Memorandum

City of Lawrence

Planning

TO:	David L. Corliss, Lawrence City Manager
FROM:	Jessica Mortinger, Transportation Planner
DATE:	June 25, 2014
RE:	Bicycle & Pedestrian Planning – Existing & Proposed Plans

Background

Bicycling and walking are self-powered options that provide a real alternative for transportation needs, from commutes to school and work, to shopping trips, to recreational activities, even business and delivery transport. The latest Metropolitan Transportation Plan, Transportation 2040 (T2040) recommends increased planning for bicycle and pedestrian networks. Following the adoption of T2040 in March 2013, the MPO has completed two other bicycle & pedestrian related studies -the Countywide Bikeway System Plan and the Fixed Route Transit & Pedestrian Accessibility Study. The MPO is now working on a Regional Pedestrian Plan estimated to be completed by June 2015. The major recommendations of each plan/study are described below.

Transportation 2040 – Adopted by the MPO Policy Board March 21, 2013, amended August 15, 2013

T2040 provides goals for all modes of transportation including bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure networks for transportation. The plan recognizes the need to complete the bikeway and pedestrian networks to provide a continuous system that serves the entire City of Lawrence. Transportation 2040 can be found online at: www.lawrenceks.org/mpo/t2040

The major action steps in Chapter 5 - Bicycle & Pedestrian include:

• Implement the Lawrence-Douglas Countywide Bicycle Plan and Bikeway System Map and plan to update it at least once every five years
• Develop a  Pedestrian Plan and Sidewalk Condition Inventory and plan to update it at least once every five years
• Consider bicycles & pedestrians in development review
• Coordinate bicycle and pedestrian planning issues
• Develop a bicycle and pedestrian education program and enforce traffic laws
• Notify property owners about their responsibility to sidewalk maintenance
• Fund bicycle & pedestrian facilities
• Adopt bicycle facility, street design standards and guidelines for development
• Implement Douglas County rural bicycle plan elements
• Plan and construct bicycle and bicyclists amenities  
• Use signage that conveys the legitimacy of cyclists to use the road

Countywide Bikeway System Plan (Part of the Multimodal Studies) – Adopted by the MPO Policy Board on March 20, 2014

This plan takes a Bicycle & Pedestrian planning’s 5E’s (Engineering, Education, Encouragement, Enforcement, Evaluation) approach. This plan updates and expands the existing bikeway system planning that exists in Douglas County. The general policy recommendations for bikeway improvements call for building more complete networks and using sharrows to connect existing improvements. The plan calls for the City and County to use a variety of new bikeway types, consider narrowing travel lanes to install bike lanes within the current curb to curb dimensions, and consider the mutual benefit of bike lanes and shared use paths in a corridor to meet the needs of all bicyclists. The plan specifically addresses four areas of concern including, connections to schools in Baldwin City and Eudora, the Lawrence 6th & Iowa Intersection, and the Hobbs to Constant Park Connection. The Countywide Bikeway System Plan can be found online at: www.lawrenceks.org/assets/mpo/study/reports/bike.pdf. The maps for City and County bikeway systems can be found online at:

• Lawrence Existing and Proposed Bikeway Map

www.lawrenceks.org/assets/mpo/study/reports/lawrencebikemap.pdf

• Douglas County Existing and Proposed Bikeway Map

www.lawrenceks.org/assets/mpo/study/reports/douglascobikemap.pdf

In addition to the list of specific improvements recommended for corridors and across the County network there are some other major policy recommendations including:

•   Include bike lanes on all future arterial and collector streets-even when a shared use path (SUP) is present,

•   Include bike lanes when reconstructing urban arterial and collector streets,

•   Use shared lane markings to connect currently discontinuous segments of bike lanes,

•   Provide shared lane markings (sharrows) on all bike routes with an Average Daily Traffic (ADT) count of greater than 1,500, and

•   Use narrow travel and/or center turn lanes on select streets in order to accommodate bike lanes.

Other Education, Encouragement, Enforcement and Evaluation recommendations include:

•   Seek a dedicated funding source

•   Hire a full time City/County Bike/Pedestrian Coordinator

•   Install bike racks on all the fixed route transit vehicles in the coordinated City-KU transit system

• Develop the bicycling public education and enforcement outreach program
• Create a bicycle crash analysis using a crash typology system
• Continue taking steps to elevate Lawrence to a silver or gold level Bicycle Friendly Community by working towards the recommendations provided by the League of American Bicyclists. The recommendations can be found online at: www.lawrenceks.org/assets/pds/planning/documents/BikeFeedback.pdf
• Conduct a bike share feasibility analysis

Fixed Route Transit & Pedestrian Accessibility Study (Part of the Multimodal Studies) – Adopted by the MPO Policy Board on March 20, 2014

The existing pedestrian environment along bus routes in Lawrence is less than ideal, and this study calls out four main corridors and recommends a variety of pedestrian and transit user related improvements. The corridors include: 6th Street Corridor, 23rd Street Corridor, 19th Street Corridor, and the Naismith Drive Corridor. Maps and detailed recommendations for each of these corridors can be found within the plan which can be accessed online at: www.lawrenceks.org/assets/mpo/study/reports/transit.pdf.

This study contains a list of projects that would improve the physical elements of the noted corridors. In addition to specific improvements that can be made in these corridors, there are some major policy recommendations including:

•   Strengthen the site development review process;

•   Adopt typical bus stop standards and identify locations for bus turnouts;

•   Enhance existing crosswalks and identify new crossing locations;

•   Evaluate relocating mid-block stops closer to marked pedestrian crosswalks;

•   Review sidewalk replacement policy;

•   Seek a dedicated funding source;

•   Incorporate pedestrian improvements into larger scale roadway projects; and

•   Utilizing ITS applications to enhance transit services.

2014 Regional Pedestrian Plan

The MPO is kicking off a Regional Pedestrian Planning process in June 2014. The plan will include strategies for making pedestrian facility investments and for confirming the importance of the walking environment in the multimodal transportation system. The Regional Pedestrian Plan will identify a pedestrian network and recommendations for roadways designated as collector and above on the MPO-KDOT-FHWA Roadway Functional Classification Map. The Steering Committee will guide the staff’s efforts which are planned to include:

•   Identification of best practices for pedestrian facility construction and maintenance and their possible use in Douglas County.

•   Evaluation of the existing pedestrian facility conditions and identifying gaps in the sidewalk/pathway network on roadways designated collector and above at a minimum.

•   Identification of potential walking routes that include access to major destinations and links to other modes of transportation, including bus service and park & ride lots.

•   Drafting of new or revised policies, programs and projects designed to make Douglas County more Pedestrian/Walk Friendly in the 5 E’s (Engineering, Education, Encouragement, Enforcement and Evaluation).

•   Developing an implementation plan, including funding sources and partnerships.

•   Identifying a set of action steps for the local governments to continue integrating pedestrian planning into community and transportation planning processes, and to complete identified projects.

This year-long process is expected to have a plethora of public input opportunities including an online interactive map, open houses, and an online survey.

For more information about any of these plans or processes contact Jessica Mortinger at jmortinger@lawrenceks.org or 832-3165.