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HomeMy WebLinkAbout10.9.18 RTBC Agenda Packet MEETING AGENDA MPO Regional Trails & Bicycling Committee Tuesday, October 9, at 1:00 PM --- Iowa City – City Hall Emma Harvat Hall 410 East Washington Street 1. Call to order; recognize alternates; consider approval of minutes 2. Public discussion* 3. Discuss Update to the 2009 Metro Bicycle Plan a. Draft Project Timeline for Planning Process b. Draft of online survey 4. Review Annual Trail Counts 5. Updates on local trail/bike/pedestrian projects and activities from MPO entities 6. Other Business 7. 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. MINUTES Preliminary MPO REGIONAL TRAILS AND BICYCLING COMMITTEE TUESDAY, OCTOBER 10th, 2017 CITY HALL, UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS MEMBERS PRESENT: Louise From (University Heights), Becky Soglin (Johnson County), Juli Seydell-Johnson (Iowa City), Bob Oppliger, Michelle Ribble, Shelly Simpson (North Liberty), Cheri Proud (Coralville), Brad Friedhof (Johnson County), Terry Dahms, Anne Duggen (Think Bicycles) MEMBERS ABSENT: Brian Loring, Alex Buhmeyer OTHERS PRESENT: Brock Grenis (ECICOG), Del Holland STAFF PRESENT: Sarah Walz, Emily Bothell, Kent Ralston 1. CALL TO ORDER; RECOGNIZE ALTERNATES; CONSIDER APPROVAL OF MINUTES Walz called the meeting to order at 1:03 PM. Motion to approve was made by Soglin; Seyell-Johnson seconded. The motion carried unanimously. 2. Public Discussion Oppliger stated that he was nominated to the Board of Directors for the League of American Bicyclists; voting starts on November 1st. 3. Discuss Community Representation Walz stated that the Johnson County Trails Foundation is one of three organizations outside of member entities that have representation on the RTBC. Dahms has been the representative and has been the JCTF member on the TAC. The JCTF is no longer an active organization. The RTBC is looking to find another organization that can serve as representation. Input is being is sought on possible alternatives. Representation can be from entities, but there are fewer issues when the representation is an advocacy group. From suggested the University of Iowa’s bike advisory committee. Ralston stated that there are no bylaws that limit groups because the RTBC is an Ad Hoc group. Dahms stated the Trails committee no longer exists due to the number of projects that the County currently has planned and the number of existing bike infrastructure in the metro area. The Board is seeking a new representation for the Technical Advisory Committee. A non- entity representative should attend all TAC meetings. It is recommended that a representative be selected, with an alternate being identified in events where the representative is unable to attend TAC meetings. Dahms was selected to be the RTBC representative for the TAC. 4. Consider Transportation Alternatives Funding (TAP) Schedule Ralston stated that the MPO conducts the STBG funding and TAP funding process every other year. The process was conducted this past spring. RTBC preferences have been to fund a few larger projects, rather than many smaller projects. Ralston stated that the Iowa DOT passed changes to the STBG and TAP allocation process. Under new changes, the MPO is required to submit proposals to IDOT for approval; under the old system, the funding process was a competitive process. The Iowa DOT is taking state STBG funds and putting them towards TAP funds. Ralston stated that if funding is allocated this fall, only $500,000 would be available; if funding is postponed until the Spring 2019, approximately $1 million would be available. Ralston recommended postponed the funding allocation process until the Spring 2019; the RTBC recommendation would be presented to the TAC and the UAPB. RTBC unanimously recommended postponing the funding allocation process until Spring 2019. 5. Consider Metro Area Bike Master Plan Walz stated that Iowa City has recently completed and adopted their bicycle master plan. The university is still in the process of updating their bicycle plan. Coralville requested that the metro area bicycle master plan for on-street facilities be updated. As part of that update, the MPO would identify similarities between the Iowa City bicycle master plan and the University’s bicycle plan, to identify opportunities for connections or policy overlaps that may compliment other communities’ plans. Ralston stated that community workshops and online surveys will be some of the tools used in the planning process. Walz stated that developing the plan will begin in 2018, with community workshops being conducted in the spring. The goal is to have a plan drafted and ready for adoption by the end of FY18. 6. Review Annual Pedestrian and Bicycle Measurements A. Baseline School Bicycle Counts Walz stated that school bicycle counts were conducted as part of an effort to assess ridership patterns across the metro area. Schools were the focus of these counts because children go to school at the same time. It compliments U.S. Census data since this data does not consider children, multi-modal commuters, or non-income earners. Walz stated that an additional school count is planned for the spring. Condition of the bike racks was also conducted as part of the baseline count. Many schools assessed during the count lacked access to recommended bicycle racks (i.e. they are considered obsolete). Ridership information was unavailable because the enrollment data for schools has not been released. Enrollment numbers for schools should be released in December. That information would be provided to the school as part of the count. Private schools and Tate School were not part of the baseline count because they are not considered neighborhood schools. Simpson stated that North Liberty is served by multiple school districts and North Bend School (part of the Clear Creek/Amana school district). Walz stated that the school could be included for the spring count. Oppliger asked if Hills was part of the MPO’s jurisdiction. Walz and Ralston stated that they were, but were not included in this baseline count because the emphasis was only on the urban area. B. Metro Multi-use Trail Counts Walz informed the committee that 15 of the 17 locations for counts were completed for 2017. A few of the completed counts are baseline counts; this is the first time they have been counted. There were concerns about comparison counts because of the lack of data. Walz informed the committee that the MPO now has 10 years’ worth of trail counts for the metro bicycle system. Walz stated that this does not mean each trail has 10 counts, but there is enough data collected for year-to-year comparisons including average weekday ridership, weekend ridership, and daily average for a week. Many trails are experiencing increases in ridership. The Iowa River Trail at Waterworks Park is one that has seen a decrease. This may be due to placement of the count box, and the numerous entrances for the trail. Due to the number of entrances for this trail, a different location may be used in the future to generate a better representation of trail usage. Walz stated that counts can vary due to the time of year, weather, etc, which can affect the numbers of users. Some counts are time specific due to large numbers of trail users that may be students or faculty. Trends are emerging that distinguish trails that are everyday use trails, and others that are predominantly used for recreation. 7. Discuss Updates to 2018 Metro Area Trails Map for 2018 Walz stated that metro area trail maps are distributed throughout the metro area. Information on the map has been scaled back compared to previous maps. The new format makes it easier to read and maintain the map. Any changes the committee wants to the maps should be submitted to the MPO by January. Walz asked the board if formatting changes should include a shift from a metro area/county map to a commuter map. Walz stated that the new cyclocross track will be included in the new map. Several members recommended that gravel bike routes should be included in the next trail map. County representatives raise safety concerns over promoting gravel roads for recreational riding as gravel roads are principally for farm transport. More thought should be given to the safety implications of directing recreational riders to areas where bicycling has not been contemplated as part of signing and maintenance. Soglin stated that pocket-sized trail maps have been very popular with residents. 8. Updates on Local Trail/Bike/Pedestrian Projects and Activities From MPO Entities Oppliger stated that the Iowa City school has agreed to incorporate a comprehensive bicycle education program. These programs will be incorporated for second-graders, fifth-graders, Jr. High, and high school students. The program will start in the spring. Startup costs for the program are estimated at $2,000. Oppliger stated that the ICCSD Foundation has $1,000. The project will begin after the remaining $1,000 is funded. Walz inquired if the school district has looked at programs in Minnesota for reference. Oppliger responded that states that have existing programs will be referenced. Washington D.C. has a program that teaches 5-6 year-old schoolchildren how to ride a bike. The program advances to safety techniques in Jr. High, and Bicycle/Car safety is addressed in high school. Simpson stated that a new section of bike trail has been completed along Sand Ridge Road. This new section of trail reduces bicycle/car conflicts by connecting two previously disconnected sections of bike trail. Oppliger asked for an update on construction at the old wastewater treatment plant. Seydell- Johnson responded that the trail connections for Riverfront Park are near completion. The trail connection along Highway 6 is ready to be paved, but has been held up by weather and construction of a new water line. This is also the case for the bridge trail connector. The bridge has been constructed, but the approaches still need to be paved. Trail connectors should be completed this fall, with planting and landscaping occurring in the spring. A wetland will be created for the park by diverting Ralston Creek through the wetland area. Ralston stated that Iowa City is in the process of applying for bicycle friendly business designation for the Iowa City downtown campus: recreation center, city hall, and library. Friedhof stated that the project between North Liberty and Mehaffey Bridge project was bid in November. Phase 1 and 2 of the Hoover Trail between Solon and Ely will be bid on December 19th. After completion, only the section from the underpass, around the roundabout to the southside of Highway-382 will need to be completed. These projects are being funded by State Recreation Trail, Federal Recreation Trail, and Federal Land Access Program funds. Construction on these projects will begin over the winter. The last parcel of land will be purchased from Half Moon Avenue to F.W. Kent Park after harvest season this fall. Land agents will begin working on purchasing right-of-way from F.W. Kent Park to Oxford Avenue, and will also purchase right-of-way from either Solon to Morse, or Morris to Oasis route. The County is currently leaning towards acquiring the Morse to Oasis route because one-mile of the necessary right-of-way has been donated. Discussions have been had on the Herbert Hoover Highway interchange project. County Road officials have stated intentions to put a trail through a narrow right-of-way as part of that project. Johnson County will continue to work with Iowa County to get the Clear Creek Trail built out to Amana. 9. Other Business Proud stated that a cyclocross trail was constructed in Coralville, and the first race will be held the first week of November. Bidding for Phase 6 and 7 of the project will be held in January. These phases are expected to be completed in 2019. 10. Adjournment Meeting Adjourned 1:55 PM. Date: October 4, 2018 To: MPO Regional Trails and Bicycle Committee From: Sarah Walz, Assistant Transportation Planner Re: October 9 Agenda Items Item #3: Discuss Update to the 2009 Bicycle Master Plan: The MPO adopted its current Metro Bicycle Master Plan in 2009. The City of Coralville requested an update to the Plan in the FY2019 Transportation Planning Work Program. The 2009 plan provided general guidance for improving bicycle facilities, programs, and policies within metro communities. This included both system-wide recommendations and goals and recommendations specific to individual communities. An update to the plan was adopted into the MPO work program for 2018-2019. In the years since the plan was adopted, metro communities have worked to improve conditions for bicyclists and other vulnerable road users. In particular, there has been significant progress in the establishment of off-street facilities, including regional and local trails and wide sidewalks. The MPO’s Complete Streets Policy was adopted, which influences the design of the arterial street system to include facilities and accommodations for bicycles and pedestrians. Coordinated through the MPO, metro communities installed directional/wayfinding signs to assist bicyclists using the trail system and on-street routes. Since 2009, University Heights, Coralville, Iowa City, The University of Iowa and Johnson County’s downtown human services campus have all achieved Bicycle Friendly designations from the League of American Bicyclists and North Liberty has indicated interest in applying for a BFC designation in the near future. With a goal of moving from Silver to Gold Level BFC status, Iowa City, adopted its own bicycle master plan in 2017 and the University of Iowa is working on a bikeway plan. University Heights, through its Community Visioning process, is planning for on- street bicycle facilities with future upgrades to Melrose Avenue. In moving forward with the metro plan, the primary areas of focus will be Coralville and North Liberty. We will refer to plans adopted by the City of Iowa City and the University in order to identify opportunities for connectivity and potential policies or programs that will provide consistency across MPO communities, including unincorporated areas of Johnson County. The RTBC will serve as the advisory committee for guiding the plan through to its completion and for coordinating, where possible, elements that serve to enhance bicycling and bicycle safety across the metro. As with the 2009 Metro Plan, the organizing framework for the update will consider the League of American Bicyclists (LAB) 5 E’s: Engineering, Education, Evaluation, Enforcement, and Encouragement. Although it has not been added to the official list, “Equity” is a sixth E that focuses on ensuring that planning efforts and investments reach youth, women, and people of color. Where communities are in agreement, a set of system-wide recommendations will be proposed. This would seem particularly appropriate in the areas of education, encouragement, evaluation, and enforcement as well as efforts to expand the use or awareness of the metro-wide trail system or to enhance bicycle safety. Recommendations for new facilities or other capital improvements along with any other programs or policies specifically tailored to the needs or desires of individual communities could be set apart and formatted as stand-alone chapters that would serve as the local community’s master plan if that is desired. To get the process started, staff have provided a draft timeline. Between now and January, MPO will meet with staff in Coralville, North Liberty, Johnson County, and University Heights to review progress on the existing plan and to get direction on future development plans for each community. 3a: Draft Project Timeline for the Planning Process: October 17-November 17: On-line survey November-December: Meet with staff from local communities and Iowa City Community School District. January-early February: Host opening workshops in communities of North Liberty and Coralville. We can accommodate additional locations if desired. February: Summary of workshop and survey input to be reviewed by RTBC. March: MPO staff drafts Plan Chapters. April: Draft Plan Chapters to be reviewed by RTBC. April-early May: Public Open House to review Draft Plan May: Draft Plan submitted to the MPOJC Transportation Technical Advisory Committee. June: Public comment period. July: Final Plan to be adopted by the MPOJC Transportation Technical Advisory Committee and by local Communities as appropriate. We would like you to consider the draft schedule for the plan as well as the on-line survey (see 3b). This is also an opportunity to discuss the role of the RTBC in general both in contributing to the planning process and its collaborative efforts to achieve the goals of the plan after adoption. 3b: Draft of On-line Survey The survey is intended to gather initial input from the public and will inform the opening workshops to be held in later in the process. This on-line survey will build upon bicycle-specific information gathered in 2016 as part of the MPO’s Long Range Transportation Plan. Metro Area Bicycle Master Plan Survey This survey is being administered by the Metropolitan Planning Organization of Johnson County. Your input will help us to plan for bicycle infrastructure, policies, and programs in the communities of Coralville, North Liberty, Tiffin, and University Heights as well as portions of unincorporated Johnson County. While the Metro Bicycle Master Plan focuses on Coralville, North Liberty, Tiffin, and University Heights, it will also coordinate with the Bicycle Master Plan for Iowa City that was adopted in 2017. The Metro Bicycle Plan will also address projects and policies for rural areas, including planned trail extensions, popular touring routes, and policies and programs that make bicycling safer on all roadways. Residents of Iowa City are welcome to participate in the survey. When responding to survey questions, please consider your experience riding trails and streets outside of Iowa City or making connections between communities. * Required 1. What is your age? Mark only one oval. ▪ 17 or under Skip to question 3. ▪ 18-24 ▪ 25-34 ▪ 35-54 ▪ 55-64 ▪ 65 or older 2. Does your household include school-age children? Mark only one oval. ▪ Yes. ▪ No. 3. Please indicate where you live within the metro community (see map below). Mark only one oval. ▪ North Liberty, north of Penn Street ▪ North Liberty, south of Penn Street and WEST of Hwy 965 ▪ North Liberty, south of Penn Street and EAST of Hwy 965 ▪ Coralville, north of I-80 and WEST of 12th Avenue ▪ Coralville, north of I-80 and EAST of 12th Avenue ▪ Coralville, south of I-80 ▪ University Heights ▪ Tiffin ▪ Iowa City, WEST of the Iowa River ▪ Iowa City, EAST of the Iowa River ▪ Unincorporated Johnson County ▪ Other 4. Please indicate the area where your most frequent destination is located regardless of your transportation method. (For example: workplace, school, daily shopping or recreation) Mark only one oval. ▪ North Liberty, north of Penn Street ▪ North Liberty, south of Penn Street and WEST of Hwy 965 ▪ North Liberty, south of Penn street and EAST of Hwy 965 ▪ Coralville, north of I-80 and WEST of 12th Avenue ▪ Coralville, north of I-80 and EAST of 12th Avenue ▪ Coralville, south of I-80 ▪ University Heights ▪ Tiffin ▪ Iowa City, WEST of the Iowa River ▪ Iowa City, EAST of the Iowa River ▪ Unincorporated Johnson County ▪ Other 5. How often do you ride a bicycle for the following purposes (in good weather)? * Check all that apply. Rarely/Never A few times a year Occasionally (a few times a month) Regularly (once or twice a week) Frequently/Daily Commuting to work or school. Shopping/errands. Recreation/social activity. Exercise/fitness. Touring (e.g. long rides often outside city limits) Trips to recreation center, library, famers market or similar community destinations or events. 6. How would you describe your bicycle comfort level? Mark only one oval. ▪ I will ride on just about any road and feel comfortable bicycling with vehicle traffic and sharing the lane with motorists. Skip to question 8. ▪ I feel comfortable bicycling on most streets, but bike facilities (such as bike lanes or trails) would help to extend the reach or comfort level of my own bicycle trips, especially in higher-traffic areas. Skip to question 8. ▪ I am comfortable on lower volume streets and separated facilities like trails. I would like to bike around town more often, but do not feel comfortable riding with vehicle traffic. Skip to question 8. ▪ I ride recreationally, but avoid riding on city streets for the most part. I prefer trails. Skip to question 8. ▪ I do not feel safe or comfortable on a bicycle, but I would like to learn or improve my bicycle skills. I am interested in using the trail syst em. ▪ I am not comfortable on a bicycle and am not interested in riding. Skip to "Thank you for participating!." Question for those who are uncomfortable riding a bicycle . . . 7. Would any of the following programs be of interest to you or help you feel more comfortable riding a bike? (Check any that apply) Mark only one oval. ▪ In-person classes on basic bicycle skills or safety offered through your local recreation department or bicycle organization. ▪ Short on-line videos covering rules of the road or other basic bicycling issues. ▪ Neighborhood based rides with experienced bicyclists (e.g. slow rolls) that focus on recreation and social aspects of riding. ▪ Group based rides such as women's rides, family rides, or rides that support the particular needs of seniors, people of color, non-English speaking, etc. ▪ Family-based rides that encourage parents to ride with school-age children. ▪ None of the above. 8. In your opinion, how comfortable/safe is it to travel by bicycle between your ho me and each of the following destinations? * Check all that apply. Very Safe Somewhat safe Somewhat unsafe Unsafe Not sure. Nearest elementary school. Nearest junior high school. Nearest high school. Nearest shopping area for daily needs (e.g. groceries) Regional shopping (e.g. Coral Ridge, Iowa River Landing) Local public library. Local recreation center. Neighborhood parks or sports fields. Nearest trail access. 9. In your opinion, how effective would each of the following improvements or programs be in terms of increasing bicycle usage in the metro community. * Mark only one oval per row. Very effective. Somewhat effective. Neutral. Ineffective. Not sure. More/improved bicycle parking at popular destinations (shopping, schools, recreation areas, etc.) More/improved bicycle parking at multi-family housing. Available bike repair stations at important community destinations. Off-street trails connecting neighborhoods to important destinations. Wide (10-foot) sidewalks along major roadways. On-street bicycle lanes. Shared lane markings (sharrows) A system of on-street routes with wayfinding signage. Signs indicating SHARE THE ROAD or BICYCLE WILL TAKE FULL LANE. Improved pavement marking and curb ramps at high traffic intersections. Countdown timers at major intersections. Improved crossings on high- volume streets (i.e. medians or refuge islands) Greater connectivity in future neighborhoods/subdivisions. (shorter block lengths and multiple connections to adjacent streets) Safe Routes to School or similar programs to familiarize children with sidewalks, streets, and trails. Bicycle safety/skills programs for school-age children. Bicycle safety/skill programs for adults. Education programs to teach drivers to share the road with bicycles. Targeted enforcement of laws that protect vulnerable road users. Very effective. Somewhat effective. Neutral. Ineffective. Not sure. Community based bicycle clubs, events, programs. Bicycle rides that target special populations (e.g. women, seniors, minorities, etc. 9. List any specific locations where bike racks are missing, inadequate, or in poor condition. 10. List up to 3 specific roadways or trails or wide sidewalks where you believe repair or improved maintenance is needed. Be as specific as possible. 11. Suggest up to five specific locations where you think improvements are needed for bicycling. Suggested improvements could include trail extensions, bike lanes, intersection improvements, wayfinding signage, etc. Other comments 12. Is there anything else you would like to share with us about your bicycle experience or improvements you would like to see? Thank you for participating! Input gathered through this survey will be shared at our Bicycle Planning Workshops. Please plan to attend: NORTH LIBERTY Date, Time, Place. CORALVILLE Date, Time, Place. Other. Date: October 4, 2018 To: MPO Regional Trails and Bicycle Committee From: Sarah Walz, Assistant Transportation Planner Re: October 9 Agenda Items Item #4: Review Annual Trail Counts Between May and October each year, the MPO collects data on bicycle and pedestrian usage along the regional trail system. Data is collected using an infrared device that counts both bicycles and pedestrians. We have completed counts at 10 out of 14 locations. The count locations are based on requests from MPO entities and entered into a scheduled rotation to ensure we are measuring at points along major trails every 2nd or 3rd year. For each count we provide a weekday average, a weekend average, and the weeklong average of daily trips. Baseline counts (first-ever counts) were taken at the following locations: Second year counts were taken the following locations: Oakdale wide sidewalk Iowa River Trail, north of Myrtle Weekday 140 302 Weekend 135 103 ADT 137 236 2017 2018 Weekday 71 81 Weekend 68 91 ADT 71 86 Highway 6 (East of Keokuk) 2014 2018 Weekday 130 81 Weekend 213 136 ADT 157 108 NLT (at Penn Meadows Park) 2016 2018 Weekday 91 91 Weekend 113 122 ADT 99 106 IRC Trail - Mehaffey Bridge Rd near Southslope A number of factors influence annual counts—the month or week the count was taken, weather, adjacent trail or road construction or closures, the opening of additional trail access points, increased development around the site, etc. This can make it difficult to draw definitive conclusions about usage from a year-over-year comparison. With ten years’ worth of count data, we are now able to show trends for most trail sections. The following trend lines provide a clearer picture of how trails are being used. 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 2009 2010 2011 2014 2016 2018 Iowa River Trail at Napoleon Park Weekday Weekend ADT 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 2009 2010 2015 2016 2018 Iowa River Trail Near I-80 Tunnel Weekday Weekend ADT 2018 Count Weekday ADT: 286 Weekend ADT: 268 ADT: 277 2018 Count Weekday ADT: 135 Weekend ADT: 153 ADT: 144 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 2014 2015 2016 2018 Clear Creek Trail near Camp Cardinal Blvd Weekday Weekend ADT 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 2009 2010 2015 2018 Clear Creek Trail near Comfort Suites Weekday Weekend ADT 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 2010 2011 2016 2018 Weatherby Park Loop Weekday Weekend ADT 2018 Count Weekday ADT: 186 Weekend ADT: 410 ADT: 298 2018 Count Weekday: 85 Weekend: 102 ADT: 93 2018 Count Weekday ADT: 131 Weekend ADT: 252 ADT: 191