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HomeMy WebLinkAbout03.05.24 RTBC Agenda PacketMPOJC Regional Trails and Bicycling Committee Tuesday, March 5, 2024 – 1:30 PM MPO Conference Room Lower Level, Iowa City City Hall, 410 East Washington Street Attend via Zoom at the following link: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMkceGgpzMoH9cAJ8PyiZzrnW4_CbF1RtK_ 1.Call to order; recognize alternates 2.Public discussion of items not on the agenda* 3.Review Metro Area Bicycle and Pedestrian Collision Data 4.Review 2023 Trail Counts and 2024 Count Locations 5.Discuss Metro Trail Map 6.Discuss Trail Identification Signage for Regional Trails 7.Pre-Planning for Bike to Work Week/Month 8.Other Business 9.Adjournment *Public input is permitted on any agenda item during discussion of the item. Please indicate to Sarah Walz if you wish to comment. To request any disability-related accommodations, please contact MPOJC staff at least 48 hours in advance at 319.356.5239 or email Sarah-Walz@iowa-city.org. Date: February 29, 2024 To: Regional Trails and Bicycling Committee From: Sarah Walz; Associate Transportation Planner Re: Agenda Item #3: Review Metro Area Bicycle and Pedestrian Collision Data One of the guiding principles in the MPO’s adopted 2050 Long-Range Transportation Plan is the safety of all modes of transportation. The Plan identifies the number of pedestrian and bicycle collisions and resulting injuries and fatalities in its safety performance measures. The following charts show the changes in reported bicycle and pedestrian collisions since 2012 and the severity of those collisions. The data were obtained from the Iowa DOT’s Crash Analysis Tool on 01/11/2024. These data do not include collisions that occur on private property. Also excluded are any collisions on I-80/380 and U.S. Highway 218. Figure 1. Annual Metro Area Pedestrian and Bicycle Collision Trends, 2012-2023 The number of reported collisions involving bicycles and pedestrians began trending downward around 2016, with bicycle collisions reduced by more than 60% between 2015 and 2021. The record lows for both bicycle and pedestrian collisions in 2020/21 may be related to the COVID- 19 pandemic when vehicle miles travel declined. Both bicycle and pedestrian collisions then increased in 2022 as COVID restrictions ended and travel normalized. In 2023, collisions appear to be returning to the previous downward trend, with pedestrian collisions at their second lowest and bike collisions at their third lowest in a decade. 2 Figure 2. Annual Reported Metro Pedestrian Collisions and Injury Severity, 2012-2023 The trendline of collisions recorded each year tells only part of the story. To get a complete picture of the safety of our roadways, we also consider the number and percentage of serious injuries and fatalities that result from these collisions. Figure 2 (above) shows the number of pedestrian collisions for each year with the percentage of collisions that resulted in serious injury or fatality. While the total number of pedestrian collisions dropped by more than a third from 2022 to 2023, the percentage of pedestrian collisions resulting in serious injury or fatality increased by nearly a quarter. Figure 3. Safety Performance Measures for Pedestrian Collisions, 5-year trends Pedestrian Collisions Total number of collisions 146 106 Serious-injuries/fatalities Total number of serious injuries & fatalities 21 19 Severity rate Severe injuries & fatalities / collisions 14%18% Performance Measure Definitions 2014-2018 2019-2023 As shown above, in Figure 3, the five-year trends for pedestrian collisions and resulting severe injuries and fatalities show that despite a decrease in the number of collisions and resulting severe injuries, the likelihood that a collision will result in severe injury or fatality is increasing. 3 Figure 4. Annual Reported Metro Bicycle Collisions and Injury Severity, 2012-2023 Figure 4 presents bicycle collision numbers in comparison to severe injuries and fatalities. Similar to the pattern with reported Metro Area pedestrian collisions, the number of bicycle collisions has been trending downward since 2016, reaching its lowest numbers in 2020 and 2021. Again, changes in travel due to the COVID-19 pandemic likely contributed to this significant drop in collisions. As travel normalized in 2022, bicycle collisions increased by more than 50% though serious injury/fatality numbers remained low. In 2023, bicycle collisions dropped by 18%, returning to a downward trend. The trend of serious injuries and fatalities for bicycle collisions is more favorable than the pedestrian trend. Though the rate of serious injuries and fatalities increased in 2020 and 2021, the rate dropped significantly in 2022 and again in 2023. Last year, the Metro Area recorded no serious injury or fatal bicycle crashes. This was the first year that no fatal or serious-injury bicycle collisions were recorded in more than a decade. Figure 5. Safety Performance Measures for Pedestrian Collisions, 5-year trends Bicycle collisions Total collisions 200 122 Severe Injuries/fatalities Total number of serious injuries & fatalities 17 7 Severity rate Severe injuries & fatalities / total collisons 9%6% Definitions 2014-2018 2019-2023 Performance Measure As shown above, in Figure 5, the five-year trends for bicycle collisions and resulting severe injuries and fatalities show a decrease in all measures. 4 The safety of pedestrians and bicyclists, our most vulnerable road users, is a top priority for the MPO. Complete streets policies and the investments each community has made in sidewalks, trails, and intersection treatments play an essential role in reducing pedestrian and bicycle collisions and making active modes of transportation and recreation accessible. The MPO was recently awarded a Safe Streets and Roads for All grant that will allow us to move forward in developing a Safety Action Plan for the entire metro. The Plan will help identify those locations and conditions where bicycles and pedestrians may be most at risk and propose countermeasures to improve safety and eliminate serious injuries and fatalities. Date: February 29, 2024 To: Regional Trails and Bicycling Committee From: Sarah Walz; Associate Transportation Planner Re: Agenda Item #4: Review 2023 Trail Counts and 2024 Count Locations Each year, the MPO collects bicycle and pedestrian counts along the regional trail network. Data is collected using an infrared device that does not differentiate between bicycles and pedestrians. In 2022. we acquired two additional trail counters. This allowed us to transition from short-term (2-week counts) to season-long counts. Our count efforts in 2023 focused primarily on the Clear Creek Trail. We also included a trail count at CRANDIC Park, which is part of the Iowa River Corridor Trail but serves as a route connecting Iowa City to the Clear Creek Trail. The charts on the following pages show monthly and weekly counts along with weekly and daily averages. The weekly charts illustrate the great variability of trail usage from week to week. This may be attributed to weather, road closures, organized bicycle events, etc. Because there is so much variability, averages based on season-long counts provide a more accurate reflection of typical trail usage than our previous 2-week counts. We will plan to repeat season-long counts (May through October) at locations once every two to three years and will focus on the regional trails: Iowa River Corridor Trial, Clear Creek Trail, and the North Ridge/North Liberty Trail. Trail counters are currently in place until the end of April at the Woodpecker Singletrack Trail in Coralville and at Trueblood Rec Area and Wetherby Park in Iowa City. Plans for the placement of trail counters in 2024 are shown on page 8 and will focus on the Iowa River Corridor Trail and the North Liberty/North Ridge Trail. 2 2023 Count Locations 3 The MPO collected its first trail count on this reconstructed trail segment in Fall 2021, which showed an average of 191 trips per day. In 2022, data was collected May-July showing an average of 398 trips per day over the 3-month period. Note that the 2023 count does not include data for June-September—peak months for trail activity. Data for May includes only the first three weeks of the month. However, a year- over-year comparison for May, shows the average daily trips in May 2023 to be 526; average daily trips in May 2022 was 354. That represents a 48% increase in usage during May. 4 This is the first count we have made at this location. 5 The count location is on the east side of Camp Cardinal Road. Our most recent count, completed in Fall 2020, recorded an average of 341 trips/per day. 6 This is the first count we have done at this location. A count completed in Spring 2020, showed an average of 267 trips/day at a location along James Street near the Comfort Suites. 7 This is the first count we have done at this location. 8 2024 Proposed locations for May-October 1.IRC Trail near Waterworks Park 2.IRC Trail at the Iowa River Dam 3.IRC Trail near Penn Elementary 4.North Liberty Trail near the Rec Center 5.North Ridge Trail at Oakdale Research Park Non-peak season counts in 2024-2025 are planned for Woodpecker Singletrack and Creekside Cross Park, and at Iowa City ‘s new singletrack trail near Terrill Mill Park. Date: February 29, 2024 To: Regional Trails and Bicycling Committee From: Sarah Walz; Associate Transportation Planner Re: Agenda Item #5 Discuss Metro Area Trails Map The MPO last printed Metro Area Trail Maps in 2022, printing a two-year supply. We plan to print another 2-year supply to be available in May. We request that communities provide any updates on new trails or other bicycle facilities or repair stations. Please also review descriptions of Single Track and Cyclocross facilities at the top of the “Metro Routes” side of the map. We are also open to suggestions for additional safety or bicycle information to add to the map. Re: Agenda Item #6 Discuss Trail Identification Signage for Regional Trails MPO staff introduced the idea of updating trail wayfinding and branding the trail system at the Committee’s March 2022 meeting. Staff requested guidance from the DOT on whether such a project would be eligible for TAP funding. The DOT recently determined that, while planning and design would not qualify for TAP funding, fabrication and installation of signs would be eligible activities. In the interim, we have requests for new signs for the Iowa River Corridor (IRC) Trail from Iowa City and Johnson County. We have updated the IRC sign design and have a price estimate of $45/sign from Iowa Prison Industries. If your community is interested in signage along your segment of the IRC Trail, MPO staff can help identify locations. If there is interest among MPO communities, we can move forward with designing complementary signs for other trails as well as placement. This is also an opportunity to gauge what if any, interest there is in a comprehensive system of wayfinding and branding for the regional trails. The next round of Transportation Alternatives Program and Carbon Reduction Plan Program Funding applications will be available in 2025, with funding programmed in 2027-2028 but there may be other ways to fund such a project depending on community priorities. Please be prepared to discuss this at your March 5 meeting. 18” x 24” Aluminum Sign 2 Re: Agenda Item #7 Pre-Planning for Bike to Work Week/Bike Month May is National Bike Month and Bike to Work Week is May 13-19. Traditionally, the MPO has helped to promote local events by assisting with local Bike Month/Week Declarations and supplying Metro Area Trail Maps. Bike Iowa City has successfully assumed the role of maintaining a bicycle activities calendar. Organizations can add their event by going to https:/bikeiowacity.com/event-calendar. Please be prepared to share whether you are planning any special events and/or if you need the MPO’s technical assistance.