improvements extend from Athens Street north to Walnut Street. The segment from Walnut north to Pine Street is recommended to be signed as a route. F- 3 Attachment G Facility Alternative Assessment Enhanced Bicycle Facility Type Selection enhanced Options for providing the recommended bike facility to accommodate bicyclists in the corridor from Athens Street north to Walnut Street include: An off-street multi-use path; or, On-street bike lanes. The considerations for the two facility types are provided below. Off-street multi-use Path Pro Provides cyclists with a facility physically separated from motor vehicle traffic. May encourage increased use of bicycling as a transportation mode in the corridor. Cons Creates conflict points with vehicles crossing the multi-use path entering and exiting driveways and public streets. Two-way multi-use paths on one side of the street such as Broadway along the University of Colorado create inherent conflicts between cyclists and motorists crossing the multi-use path because the motorists tend to look only for conflicting motor vehicle traffic and not cyclists coming from the other direction. Stopped cross-street motor vehicle traffic and vehicles exiting driveways may block the multi-use path. Increases conflict potential and wrong-way riding on the street at multi-use path transition end points to on-street facilities. Cyclists can ride at faster speeds than pedestrians typically walk, creating the potential for conflicts. On-street Bike lanes Pro Integrates bicycles into the on-street traffic stream, which reduces conflicts between bicyclists and motorists at intersections and transition points. Increases awareness among all corridor users of the expected presence and location of bicyclists with dedicated bike lane markings and signs. Reduces conflict potential between pedestrian and bicyclist users on the sidewalk. May encourage increased use of bicycling as a transportation mode in the corridor. Cons Riding in on-street bike lanes with higher motor vehicle traffic volumes and speeds can be uncomfortable for less experienced cyclists. G- 1 Riding in on-street bike lanes adjacent to high turnover on-street parking can create conflicts with vehicle doors and vehicles entering and exiting parking spaces. Conflicts between bicyclists and motorists may still occur at intersections and driveways as right-turning vehicles turn across the bicycle lane. Based on the number of cross streets and driveways and the urban nature of the corridor, on-street bike lanes are recommended. On-street Bike Lane Alternatives: Seventeenth Street between Athens Street and Walnut Street is 40 feet wide. In the areas away from the signalized intersections the street typically includes a vehicle lane in each direction (12 feet wide) and on-street parking on both sides of the street (8 feet wide). Approximately 150 feet in advance of the signalized intersections at Arapahoe Avenue, Canyon Boulevard, and Walnut Street, the on-street parking is eliminated on both sides of the street and a left-turn lane is provided. The typical street configuration by block is provided in the table below. th 17 Street Existing Conditions Right-of-way Tree lawn / Planting Segment (ft.) Street width (ft.) Strip (ft.) Sidewalk (ft.) Athens to Arapahoe 60' 40' 0’ west, 5’east 6’west, 4’east Arapahoe to Grove 60' 40' 4’5’ Grove to Canyon 60' to 75' 40' 0’ to 6’ west, 5’ 4’ to 11’ east Canyon to Walnut 80' 40' 14’ west, 10’east 5’west, 4’east Walnut to Pearl 80' 42' 8’ to 5’ west, 4’ to 9’ west, 11’ to 0’east 4’ to 17’east Pearl to Spruce 80' 50' 8’ to 0’ west, 5’ to 14’ west, 9’east 5’east Spruce to Pine 80' 34' 16’ 4’ Preferred and minimum design standards identified in the TMP and based on national standards, are provided in the table below. Under constrained conditions and when retrofitting lanes onto existing streets, the minimum standards can be applied. On-street Bike lane Design Standards Element Preferred (ft.) Minimum (ft.) On-street Bike lane adjacent to 6’(bike)+8’(parking) = 5’(bike)+7’(parking) = parking14’12’ On-street Bike lane adjacent to 5’(bike)+1.5’(gutter) = Curb/gutter6.5’ 5’ inclusive of the gutter Vehicle lane adjacent to the bike 12’ 10’ lane G- 2 The provision of on-street bike lanes can be accomplished in the stretch recommended for improvement by either widening the street or eliminating the parking on one side of the street. Application of preferred or minimum design standards requires widening 12 feet or 4 feet respectively to maintain on-street parking on both sides of the street. Application of preferred or minimum design standards requires widen to 4.5 feet or no widening respectively with removal of parking on one side of the street. At the signalized intersections, the on-street bike lanes require widening 8 feet or none, based on applying preferred and minimum standards, respectively. Eight foot widening at the intersections would require right-of-way or easement acquisition to relocate the existing sidewalks and traffic signal poles. The design alternatives and associated impacts are provided below. On-street Bike Lane Design Alternatives Required Required Street Width widening Alternative (ft.) (ft.) Impacts Preferred Design Standards Maintain on-street parking 52’ 12’ Loss of planting strip and existing vegetation on on both sides of the street both sides of the street. (8+6+12+12+6+8=52’) Environment for pedestrians more exposed and less conducive to walking. Cost = $700,000 Maintain on-street parking 44.5’ 4.5’ Loss of planting strip and existing vegetation on on one-side of the street one side of the street. (8+6+12+12+6.5=44.5’) Loss of parking spaces (44 spaces eliminated, 40 spaces remaining) Cost = $355,000 Signalized intersections 48’ 8’ Loss of planting strip and existing vegetation on (6.5+12+11+12+6.5=48’) both sides of the street. Environment for pedestrians more exposed and less conducive to walking. Additional right-of-way or easement required to provide sidewalks and relocate traffic signals. Cost = $200,000 Minimum Design Standards Maintain on-street parking 44’ 4’ Loss of planting strip and existing vegetation on on both sides of the street one side of the street. (7+5+10+10+5+7=44’) Street less conducive to cycling. Cost = $355,000 Maintain on-street parking 37’ -3’ Loss of parking spaces (44 spaces eliminated, 40 on one-side of the street. spaces remaining) (7+5+10+10+5=37’) On-street lanes less conducive to cycling. Cost = $5,000 Signalized intersections 40’ 0’ Minimal widening required on southwest corner (5+10+10+10+5=40’) of Arapahoe intersection. On-street lanes less conducive to cycling. Cost = $40,000 th Option – Convert 17 Street to One-way Street G- 3 Another option for providing on-street lanes and maintaining on-street parking identified th through the public dialogue was to convert 17 Street to a one-way street. The alternative was analyzed and is not recommended for the following reasons: Negatively impacts neighborhood circulation creating problems accessing residential and major destinations (Boulder High School, CU Campus); Traffic diversion to parallel neighborhood streets; and, Traffic diversion /congestion impacts to the primary street system (Arapahoe, th Broadway, 9 Street, etc.) Another option discussed to provide the on-street lanes at the signalized intersections was to eliminate the left-turn lanes. A level of service analysis identified that the elimination of the left-turn lanes would raise congestion to unacceptable levels. Of the alternatives discussed, no consensus could be reached. Loss of any on-street parking or the planting strip was considered unacceptable by the neighborhood. As the most appropriate balance of the benefits and impacts of providing an improved bicycle facility, staff is recommending the removal of on-street parking on one side of the street and the application of minimum design standards to eliminate the need to relocate curb/gutter and impact the planting strip or sidewalks,. Parking Impacts The primary negative impact of the recommended improvements is loss of on-street parking on the east side of 17th Street from Athens Street to Arapahoe Avenue and the west side of 17th Street from Arapahoe Avenue to Walnut Street. Generally, parking will remain on the opposite side of the street. Impacted parkers include residents, Boulder High students and parents, and Goss-Grove Neighborhood Permit Parking commuter permit-holders. Removed parking spaces identified by user and street block are summarized below. th 17 Street On-street Parking Impacts Spaces Removed Existing On- Neighborhood Two-hour Student streetSpaces Unregulated Permit Time Pickup- Street Segment SpacesRemaining ParkingParkingRestrictedDrop-off Total Athens to Arapahoe 28+7* 14 3 14+3* 14+4* Arapahoe to Canyon 36 5 16 21 16 Canyon to Walnut 13 6 6 7 Total 77+7* 25 16 3 41+3* 36+4* * - pickup/drop-off spaces at Boulder High Note: Five Neighborhood Permit Parking spaces and three student pickup/drop-off spaces would be removed to construct the pedestrian-crossing treatments (medians) at Marine Street and Grove Street. The remaining 36 spaces would be removed as a result of the bike lanes. G- 4 During the day, the loss of parking south of Arapahoe Avenue will largely impact long- term parking for students at Boulder High School and the University of Colorado, who are parking on the street. The loss of 3 student pick-up/drop-off spaces adjacent to the school will negatively impact the student arrival and dismissal congestion associated with the Boulder High School. North of Arapahoe Avenue, the loss of parking will decrease the amount of short-term parking in the area (Neighborhood Permit Parking spaces being used as 2-hour parking spaces) and several long-term parking spaces, which are likely being used by either employees in the downtown area or Boulder High School students. It is anticipated that the loss of parking in these areas will relocate these parkers into the Goss-Grove neighborhood and the neighborhood south of Arapahoe and east of 17th Street. In the evenings, the spaces south of Arapahoe Avenue are infrequently used. The spaces north of Arapahoe are used by residents of the Goss-Grove neighborhood (parking in the NPP spaces) and residents outside of the Goss-Grove neighborhood (parking in the unregulated spaces). People may be parking on the street in the evenings in this area because of inadequate on-site parking for the number of residential units or current occupancy. However, staff has confirmed that all residences fronting on 17th Street in this area do have off-street parking. Public input expressed concern that city off-street parking standards are inadequate, citing that existing demand for parking by residents of the multi-family dwellings far exceeded the supply. Options to Mitigate Parking Loss In the beginning of the public process, bicycle facility options were discussed that impacted the metered parking spaces between Walnut Street and Pearl Street. At that thth time, staff identified the option of restriping Walnut Street between 15 Street and 17 Street to significantly increase business-related on-street metered parking on the north side of the street. The restriping would involve eliminating the westbound on-street bike lane and providing angled parking spaces on the north side of the street. Elimination of th the westbound bike lane was determined feasible with on-street lanes on 17 Street. Restriping the two blocks of Walnut Street would increase metered parking from 22 to 39 spaces for a net gain of 17 spaces. Another option to mitigate the loss of parking in the corridor is selective widening of the street in areas where the impacts to existing mature vegetation would be minimal and additional parking is desirable. A review of the blocks between Walnut Avenue and Athens Avenue suggest that as many as 19parking spaces could be restored in this manner. The additional cost to the project would be approximately $6,100 per parking space. Potential replacement on-street parking and associated cost broken out by street block is provided in the table below. Potential Strategic On-street Replacement Parking G- 5 Potential Existing Spaces Spaces Replacement Street Segment Spaces Remaining Removed SpacesCost Athens to Arapahoe 28+7* 14+4* 14+3* 9 $40,000 Arapahoe to Canyon 36 15 21 6 $45,000 Canyon to Walnut 13 7 6 4 $30,000 Total 77+7* 36+4* 41+3* 19 $115,000 * - pickup/drop-off spaces at Boulder High ththth Option – Enhance 19/20 Street Secondary Corridor in lieu of 17 Street ththth The TMP identifies both 17 Street and 19/20 Street as secondary corridors in the bicycle system network. These two secondary corridors are located approximately 650 thth feet apart. As an alternative to providing an enhanced 17 Street bicycle facility, the 19 th only /20 Street Corridor could be developed as the secondary north-south corridor in the area. thth The TMP conceptual-level facility recommendation for 19 /20 Street is: th a signed bike route on 19 Street from the Boulder Creek Path to Walnut Street; enhanced crossing treatments at Arapahoe Avenue and Canyon Boulevard (completed); th widen the existing pedestrian path connections through the two 19 Street Pocket Parks (Goss-Grove and Canyon-Walnut); thth the existing Walnut Street bike lanes between 19 Street and 20 Street; and, th the existing 20 Street bike lanes To assess the viability of replacing the TMP network plan for two corridors with just an thth enhanced 19/20 Street corridor, staff collected existing use and conditions data. Existing condition information is summarized in the table below. th 19 Street Existing Conditions Speed 85%tile Vehicles/Limit Speed Segment Day (mph) (mph) Bikes/ day Ped Crossing Athens to Arapahoe 1,500 25 -- 170 50* Arapahoe to Grove 1,200 25 -- 140 27* Goss to Canyon 800 25 -- 150 83* Canyon to Walnut 700 25 -- 140 83* * - three peak hour volume thth The considerations for the 19/20 Street only alternative are provided below. Pros G- 6 th 19 Street south of Arapahoe Avenue has approximately 10 times less vehicle traffic making it more conducive to cycling. th Minimize impacts to 17 Street corridor Cons Connection to University Avenue/Colorado Avenue primary bicycle corridor is circuitous or requires using pedestrian-only “Ho Chi Minh Trail” located between campus and Boulder Creek Path Lower existing use despite the fact that it is more complete, indicating that the route is less desirable. Facility complex to negotiate with changes in facility type. Lack of direct connection to major destinations in area (Boulder High School, Downtown, CU Campus) Based on these considerations, staff does not recommend enhancing the bicycling ththth facilities in 19 /20 Street secondary corridor in lieu of improvements to 17 Street. G- 7 Attachment H Proposed Neighborhood Traffic Mitigation, Safety and Pedestrian-Crossing Treatments th 17 Street Neighborhood Traffic Mitigation/Safety and Pedestrian-Crossing Treatments As a result of neighborhood input, several other transportation-related improvements have been evaluated and incorporated into the recommended improvements. Starting at the south end of the corridor and working north, these improvements are the following: 17th Street and University Avenue: There is a documented accident problem in the vicinity of the 17th Street and University Avenue intersection. The horizontal and vertical curvature of the street, high usage and inclement weather causes approximately 5 accidents per year, in which northbound vehicles either crash into the guardrail on the east side of the street, or rear-end collisions with vehicles in front of them. In addition to this accident problem, neighbors living in the Hillside Neighborhood have petitioned to have 17th Street included in the Neighborhood Traffic Mitigation Program (NTMP). Speed data collected on this section of 17th Street shows that with a speed limit of 25 mph, the 85th percentile speed is 33 mph and 84 percent of the traffic is speeding. To mitigate both the accident problem and the speeding issues along this section of the corridor, staff is proposing to construct a raised crossing (flat-topped speed hump) at the pedestrian crosswalk at the 17th Street and University Avenue intersection. In addition, staff is proposing to construct a median, north of that crossing which will visually constrain the northbound traffic and help slow traffic in this section of the corridor. Speed Displays: Existing speed displays in this section of 17th Street will be relocated to account for the new traffic mitigation and to provide better protection of the area. 17th Street and Marine Street: Throughout the day, pedestrians cross 17th Street at the Marine Street intersection. Staff observations suggest that most of these pedestrians are Boulder High School students who have parked in the neighborhood to the east. During the three peak school periods (morning arrival, noon lunchtime and afternoon dismissal), there is between 90 and 120 pedestrians an hour crossing at this intersection. There is low compliance with vehicles yielding to these pedestrians. To enhance this crossing, staff is proposing to construct a median refuge island on the south side of the intersection and to sign it with our “State Law – Yield to Pedestrians” signage. The construction of the median will result in the loss of approximately 3 spaces used for short-term student pickup and drop-off on the west side of the street. The loss of these spaces has been included in the tables showing parking loss, earlier in the memorandum. It is anticipated that this median refuge will also have some traffic mitigation benefit, slowing traffic in the Boulder High School area. H- 1 17th Street and Grove Street: Several years ago, staff worked with the Goss-Grove neighborhood to solve an accident problem at the 17th Street and Grove Street intersection. The accident problem involves: vehicles driving the wrong way (eastbound) on Grove Street west of 17th Street (which is one-way westbound); and, th westbound vehicles on Grove Street east of 17 Street not seeing or stopping at the STOP sign. Both of these situations resulted in broadside collisions at the intersection. Temporary mitigation made of parking blocks to narrow the street are already present on one corner. Staff is proposing to construct concrete neck-downs on both Grove Street approaches to the intersection, to mitigate this accident problem. In addition to the safety issues at the intersection, concerns about pedestrian crossings in this area arose through the corridor public process.Many pedestrians cross 17th Street, mid-block between Arapahoe Avenue and Grove Street. Recent counts show that between 20 and 70 pedestrians per hour cross during the peak school hours. The TMP shows the intersection of 17th Street and Grove Street as being a future enhanced crossing location, to facilitate east-west pedestrian and bicycle traffic through the Goss-Grove neighborhood. The section of 17th Street between Arapahoe Avenue and Canyon Boulevard (which includes the th Grove Street intersection) has a speed limit of 25 mph and traffic is traveling at an 85percentile speed of 30 mph, with less than half of the traffic speeding. Residents in the Goss-Grove neighborhood have sought to have this section of 17th Street included in the NTMP. The conditions would not typically satisfy the minimum criteria for being included in the program. However, it is expected that the bicycle lanes proposed on this section of 17th Street may visually open up the street and the presence of these bicycle lanes will result in higher travel speeds. Based on these conclusions, staff is including traffic mitigation on this section of 17th Street. To enhance the crossing opportunity at the 17th Street and Grove Street intersection (and hopefully encourage mid-block crossings to cross at this location instead) and to provide speed mitigation in this section of 17th Street, staff is proposing to construct a median refuge on the south side of the intersection and to sign the crossing with our “State Law – Yield to Pedestrians” signage. The construction of the median will result in the loss of approximately five (5) parking spaces on the east side of 17th Street. These spaces are currently signed as “Neighborhood Permit Parking Spaces.” The loss of these spaces has been included in the tables showing parking loss, earlier in the memorandum. Speed Displays: In response to the concerns about increased speeding traffic, staff is also proposing to install two speed displays (one in each direction) on the section of 17th Street between Grove Street and Canyon Boulevard. H- 2